So - I've finally decided to turn my back on Bill Gates. Please don't hate me. (and please don't YOU hate me for my wordy start up on this thread! Just gotta get this stuff off my (MANLY) chest first! )

I'm tired of being fairly successful artist (music & photography & design stuff) and having everyone HATE me for not using a MAC. I, of course, in turn have hated them back for hating me. But as more and more of my friends switch to the Bitten Apple, and as the Evil Monstrosity that is called VISTA rears its ugly head, I find that it is time for me to "mature" as an Artist. (please keep in mind when I say MATURE I really mean it - I'm 47 years young, eh?)

So. I now am the proud owner of an iMac 20"
I'm going to hook up my nice 21" HP monitor in tandem with it - that should give me some serious Pixel Real Estate.

Because I have EVERYTHING in PC software I'm going to run a program called PARRELLELS DESKTOP which allows me to run the Intel-chipped iMac as itself (which is sweet) or as my old friend XP.

SO: here is where I turn to you, my happy and ONLY online community of ner-do-wells and creative geniuses.

Anyone got (serious) tips on me making the change over. Please don't say BUY all the MAC software - I will over the next couple years but it was enough of an investment getting the iMac at this point. I need to use my "0ld" software for another year or so.

Specially, if any of you are running the PARRELLELS system then please send some love and helpful tips my way.

Okay. That is how this thread starts. I appreciate your support as I go through this exciting, yet stressful, time.

Your friendly neighborhood ReinMan

I have a pc and i'm not proud.


If you have an Intel based Imac... try bootcamp, it would let you have windows and mac osx.

I wish i was you, with a new Mac... i had an ibook and my brother broke the darn thing im so miserable without my mac

i got a megaputer, need it for flash, premiere, and audition, running XP pro, sod vista for a year or two, let them sort out the bugs first,

We don't hate you Reindude, I'd personally would like a Mac too if I could only afford it. But thankfully, if taken the first few steps of conversion and put Linux on one of my PCs.

Vista isn't really that flashy either. (from what I've heard, I don't have it) Sure it may be more secure than previous Windows, but security isn't enough (considering most people have good security software) and it's mostly eye-candy anyways.

Heck, if I wanted all this stuff I would have gotten Mac OS-X! (And a Mac for that matter, or the Intel OS-X)

A major reason as to why Vista isn't that great, is that most of the so-called "innovative" features, new to Vista have already been implemented in OS-X!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-2C2gb6ws8

Oh, and which "edition" of Vista should I purchase?


Not much of a ranting here, OS-X and Linux are far better than Windows, no such problems here considering I don't technically own a "copy" of XP! [/img]

PARALLELS? Just do a dual-boot system or if you still need some testing, try a Virtual PC... though dual-booting is the "cheaper" alternative.

I have a new MacPro... with 8 GB memory!! It was real need for my work. Powerful!
You'll love your iMac.
Your new iMac is powered by Intel. I think a good thing is to buy later this year the Adobe CS3. It's for Intel based computer & will use your computer more efficiently... that's what I heard!
But I cant be very helpful... I dont know much about computer & nothing about PC and parallels...

Congratulations, ReinMan, on the new computer! And I'd congratulate you even if you had gotten another Windows machine. I prefer Mac, but I've never bought into the hatred/rivalry between users. I love my Mac Pro, and will probably not come anywhere NEAR using it to its full potential for YEARS to come!

I don't have the need to run Windows software, but I've heard more good things about Parallels than about Boot Camp, so you should be okay there. My only misgiving so far, and it isn't really much of one, is that the Shockwave plug-in is not yet compatible with Intel-based Macs. I tried running in Rosetta emulation and ran into some annoying problems, which may or may not have been my own naive fault. Anyway, I do not recommend that.

I love how stable my Mac is... I rarely shut it down or restart, and can leave Photoshop (I have PS CS 1), iTunes, FireFox, and ThunderBird up and running in the background and the computer still wakes up instantly. I cannot vouch for the performance your iMac will offer if you leave Windows and associated programming up. I know the PCs I've had were not happy to be left "on," so I had to shut down every day. I also think you'll notice a difference in the intrusiveness and flexibility of choices between automatic updates from Apple-based software/firmware vs. those from Microsoft. Also, if you have an iPod that you have used with your Windows computer, your new Mac will be able to use it just fine without reformatting it. My husband uses his old (Windows-formatted) iPod on both his MacBook and his older PC. A Mac-formatted iPod is not usable, without re-formatting, by a Windows machine, unless they've changed that with Vista.

Again, CONGRATULATIONS! Use your new computer in good health and happy prosperity, ReinMan!

I hate people because they use a MAC? wtf
What happened to the good old "i hate you because your ugly" or "i hate you because you forgot our anniversary" ? the world has come a long way.

Personally, I've found it quite helpful over the years to be able to switch between a PC and a Mac...and feel comfortable on both operating systems.

thanks for the input all! Keep it coming!

Yes, DP - when I did the college thing a few year back I spent a year on PCs and MACs. I learned to be frustrated equally with them at the time.

But the artistic part of me is winning out - the MAC really does feel like it was designed BY creative folks instead of technical folks. Not that there is ANYTHING WRONG with technical folks. Really.

Okay - I've almost got my XP environment up and working and only had a few glitches. I'm amazed that it can do what it does, that crazy iMac thang!

Hey ReinMan... are you using Windows and Mac on the same machine using parallels or Bootcamp? It's your iMac intel based or is it the g4 with the flat screen and half ball?

PARRALLELS (Bootcamp requires a separate boot up when you want to switch - Parralleles does it on the fly!)

iMac with Intel.

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MAN I JUST WANNA MAKE PRETTY ART _ WHY DID I EVER INVEST SO MUCH IN WINDOWS!!!!!!!????????


arg! etc.

Hate you? Are you kidding? Welcome to the dark side. Love mac and as mentioned there is bootcamp which will allow you to run your current pc software. There are other programs to but don't know them all off the top of my head but with the intel imac you have more opportunities than on the older ones.
Enjoy your toy!

some helpful sites.
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/virtualpc/virtualpc.aspx?pid=virtualpc
http://www.apple.com/getamac/windows.html

interesting article
http://aroundcny.com/technofile/texts/mac041404.html