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PC Alternative: The Apple Option

Let's say you're in the market for a new desktop, but when it comes to Windows, you are a conscientious objector. Is there a viable alternative to XP? You could run Linux, but it takes real commitment to make that switch--somewhat like driving an electric car. And though you can coax Linux into working with Microsoft Office files, you still need to be an advanced user (read: geek) to do it, and no version of Microsoft Office is forthcoming for Linux.

Your other alternative is to buy an Apple. Mac users once lived in isolation from the PC universe. But today, with both Windows networking and a new version of the Microsoft Office suite available for Macs, you may no longer feel banished if you're tempted by the Apple.

In March, Apple released its Unix-based OS X operating system. Fine-tuned for work with multimedia, it sports a new, colorful interface called Aqua. OS X v10.1, an upgrade released at the end of September, adds such important features as DVD playback and support for Windows network protocols. By November, Microsoft will be selling Office v.X for Macintosh, featuring four core productivity apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Entourage (a combination e-mail and scheduling program). Office v.X is the first big application for OS X, but others, including QuarkXPress and Photoshop, are in the works. The previous incarnation of Apple's operating system, which culminated in OS 9.2, supports many more applications, and Apple ships both OSs with new machines.

With Macs and PCs becoming more compatible, we decided to take a look at Apple's two desktop models: the value-class iMac and the power-level G4. The iMac is an all-in-one system with the heft of a portable television. The 600-MHz model we looked at included 256MB of SDRAM, a 40GB hard drive, an 8X/4X/24X CD-RW drive, a Rage 128 Ultra graphics board, two FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports, two USB ports, and a 15-inch CRT display. It sells for $1299, and at press time, Apple was throwing in a Lexmark Z32 printer. But for that price you get only a weak built-in speaker set; you must pay extra to obtain a good sound system.

Our G4 was built around an 867-MHz Motorola PowerPC CPU--Apple's fastest single-processor configuration. (Apple's current top-of-the-line system carries dual 800-MHz processors.) Our test G4 included 128MB of SDRAM; a 60GB hard drive; a combination 2X DVD-R, 8X/4X/24X CD-RW, and 4X DVD-ROM drive; an NVidia GeForce2 MX graphics board; and Lexmark's Z32 printer. The miniature Apple Pro Speakers registered unimpressively weak, tinny sound, but an upgrade to Harman/Kardon's three-piece SoundSticks speaker set yielded rich audio. Finally, a luminous 15-inch Apple Studio Display LCD monitor showed crisp text and brilliant colors. It adds to the cost, however: Our test unit was priced at $3297. Apple doesn't sell separate CRT monitors, but most other brands work with Apple systems.

Because PC WorldBench 4 doesn't run on the Mac platform, we can't compare speeds of PCs and Apples directly. Nevertheless, we did like the look of the iMac and the G4--both the new OS interface and the chic, solidly constructed cases and peripherals. And as Apple and Microsoft strengthen their ties, you can move over to Mac without leaving your PC friends behind.

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