I have been a Windows user since 1995. I now need a new desktop, and am thinking about trying a Mac. Couple of questions:
1- What is the main differences between Windows and Mac? I am not trying to start a war here, but I really don't know the difference. I am in a comfort zone with Windows, and it makes me nervous to think about switching.
2- Most of my time on computers is spent web-surfing, e-mails, and digital photography. I like the looks and the price of the iMac, as opposed to the Mac Pro. Will the iMac suffice me as to what my normal computer activities are?
Thanks for any input.
For what you are interested in doing (web surfing, emails and photography), you will be fine with the iMac. The Mac Pro is a high-end machine for heavy duty use - video rendering, and other high processing power demands. As the name suggests, it's a professional level machine - and it's spec'ed and priced accordingly.
As far as the differences between Windows and Mac (OSX), it's really about the approach and the experience.
The one major advantage that the Mac platform has over the PC/Windows platform is continuity.
"Windows machines" (PCs) can be built by any one... with differing levels of quality parts. Some use high quality parts; some use junk parts. Regardless of the quality of the parts that go into the machine, Microsoft has to write code/provide drivers (most drivers are written by the hardware manufacturer). This results in a patchwork approach in some respects. But this also means that Microsoft has to support all comers, sometimes with poor results... the old adage "garbage in, garbage out" applies. (I am not calling the PC platform garbage)... but you get what you get. And Windows has to support them all.
On the Mac side, both the hardware and the OS is developed by a single company (Apple) with a single set of standards for quality. Apple can get away with writing tighter, less inclusive code, because there is typically one set of hardware to write for. The instance of things like the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is almost non-existant because those issues are usually the result of driver issues... and since Apple only has one set of hardware to write code for, they only have to deal with one set of drivers.
It's also been said that Mac hardware is more expensive than the PC platform. But if you build a PC (Windows machine) using the same level of high-quality parts as Apple uses, both the quality and price of the two platforms are remarkably equal.