All those apps are what I would term “computing” apps. These sorts of software are available for all platforms becuase they are used by everyone who uses a computer.

A lot of people get a PC to help them with something they already do – rather than to “do computers”. In my case, I’m a keen Hill-walker and Mountain Rescue volunteer. My PC helps me out enormously with that but the main software is Memory-Map. This is, most definitely, Windows (and Windows Mobile) only.

I’ve never come across anything even close to Memory-Map on other platforms – but would be only too delighted to be pointed in the direction of something if others out there know better. The maps cost an absolute fortune!

For me, my family history program is only a/v on Windows. Sure, there are equivalents on Mac but inferior.
90% of people reading that last paragraph just won’t care, illustrating my belief that there is no such thing as a “killer app period” – only killer apps for specific people.
Either that or all the “killer apps period” have long since been ported.

“the applications have been pretty much the same and compatibility a non-issue”

Which is why I WON’T be switching to a Mac. Why bother?

Oh, I’d I’d check the version numbers for Skype if I were you, Skype for Mac is stuck at 2.8. What was that again? “PC users who think you’re an idiot”

I wonder why.

So, to turn the argument around, Windows 7 gives you everything that Snow Leopard does.

In which case why would you want to pay Apple prices? Is slightly better looking hardware really worth the premium?

I’m a gamer,and almost all the games, (mainly) sims are not on the Mac. I’m also a Windows developer using visual Studio, and VBA.

Finally I just like some Windows, apps, like MediaMonkey, much better than something like itunes.

@Graham – totally agree. And how often have you upgraded a Mac with a new motherboard, CPU & video card without paying an Apple Tax.

cad/cam development

for the average user there is very little difference between macs and windows. for hardcore work, i believe, pcs are preferable

Good points @Alan and @McCoogy. None of the 20+ apps I’ve written are available on Macs. Of course, you might argue that’s my fault for being lazy, but people pay me to write apps for Windows. No-one has ever offered to pay me to write an app for Macs. Indeed, one of my Apps was written for our clients to access our data. That is Windows only and, in nine years, I don’t think anyone has ever asked if there is a Mac version.

I have been posting today on this blog that there is a software which helps gain control over OS or preferably a game you love to play, that is strictly PC-oriented.

My previous comment was far more specific, but the blog filter did not allow me to publish such detailed info.

Some key apps:
> SAP (Java version can’t do everything)
> Unigraphics NX (Still waiting for a Mac version)
> Delcam PowerSHAPE/PowerMILL
> PTC Pro/Engineer

Plus many games. I believe in the right hardware for the right job. In the workplace that’s a PC. At home, where I am now, it’s a MacBook Pro.

I have yet to find a free CD burning tool like IMGburn for the Mac. The built in one seems to turn my CDs to coasters quite often.

I use a little program called Admuncher which is just about the best tool I have found for this purpose. glimmerblocker on the Mac is good but won’t do things such as strip adverts out of videos. Nor will adblock plus do this incidentally.

The Windows version of Office is often cited as superior to the Mac version (even by Mac users) although I haven’t used the Mac version myself.

I think saying that games that are available for a PC are not always available for a Mac is a daft argument. For games get a PS3 or Xbox dedicated games console. On a PC to keep playing games you have to upgrade the graphics card every 6 months at very considerable expense. For CD/DVD burning, if IDVD is not giving results i.e. creating coasters then Roxio Toast 10 platinum or Pro is a good choice. Cant comment on free software.

Dave thats nonsense. Only the most elite gamer updates his graphics card every 6 months. If you buy a graphics card for the PC it should run games for st least a couple of years with superior graphics to consoles. A keyboard and mouse is a better way to control certain types of game, and consoles have yet to produce an MMORPG. Console games can’t offer dedicated servers meaning games are limited in how many players that can participate in a match, and there is little scope for modding game content. Downloadable content such as new maps are more often free on PC whereas they aren’t always on console.

Of course Modern Warfare 2 is set to change all this and if its successful PC gamers might as well just recreate the controversial leaked scene at IW offices.

Dave, Top end games on the PC are far more advanced than any dedicated games console.
PC’s can run games in far higher resolutions than HD.
3D PC gaming, With the Nvidia 3D kit.
PC games are oftern cheaper than the console editions.

I built my own High end PC, far cheaper than buying all the following electronic items:-

Games console
TV
TV recorder
Hi-fi
DVD / Blue Ray player
and computer.

For me it has to be MSN OR WINDOWS LIVE MESSENGER. I know theres one for mac but it does not support webcam etc. and I don’t like using 3rd party IM software.

OK, so both PC and Mac have very similar software available. That’s fine, but you have to shell out extra £500 for Mac hardware to run this “very same” software – now there’a big difference, isn’t it?

Personally, I would no longer give a stuff what I used at home, but the impression I get is that in work what Windows does better is remote management. SSH ? Why ? I can crank up an mmc and compare multiple event logs simultaneously, I don’t want to have 8 terminal windows open and ssh to a bunch of servers, then use a load of CLI commands. It might be macho, but it’s inefficient (cli is more efficient sometimes, but GUI is better at other times).

And be carful Chris:

“Patience with PC users who think you’re an idiot. Patience with IT help desks that don’t know anything about Macs, despite claims they support them”.

Sorry. I don’t think Mac Users are idiots. However in my experience, I know a lot more about OS X than a lot of those who use Apples, and find that actually they don’t NEED to use an Apple- they NEED an app (like Illustrator or Photoshop) but insist on having a Mac for some reason. This then forces us to put in kludge apps like Dave (Thursby software) so they could hook OS 9 onto windows network shares (thankfully OSX uses SMB so that issue has gone, but we still can’t centrally enforce file shares).

Well my first impression was shame on PCPRO for allowing this drivel to merit a blog.

To allow someone with an apparently narrow view of computing to muse on his views of switching from OSX to Win7 really is a waste of time.

Try using solidworks ( 3d CAD ), Sage accounts or BACS software on a mac…?
( Please don’t say try this or that program, investments in training & software licenses greatly outweigh any hardware implications.)

However this may just show how limited their choices were in choosing someone to try the exercise. I mean if this blog was from Jon Honeyball then you could expect some interesting insights but then he already uses a PC. I suspect Jon would have no choice in switching as so much of his works seems to be PC consultancy based.

Perhaps an interesting exercise would have been to switch from a pc over to a mac. This is what I decided to do in the summer. The only way this was achievable was with bootcamp and fusion as an emulator.

I do not regret the switch but just wish someone had warned me over the different date systems used on Excel pc vs Excel mac.

Do I love my mac, yes I do. Try leaving a pc on standby every day and flipping the lid to start work in 3 secs flat..?

However will the rest of the company be switched to a mac..No chance.
It’s horses for courses and my steed is shiny…!

The other point that seems to have been forgotten by all the commenters here, is that Chris is one man attempting the switch to Windows 7, he is not a large organisation looking to switch his entire estate over to the Microsoft way of life.

He’s a comparatively light, home computer user, that uses his computer for you average day-to-day computing tasks.

He’s not claiming that this series should be taken seriously by a large IT exec. who’s facing this decision so the likes of SAP or other heavy accounting software, or any of the big expensive CAD programs are not part of the discussion put forth here.

“Actually, that last one isn’t true, as despite the numerous and seemingly never-ending claims that the Mac doesn’t have the necessary applications, I’m still to find a Windows application that can’t be matched on the Mac.”

Whichever way you cut it this statement is false and misleading. Journalistic freedoms and blogs can not ignore the responsibilities of giving misleading information.

Anyway I’m actually quite slim, I run an Sme and my desk chair is most certainly not made of leather…

*sigh* I love the fact that yet another blog entry has been hijacked and yet more OSX vs. Windows arguments are raging on yet another website. I’m both a PC and a Mac person. I’ve been using, supporting (as a job), building and modding PC’s since the mid-90’s and got myself a second-hand MacBook a year ago as I was impressed with OS X after using a friends Mac. Now my MacBook is my main workhorse and I was going to sell my PC until 2 weeks ago when a friend finally made me cave in and spend more money upgrading my PC rig again…..

My reasons for having a MacBook:
1. I wanted to use the included iLife software as it easier than anything I have personally encountered on a PC.
2. I wanted a laptop and figured I’d go with a Mac rather than a Windows based laptop or netbook as XP was starting to show it’s age and I don’t really like Vista.
3. My Apple fanboyness has crept up on me as I moved from iPod to iPhone to OSX purely based on the interface look and feel. I really like the Leopard/Snow Leopard interface and some of the native things like Preview’s PDF capabilities, Expose, Spaces etc all of which require 3rd party apps under my (then) Windows XP PC.
4. All of my apps are available on PC and Mac, or have equivalents, EXCEPT for my two PC “killer” apps.

My reasons for keeping and once again upgrading my PC (to a Core i5 Win7 based machine, techfans):
1. I am a Gamer.
Mac’s are NOT game machines. A good example is one of my favourite games, Bioshock, which is 2 years old and just came out on OSX. I pretty much exclusively play FPS and RTS games, both of which are much better played with a Keyboard & Mouse. I also have a Wii and a PS3 (as a Blu-Ray player rather than console). The Wii is for family fun games with my kids but I cannot play FPS on the PS3 for love nor money as I find the controller unnatural as I am using to keyboard and mouse. I’ve even purchased the Splitfish FragFX PS3 Controller which has made it easier to play FPS titles on the PS3 but then I discover the joy of kicking my entire family out of the lounge as I don’t want my young children watching and listening to me play 18 rated titles. With my PC, I can lock myself in my study, put on my headphones and game for hours. Yes, I’ve spent the best part of £500 upgrading my PC, but the last time I upgraded the whole system was 2006 except for a GPU upgrade a 18 months ago when I purchased Bioshock and wanted to run it with high detail at 1680×1050.
2. Microsoft Money.
Sadly, Microsoft are not making this anymore, but this is the BEST financial management software around. I’ve been using it since Money95 and have all my household and personal accounts going back to then under one application. My wife uses it as well and neither one of us are happy at losing it. There is simply NOTHING to compare to it on the Mac and I have VM software installed on my MacBook so I can use it. This has long been a bone of contention with other Switchers, all of whom are doing the same thing and have repeatedly petitioned Microsoft to release Money for Mac in the same way that they released Office for Mac but that dream has now died.

As someone said in another comment, what defines a “killer” app is a personal choice.

As is the reason for whether you become a Mac or PC user. It is all about individual choice and also what you are used to. I COULD have spent time learning how to play FPS titles on my PS3 with a controller but I didn’t want to. I’d prefer to spend money I can’t really afford to to feed my gaming habit and keep my PC.

Has anyone ever benchmarked a Mac and a Windows box 12 months after starting to use them? With and without the crapware your get and with the AV you need on a PC? I got a Mac Book through work and use a windows 7 box in the office. My mac is 12 months old and appears to be as fast as ever despite me throwing all sorts of software at it whilst learning OSX. However my windows 7 box is now on its second install since W7 was available on technet and needs reinstalling again (CTRL C to copy doesn’t work unless you press it twice!) Typically all my windows installs have needed annual “wipe and reinstall from scratch” exercises. For me that’s not an issue a but for the less tech savvy it could be a daunting prospect. Has anyone ever done a TCO for Mac and Windows PCs over 3 years taking this sort of thing into account. I know Macs are more expensive to buy but mine just keeps on going so has saved me numerous theoretical trips to get it reinstalled.
Your next challenge PC PRO! Run a mac and a PC for 12 months in real world situation and work out the costs and the relative performance of each at the end of the test. I’d be interested to know.