We love uncle Walt, but it’s no secret that he tends to look at PCs with a Windows viewpoint. In fact, he says himself that he tends to ingore the Mac OS in his WSJ articles. But today he’s published his “Mac FAQ”, which is a very basic buying guide for those thinking of making the switch, which, of course, you should.
It’s not the most thorough FAQ, but it’s not for you and I. It’s for our parents, ex-wives, soccer coaches, or parole officers looking at their first Mac, but aren’t that savvy. So if you know someone in this category, send them the link. There’s never been a more appealing time to switch, and this guide, while maybe not totally accurate (Entourage can indeed import Outlook mailboxes, and connect to Exchange servers, Walt), it’s a great place for our loved luddites to start.
I think Uncle Walt is pulling the wool over your eyes. ;-) He’s always writing how great Macs are.
The idea that Mossberg has a PC bias is laughable. He probably still devotes more time to PCs than Macs, but that’s understandable given (a) the WSJ’s audience and (b) Apple’s relative market share. Also, it may be picking nits, but he never says you can’t import Outlook mailboxes – he says Entourage can’t open Outlook data files. I think this is true, so far as it goes. If you have a PST file, you can’t open it in Entourage; you have to download and install the PST Import Tool. That’s picking nits, of course, as what most people want is to import their mail.
Take all the above with a big grain of salt – I don’t own a Mac, and won’t until they are priced more reasonably.
Speaking to the above comment on cost, I think what we’ll begin to see from Apple is a focus on more basic models with lower price points, as we saw the beginings of with the Mac Mini. After doing a lot of research while contemplating the purchase of my first Mac, I’m actually fine with their price points. Macbook Pros have dedicated video cards for one small comparison point. That’s something you’ll NEVER find in a notebook in the sub-$1,000 range. Additionally, cramming all that technology into such a svelt enclosure css at a price premium all its own. Apple will do well to fill out their lower end offerings.
I would make the change if I could. But I design consumer electronics products for a living, and there is almost no software for a Mac that will let me do my job.
Sure I could draw a nice picture or write emails, but I need serious 3D cad software, PCB/schematic software, embedded development tools, high end engineering analysis tools, mission specific emulators and hardware etc. etc.
Some people here at work have a MAC, but I think mostly as a symbol to convince everyone that they are more creative. Interestingly most of these people also have a PC on their desk, where they do their creative work.