To Mac or not to Mac

Hello Mac Forum

I'm a long time Microsoft OS user & until recently had not really considered buying a Mac

The limited experience I've had using an iMac has got me hooked but I'm wondering about the constraints/problems of either changing to a Mac or (more than likely) have both Mac & Microsoft systems at home

What are the major pitfalls I can expect to encounter changing from MS to Mac?

Is the 'coolness' of an iMac really worth changing systems for?

Cheers

It really depends on what you currently use your computer for. If it's basic stuff like browsing the web, listening to music, and handling documents, then a Mac will suit you just fine. But when you start adding in things like games or Windows-specific programs, then you'll face some issues.

Let us know what you use your computer for and we'll be better able to help you

it's not so much about the "coolness" of using a mac. it's about the ease of use and the exprience.

what you need to do is figure out what windows programs you rely on and what mac apps can replace them if at all.
that said, you can always run bootcamp or parallels to run those programs in a windows environment.

i was also a windows user for years. and i'm still in wintel server support. now i hate having to deal with windows issues. really. i'm only consoled by the fact that i get paid whenever i have to.

My main usage would be web & email, with the occasional use word processing/spreadsheet compilation

Does the basic iMac come with an equivalent Microsoft Office package or would I need to buy something additional?

Can you transfer files (say Word, Excel, or music) from Microsoft to Mac?

Cheers

Since your needs are basic, then a Mac would be suited just perfectly for you

As for an Office replacement, you have several options. For starters, you HAVE Microsoft Office . Your new iMac will come with a trial version of Office for Mac, so you can try it out and see if it's worth paying for. Your Mac will also come with a trial version of Apple's own iWork 06, though sadly it only has word processing and presentation software, no dedicated spreadsheet application. So while iWork is a great suite, you might want to steer clear if you really need spreadsheets.

Now onto your third option, which you'll be happy to know is free. NeoOffice. It's a Mac-friendly version of OpenOffice (which btw is also available for Macs). It has great support for all Office formats and you can create documents in Word and Excel formats if you ever need to share your files with people who use Office.

I suggest giving both Office:Mac and NeoOffice a try. Either one will fit your needs perfectly.

As for transferring files, you can transfer anything you want to a Mac. Most formats are either recognized by Mac OS X or you can find a program to handle them. Your documents, pictures, and music will work without a hitch.

There are a couple of methods for transferring files. You can use an external hard drive or a USB flash drive. You can also directly connect your Mac to your PC either via Ethernet or Firewire. Finally, you could always do things the excruciatingly painful way: via your wireless network

Excellent!

Cheers Kash

For basic spreadsheeting and word processing Appleworks is worth a shot. I dunno where it could be bought though as it's getting to be old software too. But it still works like a charm though. It's the reason I'm putting off buying iwork will the next version of it comes out.

But what Kash said is right. Just try all the many options available to you and you'll be bound to find something to suit your needs.

And just remember if you "have to" use windows for something small still, you can too on your mac with bootcamp or parallels.

I did this transition few months back. I now use my old PC and a 24" iMac side by side. I use a great app called Synergy to switch between desktops using only the mac's mouse and keyboard. The only use of my PC is for platform specific development, that is running Visual Studio .Net. I was very sceptical about the Mac when I got it, but I'm pretty sure this beat up Sempron is probably the last PC I'll ever buy. If office work, music and movies is your only use of a computer then probably a Mac is the best choice for you. It combines top notch hardware, and the most user - friendly OS there is. I have alot of experience with different operating systems (Windows, Linux, Solaris...), Mac OS X is the most user-friendly one I've seen. There's a substitute for allmost any Windows app you can think of. The only drawback of the Mac is the hardware upgrade options you have, and the cost of those.