Computers ~ What do you recommend mac or PC?

[Zona Tiller]

I'm in need of a new computer. I have been using a pc, and I am considering a mac now. What do you experts recommend? I run studio and the quickbooks and quoting on the pc right now. I am not interested in the online studio
thanks for your reply
Zona

[Merlyn]

do you need to upgrade your quickbooks and if so, are you willing to invest the time to set up your business accounts on a Mac? Consider that you will have to purchase Parallels to run your Studio program, so add that to the already inflated cost of a Mac. Can you tell which side I would come down on?

I'll let the Mac aficionados chime in now....

[Anna Davis]

Hi Zona,
I have a mac. and only because we have so many users with a Macintosh that I need to help them. If you go to a Macintosh and want to continue using Quickbooks you will have to invest in parallels and Windows for the mac. Quickbooks for the Macintosh is not recommended and Studio only works on Windows operating system. We have had several people that have jumped over to a mac. because they think they have no problems. This is not true, I have already had to format my Macintosh and no matter how hard I try my Windows 7 & 8 will not activate. I have called Windows several times and they do not have a fix for me so I just continue using it as is. So if you are jumping over thinking it will be a smooth ride it is a maybe or maybe not.

Do I like my Mac. yes I do because I love learning and knowing both operating systems.

Another choice you have for Studio and Quickbooks is using the online for both and that would keep you from having a Windows program on your mac.

I am still a PC girl and use a PC desktop with 2 monitors daily. I use my mac. laptop for travel, when I leave or work outside the home I use the mac. and I love it and probably would not go back to a pc laptop but for daily use I use the PC desktop, it is going on 6 years old and is great. I have had to format it one time in 6 years, I back up on a external hard drive, I use carbonite, sugarsync and dropbox. So I have a lot of things in the clouds in case of a crash.

So I guess the first question we really need to cover is why are you changing and what programs will you be using if you most important programs are Quickbooks and Studio they will have to be on a Window based operating system.

[Zona Tiller]

My son insists I need a mac, because of the problems he has had with a pc. A designer that I work with was showing me the ease of using her mac. She has a PC at home and mac in her studio and loves the mac for her business. I researched the forum and see that Anna and Debbie use the mac. There seems to be a lot of discussion about Ipad also, and I have an android tablet, so I concluded most of you use the mac. I was hoping the Studio was campatible with a mac by now, any chance of that happening? I use the quickbooks and quotiing, and I need to upgrade quickbooks program. Anna, do you use studio online, to use it on your Mac? I really can't justify the $50;.00 fee for that, I don't use it enough in my business.

To answer your question Anna, my most important programs I run are Studio and quickbooks. I have made such a mess with my quickbooks program that I do plan to just start all over when I get the new system and quickbooks.

Is there any reason, based on why you use the mac, that I should change to a mac?

[Debbie Green Sutherland]

Hi Zona,

I, like Anna have both a PC and a Mac and love them both. There is definitely a learning curve for PC users when they switch to a Mac. Some of our designers have been very frustrated. You need to make sure you set aside some time to view the tutorials. If you switch to a Mac you will definitely need Parallels so you can use QB and Studio. And, of course, Parallels has a little learning curve also. If the price will have bearing your decision than PC is the way to go. A Mac is over double the price of a PC.

We don't have plans in the near future of developing a Mac version since we have the Online version. Lots of PC as well as Mac users are leaning toward the the monthly subscription.

[Merlyn]

If you do decide to stay with a PC, you may want to wait until Microsoft has finished tinkering with their latest operating system. I really don't care for Window 8, but they are planning some changes the end of the summer, calling it Windows Blue.

What are the problems your son has had, and have you had them also?

[Zona Tiller]

Thank you Merlyn, that was another question I had, when is a new windows due out. I've read reviews on it, and most were negative. I think Ben's (son) biggest problem is viruses, and he runs norton on it. Every computer he has owned has had to be replaced within 2 years. Maybe just plan bad luck. Mine is quite a few years old, and is very slow, after trying a bunch of things suggested on the net. I can't download some things when I've tried. It won't always communicate with my printer, etc. May be the operator for all of this! I think I'm going to wait for the new windows and get a PC.

Thank you ladies!