Want to switch from PC to MAC but have a few questions first.

Hi
It's time for me to upgrade my old computer and I am seriously considering switching over to a Mac but I have a few compatibility concerns that I would like to address before making my final decision.
I use my PC for business and regularly use Excel, Word and CorelDraw. I have numerous documents that I have created using these programmes. I was wondering firstly if I will have any problems loading CorelDraw onto the Mac and then will I find that I cannot open some of my old documents?
I also have several other programmes that I have downloaded from the internet (for a fee) such as SiteStudio6 and I also have a webpage hosted by Windows Hosting. Will they by usable by the Mac or will I have to download them again for the Mac version (and presumably pay for them again)?
Many thanks
Nicole

So if I understand correctly, I can use my Windows CD to load Windows onto the Mac and continue using Corel Draw and Site Studio 6 that way.
It may need to be a retail Windows disc (the type that is sold separately) to do a fresh installation onto a virtual machine. If it's the type that comes with the PC, it often only works on that PC. But yes, that's the way it works. And as I mentioned, VMware Fusion has a feature that imports your current Windows installation from an existing real PC, so if you use that feature, you would not need to reinstall Windows or those apps. I'm not sure if Parallels has that feature. VMware Fusion is $70; Parallels Desktop is $80. Those are retail prices, so look for specials.
I won't have any difficulty with my Word and Excel documents - Mac should be able to open them using one of its programmes. But do I have to purchase the Mac equivalent of MS Office or is it pre-installed?
If you want Microsoft Office, you have to purchase it separately. There are different versions from the +Home and Student+ edition, to the business edition. iWork, which is Apple's office suite, can open typical office documents; you can download a trial version (it may be pre-installed) that is good for 30 days, so you can see if it will work for you. Even the built-in TextEdit app can open basic Word documents. iWork '09 is $79 retail (you can probably find it for less), which is less than any of the Office editions.
I currently use Outlook to receive mail from my Windows Live Mail account. Is the Mac equivalent of Outlook bundled with the machine and can I import Windows Live Mail into it?
Office for Mac includes Entourage, which is Microsoft's Mac equivalent of Outlook, although it is not exactly the same. I don't know how it would work with "Windows Live Mail." The next version of Office for Mac is supposed to have Outlook. The built-in Mac OS X email program is called Mail. It can connect to standard POP or IMAP email services. Again, I don't know enough about "Windows Live Mail" or "Windows Professional Hosting" to know how it would work with it. If it uses Exchange, Snow Leopard has built-in support for Exchange.
It's a big decision as I doubt I will be able to purchase another computer for at least another 5 years or so
You should probably buy AppleCare with the Mac. Then you are protected against failure due to manufacturing defects for a total of three years. You also get phone tech support from Apple for those three years. The standard warranty is for one year, with 90 days of free phone tech support.
And keep in mind that current Macs are Intel PCs. Some say Intel Macs run Windows better that most "real" Windows PCs. At worst, if you cannot find a Mac solution that is acceptable, you can keep using your current Windows solution. And since you seem to be a creative professional, your actual work will be on what is usually the platform of choice for the creative types.

Similar Messages

  • Looking into FCE but have a few questions first

    Hi. I currently use iMovie HD (can't stand iMovie 09. I need a timeline) to edit my movies and it works well but I want to move up to a more powerful editor with some more bells and whistles. I think FCE is a good fit but I had some questions before I make the leap.
    1. Is there going to be a new version of FCE soon? I know no one can say 100% but are there signs that Apple is getting ready to release a new version (as in prior release history or other signs of a new version on the horizon?)
    2. Will FCE work well on a Intel 20" iMac with 4 GB or RAM (white model right before the new ones)?
    3. Will the system be able to edit in full HD or does that require more horsepower than I have (the 20" iMac asked above)?
    4. Any problems with the Canon HG-20 camcorder? Is there a better one to consider that may work better/easier with FCE?
    That's about it. Thanks for the help.

    nflp,
    FCE4 is a very, very powerful app. It's almost Final Cut Pro 6, missing a few features (probably most notable is the three way color corrector. There are only two wheels in FCE4. ANd no native 24p support...)
    1. Even if you were to buy FCE4 today and FCE5 came out tomorrow, you could sell your license to someone else (albeit for a small loss. I sold my license a few weeks ago.). I just got Final Cut Studio (it's a coupla years old), because the owner didn't want it anymore. Someone can always take the license off of your hands and you can just get the newer version. But, the new versions may not be suitable for your needs and computer specs (see how you didn't use iMovie '09?).
    2. I used it with 1.5 GB RAM and it flies on an Intel 20". I worked on FCE4, listening to iTunes, using Safari, and blogging while it renders. Takes me about ten minutes to render per minute of footage, but multitasking while it's not rendering is a piece of cake.
    3. I think you mean HDV...if so, it does fine. I use an HV20 and it's works great.
    4. I haven't used the HG20, but prefer tape (for now). The Easy setup presets make everything a breeze: Format: HD, Use: Apple Intermediate Codec 1080i60, Rate: (all rates) and that's it.
    Hope that helps,
    Scott

  • I am looking to make the switch from pc to mac and have been eyeing the MBP 13". I would like to know whether it is fine to add RAM and SSD myself? any compatibility or warranty problems? what brand/type of RAM and SSD is the best fit? thank you.

    i am looking to make the switch from pc to mac and have been eyeing the MBP 13". I would like to know whether it is fine to add RAM and SSD myself? any compatibility or warranty problems? what brand/type of RAM and SSD is the best fit? thank you.

    Chamar wrote:
    I'm possibly wrong here but I suspect opening a brand new MBP to add parts yourself will void the warranty.  It is probably in the small print.  I certainly would not risk it for an expensive Apple product.
    Some (Windows) laptops have easy access to memory and disk slots that do not necessitate taking the complete back cover off.  However, Apple does not make life easy for you.
    However, if you are going for a 'used' machine it is probably worth a try.
    Not possibly, definitely wrong, Ram and Hard Drive are considered user replaceable and will not void the warranty if changed.

  • Thinking of getting an iPad but have a few questions

    After using the iPhone 4 (3GS previously) and really liking the OS on it, I am thinking of purchasing an iPad to make reading ebooks easier, also, having the iPad would be more convenient for me to quickly go on the net in my home (or other wifi area, but mostly home use) to seek information and also check, send emails, rather than having to switch the computer on all the time and then having to wait for it to load up and also with the iPad, the larger screen would make email, internet use and ebook use more pleasurable due to the iPad's larger screen when compared to using my iPhone.
    I have a few questions that I would like to ask to iPad users, who could perhaps answer them for me?
    In my household we have 2 iTunes libraries, one for my iPhone and one for my girlfriend's iPod. I created a separate iTunes library for each of the devices so that each one would have a totally separate library and therefore the possibility of having one overwriting the others library would be impossible.
    Now ideally I would be wanting to create a separate iTunes library for the iPad, but I would want to add the music and apps, email accounts, bookmarks that I have on my iPhone and add them onto my iPad. Would this possible?
    Also. I believe some apps have specific versions for either iPhone or iPad, so would the iPhone versions of the apps run on the iPad, or would I need to download the iPad versions of those particular apps?
    Also. I have a number of DVD's that I have converted and then dragged and dropped the video off of them into iTunes. If I am correct, would I need to reconvert those videos/DVD's again, as the video size (screen size) would be for the iPhone and therefore a smaller screen, which would not look very good on the iPad's much larger screen. If this is the case, can anyone recommend a good video converter for converting video for the iPad and what settings need to be used for the iPad?
    I also would be wanting to have a number of photos on the iPad. To get them onto the iPad, is it just a simply matter of selecting the pictures I have on my computer that I want added to my iPad, and then just dragging and dropping them into iTunes, then connecting and syncing the iPad to get them added on to the iPad, or is there an easier method?
    Thanks in advance

    Funny you should mention Macs, but I'm thinking of my next computer been an iMac, and using the Parallel Desktop software so that I can have functionality of been able to switch to Windows when needed to run the programs that are not Mac compatibly. I'm swaying towards Mac has I have heard their OS is more reliable and secure compared to Windows, and the need to have anti virus and anti spyware programs on a Mac is not really needed, but I figure if I can run Windows on a Mac then I have the best of both worlds, anyhow back on to topic
    I do indeed take backups of the various libraries and related data for them.
    I have used the Dropbox app and was impressed, but I did prefer an app called iFiles which allows me to carry various files/files types around with me on my iPhone, such as PDF files, Word doc files etc.
    The reason I use the method of having a separate iTunes library for each device we use on the computer, (my iPhone, girlfriend's iPod, and soon maybe an iPad) is because I accidentally replaced the music I had on an iPod I had at the time with my girlfriend's music. So from then on, that's why I have created a separate library for each Apple device, and so far I have never accidentally messed up another devices contents.
    Thanks for the help its much appreciated.

  • New mac user have a few questions

    Hi everyone i made the switch to mac today and i have a few questions
    1. How easy is it for me to update the Nvidia graphics drivers when Nvidia releases them ?
    2. Should i bother with Antivirus software ?
    3. what are some good sites for wallpapers and stuff - (wants to make his make look good)
    4. Any tips for a new mac user please feel free
    thank you for your time and help
    mike

    Hi mike and welcome to Discussions and the world of Apple,
    4) have a read/look at the following for a better feeling for your Mac
    http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/
    http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/
    http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/
    Was a 'switcher' myself 4 years back and learned alot from them.
    Regards
    Stefan

  • Switching From Windows To Mac: ACR Database, Bridge Cache Questions

    I am planning to switch from Windows XP to the Mac running Leopard. I am now running CS2 in Windows, but will upgrade to CS3 on the Mac. I am maintaining my RAW file settings in ACR central database and my Bridge cache in a centralized cache file. I've searched the forums but couldn't find answers to my migration questions:<br /><br />1. Can one move the ACR database file from Windows (in folder C:\Documents<br />and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Adobe\CameraRaw) to a folder<br />somewhere on the Mac to preserve the settings on RAW files that are also<br />moved to the Mac? Or does one need to export individual XMP files for the<br />RAW files in Windows and move both the RAW files and their associated XMP<br />files to the Mac?<br /><br />2. I have a similar question for migrating the Bridge cache from Windows XP<br />to the Mac. Can one somehow move the Bridge cache over (I think it's in<br />C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Adobe\Bridge\Cache\Thumbnails\) or do I need to export the cache for<br />each folder and subfolder and move them over along with the folders and<br />subfolders?<br /><br />I would appreciate any help or pointers to any Adobe documents or<br />directions. Thank you.

    Man-Kong,
    Since you said that you were also migrating from CS2 to CS3 I would have said that their cache files were incompatible. That is what I experienced with CS1, CS2, and CS3 in the past. But Thomas indicated it should work. I must be missing something.
    The XMP files move fine for me. The local cache (folder) files have completely different names with each version and I see no evidence that they can be shared. This is also a problem with archived CDs. CS3 always has to rebuild cache if they were archived from CS1 or CS2.
    Since the central cache must have some folder references, and this structure will be completely different on Mac, I dont see how it can work. It doesnt work for scripts or actions either.
    So my humble recommendation is to set your preferences to store cache and XMP files in the local folders where possible. Then simply bite the bullet. Each time you visit a folder for the first time in the new environment, cache will be rebuilt.
    Cheers, Rags :-)

  • I am switching from PC to MAC but I cant get thru to customer service and am on hold for over 2 hrs.

    How do I switch???

    You can contact our chat support at http://adobe.ly/yxj0t6.  They can do a search on your serial number to find the account you registered your software under.  Please keep in mind that the platform swap process is only available for the current version.  Since you are indicating that you have Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5 you would need to purchase an upgrade or a new copy of the Student and Teacher edition whichever is cheaper. 
    You may also want to consider the Creative Cloud as we do have an educational price available for this subscription service and it includes both of the applications you have indicated.  It is also multi-platform so you can use it on Mac and Windows.   You can find more details at http://www.adobe.com/products/creativecloud.html?promoid=JQPEQ.

  • Just purchaed a new 2.66ghz mac pro, have a few questions

    Hey guys, i've been finally reading the forums a bit trying to wet my appetite for the new mac pro arriving today via fedex.
    I bought the 2.66 quad with the 7300 video card, 1gb ram and 250gb hd. I bought this from apple refurb for $2100. I already purchased an addition 500gb perpendicular hd. I can get ram cheap, so im not to worried about that. Here are my questions:
    1) I have a westinghouse 37" lcd 1080p monitor (1900x1080 res) Will the 7300 be enought to drive this monitor?
    2) i had a standard logitech surround sound witht he 3 wire setup, i know the mac pro has toslink, so i bought logitech z5500 setup that has the dolby digital and toslink built in. Will this work witht he mac pro without any problems and is it a good set of speakers?
    3)My needs for the mac are pretty simple, music, photos, video conversion and editing, internet, and light gaming. Do you think the 2.66 will be enough, or should i go with the 8 core? I think the 8 is overkill, but i am new to macs so thats why im here!!
    Thanks,
    Frank

    Hi Ultravox. I just got the same rig as a refurb, tax free no less due to this being my state's tax holiday. Good call on the memory as I just ordered my extra from Crucial a few days ago and it's already here - and WAY cheaper than Apple's.
    My 2 cents, the nVidia card gets a pretty bum wrap. While it's true the ATI would be better for gaming, I don't think it will make any difference for straight video editing that is, without a lot of realtime motion effects. To the extent you have such you can just render to view, which will be really fast with these CPU's. I've looked at all the benchmarks and what it means for games is to get playable frame rates on some of the 3D titles you will have to lower the resolution. Not ideal, but I think acceptable for a light duty gamer. I have to do this now on my G4, which has an even less capable video card than the 7300. I considered buying a new 2.0 GHz machine and getting the ATI as a custom option (if new) or add-on kit (if a refurb), but decided I could live with the 7300 for a year or so and upgrade later. To get the 2.66 with the ATI would have busted my budget. For long-term use, the processor upgrade is worth more, since graphics cards change constantly and can be upgraded easily. It may also be that Apple comes out with some more graphic card options going forward, as I'm not that thrilled with some of the complaints I read on how noisy the ATI can be. It would be nice to have an option in between the nVidia 7300 and the ATI. Here is a fairly positive review of the 7300, although, admittedly not being used for any gaming.
    http://www.architosh.com/features/2006/reviews/macpro/macpro_1.html
    Steve

  • Debating the switch from PC to Mac?

    Hello,
    I am debating the switch from PC to Mac, but I currently use CS5 and Lightroom 5. Is it possible to do a Platform Swap? I would HATE to have to purchase CS6 (and Lightroom, if applicable) on top of a $2500 upgrade on a computer.. Help, please!
    Kristi

    Yes, you will need to cross upgrade to CS6 Mac for $200, but the Lightroom license is also for the Mac and you can activate using your present serial number.
    Gene

  • I have CC for work and my PC to do work at home. At home I switched from PC to Mac this weekend. I want to redownload my apps for the iMac but it's telling my I'm using a 30 day free trial. I need to discontinue the PC apps and download to the new compute

    I have CC for work and my PC to do work at home. At home I switched from PC to Mac this weekend. I want to redownload my apps for the iMac but it's telling my I'm using a 30 day free trial. I need to discontinue the PC apps and download to the new computer.

    YOu need to sign out of the PC thru the CC manager and then sign in on the Mac.

  • I want to switch from a PC to a Mac. HELP!!!

    I wanna know what makes a Mac so much better than a PC. I wanted to switch a long time ago, but Mac's are just so **** expensive! is it worth the money? i need some advice ASAP!

    Hi, I have just switched from a PC to a Mac, and am really enjoying the experience. I have always wanted a mac, and have finally been able to afford one (kinda ). It depends on what you want to do with it, if its worth the money or not, and if you are willing to spend that bit extra to try something that you may not get on with (I have not had this problem). I have had Windows 7 installed through bootcamp on my mac, as there is the occasional program that i had a licence for on windows and not for mac e.g. Cubase 5, and i couldn't warrant spending the extra money on another licence when i had one for windows , and had a mate willing to put windows on my machine. However i hardly use the windows partition on my mac, as nearly all of the programs i need are on mac anyways.
    Hope this helps, Travis.

  • Hi, I migrated from PC to Mac, but I can't find some files I had in the PC, this files were invisible but just before migrating I switched off the "hidden" option, ¿Does this files migrated as hidden files or they didn't migrated?

    Hi, I migrated from PC to Mac, but I can't find some files I had in the PC, this files were invisible because I had them as hidden but just before migrating I switched off the "hidden" option, ¿Does this files migrated as hidden files or they didn't migrated?

    If the filename starts with a dot (.thisfile), then it will be hidden on the Mac.
    You can use a 3rd party App, such as EasyFind to search for the file on your Mac, and then re-name (remove the dot)

  • HT1386 How do I switch users on wifi sync for example my Mac has two users one apples MacBook pro the other is my name I want to switch from apples MacBook pro to my name how is this done?

    How do I switch users on wifi sync for example my Mac has two users one apples MacBook pro the other is my name I want to switch from apples MacBook pro to my name how is this done?

    Try connecting the iPad to the computer that you do not want to WiFi sync with and uncheck the WiFi sync option in iTunes. Then click on Apply. Reboot the iPad and see if that does the trick.
    Reboot the iPad by holding down on the sleep and home buttons at the same time for about 10-15 seconds until the Apple Logo appears - ignore the red slider - let go of the buttons.

  • Hi. Just switched from PC to MAC (lion 6.7) and I am trying to import my bookmarks but Firefox for mac will not recognize the file. How do I move my bookmarks to my MAC from my PC?

    Hi. Just switched from PC to MAC (lion 6.7) and I am trying to import my bookmarks but Firefox for MAC will not recognize the Bookmark back up file. How do I move my bookmarks to my MAC from my PC?

    Make sure that the backup file with the bookmarks has the correct file extension: .html for a HTML backup and .json for a JSON backup.<br />
    You can check that via the right-click context menu of that file and open the Properties.<br />
    If you are not sure about the file type then you can open the file in Firefox via "File > Open File"<br />
    A JSON backup will show as one long text line without line breaks and a HTML backup as a web page with clickable links.<br />
    A JSON backup starts with: <nowiki>{"title":"","id":1,"dateAdded":</nowiki><br />
    An HTML backup starts with: <nowiki><!DOCTYPE NETSCAPE-Bookmark-file-1></nowiki>

  • I recently switched from PC to Mac and am able to find and transfer most of the larger files of music to iTunes, but there are about 750 songs that are held in sub-files that require me to dig in and transfer them one by one to iTunes.. I've tried transfe

    I recently switched from PC to Mac and am able to find and transfer most of the larger files of music to iTunes, but there are about 750 songs that are held in sub-files that require me to dig in and transfer them one by one to iTunes.. I've tried transferring the parent folders, but it doesn't seem to work.  Does anyone know of a more efficient way of getting iTunes to dig into the subfolders and transfer the music without me having to go one by one?

    There is a good general guide to switching from Windows to Mac at the following link that touches on moving music as well How to Move to a Mac - Get your stuff from your PC to your new Mac
    There are also these guides:
    How to move music between authorised computers
    Networking with a Windows PC
    Don't forget to deauthorise your old PC if you are disposing of it so you don't use up your 5 allowances: About iTunes Music Store Authorisation and Deauthorisation

Maybe you are looking for