Mac OS X

With the latest version of Mac OS X (10.3, or 'Panther') adding excellent support for file and printer sharing on Windows networks, it's starting to look like an attractive alternative platform to Windows. I figure it's time to take a look.

Luckily I work with some very helpful Mac users who are only too happy to share their knowledge and 'rescue' another Windows user!

I'm a generally-happy Windows XP user. I've only ever owned IBM-compatible PCs, but I used Macs at work around the time of OS 7. I'm a bit of a techno geek, and the thought of having a solid, stable desktop computer based on the Unix operating system really appeals to me. I still have to interact with Windows PCs at work and at home, though.

I'll record my experiences here as I evaluate whether I'll switch from Windows XP to OS X. Hopefully some of what I learn might help other people with similar questions.

On Credibility — There's a short period of time where a new switcher to Mac OS X has heightened credibility amongst their Windows- or Linux-using peers.

Photography — I'm a keen amateur photographer, and occasionally shoot weddings professionally. So if I'm going to switch to OS X I need a good system to download, manage, edit and print my images.

Switching Strategy — I don't want to make the switch to Mac OS X and then discover I've made a costly mistake. Here's how I'm planning to mitigate the risk.

The Background — First, some background info. What are my computing needs, and why am I even considering switching from Windows to a different operating system?