The Right Operating System for You

Hello, PC? I'm Mac

Or maybe you're ready for an even bigger switch. The simple, clean lines of MacBooks and Mac Pro desktops hint that using a computer could be straightforward--easy, even. Mac OS X offers the same promise. Although Apple's operating system and Windows generally let you do all the same kinds of things, the Mac interface just seems to have fewer layers, levels, and cryptic settings.

It's nearly enough to make a 20-year Windows user jump ship. But that's not necessary, of course. Apple's Boot Camp allows Intel-based Macs to boot Windows and other x86 operating systems, such as Linux. Now, both übergeeks and regular folks who enjoy OS X's simplicity but still need to run applications in Windows XP, Vista, or Linux can run all of these operating systems on one computer.

Apple still won't allow OS X to run on non-Mac systems, making Apple hardware the only way to run all OSs on one machine. And with the addition of inexpensive or free virtualization software from Parallels and VMWare, Macs can run those operating systems simultaneously. Parallels' software even provides a unique, somewhat eerie feature, "Coherence," that runs virtualized Windows applications side by side with OS X programs. Parallels got a bit of a jump on VMWare, whose first OS X product, code-named Fusion, is due this summer. At press time, both companies were working to add 3D acceleration to their products, which could finally make serious gaming on a virtualized OS a reality.

But the big Mac OS news arrives this spring when Apple releases OS X 10.5, aka Leopard. The update promises a modest but desirable collection of new features, including Time Machine, a new automatic backup system that lets let you flip back and forth through previous versions of your files. Leopard also adds support for stationery and an integrated to-do list in Mail; an expansion of the Spotlight search tool to locate files on other Macs on your network; an Exposé-like virtual desktop feature called Spaces; and some as-yet-unannounced (killer, we hope) features.