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Stuart Miles takes the new Apple system for a spin

"PC users like to tinker, Mac users like to use" goes the saying and, for the most part, I would say that is true. Apart from a brief stint using an Acorn Archimedes, I have always been a Windows-based PC man and proud to say that my machine is always in pieces.

Over the years I’ve seen Microsoft’s operating system go from a rather horrid WorkGroups 3.11 to its latest incarnation, Windows XP Media Center. It hasn’t been an easy ride, with the infamous blue screen of death at one point becoming a rather annoying friend. What makes it worse is that after only three hours of using Apple’s latest operating system, 10.3, I started to wonder if I should have made the change years ago.

The well-styled hardware has a wow factor out of the box (even the box has wow factor), while the oh-so pretty user interface, with its rounded corners, 3-D rotating graphics and smooth dissolves, gives you a feeling of security.

The installation, when compared with a Windows PC, was annoyingly easy and even getting it to talk to my home PC was simple — something that even my Windows laptop struggles with occasionally.

As with XP, basic applications are included in the box. Apple OS 10.3 ships with everything from iTunes (Apple’s popular music software) to Safari (its internet browser) and Mail (its e-mail software), and Apple’s offerings pretty much match Microsoft’s like for like.

On the few occasions that I have used a Mac in the past I’ve found it easy to lose sight of an open file without a Windows-style task bar. Exposé is a new feature in 10.3 that tries to address this problem by separating all open files at the touch of a button.

Apple’s system is also well geared to going online, and internet setup is a doddle. Once logged on to the internet the community seemed to be a lot friendlier, proud of their select little group, and I suppose to many this is what owning a Mac is all about. But the Mac wasn’t all good news. As an avid PC gamer, I found the Mac fell well short and the choice of games was extremely poor.

So what of my time in the world of Apple? Overall I have enjoyed the experience. The latest operating system isn’t really that much different from Windows XP, though it feels faster and has more of a security blanket feel.

The hardware and the software make for a good workhorse, and while the cliché "it’s only for designers and media folk" does hold some truth, building a system for people who pay close attention to detail cannot be a bad way to approach things.

As a PC user, my Mac experience has palled with time. I think that if I were new to computers I would go for a Mac, but as a Windows user I get the feeling that I am too far gone: it’s too late for this old dog to learn any new tricks.

Why buy Apple?

1 Reliable
Macs are designed and built by Apple, the same company that makes the operating system, so hardware clashes are unknown.

2 Versatile
With additional software, Macs can run other operating systems. Windows PCs cannot run the Mac OS.

3 Lower cost of ownership
Surveys of computer users typically find that Mac users spend less time and money on maintaining and trouble-shooting their machines.

4 You use it at work
If it’s what you use at the office, you’ll probably want to use it at home.

5 You hate to tinker
You just want a computer that works when switched on, and have no interest in what goes on "under the bonnet".

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