“Over the past year, I have advised readers who are fed up with the plague of viruses and spyware on Windows PCs that one way out of the mess is to switch to Apple Computer’s Macintosh. There has yet to be a report of a successful, real-world virus for the Mac’s current operating system, and there is little or no known spyware for the Mac,” Walter S. Mossberg writes for The Wall Street Journal.
“I stand by that advice, and also by my positive reviews of recent Mac models, especially the impressive iMac G5. But, as I have noted in the past, switching to the Mac has downsides, and it isn’t the best course for some groups of Windows users. So here’s a brief guide to which types of users might find switching inadvisable,” Mossberg writes. “In general, the best candidates for a switch to the Mac are those who use their computers overwhelmingly for common, mainstream consumer tasks. These include e-mail, instant messaging and Web browsing; word processing, spreadsheets and presentations; working with photos, home videos and digital music; and playing and creating CDs and DVDs. The Mac is as good as Windows at these core tasks, and in many cases better.”
MacDailyNews Note: Walt describes approximately 99% of the world’s computing population above.
So, according to Walt, who shouldn’t switch from Windows to Mac? People who are happy enough with Windows (ignorance being blissful, as it were). People who are resistant to learning new ways of doing things (even if it’s more intuitive, more thougtfully-designed, and will make you more productive). If you can’t afford it. If you run specialized, custom Windows programs. If you love Microsoft Outlook (again, ignorance-bliss). If you use your PC mainly for games. If you rely heavily on financial software. If you don’t own an iPod or love Napster and Rhapsody.
“Of course, you can overcome most of these obstacles if you buy a Mac as a companion to, rather than a replacement for, a Windows machine. But then you’d still be battling Windows viruses and spyware, and having to spend money and time to maintain dual platforms. The bottom line is that the Mac is a great alternative for mainstream consumers doing mainstream tasks who are sick and tired of the Windows security crisis. But it isn’t for everybody,” Mossberg writes.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Mossberg’s article shows that switching to the Mac is for just about everybody who isn’t ignorant, set in their ways, cash poor, mostly use their computer to play games, or “love” Outlook, Napster or Rhapsody. Switching from Windows to Mac isn’t the best choice for everybody, just most people. We agree wholeheartedly.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Mossberg: Windows PCs plagued with problems, Apple’s Mac is ‘rock solid, elegant and affordable’ – December 09, 2004
Walt Mossberg’s Fall PC Buyer’s Guide: ‘Apple’s new iMac G5 is an excellent choice’ – September 30, 2004
Mossberg: Apple iMac G5 ‘powerful, affordable, virus-free with better, more modern OS than Windows XP – September 23, 2004
Mossberg: Dump your Windows machine and get an Apple Macintosh to free yourself of spyware – August 25, 2004
Wall Street Journal’s Mossberg on making the switch from Windows to Mac – September 18, 2003
Do you think Moss has been got at by the Wintel Job Preservation Society?
I’d say the number one group that should not switch is the gamers. People that are stupid enough to spend thousands of dollars on a new PC every year just to play a freakin’ video game are not smart enough to use a Mac anyway!
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Walt is a straight shooter and I think he is on the money once again here. Not that this is actually saying much. There is a bit of the D’uh factor here. I could predict that a majority of Americans will eat at McDonalds sometime in the next year and be just as entitled to a crystal ball.
I am wondering if this might not have some reverse psychology effect though. How many users are gonna read that column and decide that none of the negative categories apply to them and so conclude that they should probably switch?
Having read the original article is smells to me like someone reminded Walt that the majority of his readers use windows and many may not be inclined (or able to) to switch. I think he may be doing a bit of covering his ass and making sure he does not brand himself an Mac Fanatic (even tho the reality of the superiority of OS X seems to have definitely made him one). This gives the people who would never have switched anyway an easy out so they can still feel good about being on a miserable computer platform.
actually i still want an alienware for games. i mean seriously, that case on one end of the desk, the quicksilver on the other, two monitors in the middle? it would just be hot. in that uber-geek sort of way.
Hey, MDN:
Cut the pop-unders! They show an incredible lack of respect for your readers. Don’t you get that doing something to readers’ computers that they don’t authorize is obnoxious?
C’mon MDN, take the high road.
Waltttttt!!! What de hell happened, buddy?!?
I mean I love a good punking as much as de next guy, you know, but seriously — I think you’ve been sniffing a little too much white-out on your lunch hour. I know, I know, old habits die hard. But come onnnn, Wally. I mean, who got to you? Was it that loafer-wearer Gates? Did he threaten your family? Or maybe he threatened your wallet! Yesssss. Gates threatened to lighten ol’ Wally’s wallet. Come on Wally, grow some cajonés. And not the shriveled kind, either! Go home and get the real ones that your wife keeps in the dresser drawer for you. Of course, maybe it wasn’t Gates. Nooooo. Maybe it was that sweaty Yeti named Ballmer. Actually, that guy scares even me! Well, it’s mainly the stench, but you know what I mean. Hey, I keed . . . okay, not this time.
Poor Wally. I would’ve thought a man with your reputation and experience was untouchable by the forces of darkness. But I guess you’re just another journalist . . .
FOR ME TO POOP ON!
“People that are stupid enough to spend thousands of dollars on a new PC every year just to play a freakin’ video game are not smart enough to use a Mac anyway!”
No doubt. Especially when you can buy a perfectly good Sony PS2 for only $149 to play all of the games that you want on.
The editor is probably feeling the heat from the usual Wintel advertisers. You know, the Dells, the Microsofts.
So Walt more or less says if you are a gamer or work for H&R Block or are just plain stupid then do not switch. I see it as a win, win.
Ya know what? I really really wish some of the ANALysts who have been flamed by Mac Users would come here and read MDN’s take and some of the reactions. They seem to think that anything even remotely anti-Apple will result in a total flame-out by MacHeads. They just don’t get it that they are not getting flamed so much for criticizing Apple as they are getting flamed for being WRONG (and a lot of the time trollish assholes to boot).
You have to get used to a Mac, of course ! But that’s the magic fun of Mac. True: gaming and most offices are not a Mac stronghold, yet….
RT,
Not to stick up for MDN, but didn’t you read their explanation on the pop-under? It’s apparently happening on several sites.
Wow, you know, I use (and have used since 1984) Macs to do professional-level work. In the early 90’s it was primarily Photoshop and some DTP work, but now I use Maya, Shake and FCP extensively for professional work, and let me say here: there’s no solution as elegant as this trio of software anywhere on any other platform!
That seems like pretty professional, high-end use of the system to me…!
Maybe Mossberg just meant 20 year old boys playing shoot-em-up games when he said those not doing routine day-to-day tasks!
Clearly MDN hasn’t worked in an engineering environment where the vast majority of tools run on Windows (and can’t be run in VPC). Do I like that? No. But that’s the way it is.
Now the home market is a different story, but in the business world, Windows is currently a necessity (outside of graphics, creative arts, etc.).
cash poor is cash poor…
can someone lend me $3 grand so I can buy a new G5 system?
I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday, for a supercomputer today.
There are lots of Windows specific software out there for all sorts of purposes. This is really the biggest thing that keeps the mac from many market. Not hardware, just software developers that see ONLY Windows. Once some of these programers see more Macs (i.e. Oracle) needing their software (i.e. 10g) more Macs will be bought for those purposes and more software options will be written and sold. Its a big circle that goes both ways. If Macs are seen as being removed from a market, software will cease to be written and less Macs sold for that sector.
Is Mossberg(ermeister) on the Apple payroll or what? This is straight, unabashed, unapologetic propaganda. Frankly, I find it disgusting.
Look, zealots, the reality – and you all know it – is that Macs are for a small sub-set of tree-huggers and fad-chasers. Real work is done on Windows machines and that will always be the case.
Ron? Is that you? Or is that you, Ben?
Dragon Naturally Speaking 8 – excellant Speech recognition software for dictating, editing, and controlling applications- only works on Windows PeeCees. Costs only $90.
For those that use it, that alone is reason enough not to switch to Mac.
NMFY-
What “real” work are you talking about?
And how many PC users actually use Naturally Speaking? Talk about a niche smaller than Apple’s!
By the way, some of that functionality is built into OSX- no extra charge.
“g$” – Save your condescention for someone who cares. You mac fanatics are so blinded by your lust after Steve Jobs’ ass that you don’t even see how hokie your toy-ish OS and machines really are. It’s pathetic!
I am seriously bored by this dickhead NoMacForYou. Would MDN take him out please? Its contributions are nothing but ridiculous invective.
Anyone else agree, or am I not seeing the funny side or something?
NMFY-
It’s an honest question. Why don’t you give an honest answer? What do you consider “real” work?
I disagree with Macaday. I find NoMacForYou’s contributions to be thoughtful, well articulated, and very much in-line with my own opinions. It’s good to have a like-minded contributor on this forum.
I respectfully concur with Ben’s comment.