Switching Sides
- Article 16 of 16
- Macworld, October 2009
With Snow Leopard on the loose it seems like a good time for PC users to make the leap to the Mac. We've got the know-how to help you make that switch
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Windows 7, the latest and maybe even the greatest version of the Windows operating system, is due to hit the stores in the UK in October. Microsoft says it will be faster, better and a real improvement on Windows Vista. Unlike the US version of Windows 7, the UK version is also going to be affordable, although the degree of affordability depends on exactly which version of Windows 7 you get, since it ranges from Windows 7 Home Premium (£65) to Windows 7 Ultimate (£160).
So it would seem to be a great time to buy a PC – because in a lot of cases, that’s probably what you’re going to need to do. Although Windows 7 performance tests suggest that it runs well on older hardware, to really get the most from it, you’re going to need a new PC.
But if you’re in a buying mood, why not look at a Mac, because coincidentally – or not – Apple has just released the latest version of its operating system for the Mac, Snow Leopard aka Mac OS X 10.6. And a Mac might just be what you really want and need instead of Windows 7.
On the face of it, Windows 7 and Snow Leopard are very similar. They’re both ‘64-bit’ operating systems, which means they can use all the features of modern processors and work with more than 4GB of RAM. They look very similar and work very similarly: if you know how to point and click, double-click, or right-click in one operating system, you’ll know how to in the other; Windows has a task bar and a system tray, OS X has a Dock and a menubar; Windows has Windows search, the Mac has Spotlight; and so on. They can do more or less the same things. If you’re happy with Windows, you’ll be at least as happy on a Mac.
But the Mac’s big advantage is that it’s easier to use. Its applications do the same as Windows’ but with less fuss and more intuitively. Windows will give you many pop-ups telling you what it’s doing, but OS X just does it, with no requirement for you to do anything. Plug in a peripheral and it will just work. Connect to a network and the Mac will detect the necessary settings and join you to the network. Configuration is usually unnecessary. That means you’ll spend less time working with your computer and more time using your computer.
Apple are also better than sticking to standards than Microsoft, so OS X plays nicer with other systems than Windows. Safari, the Mac’s default browser that’s also available for Windows, is faster than Windows 7’s Internet Explorer 8, handles JavaScript far better and adheres to all the modern web standards encoded in the standard ‘Acid 3’ test, something IE8 can only dream of at the moment.
More importantly, in this day age, when there are currently over 100,000 viruses for Windows, there are none for OS X. Spyware is practically non-existent and Snow Leopard includes protection against the very few known Trojan horses for OS X. And there are no unpatched Safari exploits, something that can only be said about Internet Explorer for a few minutes at a time.
So moving to a Mac is likely to be a wise option. So how do you go about doing it?
Unlike buying a PC, choosing a new Mac is relatively easy. Go into PC World and you’ll be presenting with a near infinite range of desktops, laptops, and netbooks, all from myriad suppliers ranging from the well known like Sony, Dell and HP through to the more obscure but still worthy like Lenovo, Packard Bell and Acer. While some try to make their machines stylish – with varying success – the biggest differentiators will be the specs: how much RAM is there, how fast is the processor, how much hard drive space is there, which version of Windows or Linux it comes with and so on.
These won’t give you a full insight into the PC’s power, however. The devil’s always in the detail, so you’ll need to drill down through the specs to really get an idea of whether your dream machine is really a Porsche or a Porsche frame with a Robin Reliant’s motor. You’ll either need to brace yourself with reams of comparison tests from web sites or magazines or enter the frightening world of graphics cards, bus speeds and expansion slots.
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