You needn’t worry, however. Apple has listened to its customers and addressed their concerns. Switching from a PC to a Mac is not a leap in the dark; it’s a smooth transition to a powerful, responsive computer.
The basics
A Mac is simple because Apple has designed its applications to work similarly. Once you become familiar with the Mac OS X operating system, everything falls into place.
Moving your files
Perhaps the most crucial aspect of changing to any new computer is migrating your files from one to the other. These files might include documents, music, and photos, but it doesn’t matter what they are: your Mac will automatically recognize almost all of them.
You have several ways to transfer your files. You can
Copy everything on your PC to a USB or FireWire hard drive, connect the hard drive to the Mac, and download
use your local network to transfer the files
burn the files to a CD or DVD on the PC, place this in your Mac, and download
send the files to your Mac via your email account
When you’ve organized everything on Mac’s hard drive, you can install Windows (see below) and use your files as you would on your PC. If you don’t want to load Windows, you’ll need Mac versions of the appropriate Microsoft Office software (see below).
Windows
Having decided to move from PC to Mac, you may feel more comfortable if you still have Windows. Fortunately, you can load Windows XP Home Edition or Professional (with at least Service Pack 2) or any Windows Vista version using Boot Camp. This piece of software comes as standard with every new Mac. (Please note that you cannot load any Windows software other than those given here.)
Once Windows is on your Mac, use it as though you’re operating a PC. If you want the flexibility of having Windows and Mac OS X available simultaneously without restarting the computer, install either Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion.
Windows networks
If you’re part of a Windows network in an office or at home and everyone else uses a PC, you can still switch to a Mac without upsetting anything. With a Mac, nothing prevents you from sharing files across the network, surfing the Internet, or sending and receiving emails.
Microsoft Office
If you want to continue using Microsoft Office 2008, install the Mac version. It has all the features of the Windows equivalent, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You can also work on Office documents originating on a PC and transfer your Mac-created Office work to a PC.
PC devices
You don’t have to buy new peripherals when you change from a PC to a Mac. Your Mac has pre-loaded drivers for hundreds of devices, which means it recognizes most peripherals, such as printers, hard drives, joysticks, and cameras. Install your device using the USB, FireWire, Bluetooth, or audio connections, and you’re up and running. You can continue using your PC keyboard and mouse with your Mac if you’d rather.
You can use your existing email service and address on your Mac without a problem. Please enter your email account details into Mac’s Mail application, and that’s it: you’ve successfully switched over. You can access any web-based email with your Mac’s Safari web browser.
You may, of course, have a stock of email folders that go back for some time. Switching from a PC to a Mac is a good opportunity to do email housekeeping, but this doesn’t mean you have to lose any archived messages. Instead, if you have a fairly small email, you can forward it to your Mac. Suppose you have a larger quantity of mail on your PC and have several accounts. You can transfer everything using your ISP (Internet service provider) and IMAP (Internet message access protocol).
Instant messaging
If you’re used to instant messaging on your PC, you’ll be delighted with your Mac. It has a built-in feature called chat for text messaging and video calls.
Wi-Fi
Macs are wireless and compatible with most routers. The available wireless networks in your area automatically register on your screen. You needn’t lose any of your PC’s wireless features, and by choosing a Mac, you may discover you’ve upgraded your Wi-Fi capability.
Web browsers
Your Mac has the fastest web browser around: Safari. Although you can use Mac versions of other browsers, Safari’s speed, and easy-to-use features will soon have you hooked.
Software and games
You won’t lose out on a choice of software and games when you switch to a Mac. Virtually everything has a Mac version, plus you’ll benefit from specific Mac items such as works.
Security
When you switch to a Mac, you’ll want to know your data is secure. The good news is that Macs have built-in security with regular free updates. Apple also constructs each Mac with its hardware and software. The result is a computer that resists viruses and spyware far better than the average PC.
Reliability
Macs are consistently reliable. They run extremely well and don’t suffer from the problems often associated with PCs – frozen screens and system crashes. As a result, you’ll have fewer problems caused by delays and lost data.
