Culled from http://blog.etchpoint.com
1. What makes a Mac better? More secure? Is it less prone to attacks/viruses?
Ok, so really 3, but they follow a single theme. This was really based more on what I have heard or read about over the years. Every time I hear of a rather successful worm/virus/trojan, I also hear someone say “I don’t have to worry about that, I’ve got a Mac.” Well, it turns out Apple just designed Mac OS X so that “applications don’t share memory, which makes it inherently crash-resistant.” Mac also runs on a different file system and isn’t targeted by viruses, so even if a virus makes its way onto a Mac there is no threat. Furthermore Apple designs its hardware and software, so they’re made to work together seamlessly.
2. Will my software still work on my new Mac?
For the most part, yes. More and more, companies are producing software for the Mac as well as for Windows. They even make Microsoft Office for the Mac, and all files are easily accessible in both versions with no conversion necessary. For my work, I needed to make sure the programs I used most could be used on my new Mac, so I just visited different company websites and even Amazon.com for products like Adobe Photoshop to make sure they made Mac versions also. Nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed to find a major software program that doesn’t have a Mac version. But in case you do, or for even those smaller programs you can’t live without, check out #3.
3. I can’t live without Program X, what else can I do?
You’re still in luck! Now, every Mac comes with Boot Camp, a special program that allows you to dual-boot Mac OS X and Windows. It’s completely free and allows you to easily partition your drive to run both operating systems, allowing you to still run those Windows-only programs you can’t live without. If you don’t want to shutdown Mac OS and boot into Windows, there are a few virtual machine programs available: VMW are fusion, parallels desktop, and the free virtual box. Each of these virtual machines allows you to run Windows (or any other OS except for Mac OS) as a program within Mac OS, virtually. With all of these options, Windows will still have access to all of your hardware, such as hard drives, optical drives, iSight, etc. so you have all the benefits of both on the same computer. Either way (Boot Camp or virtual machine), it’s a good idea to trim down your Windows installation so it’ll run as quickly and smooth as possible.
4. Ok, so now that I’ve got Windows on my Mac, it’ll get a virus, right?
Windows, perhaps, but not Mac OS. Even getting a virus in Windows on your Mac, it won’t be any threat to Mac OS because of the different filesystems used. And there are still several free antivirus programs you can run on Windows to help protect it. And you’ll still be able to download and run your normal Service Pack updates.
5. What about all my hardware and peripherals?
There are even fewer problems when it comes to hardware and peripherals. Unfortunately, if you have some models of peripherals that are quite a bit older, you might be out of luck. Your best bet is just to check the manufacturer’s website to see if Mac drivers are available, and chances are they’ll be there. I made sure that my all-in-one printer, external hard drive, usb thumb drives, camera, and mp3 players were all compatible. This might take some time to research, but it’ll be worthwhile to know if you’re going to have any problems beforehand to be well prepared.