Should You Switch to a Mac?

Are you currently using Windows and considering changing to a Mac OS (operating system)? I made this change a little over a year ago and I have not been disappointed.

As a web designer, i probably should have made this switch years ago but I heard so many reasons why I should stay with Windows that I resisted. The main reasons I heard were:

• It is hard to find software that is compatible with the Mac.
• It is more expensive
• You have to get used to new operating system - different extensions, NOT a Windows system

Well regarding the first issue, that may have been true years ago but more applications are being developed on both platforms. If you are in a creative field such as web or graphic design, video or publishing, this will probably not be an issue. Most Adobe products are built on both platforms. However, there may be some tools that you are accustomed to using that may not be so you may want to check first.

However, Mac has a way around this. Boot Leg by Apple is software included with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard that lets you run compatible versions of Microsoft Windows on an Intel-based Mac. The only downside is that you have to reboot to run the other OS. They both cannot run at the same time. However, there is a third party application which does allow simultaneous running of both Mac and Windows called Parallels. Parallels acts as a virtual machine and the cost is $79.00.

A Mac computer is definitely more expensive. A base model will generally run you more than a Window computer of the same specs that is loaded with many applications. Apple has six different computers in their product line. The base price of them are:

• MacBook - $999
• MacBook Pro - $$1199
• MacBook Air - $1499
• IMac - $1199
• Mac Mini - $699
• Mac Pro - $2499

If you feel that the extra cost is worth the investment, go for it! I have found it to be a very stable, reliable and fast computer. I generally have a least four applications running at any given time as well as multiple browser windows open with no real issues.

The last reason regarding the inconvenience of having to get used to a Mac-based system was not an issue at all. Sure when you save a document in iWork, Macs equivalent of Windows office, the document is saved in a different format and if you send it to someone with a Windows system, they may not be able to open it. But you have the option of saving it as a Word document - which resolves that issue. You can also buy Office for Mac.

Ultimately, I probably made the switch to a Mac out of sheer frustration. I was using an HP laptop with the Vista OS and I had problems with the processor speed for what I needed. But in all fairness to HP, I probably could have done a better job in selecting a more powerful laptop that could handle the graphics-intense applications and multitasking that are critical for me.