Running OS X Leopard 10.5.3. Overall, not too bad. Definitely lacking on hardware support:

- my webcam is borked (only has hacked open source drivers)
- doesn't even detect my NTSC/ATSC tuner
- my printer is detected, but the generic drivers don't work

Haven't tried my scanner or psx->pc usb converter yet.

Everything else work fairly well (SATA, audio which supposedly can do a full 5.1 + spdif, hardware gpu acceleration, Via Firewire PCi card w/ external hdd). Overall, a Mac isn't terrible, but it feels very cluttered to me.

Even with Spaces (which is simply a fancy way of using GPU acceleration to switch between multiple desktops as Linux has had for that last forever), it's just so much more of a pain in the ass to switch between apps than it is on Win XP with the startbar collecting similar folders and such. Firefox also seems to be slower (especially noticeable when scrolling) compared to Win XP.

Comparing Office 2008 Mac to Office 2007 on PC is no context. The menu setup for the Mac seems way more cluttered. Apple's iWork '08 (Apples' office suite), is OK. MS Office is still better but in their presentation program, Keynote, they're definitely using the GPU accelerated desktop for the transition effects so it does kill Powerpoint in some respects, but overall the program itself doesn't seem as robust.

As far as installing stuff it's much "easier" (ie, you have relatively little control). And that's the biggest pro/con of a Mac, IMO. Sure, it's probably more simple for the computer illiterate, but anyone who's used a Windows machine regularly for a year or two can have much more control over what's going on. And it's not that you can't do that in Mac OS X, it's just that actually trying to have control is a much larger pain in the ass.

So in the end, I have to say getting a Mac is a wash. Even though it's been fun tinkering around with, I even find using the internet on Win XP more enjoyable. Apple can pretty everything up as much as they want and make it look as smooth as possible, but a good ol' PC just seems so much more functional. Back to Win XP I go...

_ _ - - = = Pr3tty F1y = = - - _ _