[Villages Kahuna]

• I've been successful in getting four of my friends--all inveterate PC users--to switch to Macs. I spent endless hours telling them about the user-friendliness of the OS and the software, etc., etc. To the person, each and every one of them now ask how they ever put up with the PC platform for so long. They are uniformly ecstatic with their new Macs.
  
  So that leaves me wondering where to start. Try these simple plusses and minuses. I'll begin with the minuses...
  
  Mac Minuses
  
  • There is very little not to like about the Mac. They tend to be a bit more expensive than PC's at the outset. But be careful when evaluating prices. Macs come with a lot more software than the typical PC. So when you really compare Apples and oranges, the difference is not all that great.
    
  • The other argument you often hear is that there isn't as much software available for Macs, or that your existing PC software won't work, requiring expensive replacement. Wrong! All the new Intel-based Macs come equipped with the free Bootcamp application which enables you to run any PC program on your Mac. Many people like another program called Parallels which permits switching between the Mac and PC programs without even re-booting. But it does cost $75 or so.
    
  
  Now, The Plusses For Macs
  
  • Extremely stable OS. I can't remember the last time mine crashed...if it ever crashed, that is.
    
  • Almost impervious to viruses. Satisfy yourself and do an internet search for the most recent incident of viruses infecting a Mac. You won't find any.
    
  • Super user-friendly and well-integrated software. The stuff you can do with a Mac is simply amazing. You want a website? Guaranteed you can have your own up-and-running using iWeb in about an hour. iPhoto is amazing, as is iMovie and iDVD. And you just drag stuff from one program to another in true drag-and-drop basis.
    
  • A beautiful user interface. Count on Microsoft to copy Mac features on about a 2-3 year delayed basis and call their stuff "new".
    
  
  Ahh, that's enough for tonight. Go to an Apple Store (there's a couple in Orlando) and see for yourself.