Before you write this article off as something written by a radical Mac nut, keep in mind that I am very experienced with DOS and Windows 3.1, 95, 98, NT, and now 2000. I have also used the Mac from its release in 1984. Having spent about equal time with both, I have a choice, and I picked the Mac. My two main machines are a PowerBook and an aging PowerMac G3 450. Although both machines are not current or "state of the art," I use them constantly for my work and play. Sure, I keep a couple of "Wintel" boxes around for different reasons (mostly work and compatibility with other people who use Windows), but youll always see me boot the Mac first. If youre not familiar with the Mac, you probably think that its not compatible with Windows computers. This is a very old way of thinking. The Mac can read and write most floppy, Zip, and other media from a Windows computer. If you need to read Mac disks on Windows you have to buy a third-party product (there are several). If you want to use a Mac at work, I have used mine on many different Windows networks without trouble. If you need to transfer files, Windows NT and 2000 include Mac drive capability, or you can buy "Dave" for your Mac or "PC Mac Lan" for your Windows machine to make them understand each other better. Software is a bit sparse on the Mac, but think of all of the applications you really use--email, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, PhotoShop, etc. All of these are available and work seamlessly with their Windows counterparts. I rarely have to fight to work on my Mac with Windows files--the applications read and write the files cleanly and easily. I have yet to find something I cant get done on the Mac. My only real complaint is that some games havent been ported to the Mac, such as Half-Life. However, some of the best games of all time were written on the Mac, such as Myst (the best-selling game of all time). I have to admit that I appreciate
quality and good design. Even though I dont own an iMac (and
probably never will), Apple made the whole industry understand
that people do care about design. Computers are much more powerful than most of us need (which is why computer manufacturers are in trouble). Apple has also been a leader in
wireless networking. Almost every Mac shipped in the past 2 years
has it built-in. Add a simple card for around $99, an Airport
base station (great design) for about $299, and you have a wireless
network. Add Apples legendary ease-of-use and almost anyone
can do it. PC manufacturers are just beginning to add internal
antennas to their notebooks now. So maybe it all comes down to "being different." Most of my friends that use Macs are creative and consider the Mac a "style" choice (that is a major PhotoShop machine). The remainder are able to see the power behind the Mac and use it to be productive. Sure, sometimes it harder to find an application for a specialized task, but the lack of time spent configuring or experiencing BSODs (blue screens of death) make my experience with the Mac my personal choice. |
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