So do PCs.

I guarantee you that software that I run will not run under VMWare.

Current Macs with Intel chipsets can use Boot Camp to start up natively in Windows, allowing you to run apps that, for whatever reason, won't work well in virtualization.

At which point, why would you buy a mac? For the hardware? It is all commodity HW at that point so not really all that much different other than the case. Moreover, you have to buy both MacOS and Windows, further increasing the costs.

If the whole point of running a Mac is that they "just work" and don't require the same maintenance efforts as Windows, why would you want to have to maintain both the MacOS AND Windows?

And current $400 Windows PC's can also run MacOS.

I didn't know that. How does that work? There is one Mac program I've wanted for years, but not enough to justify buying a Mac. I've a couple of extra PCs sitting around and would happily dedicate one to the MacOS

Google "hackintosh". The process is not too hard, but there are some drawbacks compared to a real Mac.

Kinda works both ways. I've always had Macs but I was itching to get a netbook (for travel) after reading the thread on here. I have to say... the first few hours was rough. Between all the annoying alerts and buttons being in the wrong place, I wanted to throw the thing out the window. I still hate the OS, though I like the netbook's size.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=2647

You can have your cake and eat it too.

I think we're in violent agreement. The OP talked about switching from a PC to a Mac; that's why I brought up PC-only applications. Your point about Mac-only applications would be more applicable had the OP talked about switching the other direction.

Many are. Many are not. "UNIX-based" does not necessarily equal "will run natively on a Mac," unless you have the source and can recompile it to your OS target. The Linux executable for my 3D field solver isn't going to run on my Mac, for example -- not because of specialized hardware, but because the MacOS market opportunity for the software vendor isn't worth the cost of porting, maintaining support, and pushing a separate SKU.

All true; although many of the engineering applications are indeed graphics intensive. But the point is, if my top critical applications all require me to have either a Linux box or a windows box, then buying a Mac just to run my most-needed applications in a virtual machine or in a dual-boot config just seems silly to me. Like I said, I use all three platforms heavily, and just don't find one to be that much better than the rest that I'd pigeonhole myself into it.

And I'm not going to get into a debate on which machine is better than the rest (because those debates are annoying and have no "right" answer anyway). All I was trying to say is "your mileage may vary" and the opinion "the experience on a Mac is SOOOO much better" is not a univeral truth. Maybe it is for you.

Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imN7nil3_U0

I have one of the Mini 9 netbooks. I'm tempted to put OSX on mine.

Excellent points.

If you look at it purely as a cash transaction at the time of purchase, your point is a valid one. But from all the stories I hear from friends who have spent money on additional subscriptions to virus and spyware programs, who have struggled constantly with many technical issues (granted, many of those related to Vista from what I understand), and who have lost countless hours of work configuring and reinstalling software, the money adds up pretty quickly.

For me, in a need-it-now kind of business world we live in, I can't afford to be cheap on a tool that my business relies on. I'll spend the extra few bucks to come out on top.

Mordy

I'm sorry, but this is pure nonsense. I'm running three Vista machines, including my laptop, two XP machines, and six XPe (embedded) machines on my home system.

I've never spent any money on subscriptions to virus or spyware programs, I've never had a virus or malware infection, and I haven't struggled at all with technical issues. I am not an IT professional, nor anything close. I'm always amused by Mac users who, though quick to condemn PCs, are, apparently, quite ignorant about them.

I run Vista on my Mac (both as a Boot Camp partition and also within Fusion) and have an XP Netbook. I also have a MacBook and 2 iMacs in the house. This war is overrated.

I do enjoy using my Mac more, but I can use either just as easily. And I'll be honest -- I don't bother with antivirus or anti-malware software on any of the machines because I'm willing to rebuild anything that gets infected. Only had one small issue 5 years or so ago and that didn't change my mind.

The whole Mac. vs. PC war is pretty boring, for the most part.

I'll second that - the whole "expensive virus software" is one of the lamest excuses used by the Mac world to justify their world. I haven't spent money on antivirus software or spyware software since I used Norton under Dos 6.0.

I have 9 machines here at home, and all of them are protected by very good AV software, and none of it costed me a penny.