by , 3:00 AM EST, February 17th, 2005

Walter Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal, who has consistently praised Apple's products and frequently recommends to readers that they at least consider a Mac, outlines the reasons a Windows user would not want to switch to the Mac in his latest column.

Cost and compatibility are Mossberg's most significant warnings. Accordingly, Mossberg suggests that the following sorts of Windows users think twice before dipping their toes in the Mac pool:

• those who are resistant to learning new ways of performing tasks
• those on a tight budget -- you'll need more than just the Mac, likely a copy of Microsoft Office as well or maybe a multi-button mouse
• those who rely on specialized business or financial software -- VirtualPC presents somewhat of a solution, but not an ideal one
• those whose company's IT departments support home computers
• those who must remotely link up to a Windows network
• those who love Microsoft Outlook
• those who play lots of games
• those who rely heavily on financial software -- Microsoft Money doesn't exist, Mac Quicken is a little different, converting Quicken data is "a bear," and many specialized financial programs don't exist
• those who want an ultra-light laptop -- the lightest Mac weighs 4.6 pounds
• those who use a music player other than the iPod -- Napster can't run on the Mac, for example

"Of course, you can overcome most of these obstacles if you buy a Mac as a companion to, rather than a replacement for, a Windows machine. But then you'd still be battling Windows viruses and spyware, and having to spend money and time to maintain dual platforms," Mossberg concludes.

"The bottom line is that the Mac is a great alternative for mainstream consumers doing mainstream tasks who are sick and tired of the Windows security crisis. But it isn't for everybody."