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The notion that Macs can't do office work at home persists despite the fact that Microsoft has a Mac version of Office that is fully compatible with the PC version of Office.
 technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

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What you don't realize you don't know about Apple's OS X Macs


May 21, 2006


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2006, Al Fasoldt

   How much do you know about Apple's Macintosh computers?
   If you haven't been near a Mac lately, you might not know as much as you think. In fact, what you do know might be little more than a series of myths.
   Let's examine the five most common Mac myths. Grade yourself to see if you've fallen for any of these misrepresentations.
   Myth No. 1: Macs have a goofy operating system that keeps them from doing the things Windows does.
   Fact No. 1: Regardless of whether you think previous Macs had a goofy operating system (I agree, at least partially), they don't now. The current Mac operating system -- the central software that provides the brains of Mac, just as Windows does for a PC -- is Mac OS X, with the "X" standing for "10" (it's a Roman numeral). OS X is Unix, the "senior" operating system among all the ones in common use, and the one the Internet was built on. OS X Macs can do everything Windows PCs can do, with no exceptions.
   By the way, the old Macintosh operating system, known simply as Mac OS or "System 7," "System 8" and so on, was abandoned a couple of years ago.
   Myth No. 2: Macs might be OK for home users who don't need to do any real work on their computers, but you'd be crazy not to choose a Windows PC when you need to do office work at home. With a Windows computer, you can install Microsoft Office at work and at home and share documents easily.
   Fact No. 2: The notion that Macs aren't "real" and can't do office work at home persists despite the fact that Microsoft has a Mac version of Office (the current one is Office 2004) that is fully compatible with the PC version of Office. Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations, for example, can be sent back and forth and edited at either end without a problem.
   Myth No. 3: Regardless of what they do at home or school, Macs are out of their element in an office environment. First of all, nearly every office uses Windows PCs and a Windows network. Second, Macs can't deal with Windows files. Third, Macs can't even burn CDs that Windows PCs can read.
   Fact No. 3: Modern Macintoshes are Unix computers, and, as such, they connect to Windows and other kinds of computers without a fuss. In fact, because Microsoft changed the way Windows computers connect to each other in Windows XP, older versions of Windows often have trouble hooking up to Windows XP, but Apple's Macintoshes do it readily. As for Windows files, OS X Macs know how to deal with nearly every standard Windows document format. There is no CD problem at all; all current Macs create Windows-compatible CDs by default.
   Myth No. 4: Macs cost more than Windows PCs.
   Fact No. 4: Comparing a motor scooter to a BMW will lead to the conclusion that BMWs cost more. But comparisons like that are silly, whether you're considering vehicles or computers. Compare any Mac to a comparable Windows PC and add the cost of maintenance, and you'll find that Macs do not cost more. Be sure to factor in the time costs when you figure maintenance costs, and don't forget to leave an entry for the possible expenses of lost data and purloined or ruined files.
   There are almost no viruses for modern Macs (the ratio is 210,000 to 2) and no spyware whatsoever. There are no zombies, either. (Zombies have infected millions of Windows PCs, hijacking them to relay viruses, spyware and, of course, more zombies to other Windows PCs while the PCs' owners are asleep or away. Zombies are the main source of spam, too. It's relayed by zombie PCs that are connected to broadband Internet feeds. Getting rid of zombies is so difficult that some Windows users routinely wipe their PC hard drives clean and start over, every few weeks. I know some who do this every day.)
   Myth No. 5: Schools use Windows PCs, so my kids need to have Windows PCs at home.
   Fact No. 5: Many schools do use Windows PCs. So if your school uses Windows in its classrooms, so what? Kids don't have problems closing desktop windows by clicking the top left button (on a Mac) instead of the top right button (on a Windows PC). Programs work almost exactly the same way and documents are easily exchanged; Microsoft Word could care less if the document you're opening was written on Windows or on a Mac, for example. E-mail, the Web and instant messaging are the great levelers anyway. They work exactly the same on Windows and Macs.