This info us so helpful. Thank you for taking the time to share.
On 1/1/08, Diane Gregory <dianegregory2@verizon.net> wrote:
> Hi All and Michal,
>
> There has been some recent discussion on our list
> about the new Intel Macintosh computers that have the
> capability of running both PC and MAC OS operating
> systems. If I remember correctly Michal said
> something about thinking about getting a one of the
> new Macs.
>
> I have an iMac which I purchased just a couple of
> weeks ago. In making my decision to purchase I
> discovered that Consumer Reports for several years has
> rated the Macintosh computer number 1 for
> Micro-computers. My iMac has the new Leopard
> Operating System and of course the Intel chip which
> allows me to use both the MAC OS and Windows XP. I
> purchased Parallels Premium (rated four stars) to be
> able to use both Operating Systems. Parallels Premium
> recommends 2 GB of RAM. So be sure you get a RAM
> upgrade. The iMac comes with 1 GB of RAM.
>
> The neat thing about Parallels Premium is that you do
> NOT need to partition your hard drive or restart your
> computer to switch operating systems. It is seamless
> and pretty kewl! A competitive software called Boot
> Camp requires users to shut down and restart the
> computer in Windows and it requires that you have to
> partition the hard drive. Using Parallels Premium
> with 2GB of RAM will not slow your computer down.
> There is virtually little difference. I do highly
> recommend getting Windows XP. It is cheaper than
> Vista and much, much more stable than Vista. Many PC
> user friends who bought a PC recently switched to
> Windows XP even though Vista was installed.
>
> When purchasing the iMac or the higher end MacPro or
> Mac Book Pro (laptop), please understand that some of
> your software may need to be updated or upgraded if
> you want to use it as a Mac. This is why it is
> especially important to have Parallels Premium and
> Windows NT. So if you have a non Intel Mac now and
> are thinking of purchasing the new Intel Mac, most of
> your software can be used if you install Parallels
> Premium. The only thing you will need is to purchase
> the Mighty Mouse. It has two clickers and a neat
> clicker on the top to access your dash board software,
> etc. The Mighty Mouse is wireless and requires
> batteries to operate. If you are first and foremost a
> Mac user it will require some getting used to the PC
> environment, etc., especially if you have been used to
> using keyboard commands. I never got into the habit
> of memorizing keyboard commands, so it is not a
> problem for me.
>
> Finally Windows XP academic price is under $200.00.
> Finally, I highly recommend getting Apple Care. It
> provides a lot of goodies and also pays for any
> technical assistance and guarantees your computer for
> an additional two years beyond the one year guarantee
> Apple provides. It is well worth the money. Also get
> a virus protection software, since you will be using
> PC software. PCs get a lot more viruses than MACs and
> it is unclear if you will get more viruses if you use
> both operating systems. (The PC operating system
> really runs in emulation mode with Parallels Premium)
> I also purchased Disk Warrior to use for maintenance
> etc. I did also get Data Backup 3. It is a very good
> habit to back up all of your data, iTunes, podcasts,
> etc. You could also get an .Mac account and with this
> you can get iDisk which allows you to back up all your
> data to an Apple Server. This is way kewl since you
> can access your data with any type of computer, MAC or
> PC, via the Internet. I did this before my old G4
> crashed, burned and died after 5 years of faithful
> service and I was able to restore the files which were
> on my old computer. I can also go anywhere on the
> planet and get access to my data. All I need is an
> Internet connection. I find this ability very
> comforting, especially if I am traveling or commuting
> to work. If I left something at home, I can get it
> from the iDisk from my computer at work. My
> university is very PC oriented and now I have much
> fewer problems being able to do my work. I can switch
> back and forth easily and quickly. If I want to buy
> some software in the future that is only available for
> PCs, I can go ahead and get it, switch quickly to
> Parallels and then voila I can use this software.
>
> I hope this long explanation helps those who are
> considering the purchase of a new computer in the near
> future.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Diane
>
>
>
>
>
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