Thinking about switching to a Mac? You can click here to read all about my gradual shift from the land of Windows. C’mon in … the water’s nice!
Here are a few practical tips and things to think about, for first-timers contemplating the big shift. In no particular order:
1. I have some practical, hands-on tips further down, but let’s start with cost, since cost is the most-cited reason for holding off. Well, a Mac can cost more, but it doesn’t have to. I have a couple different thoughts/opinions on this matter.
First, a Mac Mini is $699. It’s a full-blown Mac, but keeps costs down by letting you use your old monitor, keyboard and mouse from your PC. This is a great way to make the jump incrementally. To test the waters, so to speak. $699 is the same ballpark as a generic Windows machine, and the Mac Mini is super fast and capable, so cost is not really an issue.
Cost is only an issue when comparing a PC to a more high-end, “all in one” machine such as an iMac or a MacBook Pro. However, it’s extremely short-sighted to compare only the upfront costs of the machine itself. After a couple years of experience on the other side of the fence, I can say that all things considered, the “total cost of ownership” is no greater for a Mac than a PC. A Mac is pretty all-inclusive. There’s very little that the average user needs to buy after purchasing the Mac itself. However, the same can not be said of a PC. The Mac comes with a heck of a lot more high quality, usable software bundled-in than a standard Windows machine does. And the add-on business software you might choose to acquire is relatively cheaper too. Read more…
