Thinking of moving to Apple?

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Now that Windows 7 is at it’s end of life, if you are thinking about moving to a different platform remember that if your data is filled full of basic
[See the full post at: Thinking of moving to Apple?]

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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scoobydoo, lmacri, Alex5723

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Apple is too expensive for me. Also, I would have to learn a new system, with a learning curve, using precious time.  No thanks.

Mark

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You can use something like Oracle VirtualBox to create a Windows 7 (or even Windows 10) virtual machine in the new environment. Install your Windows apps in the virtual machine, and you will have access to them at any time.

That’s how I access Microsoft Office and a few other apps.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 8.1 running in a VM

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JohnW

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But that’s a Windows license on top of the Apple costs.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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My guess is that if someone installs Windows 10 in a virtual machine, Microsoft will activate it for free. I have observed this.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 8.1 running in a VM

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Activation doesn’t equal legal license.  A newly installed OS in an Apple VM would need a full Windows 10 retail license.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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I would take Microsoft’s word for it. If they say it is activated with a digital license, well, they are the ones who would know if that is the case, I would think.

Dell XPS 13/9310, i5-1135G7/16GB, KDE Neon
XPG Xenia 15, i7-9750H/16GB & GTX1660ti, OpenSUSE Tumbleweed

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I have MS-Word and MS-Excel files that I have created on my Windows 10/Pro laptop.
I am planning on replacing the Win10/ Pro laptop with an Apple machine.

1. Now, if I want to view/modify those Win10/MS-Word and Win10/MS-Excel files on my Apple device, I will have to purchase an Apple version of MS-Word and MS-Excel, right?
2. Then, this Apple/MS-Word and Apple/MS-Excel software will be able to open and modify those Win10 files?
3. And subsequently, on the Apple machine, they will be saved in Apple/MS-Word and Apple/MS-Excel format, right?
4. If I were to copy these saved Apple/MS-Word and Apple/MS-Excel files to the Win10 machine, then Win10/MS-Word and Win10/MS-Excel would be able to view/modify them?

What about Turbo Tax? I get my CDs via a subscription to TT Advantage. My 2022 TT Deluxe CD says WIN/MAC CD. {Rather than using a CD, I can download the year’s TT Deluxe from my TT Advantage account}

1. Will I be able to use this CD {or comparable downloaded TT software} to install 2022 TT on the Apple machine?
2. Will the Apple machine with 2022 TT on it be able to read the Win10 .tax2022 file?
3. Next year, will the 2023 Apple/TT Deluxe software installed from the WIN/MAC 2023 TT Deluxe CD {or comparable TT software} from TT Advantage be able to populate the Apple .tax2023 file with Win10/.tax2022 data that has been copied from the Win10 laptop to the Apple machine?

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As long as you save in .doc or .xls yes they can be opened on both.

As to Turbo tax, the last time (a few years ago) someone sent me a turbo tax file I was able to open it in my Windows.  Worse case you move to cloud version of Turbo Tax and can open it.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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What about .docx and .xlsx formats? Will they not work in MS Office for Apple?

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 8.1 running in a VM

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Not only do .docx and .xlsx formats work in Office on Macs, but they also work in Libre Office on Macs.

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Alex5723, MrJimPhelps

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Susan Bradley wrote:

But that’s a Windows license on top of the Apple costs.

Intel Macs are dead. Windows Silicon doesn’t support BootCamp running Windows.
The only way to run Windows on Apple Silicon is VM/Parallels + Windows Insider.

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Linux Host and VM Windows7 Guest within VMware or Virtualbox
(Win7 isolated from the internet in VM) best of both worlds with money to spare 🙂

Keep IT Lean, Clean and Mean!

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JohnW, wdburt1, Alex5723

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OEM Win7 or retail Win7?  As you need a retail Win7 to be a virtual machine.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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Part of me would love to use macOS more as a Windows alternative. But the cost of the hardware and the inability to upgrade it really puts me off.

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I’ve done exactly that.  A couple of years ago, I got a hold of a reconditioned 2014 Mac Mini, at a little under $400.  As originally configured, it’s pretty slow, because it’s one of those machines that shipped with only 4 GB of RAM, and can’t be upgraded.  However, when I changed out the hard drive for an SSD, I get adequate performance.

I don’t use this machine a lot with live data, but it’s useful in several ways.  Part of it is that it allows me to see a “typical” configuration (relative to what the users I support use), and by maintaining both the system and installed software, it gives me enough current experience that if I have to advise a Mac user, I’m fluent enough to be able to troubleshoot.  It also allows me to evaluate both software that’s Mac-specific, as well as software where Mac and Windows versions are somewhat different from each other.

Right now, the age of this machine is enough that I can’t upgrade it past Monterey, and when Apple drops support for Monterey, I’ll have to retire this machine (or perhaps, learn how to deploy Linux on it), but I should be able to find a similar replacement that’s new enough to use for several years.  For the amount of learning that I’ve gotten, as well as the ability to adequately support Mac users, the money spent on this machine was worth it.

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Made the switch years ago, never looked back. Under the line, Apple isn’t more expensive than a higher end Windows laptop. Add extremely good service, an included native helpdesk etc. Microsoft Office is available for macOS, if that’s a thing. More native than that you won’t get it. Part of every Office 365-subscription.

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My experience with Apple/Mac has been terrible, but it’s my own fault.

1. I helped a neighbor move all her personal files from a failing Apple laptop to a new Mac Mini and eventually called support (she didn’t even know she was paying for it) to help move things around. Files were everywhere and duplicated. I never got a grasp on iCloud vs Local. Windows OS seemed so…..easy. Moral: If I made the switch to Apple, I’d have Apple full support for at least a year.

2. Helped another neighbor with a new Windows PC. He has all his music on the iCloud and synced between their iPhones and iPads. A real pain. Found out that you can’t simply drag and drop, you have to have iTunes installed on Windows (at least at that time). Moral: With Apple, you’re either all in or out. Neighbor should have just bought a Mac Mini.

I learned my lesson that I ain’t no Apple tech.  But just yesterday, I was at Costco and a customer asked me for help choosing a Windows laptop in the computers area. I asked him what he had at home and he said: “An iPhone, iPad, iMac”. I said to forget the Windows laptop and buy an Apple product. What was he thinking anyway!

I have to admit though, the newer iPhones look pretty sweet, especially the midrange SE13 and you can’t beat the small form factor and guts the Mac Mini has. Awesome for the money.

Mike

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Mike wrote:

I asked him what he had at home and he said: “An iPhone, iPad, iMac”.

I use an iPhone (since iPhone 4 2010), an iPad (since iPad Mini 1), an Apple watch (since version 0) and Windows (iTunes, iCloud installed).

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Homeusers, why even contemplate moving to apple when Linux distro’s offer alternatives for hardware below the Win11 threshold, which in my mind IS perfectly suited for home use. After all, you don’t need a ferarri to drive to work when any make of car will provide the necessary.

No patch issues, free (donations gratefully accepted by developers), secure and stress free. Yes, it’s a learning curve for some more than others without the fruity financial outlay (that you may not like anyway!)
You can still use older OoS Windows offline if and when required.
If you’re retired with time to spare, that’s a frugal means to an end where you can save for something more enjoyable outwith computing, not only that but, keeping an active learning mind helps your overall health.

Then, if you’re not entirely satisfied with Linux distro’s, get a fruity machine, worth a try before you buy IMO
I’d recommend Linux Mint for starters…YMMV

Keep IT Lean, Clean and Mean!

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SueW

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Microfix wrote:

worth a try before you buy IMO
I’d recommend Linux Mint for starters…YMMV

I know nothing about Linux. I’d like to find out about trying without buying. Where do I start?

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https://linuxmint.com/documentation.php
Provides necessary information/ documentation for perusal

Keep IT Lean, Clean and Mean!

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SueW

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Going just a little further (but this could be much more extensive)…

An easy way to get started is to download a Live CD of some distro.  Create bootable media from the .ISO, and then boot.  That will allow you to see Linux in action, without disturbing your existing Windows installation, but where you have access to the contents of your hard disk.

If running Windows 7, I’m assuming that you don’t have SecureBoot enabled.  That one makes booting external stuff more complicated.

At this point, the question is “What distro should I use?”.  I suggest using either Mint or Ubuntu, but there are still a variety of installers avialable, and that can be confusing.  Mint is a derivative of Ubuntu, and most of the content comes from Ubuntu repositories.  There are some administrative differences (especially the processes of system updates and available desktops) but they’re mostly the same.

The major difference between installers is which desktop is included as a default.  If you have an installer that is simply “Ubuntu”, the default desktop is a current version of  Gnome.  If you have an KUbuntu installer, that uses the KDE desktop. Xubuntu uses the xfce desktop, and ubuntu-mate uses the Mate desktop.  If you’re doing Mint, they prefer the Cinnamon desktop, although Mate is widely used (and the Ubuntu version has been ported from Mint).

There’s quite a bit of variety in desktops, and if you’re coming from Windows, that can be confusing. Not only is that look and feel, but also in what apps and utilities are bundled. KDE is notable for preferring a lot of its own utilities (often with a “k” at the beginning), even if they can run non-KDE stuff

In my experience, KDE has the closest look and feel to Windows, although it takes some tinkering to get everything the way that I want it.  KDE also makes the heaviest demand on system hardware, both in space usage, and memory/CPU/video load. By contrast, one of uses of xfce is that it’s good on trailing-edge hardware.  They don’t do nearly as much graphically, and also use a different mix of utilities. Among other things, LibreOffice takes up a lot of resources, and xfce’s defaults are for ABIWord and Gnumeric (word processing and spreadsheet) rather than forcing the heft of LibreOffice.

If you’re in test-drive mode, the thing to do is to take at distros with several different desktops — create bootable media, and then see what you like.

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Seconding @Microfix’s advice re: Linux. I recently installed dual-boot Linux Mint on 2 laptops, one of which is my daily driver. Windows 7 available for printing/scanning/legacy software and Mint for internet use. Linux may not be Win7 yet but it has come a long way and is very impressive it its simplicity and capabilities.

Follow the advice here on AskWoody and make a live USB drive and test drive before you commit to install.

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Microfix wrote:

Homeusers, why even contemplate moving to apple when Linux distro’s offer alternatives for hardware below the Win11 threshold, which in my mind IS perfectly suited for home use. After all, you don’t need a ferarri to drive to work when any make of car will provide the necessary.

No patch issues, free (donations gratefully accepted by developers), secure and stress free. Yes, it’s a learning curve for some more than others without the fruity financial outlay (that you may not like anyway!)
You can still use older OoS Windows offline if and when required.
If you’re retired with time to spare, that’s a frugal means to an end where you can save for something more enjoyable outwith computing, not only that but, keeping an active learning mind helps your overall health.

Then, if you’re not entirely satisfied with Linux distro’s, get a fruity machine, worth a try before you buy IMO
I’d recommend Linux Mint for starters…YMMV

The whole middle click paste thing and inability to disable it globally is a deal breaker for me unfortunately.

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“The whole middle click paste thing and inability to disable it globally is a deal breaker for me unfortunately.”

Maybe I don’t understand what you’re saying but I just copied and pasted the above quote without any middle clicking. Right click for context menu, click copy, then left click to position cursor, then right click, click on paste. Done.

Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon

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DrBonzo wrote:

“The whole middle click paste thing and inability to disable it globally is a deal breaker for me unfortunately.”

Maybe I don’t understand what you’re saying but I just copied and pasted the above quote without any middle clicking. Right click for context menu, click copy, then left click to position cursor, then right click, click on paste. Done.

Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon

KDE Neon now has the ability to disable this. Edit ~/.config/kwinrc and add the following:

[Wayland]
EnablePrimarySelection=false

This changes everything for me, I might have a contender on my hands here.

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DrBonzo wrote:

“The whole middle click paste thing and inability to disable it globally is a deal breaker for me unfortunately.”

Maybe I don’t understand what you’re saying but I just copied and pasted the above quote without any middle clicking. Right click for context menu, click copy, then left click to position cursor, then right click, click on paste. Done.

Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon

Here’s a thread I made previously which will clarify what I’m referring to.

https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/disabling-middle-click-paste/

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DrBonzo

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While I agree that Windows 7 likely represents the pinnacle of Microsoft’s operating system technology, I personally have never had any interest in Apple products.

Why?  I’m a software engineer who likes to improve technology and create new solutions.

Traditional Microsoft [DOS-Windows 7] generally represented incremental improvement. Sure, they screwed up releasing Windows Millenium & Vista, but eventually they got things right. (Vista SP2 was essentially Windows 7)

To that point, I always had the ability to mold Windows to do what *I* wanted it to do.

In contrast, Macintosh/Apple has always taken a draconian approach of “You will do what we want you to do, how we want you to do it and when we want you to do it…”
Not appealing at all, especially when the products are generally over priced.

Windows 8 and onward felt like Microsoft embracing a similar draconian approach.  While initially not as drastic as Apple, the forced [untested] updates, telemetry, dependency on cloud/network resources, etc., etc. were clearly not wise choices to anyone using the systems for important tasks.  I’ve also never appreciated their compulsion (Win8 and later) to randomly rearrange their UIs for the sake of change.  It wastes a lot of time having to train and re-train non-technical people.

I was a strong Windows proponent until Windows 8 and then switched my main OS to Linux.  I’ve been using Linux (RedHat) seriously since 2001 for personal projects. Over the years I’ve used several other flavors — Debian, CentOS, Ubuntu, etc… They all have worked great and continue to improve.  Hopefully that continues to be the case for the foreseeable future.

For me, the freedom to choose what software I run and how I run it will always outweigh any value of paying a lot of money for hardware that handcuffs me and blocks me from implementing more efficient solutions.

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Microfix, oldfry

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Maxed out Mac mini, Mac Studio, iMac, Mac Pro – what you get for the money

The price range for Mac desktops is incredible, but we’ve compared the significant differences between the base models and maxed-out configurations, priced between $599 and $52,199…

We’ve configured each of Apple’s desktop Macs with the maximum available upgrades and compared them to their respective base models to determine if the upgrades are worthwhile…

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Getting back to this topic, thought about it and partially did at the beginning of this year. Now equipped with a fruity iPhone and iPad on 16.3.1 iOS (at time of posting) However, I still prefer laptops and desktops any day of the year and miss my old nokia already sniff
Can’t see me moving to macOS, not when there’s so much fun to be had with Linux and Windows (old and new) /s

Keep IT Lean, Clean and Mean!

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Microfix wrote:

not when there’s so much fun to be had with Linux and Windows (old and new)

You know you can officially install Windows 11 on Apple Silicon in VM/Parallels as well as Linux.

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yeah, win11 on apple M1 and M2 via parallels..not interested in either 🙂

Keep IT Lean, Clean and Mean!

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