Mac versus PC: To switch or not to switch?

Intel-based Macs can now run Windows, but dedicated users still need to figure out if this works for them

Ten years ago, if you were a Windows user, the idea of switching to a Macintosh might not have seemed enticing. An abundance of new Windows software was arriving on store shelves, while the selection available to Mac users seemed to be falling behind, often relegated to a back corner of the same store.

Today the calculation is different. Apple Computer, through a series of transitions, has reinvented itself. With a new operating system, its own chain of retail stores, the iPod and now a new line of computers that run on Intel processors, this new and more mainstream Apple is catching the attention of Windows users, and many are curious about switching.

But is switching a good idea?

The center of the Macintosh experience is Apple8217;s operating system, Mac OS X. With Unix at its foundation, Mac OS X is more stable, secure and open than previous Mac platforms, and the current version, called Tiger, offers features not included in Windows. More than 12,000 software applications have been developed to run on the Mac OS X platform since it was introduced in 2001 including popular programs like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, the Firefox Web browser and many from Apple.

But the world of Mac software is still smaller than what is available in the Windows world. A Windows user curious about switching needs to take an inventory of applications. Mac software is likely to be available for most mainstream applications. Other important applications, especially in categories like business software and games, may run only on Windows.

This is where the new Intel-based Macs can make a difference: because they use the same hardware architecture as Windows-based PCs, called x86, the experience of running Windows on a Mac is much improved.

Two methods for running Windows on the new Macs have moved to the forefront, and both run considerably faster than Virtual PC, the leading option under the old Mac architecture. The first, a new program called Parallels Desktop for Mac, enables you to run Windows and Mac OS X Tiger simultaneously. For example, you can run Windows software like Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook in a window that can be minimized just like other Mac programs.

A drawback of Parallels is that it does not support 3-D-accelerated graphics, which means some higher-end 3-D games and other programs run slowly or not well. Other factors to consider are a speed reduction of 5-15 compared with running Windows natively on Intel-based computers, the company says, and the fact that not all peripheral devices are compatible.

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The other option for running Windows on the new Macs is made possible by Boot Camp, a free utility from Apple now available in beta testing. Unlike Parallels, which runs Windows within Mac OS X, Boot Camp creates a partition on the computer8217;s hard disk and installs Windows to it. When the computer starts up, you can choose to run either Windows or Mac OS X.

Benefits of Boot Camp include running Windows at full speed; it runs natively on the Mac, as it would on a conventional Windows-based PC, fully using the processor and graphics abilities, and providing compatibility with hardware peripherals and devices designed for PCs.

A drawback of Boot Camp, though, is that you must shut down one operating system before using the other. This means you cannot run Windows and Mac applications simultaneously. Another drawback is that it can run only two versions of Windows: XP Home Edition or XP Professional.

Security is another aspect of Macs that has Windows users curious. In Windows, antivirus and antispyware programs have become essential for defending against a variety of threats. So far, the Mac OS X operating system has not been infiltrated by viruses.

THOMAS J. FITZGERALD