Wall Street Journal Personal Technology columnist (and frequent Apple booster) Walter S. Mossberg writes that Apple Beckons Windows Users, But Doesn’t Make Sense for All.
Apple has been at the forefront of personal computer reinvention and innovation for the past several years, said Mossberg, and is one of the few profitable PC makers out there. In fact, this is leading many Windows users to consider Macs for the first time — something that Apple is emphasizing in its new “Switch” ad campaign.
“But many people remain confused, at best, about the idea of switching to the Mac,” said Mossberg. Most Windows users can make the switch without losing access to anything, he said, an assertion he admits that he doesn’t make lightly given that five years ago, he told readers to avoid the Mac. Apple’s come a long way in the intervening years.
Switching makes sense if you’re tired of Windows, spend a lot of time with digital media, or if you have discriminating design tastes, said Mossberg. Macs play well with others when it comes to working with digital cameras and camcorders, and popular applications like IE, Quicken and Microsoft’s Office components — software commonly relied upon by Windows users. Mossberg also lauds Macs’ ability to support wireless networking. “Another bonus to using a Mac: You won’t have to worry much about viruses, because almost none are written for the Mac,” he said.
Mossberg offered a list of users he doesn’t suspect would like to use a Mac, also. Among them, people who spend a lot of time from home logged into Windows-centric corporate networks (although Mossberg suggested that Apple’s forthcoming Jaguar system release will solve this); users of “niche specialized software” designed exclusively for Windows; hardcore PC game fans (“Of the 20 top-selling games in April, only half ran on the Mac, with another six under development for the Mac,” he noted); people looking for lowest price or highest processor speed (a “wildly overrated” specification, he said); “Anybody uncomfortable with nonconformity;” and a few other niches of users.
“The bottom line: The Macintosh is a fine computer, and it’s safe to switch to it if you like. But make sure it’s right for you,” concluded Mossberg.
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