Switching to a Mac, Dropping Epson, Voting for Bill

Readers help a comrade with a Windows-to-Mac transition, discuss whether to keep using Epson products, and mull over a "Gates for President" campaign.

Kellie Parker

Kellie Parker is the PC World Forums online community manager. You can sign up to have the Community Scoop newsletter e-mailed to you each week.

Welcome to this week's Community Scoop!

There is still much discussion about Microsoft Vista, and Nintendo Wii vs. Sony PlayStation 3. Since I've recently featured some of those discussions here, I'm turning the spotlight on some of the other topics being discussed. With such a large and active community, there is always an interesting conversation going on.

One of our members asked if it was difficult to switch from Windows to Mac OS, and others responded vigorously. Most people think that it isn't hard, but a few reported some problems and annoyances. If you've made the switch (successfully or unsuccessfully), I'd love to hear about your experiences.

A story about Epson taking action to stop third-party ink replacement cartridge manufacturers also got a lot of good discussion flowing. Many of you said you wouldn't buy any more Epson products, but a few came to Epson's defense.

Would you vote for Bill Gates to be president? What started as a mention on Scott Adams's blog has blossomed into its own Web campaign. Would you vote for Bill Gates?

PC World has also recently launched videos, including how-tos, reviews, and more. Check out our new video page, then let us know what you think.

As usual, we close with product reviews from users like you. Please take a moment to write a review for a product you have, and help someone else make the right decision this holiday season. To write a review, go to PC World Shopping and search for the product you'd like to review.

Note: To use our interactive features, such as adding comments to discussions, voting in the weekly poll, and contributing your own product reviews, you must be signed in to PCWorld.com. (Not registered? You can sign up online.) However, you can view the discussion threads and poll results without being signed in.

Switching from Windows to Mac OS

michaelgoonan says: It is not difficult at all. Mac has a very similar interface to Windows, minus the Start menu. Instead there is a "Macintosh HD" icon on your desktop that does that job. I hope that you make the switch. I haven't regretted it.

seymorrats says: This past week I purchased a new Apple computer, and I love it. I grew up with Windows, and over the years I had always heard that Apples were very hard to use and that they were unreliable. I am here to tell you this is an old wives' tale. I love my Mac!

daveh1 says: In my opinion the Mac interface looks like it was designed for kids. The new mouse is really hard to get used to. I am in the music industry and was considering buying one because I'd heard the top artists use them. I was disappointed when I went to the Apple store.

stephenlambeth says: The Mac interface may be a bit on the trendy side for most folks, but as far as exteriors go, Macs themselves look like they were designed by... oh, I don't know.... designers! I know, it's a new concept that many may need to adjust to, but I wouldn't be ashamed at all to put my 24-inch iMac in my living room. My 30-inch Cinema Display would also make a great-looking TV replacement. What PC owner can say that? Have you seen the PC version of the iMac? Hideous is all I can say about it.

Read all the posts in this thread and contribute your own opinion.

Epson Stops Ink Makers

gundark says: Looks like I'll have to buy a different brand of printer. Genuine Epson inks are so overpriced that I cannot afford to use them--$87 for a set of six ink cartridges. If I used Epson inks, I would be spending as much on ink as I did for the printer when it was new.

ivorycruncher says: For all those concerned about problems such as these, I would highly recommend switching to a Canon printer. I'm not sure why, but for some reason Canon has gotten shoved in the back corner, having little to no retail exposure at many electronics stores, as compared to Epson and HP.

hausmouse says: I've been using Epson with Epson-brand cartridges for years. After ruining a good Epson printer with bad aftermarket ink, I swore never to do it again. You can't beat the quality of an Epson printer with Epson ink.

tomak66 says: Got this news just in time! There are now two printer manufacturers to avoid: Lexmark, with their ink cartridge anti-refill microchips, and now "Greedmaster" Epson with their army of lawyers. Thanks PC World for the "heads up" ... my money will be better spent elsewhere.

Read all the posts in this thread and contribute your own opinion.

Bill Gates for President?

greenitch says: I think that his status as head of Microsoft would work against him.

rb3m says: If he implements a Ctrl-Alt-Del for government, sure!

Alber1960 says: In a heartbeat, seriously. He practically already runs a government and is responsible for making partners with other companies, so that would translate to peace-making with other countries and actually having allies. Wow...that sounds better than how we are now.

Drue says: You guys are nuts! He is way too much of a wuss to be pres. Terrorists and other state enemies would walk all over him. Those four reasons [in the blog entry] sound like good qualifications to run a software company, not the world's most powerful country.

Read all the posts in this thread and contribute your own opinion.

Question: What Do You Think of the New PC World Videos?

PC World has recently launched a new Video section with how-tos, reviews, and some "Cool Tools" videos from our colleagues at Network World.

What do you think about our videos? What should we do more of? What topics would you like us to cover in the future? We'd love to hear what you think, and where you think we should go from here.

Recent Product User Reviews

Nokia 3120: We've never had a single problem with any of them. I'm sold on these little workhorses. If you want a phone that you can depend on and you aren't into the trendy camera, flip, etc. phones this one won't disappoint you. Write your own review.

Motorola Q: I had to replace it twice before I got one that worked. The battery that comes with the phone is exhausted in eight hours, tops. The extended life battery lasts about sixteen hours without a recharge. The extended life battery ruins the thin design. Write your own review.

Satellite M115-S3094 Notebook: Bright display viewable in most lighting conditions, great battery life, light enough to carry long hours, well spaced keyboard. Okay layout, plus good speakers with a nice audio program that adjusts for speakers or headphones well. Write your own review.

Grand WEGA 50" Rear Projection TV: This is a wonderful HD television. I really believe that anyone looking for a nice HD TV set large enough to entertain several people at a time will be pleased with this model. Write your own review.

SC101 Storage Central: Great price, but not worth the headache of trying to make it work. Patience is very important since every time you so much as breathe differently next to it you'll have to wait a while for it to start working again. You will also have to put up with lots of crashes. Write your own review.

HP Compaq nx9420: Overall I'm very impressed with this laptop. Compaq has made a piece of hardware that is capable of doing exactly what I want it to do: be a versatile computer that can let me play my games, get my homework done, and act as my portable tech aid on computer repair calls, and it does all three of these functions very well. Write your own review.