Today while skimming through the numerous tweets, I spotted a link to an article "What puts me off Apple? Apple users" written by Katie Lee. [click here for article]

After reading, it becomes quite apparent that many Windows users are not fully aware of the benefits of switching to the Mac. The situation is not helped by the Apple "fanboys", as they are commonly referred to by Window users, who will try ramming the point home that the Mac is better than Windows period - very helpful indeed! The business community has also not help with it's dismissive approach to the Mac harking back to pre intel days. The Mac has evolved and is a competent business tool.

Being a die-hard Windows user since Windows 3.11 you could hardly refer to me as an Apple "fanboy", but when it comes to replacing our computer kit we will be replacing PC's with Mac's as there are numerous advantages which I'll try to put into a Windows user language.

The big problem with the PC is the fact Microsoft do not make them, if they did they would be brilliant (are you reading this Microsoft), like an Apple Mac. A computer is more than just the sum of it's parts and the OS running on it. Apple have got this OS / hardware synergy down to a fine art, something Microsoft can only hope their computer manufacture partners get right, and very few succeed like Apple. Apple are very helpful at installing Windows correctly configured within it's own partitioned area, known as "boot camp". The beauty of this is you have dual boot OS, a neat trick! I found Vista runs better on my Mac than it does on the PC's we have running it. Why Microsoft haven't done a deal with Apple to have it pre-installed I'll never know!

I don't see it as Windows v Mac OS anymore, I want both and do, all on one computer, there is no competition anymore! Mac fans know this already, but for some reason tend to go on about how good the OS is, and yes it is easy, fast, intuitive and I do love it, but that's no help if your a Windows user, as it is a daunting task to swop and learn something new and alien to what your used to. I found it quite exciting, like the day I got my first ever computer all those years ago, but hey I'm a sad techie geek who love new toys to play with rather than the average user.

We would never have bought our Mac's if it hadn't been for the fact that I knew if we didn't get on with the OS we could just us Windows on them instead, Apple said it was easy to install and it was, thanks Apple your great!!

We are running Leopard, which is very good and its quite refreshing to have an OS that enables sync with most if not all other standards built in, something Microsoft needs to address within it's system, it's either Microsoft standard or nothing. We have even ditch Outlook (Entourage on the Mac) in favour of Apple's built in Mail, iCal and Address book. It's very refreshing to simplify and get email through how it was originally meant to look, pictures showing, text neatly formated, boy does that reminds me of the early days when life was less paranoid. The Apple way, separate programs that interlink doesn't suffer the same as Outlook which gets crash happy with age as file size increases.

It connects to my network without a fuss, see all the shared Windows PC's, access their drives, use their printers and open their files with no network set up needed, just Wi-Fi access to the network - simple, neat and I wish Windows was that simple.

PDF creation is built in, sorry Adobe, who needs your over priced full Acrobat. PDF's can be created from just about anywhere you can print from - how things should work!! As for viewing documents and pictures, well erm what can I say.... Boy is it slick, simple and extremely cool. HOW THE HELL DID I SURVIVE WITHOUT PREVIEW!!!! Highlight a bunch of pictures, ctr+a on pc is cmd+a on mac, then hit the space bar and be amazed how it works! Make full screen and hit the play button, viola, slide show in the time it takes to press the keys - pure magic! Space bar trick works in Mail with any attached file as well, now that's sweet!

From the get go, the Mac OS has all core stuff to start you off without the clutter of unwanted third part junk installed on it - just how I like it. For the average user, all you'll need in addition is either Microsoft Mac Office (usual stuff, Word, Excel, Entourage and PowerPoint) or iWorks Apples equivalent and a paint program, either Pixelmator (well cheap and very good) or Adobe Elements with do the job, and your off and running with one of the best everyday communications computers you'll ever used.

Apple's customer service has been second to none and I cannot fault them. It has been the best computer manufacturer we have dealt with. This is NOT a comparison to Microsoft customer service whom I've never spoken to - they don't make computers so not needed to.

The more I right this article the more I realise how much the Mac and it's OS has simplified my life, oh no I think I'm becoming a Apple "fanboy"!!

As Windows is no longer an issue, the only things to consider are: your budget and do I want a desktop or laptop - now which Mac shall I buy and what version of Windows 7 do I need.