Mossberg seems to be quite a fan nowadays, which is great for Mac. His article is better advertising than any recent campaigns by Apple. The main point should always be the one that is most powerful - viruses, spyware (=pop-ups). Anecdotal evidence coming from switchers consistently indicates that this is by far the most compelling reason for Win users to abandon Windows, throw up their arms and say: "OK. That's it! I can't take it any more! There must be something better!!". At that point, most of them didn't know there may be something better; they had to ask around and they were told that Mac don't have viruses or spyware. Ask an ordinary Win user what they know about Macs and they still tell you "well, it's easy to use, it's good for graphics...". The world should be bombarded with the message "there are absolutely no viruses, spyware and pop-ups, and it doesn't crash!". Only when world finally discovers this and begins associating it with Macs will there be more significant switching movement. Those who switch always rave (very, very few exceptions). Therefore, while guys like Mossberg with articles such as this one definitely help, come concentrated action is definitely required.

"...come concentrated action is definitely required."

What is this, a porn film?

I am a Windows User who switched the to Mac and then switched back to Windows. And I did a serious switch. I went straight for a PowerMac G5 (dual processor) and a PowerBook G4. It was wonderful not having to worry about viruses. The sturdy feel of the machines was really great. The reason I switched back?

1. Synchronization - .Mac is really a bad joke. It was unreliable, slow and often did not work. Besides, if replied to an email on my PowerBook, the email did not appear in my Sent box on my desktop. While synchronizing iCal worked really well, that application is calendar lite; not meant for serious power users. Entourage is much better, but it doesn't work with .Mac sync. By contrast, MS Exchange (hosted for $5.00) per month works extremely well. One machine (including my PDA) synchronizes with all the others.

2. Some Mac versions of popular software appear to be afterthoughts. The greatest example is Quicken. My God, it was the most cumbersome and idiotic interface on the Mac. When I used the Windows version of the software, I couldn't believe it was the same application: Night & Day!

3. NO PDA - NONE synchronizes well with a Mac. I used my Treo 650 on the Mac and realized one couldn't sync the categories, appointment locations etc. It works flawlessy on the Windows end. Don't even think about a Windows Mobile device. The two companies that supposedly bridge the gap are also jokes. Buggy software!

So now, I've sold my PowerMac G5 and purchased a high end Dell XPS system. No virus or spyware issues after four months. As for my PowerBook, it now sits on my desk gathering dust. I replaced that with an IMB X41 Tablet PC. Hey, I teach at a university. This is definitely a teacher's best friend.

I hold out hope that one day I will go back to the Mac since I am so fond of the robust nature of OS X and the solid feel of the machines. What will it take?

1. An upgrade of .Mac to do true Exchange like synchronization.

2. Perhaps an Apple PDA/Smartphone that actually syncs perfectly with Macs.

And not so importantly:

3. A Mac tablet?

4. O, and some software improvements

David F.

.Mac

I work with hundreds of Mac users. Nobody even considers it. There are better solutions. Heck, Entourage works with Exchange (though why anybody would want to is still beyond me).

I never had any problems with my Handspring Visor syncing to my Macs. Sure, it's older than current models, but then again, so is my 2002 GMC Envoy! And my Motorola V551 syncs just fine with it too and I can even transfer pictures, audio files, and videos to and from the phone with iSync and file transfer command interface.

We don't need no stinkin' tablets. Waste. I've gotten to play with 2 of them for a few hours. So unbearably slow they make a sane person bite their nails off.

Good luck with your expensive new Dell. People complain about Apple's prices? Have you ever tried to FIX a Dell? (we have, continuously!!!!). The cost of their parts is ridiculous. $70 for a fan??????????????????? Give me a break.

I've helped a lot of my friends and coworkers switch in the last couple of years. I always worry a little bit that they will be so used to Windoze that it will be hard for them to figure out their Macs, but I've never had that problem. I usually give my five minute demo on where to store documents, how to use the Preference pane, and what the dock is for, and then they're off and running. No one has ever come back to ask me any questions, aside from high level advice like what sort of add-ons should they get and from which vendors. I usually check up on everyone about a month after they've gotten a Mac, and everyone is very happy. One of my friends was practically in tears after he found out that he wouldn't have to defrag his hard drive under normal usage. The lack of viruses is also a huge selling point. Probably the most satisfying thing to me is that getting a Mac has encouraged all of them to try new things, like making movies for the first time, creating audio files in Garageband, and setting up their own home networks. These are all bright people, but they don't necessarily know a lot about computers, and they don't need to. The best part is that they have all become passionate Mac users and are happily evangelizing people themselves now.