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Switcher Hangout (Windows to Mac)
MacBook for an Economics student [qst: Office for mac]
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<blockquote data-quote="KamileonX" data-source="post: 595679" data-attributes="member: 39554"><p>As much as I would encourage ANYONE to switch to Mac...</p><p></p><p>As an accounting or economics student, it may not be the best thing for you. 90% of all accounting software is written for Windows exclusively. But even if you could find equivalent software for Mac, things wouldn't be the same.</p><p></p><p>Let me explain. It is safe to assume that the majority of your classes, if not all are in a Windows environment. The prof will be teaching in windows, any hands on labs you have will also be in Windows. Not having (or being able to run) the EXACT same software as the course dictates may be a disadvantage to you. More than likely, any (specialty) accounting software you use will be written for Windows, and Windows alone.</p><p></p><p>Of course, there are alternative solutions. You could run Windows on your Mac through either Boot Camp or virtualization software such as Parallels or VMware Fusion. That will allow you to run your specialized software on your Mac, should you choose to buy one.</p><p></p><p>Essentially, what I'm telling you is that in the world of number crunching, economics and accounting, Windows is still king. If you are considering a Mac, you MUST factor in the additional cost of getting what you need to run Windows on your Mac (Cost of Windows, virtualization software etc), because you will need it. Unfortunately that is the way the world of numbers work.</p><p></p><p>Speaking of Numbers... should you need spreadsheet software, iWork (which includes Numbers spreadsheet software) is quite comparible to Excel. To answer the second part of your question, Office 2008 is (in my opinion) improved from 2004. However, I don't feel you can really compare it to office 2007 because it's... well... different. Not functionality wise, but the whole feel of the software. I highly recommend you go to your neighborhood Apple Store and check out both iWork and Office 2008 for yourself. It's totally personal preference which you like better. One big advantage of iWork over Office 2008 is cost. iWork is usually is cheaper by 50% or more compared to Office Home & Student edition. iWork does have the ability to export to Excel should you need to share files with other (Windows or Mac) Excel users.</p><p></p><p>So, in Summary:</p><p>- In your upcoming academic major, you WILL have to use Windows.</p><p>- Should you choose to buy a Mac, be sure to factor in cost of additional software into your budget. Remember, Boot Camp and virtualization software do not come with a copy of Windows, you must provide it.</p><p>- Should you choose to buy a Mac, evaluate for yourself which you like better, Office 2008 or iWork. Once you buy your Mac, time-limited trials of both software titles are available for free from their respective websites; or check with the Apple Store, they have both on demo.</p><p></p><p>I hope this information helps. Best of luck to you!</p><p></p><p>P.S.... if you are a Gamer, you MUST buy a Mac with dedicated graphics (i.e. MacBook pro, Mac Pro or iMac...) Mini's and MacBooks do not have the graphics power to run most games. As with any Intel based Mac, the best gaming solution is to a) Buy the Mac version of the game or b) run the game in a Windows partition on Boot Camp. Majority of games will not work in a virtual environment.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="KamileonX, post: 595679, member: 39554"] As much as I would encourage ANYONE to switch to Mac... As an accounting or economics student, it may not be the best thing for you. 90% of all accounting software is written for Windows exclusively. But even if you could find equivalent software for Mac, things wouldn't be the same. Let me explain. It is safe to assume that the majority of your classes, if not all are in a Windows environment. The prof will be teaching in windows, any hands on labs you have will also be in Windows. Not having (or being able to run) the EXACT same software as the course dictates may be a disadvantage to you. More than likely, any (specialty) accounting software you use will be written for Windows, and Windows alone. Of course, there are alternative solutions. You could run Windows on your Mac through either Boot Camp or virtualization software such as Parallels or VMware Fusion. That will allow you to run your specialized software on your Mac, should you choose to buy one. Essentially, what I'm telling you is that in the world of number crunching, economics and accounting, Windows is still king. If you are considering a Mac, you MUST factor in the additional cost of getting what you need to run Windows on your Mac (Cost of Windows, virtualization software etc), because you will need it. Unfortunately that is the way the world of numbers work. Speaking of Numbers... should you need spreadsheet software, iWork (which includes Numbers spreadsheet software) is quite comparible to Excel. To answer the second part of your question, Office 2008 is (in my opinion) improved from 2004. However, I don't feel you can really compare it to office 2007 because it's... well... different. Not functionality wise, but the whole feel of the software. I highly recommend you go to your neighborhood Apple Store and check out both iWork and Office 2008 for yourself. It's totally personal preference which you like better. One big advantage of iWork over Office 2008 is cost. iWork is usually is cheaper by 50% or more compared to Office Home & Student edition. iWork does have the ability to export to Excel should you need to share files with other (Windows or Mac) Excel users. So, in Summary: - In your upcoming academic major, you WILL have to use Windows. - Should you choose to buy a Mac, be sure to factor in cost of additional software into your budget. Remember, Boot Camp and virtualization software do not come with a copy of Windows, you must provide it. - Should you choose to buy a Mac, evaluate for yourself which you like better, Office 2008 or iWork. Once you buy your Mac, time-limited trials of both software titles are available for free from their respective websites; or check with the Apple Store, they have both on demo. I hope this information helps. Best of luck to you! P.S.... if you are a Gamer, you MUST buy a Mac with dedicated graphics (i.e. MacBook pro, Mac Pro or iMac...) Mini's and MacBooks do not have the graphics power to run most games. As with any Intel based Mac, the best gaming solution is to a) Buy the Mac version of the game or b) run the game in a Windows partition on Boot Camp. Majority of games will not work in a virtual environment. [/QUOTE]
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