For many years I was a loyal Windows user (our office runs 7 PCs dedicated to various tasks), and like many Windows users I was used to the regular updates I needed to download to keep these machines protected from viruses and network attacks. It was certainly a frustrating and time-consuming task. In previous articles I’ve discussed the necessity of making sure you have an up-to-date firewall and antivirus package installed and keeping up with Windows updates. Last year I bought a Apple PowerMac G5 Mac and since then I haven’t looked back. Every PC that dies of old age will now be replaced by a Mac. Now, I hadn’t wanted to promote Macs in On The Net because I know many people get very defensive regarding the particular operating system they’re used to using. Who wants to go through the cost and hassle of learning a whole new computer system? But with Apple making the switch to using Intel processors in their computers (the same processors that Windows uses) the ability to run Windows from within the Mac operating system makes buying a Mac a much more attractive proposition. I’ve always been concerned that with the proliferation of PCs in the home that many people were unknowingly exposing themselves to hackers and viruses – securing a PC properly can be quite a technical challenge. I know many On The Net readers don’t want to become geeks, they just want a computer that doesn’t have to reinstalled every few months and isn’t full of viruses and popups. Many of the fears people had about switching to Mac – the cost, the lack of support for Windows programs, the unfamiliar interface – are no longer valid concerns. For example, the Mac operating system is based on UNIX, a secure operating system that has been around from many years, and is so much less vulnerable to attack that most users only install an antivirus “just in case”. I’ve never found a Windows application that either didn’t have a Mac version, didn’t have a Mac equivalent, or couldn’t be run on an Intel-based Mac using the affordable Parallels application. (Parallels allows you install and run a copy of Windows from within the Mac operating system – your Windows desktop appears as another Window on the Mac desktop.) Microsoft have even released a version of Office for the Mac. Now is a very good time to take a look at the Macintosh as your next computer upgrade. Check out the options available at the Apple store - http://www.apple.co.nz/ If you’re on a budget, or starting out, check out the Mac Mini or the iMac. Of course, don’t just take my word for it – have a look around the web at what people are saying about the Mac.
Check it out...
