So, you finally bought your beautiful new Mac, and you have no idea what programs act like those ancient flagships you are so accustomed to, right? Below I’ll give you a quick run-down of how your old Microsoft or Windows programs compare to Macs, and how third party software fits into the mix.

First off, you should know that even though you’re taking a big step in your Microsoft-a-holics recovery, after your panic attack you’ll be pleased to find out just about everything Mac will make your life much easier than it was when you were just another M$ minion.

That being said, it is worth noting that even though Apple’s programs trump Microsoft’s in ease of use, creativity and usability, there are some great third party programs that many avid Mac users prefer to Mac software; why? Speed, flexibility, and options.

Below I’m going to list the big applications from each large provider (listing third party simply as third party), and will explain the benefits of each briefly.

Microsoft / Apple / Third Party

1. Internet Explorer / Safari / Camino or Opera

- Safari is a great internet browser, but it has been shown to be a tad laggier than other faster third party browsers. Also, Camino and Opera offer different options than Safari; I would recommend playing with Safari and Camino and picking you’re preference.

2. Microsoft Office / iWork / Office Mac / Neo Office

- this can get a little tricky. What you need to know is that iWork is much more responsive, fluid, and fun than Office for Mac; if you can get away with using Pages and Keynote, do so; unfortunately, the working world relies on Microsoft Office, so if you have to use it, know its much better on Mac than PC. Also, iWork suffers from lacking any spreadsheet application.
- Neo Office might offer the best alternative for those looking for fast and simple office tools that are compatible with Microsoft Office; I’m too attached to iWork to try anything else for long, however.

3. AIM or Trillian / iChat / Trillian or Adium

- also a bit of a fuzzy area, it is worth noting that iChat offers simplicity, but unfortunately lacks some functionality AIM or Trillian users are used to. If your intentions are basic AIM or .MAC chatting and filesharing, iChat is great. If you want friend categories, invisibility modes, etc, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

- Trillian and Adium are great alternatives and offer a lot more functionality to Mac chatting if you’re willing to sacrifice that pretty brushed metallic look.

4. Outlook or Thunderbird / Mail / Entourage or Thunderbird

- Mac Mail is one of the easiest to use mail programs out there. The only issue I’ve ever experienced is a bit of incompatibility with Microsoft Exchange servers, so if you’re hoping to sync, you should probably opt for Entourage. Entourage is one of the only Microsoft applications I would recommend for Mac.

5. Windows Media Player / Quicktime or iTunes / VLC Media Player

- the great thing about switching to Mac is that your applications are now designed to handle media well; what a novel concept! iTunes still rules the music world, but if you are into multiple video formats for your visual content, I would recommend VLC Media Player; it is very intuitive, comes prepared with all the codecs you need to run almost every video format, and won’t cause your Mac to heat up too much.

Ok, I’ve generalized and made these categories pretty broad, but to all you seasoned Mac vets; its not about you, this time? We have new brethren to show the way…think of their needs!

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Stumble It!

Entry was posted on Monday, April 16th, 2007 at 11:17 am under Apple, Mac, Microsoft, Tips, Windows, iTunes.  Print This Post

Read more entries by Triston McIntyre.