thinking of migrating from apple to microsoft.

I've wrote a bit about my thought of switching from apple before, but I honestly water to flesh out my current situation a bit more to get your thoughts:

Right now, I own a iPhone 5S and a IPad 4 for both my phone a tablet. (Also own a nexus 7 for my small tablet, but I digress.) And I own a apple TV. the computers I've always used at home were windows machines. I've never actually owned my own PC or computer outside of a slow Pentium back in the day when I was in middle school that barely ran StarCraft well. I always had to use the family PC. So, I actually have a lot more experience using PCs then I do macs. I've only ever used macs in college during my audio/broadcasting classes. Because apparently broadcasters use macs, I don't know.

Anyway, over the last few moths I've really liked were Microsoft has been heading. I think satya nadela is doing a lot of good and kinda want to be part of that, if that makes sense.
Im liking one drive, outlook.com, I can see myself using and liking office, if not only for Word and One Note, I'm a gamer so I play on XBOX (PlayStation and Nintendo as well), and the idea of PC gaming appeals to me immensely. Also, I do like that I have some choice with windows, not so much with Mac.

However, since I do own a iPhone and iPad already, I almost feel compelled to go Mac so I can get that interoperability going. And I do think apple announced a lot of good stuff at WWDC that would make leaving that ecosystem hard if I went too hard into it, and I hear MACs are more stable than PCs, but again I don't have much Mac experience.

So really, I'm quite anxious of what I should do. Should I get a surface Pro 3, windows PC, windows phone and whatever tablet? Go full hog in on apple, or can there be mixing and matching of the two? (Apple for phone and tablet, Microsoft for laptop and desktop.)

What's your thoughts? I'd like to hear some honest, yet fair input from you guys :)

try and do a week long swap with someone you know, itll take you that long to get to grips with the different os,,
Ive just talked my wife into swapping like you she was all apple and now has a surface 2 pro and soon the lumia 930, i made her use my lumia 920 as much as possible and its really helped with the change over.

You don't have to belong to one ecosystem :)




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Originally Posted by rdubmu

You don't have to belong to one ecosystem :)


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Don't you though? Seems more and more ecosystem is playing a larger part in everything and so is ecosystem lock in.*

Originally Posted by bozza72

try and do a week long swap with someone you know, itll take you that long to get to grips with the different os,,
Ive just talked my wife into swapping like you she was all apple and now has a surface 2 pro and soon the lumia 930, i made her use my lumia 920 as much as possible and its really helped with the change over.

I've done something like that with windows phone. Borrowed my friends lumina 920 for about a month. I liked the OS a lot, but app selection was a deal breaker for me.

I don't know anyone with a surface. Wish I did, ha ha.

We're still using windows 7 on the family PC, can't imagine how using 8 would go over in comparison. I've played with it in stores, but nothing for a good amount of time.

The weird thing with Apple is that I feel some weird compellment to also buy a Mac, even though I'd be happier with a gaming PC. As far as a laptop, I'm deciding between a surface (or PC laptop)or MacBook I think. Surface looked really cool, especially since I'm a student.

I have three reasons for moving out of the Apple ecosystem:

The first is choice, or rather lack thereof. If you don't like the iPhone or a Macbook, you're stuffed. There really is a very limited idea of what is stylish in Apple world, like all those black suits and ties in a Quentin Tarentino film. It really makes Apple users look like Stepford wives, clapping along with everything Tim Cook says. Do you really want to look like that?

Apple also ties you in with different connectors and file formats, so once you've bought in it's very hard to get free. If Apple ever lose it, you're going down with the ship, even if you're only a passenger.

Cost is the final factor. I really don't see the point in an iPhone when a Lumia 520 would do just fine for most iPhone users' needs at a fifth of the price. Similarly, there are perfectly respectable PCs available for half the cost of a Macbook. If it were a onetime purchase you might justify it on grounds of quality, but Apple gear goes obsolete just as fast as everything else. Apple devotees have to run twice as fast to stay in the same place and I just don't see the point.

As far as reasons to be pro Microsoft, I think its clear they have a far more progressive vision for the future of computing. They have embraced touch wholeheartedly and with Kinect, are ready to incorporate gesture. They have gone for a dynamic UI while Apple are still wedded to a boring static one. It's as if the people at Apple have decided the twenty first century is a bad idea.

There will always be new Macs. Reason to switch to PC. #1 more choice. You can get Asus ( don't recomend it) all the way up to Fujitsu and lenovo. If you don't understand internet safety and want to download everything, play everywhere, and not learn risk management stay mac. If you realize clicking on unofficial pop-UPS, loading coupon printers, and any untrusred non reputable site software is bad then PC is fine. Get semantic and malware and don't be dumb about internet safety and you will be fine on PC. There are many phenominal pcs out there for the price ( or often less than apple). You don't need proprietary plugs or overpriced parts to keep it running. I recommend get a PC whether it is a surface, Fujitsu, or whatever. Learn it. If you decide later you want to change phones or tabs do it. IPhones and ipads sync fine with pcs. There is no need to jump in all at once. If you are brave and willing to start everything. WP are great and I recomend them as well. As for the graphics music bit. That is relic of the past. Apple no longer has any advantage in that arena. The chips are the same. If you want a great computer for music, editing, then buy a PC with specs to handle it. There is a reason why windows software domonates whether it be in the corporate world or consumer. Give it a try. I think you'll love it.

Personally I wouldn't hesitate and get the Mac. Your already invested in Apple,and it doesn't make sense to switch now. What are you really going to gain by it..

My 27" iMac I got last month is better than I could possibly want. It works great with office movies movies TV shows it's just 1hellofabox to own. It's my first Mac and I'm glad to make the switch to it.

You got to do what makes you happy...and 1 complete ecosystem always plays best together..regardless of which one it is.

Go for windows, if you're more familiar with windows pc. Surface pro can do many things an ipad can't.

Its upto you buddy but mac will cost you alot and in that price you can get a killer windows pc + a windowsphone.
And as you are thinking of gaming so a windowspc will be the best option

Edit:you can go for this config or you can edit it up :)
The only drawback here will be you will need to compromise with a 1080p display but that's not a big deal.
If you don't wanna buy a windowsphone you can increase ram to 16gb.
And if you want you can build a dual boot windows and mac in it too.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/T7McRB

Just got a Macbook Pro Retina 13 inch. It is awesome, but I don't want to be locked solely into Apple. I have Surface 2 and a Lumia 920. I'll probably get my mother a Moto G for her birthday. It's fun to try things out... see what works best for you.

Originally Posted by RavenSword

Don't you though? Seems more and more ecosystem is playing a larger part in everything and so is ecosystem lock in.*

For some features yes, but personally I try to use services that are as platform agnostic as possible. It means that it is much easier to switch if I ever want to.

Do not make this decision hard for yourself, Both(Apple and MS) are great
just think about your interests and the functions that you want from them
about Mac or PC: Personally, in this situation I look at the functions which more help me about my job
generally(in my opinion) if u do art works go for Apple and the other go for MS
about tablet and phone: Personally, looking for daily functions and ease of us
Peace :)

I moved from Apple and have never looked back. I had an iMac, a MacBook AIr, an iPad and an iPhone. I felt like I was in a cult - I used to follow their media events avidly - then something clicked and I realised how I was spending an awful lot of money on each new iteration of their devices then felt the disappointment that the hype didn't live up to reality. I bought an iPhone 5, excitedly queuing up to buy it then found it thoroughly disappointing. Same old app based UI, awful tall and narrow screen format. I bought a Lumia 920 cheap in Dec 2012 and loved it - I realised that the UI was just so much better than iOS.

To cut a long story short I sold my Apple devices and now have a Windows 8 all in one PC for less than half the cost of my iMac (and just as good), the Surface 2 for media consumption, emailing and browsing, a Nokia Lumia 920 (have pre-ordered the 930) and a Nexus 7 tablet.

I too like the MS roadmap. I feel they know where they're going whereas Apple seem to lurch from one money-earner to the next. The iOS UI hasn't really evolved from the first iPhone and Mac OS X is just plain ordinary and actually feels quite old-fashioned. Everything Steve Jobs worked for with NeXT has dissipated into thin air.

I still have an Apple TV but have soft-hacked it to run Plex, a media server/client which works across all platforms. I hate the way Apple deliberately uses proprietary technologies to force users to use Apple devices. I can watch a movie using Plex on my ATV, and continue where I left off on Windows Phone, Surface, Android phone/tablet (even iPhone and iPad) or using a web browser. That's the sort of technology we need not something you can only use on Apple hardware. Likewise I can display my Lumia 920 photos on a friend's phone or computer whatever OS they are running. Because OneDrive is so well integrated into the MS ecosystem I can start a document on my computer and continue working on it using my phone or tablet - even if they're running a different OS.

Apple is one big hype machine and people are falling for it. I reminds me of how kids love MacDonanlds - it's like a drug.

I think I'm finding myself following MS more closely due to sites like this one and I have been following what Paul thurrot writes and maybe that's what's making me consider switching. Also, I'm listening to a vector episode where Daniel does a pretty good job on selling why he likes windows and windows phone so much. I don't know. Sometimes I maybe think too much on this stuff, ha ha.

Originally Posted by Phillip Deackes

I moved from Apple and have never looked back. I had an iMac, a MacBook AIr, an iPad and an iPhone. I felt like I was in a cult - I used to follow their media events avidly - then something clicked and I realised how I was spending an awful lot of money on each new iteration of their devices then felt the disappointment that the hype didn't live up to reality. I bought an iPhone 5, excitedly queuing up to buy it then found it thoroughly disappointing. Same old app based UI, awful tall and narrow screen format. I bought a Lumia 920 cheap in Dec 2012 and loved it - I realised that the UI was just so much better than iOS.

To cut a long story short I sold my Apple devices and now have a Windows 8 all in one PC for less than half the cost of my iMac (and just as good), the Surface 2 for media consumption, emailing and browsing, a Nokia Lumia 920 (have pre-ordered the 930) and a Nexus 7 tablet.

I too like the MS roadmap. I feel they know where they're going whereas Apple seem to lurch from one money-earner to the next. The iOS UI hasn't really evolved from the first iPhone and Mac OS X is just plain ordinary and actually feels quite old-fashioned. Everything Steve Jobs worked for with NeXT has dissipated into thin air.

I still have an Apple TV but have soft-hacked it to run Plex, a media server/client which works across all platforms. I hate the way Apple deliberately uses proprietary technologies to force users to use Apple devices. I can watch a movie using Plex on my ATV, and continue where I left off on Windows Phone, Surface, Android phone/tablet (even iPhone and iPad) or using a web browser. That's the sort of technology we need not something you can only use on Apple hardware. Likewise I can display my Lumia 920 photos on a friend's phone or computer whatever OS they are running. Because OneDrive is so well integrated into the MS ecosystem I can start a document on my computer and continue working on it using my phone or tablet - even if they're running a different OS.

Apple is one big hype machine and people are falling for it. I reminds me of how kids love MacDonanlds - it's like a drug.

I don't entirely disagree. It does have a bit of a cultish following. Honestly, I prefer to think of my devices as tools to improve my life, not to make apart of me. If that makes sense.

Well I can personally say I'm very happy being mostly all in on Microsoft's ecosystem. Moving from Apple to Microsoft will probably come down to your own gut instinct in the end and what you yourself think would be best for your situation. When I was a student and shortly after, when working in IT, Microsoft was the clear winner for just simply getting stuff/work done. I honestly don't think Windows can be beat if you've got a good laptop, with Office 365 (OneNote, Outlook and Word etc). Especially as Office 365 gives you a big chunk of free OneDrive storage, which is a huge bonus. You would also get a discount on it with being a student I would think.

You could move to Windows for your PC/Laptop needs and say keep your iPad if you wish to use certain mobile apps and games in your free time etc. Also if you do get an Office 365 subscription you could always do quick edits to your college work on your iPad if you quickly needed to.

If you want to do a lot of image editing and video editing, or you just want to be seen with a Mac, then you could invest in one. But a decent Windows laptop or Desktop PC will be pretty much just as capable for most of those tasks.

What I would suggest to you, is to have a quick read of my Windows Phone Beginners Guide. I'm not just plugging it because I made it, but because I actually go into how Microsoft's ecosystem ties in with the web, PC/Laptop, Windows Phone and other devices. This should give you a good basic run down on what to expect if you're in the Microsoft ecosystem :)

Originally Posted by dznk

Well I can personally say I'm very happy being mostly all in on Microsoft's ecosystem. Moving from Apple to Microsoft will probably come down to your own gut instinct in the end and what you yourself think would be best for your situation. When I was a student and shortly after, when working in IT, Microsoft was the clear winner for just simply getting stuff/work done. I honestly don't think Windows can be beat if you've got a good laptop, with Office 365 (OneNote, Outlook and Word etc). Especially as Office 365 gives you a big chunk of free OneDrive storage, which is a huge bonus. You would also get a discount on it with being a student I would think.

You could move to Windows for your PC/Laptop needs and say keep your iPad if you wish to use certain mobile apps and games in your free time etc. Also if you do get an Office 365 subscription you could always do quick edits to your college work on your iPad if you quickly needed to.

If you want to do a lot of image editing and video editing, or you just want to be seen with a Mac, then you could invest in one. But a decent Windows laptop or Desktop PC will be pretty much just as capable for most of those tasks.

What I would suggest to you, is to have a quick read of my Windows Phone Beginners Guide. I'm not just plugging it because I made it, but because I actually go into how Microsoft's ecosystem ties in with the web, PC/Laptop, Windows Phone and other devices. This should give you a good basic run down on what to expect if you're in the Microsoft ecosystem :)

I'll be sure to give that read :) thanks.

Yeah, at the least I'm probably going to keep the iPad because it doesn't seem like windows 8 tablets are worth it right now. But maybe I'm wrong? The surface is probably microsoft a answer to that problem though.

Originally Posted by HAMEDACC

Do not make this decision hard for yourself, Both(Apple and MS) are great
just think about your interests and the functions that you want from them
about Mac or PC: Personally, in this situation I look at the functions which more help me about my job
generally(in my opinion) if u do art works go for Apple and the other go for MS
about tablet and phone: Personally, looking for daily functions and ease of us
Peace :)

I think my needs are for a PC I want to play PC games , word processing, school work, web browsing, consumption of video like from web sites and YouTube, and things that are just better on a desktop.

Laptop my needs are going to be school work, note taking in classes, web consumption, maybe light gaming (things not like crisis, but maybe blizzard or some steam games. But my desktop would be my main gaming machine outside of my consoles), and to use it to try and get more organized and productive if that's possible.

Tablet is a consumption device. I only really use it for games , web , video, some audio, and email.

Phone is a bit more tricky. The phone is like my main computing device at the moment for web because it's always on my person. Plus I use it to make my life easier with apps and services. Also twitter consumption. And also a lot of audio like podcast, music, audiobooks, and etc. and video as well

I think that's it, maybe some other things that aren't coming to mind.

Originally Posted by RavenSword

So, I actually have a lot more experience using PCs then I do macs. I've only ever used macs in college during my audio/broadcasting classes. Because apparently broadcasters use macs, I don't know.

you would be surprised how little Macs are used in broadcasting

Try before you buy but I switched from iPhone to a Icon on Verizon and a 1520 on AT&T also from iPads to Surface Pro 2, and Surface2 with Cellular. I just like the way they all sync together so nicely. I know Apple did this but I needed larger screens on the phones and great integration with Office on the phones, tablets, and desktop and it just works so well. Also, as strange as this seems, on Apple using One Note, you can't open embedded files. This is done seamlessly with my Win phones. Good Luck. PS, if you can afford a Surface Pro3, GO For it.

Most importantly, Sword: You'll lose all your anxiety once you liberate yourself from those limited i-this-and-that's. You'll especially appreciate the greater options you have in a more dynamic Windows world/existence: you won't just be waiting for the next WWDC to see how far Apple has caught up -or not.

Right, I'm going to throw in my thoughts on this subject in a bit of detail, using points:

I. If anyone tells you macs are 'more reliable' then they are not entirely correct. I built my computer from my own parts; making sure to choose reliable parts, such as a Corsair power supply, Crucial M4 SSD, and Asus motherboard. The most reliable graphics card brand is EVGA, G-Skill RAM is very popular too. I have, admittedly, had one Corsair Force 3 SSD brick on me, but the replacement is running just fine and has been for the past year.

- Unlike a ready-built PC, it does not come full of bloatware. If something breaks, I don't have to send the entire unit back; I can diagnose what part has gone wrong and RMA the individual component. Unlike Apple, parts (in particular RAM) do not cost a small fortune. I am running Windows 8 and so far I have not had a single system lock-up, crash or blue screen. The gist is people can tell you Windows isn't as reliable as Mac but the hard truth is it mostly boils down to what the user chooses to install, where they browse, and what components are used. Make sensible decisions, and you'll have a machine of rock-solid reliability at a fraction of the cost of a Mac.

II. If people complain about Windows 8 or metro, let me tell you it's faster than Windows 7. If they complain about metro, let me tell you it can be bypassed so when you turn your computer on it functions just like Windows 7 (you can even download start menu mods but MS is making their own start menu, should arrive for version 8.2)

III. Gaming. Choose a Windows PC for gaming. You get the best bang-for-buck and the best driver support (plus most games are best optimized for Windows) which is why most top-end let's players choose a PC.

IV. Most of your apple stuff will still work but please don't use iTunes on Windows (not that I'd recommend using iTunes anyway!;)

V. Xbox One controller support. If you like playing with controllers.

VI. Microsoft is designing it so that apps made for Windows 8 and Windows Phone are easy to cross-develop. I don't know the technical term.

VII. Microsoft's cloud syncs very well. I have read a post on the forum here about a guy who bought a Windows Phone and it automatically synced the wi-fi passwords from his Surface so when he went to his friends house the wi-fi worked automatically. He was very impressed.