Living Happily with a PC and a Mac Mini

i might do the same
having a second computer would be nice and it being a mac would be a new experience.

A great and non biased article. I enjoy reading about other PC users experiences of useing Apple gear along side PCs and then sharing those experiences rather than just writting reviews based on heresay and other "3rd party opinions". Hopefully this will lead to more people trying Macs and combining them with their PCs.

Apple should select a good KVM unit and recommend it. It seems they are not all created equal. (I'd want one that handled audio too.)

And someone should make a display/audio switchbox that ALSO switches Bluetooth between two machines (for wireless mouse and keyboard). It could be a USB BT pod in its own right, or for less money, it could simply send software signals to activate/deactivate whatever BT hardware each computer already has.

try this..your mac mini isn't forgetting what resolution it's suppose to be at. it defaults to a standard if it is booted up without the monitor on

Wish you had posted before you purchased the belkin switch. You'll find out when you compare it to others that they make more or less the worst switches on the market (although for some reason the easiest to get). Any standard usb switch should give you better results. Since the problems in the first half of your review were all devoted to that crappy piece of hardware, I thought I'd point that out.

I have an Apex KVM, I got from a salvage yard... works great.... there is one caveat
I use a PS2 to USB adapter to make the Mac understand the PS2 keyboard (it's a ps2 KVM). I have had poor experiences with Belkin, so I generally avoid them. The PS2 to USB adpaters are generally inexpensive, don't pay more than about $10 for one online. I have a kingwin model adapter which has worked fine for me.
Something of interest... two video players Video Lan Client, and MPlayer... You need no codecs, they are built in, there is a version of VLC for Windows, but not MPlayer (it is too tied to it's Linux/*nix heritage). The only thing they seem to not like is WMP9, realplayer files, Indeo, and wmv3. Mplayer is generally a better player... Every other video I come across works, no looking for codecs or worrying about how they'll pollute my system...

I use an IO gear MinView 4 port KVM and switch between a Mac and 2 PC's. It has always worked flawlessly. I'm a mac guy and have been since 1990 but obviously use WinXP for work. I think that if many PC only users give the mac a try as you have, they'll be pleasantly surprised and find that they really do have options.

I have been running a similar setup for about a month now:
- Mac Mini 1.42/512/80/Super w/ Bluetooth & Wireless (SOOO glad to be back on a Mac!)
- eMachines C2.8/512/60/Combo
- Generic KVM switch from RadioShack $40 (PS2 to USB for keyboard and mouse + emachines 17" CRT - includes small switch box (Altoids tin sized) and all cabling...but no audio.)
The setup works relatively well. I can switch using the keyboard or by pressing a button on the KVM.

Two problems: 1) the KVM hangs up 2-3 times a week and doesn't let me switch freely between computers. Seems to happen mostly when switching from the Mini to the PC. Sometimes requires a PC reboot. Relatively minor annoyance.
2) The PC (but not the Mac) is slow to recognize the keyboard and mouse when switching back to the PC (but it "sees" the monitor immediately). I assume it's a USB refresh issue on the PC.
Overall it works well. Wife and kids still mostly use the PC despite my urges to switch over. I'm 100% in MacLand!

Nice article. I, too, bought a Mac after having PCs at home forever. Enjoying OSX very much, though there are some rough edges. I wish...

1. Windows could be resized from _any_ edge or corner. This is a very convenient feature of Windows.

2. Each window had its own menubar. Unix, Linux and Windows all do this, and it's getting more useful with larger displays when multiple windows are up. I've often inadvertantly switched to Finder on my way to the menubar, which is aggravating!

3. Right-mouse button support needs to be more ubiquitous and consistent across OSX and other apps.

4. The default font size and display "zoom" for various apps including Apples own apps is often too small for my eyes; even if I'm set to standard VGA. Never had this issue on Windows; apps
seem to use better defaults. The Mail app, for example, displays some incoming messages in micro-font. Very hard to read. Seems again like a better minimum default is needed.

5. The standard mac keyboard seems to transmit double characters way too often for no apparent reason. Seems to be a quality issue.

I agree with everything stated by "B. Baggins", and
would add one thing:

I wish that the Finder would have an option to sort folders first, then files. I don't like seeing folders and files intermixed. This applies to any of the view modes.

Gandalf, in List View sort by Kind. All your folders will be grouped together.

You guys should try the ATEN DVI KVM CS-1762. Works great under Mac and XP. Nice design, aluminum casing. Most important thing is, it uses DVI as the video interface. With cables is around $150. Nice product from Taiwan.

B. Baggins -- RE #2, check out this cool little utility:

http://homepage.mac.com/khsu/DejaMenu/DejaMenu.html

I use both a Mac: G5 1.6 GHz 10.2.8 OSX and PC: Dell 400MHz XP Pro hooked up into a Belkin 2-Port KVM Switch #F1DL102U using Apple's most current "white" USB keyboard and a Dell 2 button optical mouse. I've been using this setup for months and love it. It is important to read the 10 page mini manual first when hooking up the 2 computers, it only takes maybe 5 minutes to find that both computers need to be running before you hook up the KVM otherwise it won't work properly. There is a short delay switching computers (the manual tells you this) but it's minor. I have noticed the same Mac screen problem that others have stated however this only happens when I don't use the Mac for long periods of time but the screen will "straighten" itself out within 3 seconds.

B. Baggins

Re 5. Try adjusting the settings under the keyboard tab in the keyboard and mouse system preferences.

Re: Keyboard. Tried keyboard settings... it's not a repeat rate thing. Seems not to be related to anything in particular except possibly if I type a but faster and/or harder, but I can't reproduce it at will.

Re: DejaMenu -- Does this utility also keep any existing context menu items intact? (I'd still prefer window-level menus -- is there a reason that OSX retained the screen-level menu philosophy other than compatability?)

Thanks for your inputs!!! :-)

Good read, but I hope the new to OS X mini owners will take some time to learn all the hidden magic in OS X. One stated their frustration with mixed files and folders. In list view, similar to properties view, you can sort by type and clicking on the list bars will reorder the groups. Also, your USB PC mouse buttons will work with OS X. There is a large group of good useful freeware and shareware programs available for customizing your Mac experience. Have fun, but read up on OS X!

B. Baggins, OS X retained the screen-level menu because it makes more sense, especially with Exposé. It saves desktop space [only one menu at a time]; it's less confusing [your top-most window always owns the menu bar]; it's totally context-sensitive [with multi-level you have to "look for" the current menu]. Exposé makes switching between hidden windows and their appropriate menu easy as pie. Going from screen-level style [OS X] to multi-level [XP] is much more frustrating than from multi-level to screen-level!!!

RE: is there a reason that OSX retained the screen-level menu philosophy other than compatability?

It's all what you are used to. If Apple were to change this, the Mac community would revolt. Similar to to your experience on a Mac, window-level menus is an every day annoyance when I have to use my PC.

B. Baggins,

Referring to the menu bar always being at the top of the screen instead of attached to a window: this Mac convention is because, instead of a window-based model, like Windows and other OSs, Mac OSs employs an application-based model. So, you can have several windows open under the same application on a Mac, where each window in Windows is viewed as a separate application.

For example, you can launch MS Word dozens of times in Windows, and have a new window open with a new document, and soak up tons of resources, because Windows looks at that as having dozens of separate applications open. Using the same example on a Mac, if you have Word open, and try to open Word again, you just get switched to the Word application that is already open. Of course, you can open dozens of windows within Word if you want, but only one application is open.

This helps with stability and ease of use. Instead of having many many buttons to sort through in the Windows task bar, you just have a few applications open on a Mac, handling the same amount of stuff.

Kind of a ramble, but I hope it made some sense.

B. Baggins,
I use both OS X and Win XP. Regarding, the screen level vs. the windows level menu thing: It is a lot easier to hit the menu bar in Mac than on a PC, since you just have to slide the mouse to the top and not aim it at the menu bar. This becomes more of a problem with multiple apps with multiple windows are opened in a PC. Each window has File, Edit etc. and I almost always hit the wrong one. It was basically designed after extensive human interface studies. BTW, this problem can be avoided to an extent if you start using keyboard shortcuts which are more consistent across apps on a Mac.

On a PC I always leave multiple application windows open (not minimized) often having to juggle them. I have found that on the mac this juggling of windows takes less effort and I tend to keep things minimized when not needed. I think part of it is the screen level menus but also some really nice short cuts as mentioned above. It does take getting used to though. My favorites are F11 or is it F12? to show the desktop and command-option(alt)-H for minimizing everything you are not working on. I have found myself insisting on all my windows being maximized all the time in windows after using the mac to give it a more screen level menu feel and I can click the same place multiple times to minimize all and get to the desktop not a convenient but less mousing.

Thanks for all your feedback on the menu "issue"...

I really appreciate the various inputs on why the OSX screen-level menu has advantages. I do realize that, to some extent, it is what you're used to, but I was looking for the reasoning behind it. And several reasons have been pointed out.

Thanks again!

I think the XP multi-menu thing is a legacy from the original Windows up through 3.1 which used a fake desktop metaphor. Was multi-menu a human-interface choice, a necessity of the fake desktop, or to avoid a lawsuit from Apple? Whatever, the effect is to blur the desktop metaphor. By sticking with, and extending, the desktop metaphor OS X has become marvelously seamless. Like a real desktop, it seems like everything is right at your fingertips.

Just to add to the menu bar comments... The increased ease to hit the menu bar items becomes very apparent when you use a trackpad on a laptop. I would agree that as screens get larger, the distance to hit the target increases. Not a big deal on a 17" LCD, but I'm sure that on a 30" display, the menu bar may seem a long way away.

This is Fitt's Law in action:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitt's_Law

"B Baggins"

On the keyboard issue, did you take a look at the KEYBOARD REPEAT SENSITIVTY setting in SYSTEM PREF>KEYBOARDS?

Interesting discussion!

I would agree with Baggin's #1 (resizing from any edge/corner). I've found this to be limiting myself. Sometimes it would be nice to widen a window to the left, for example, rather than have to move it first, then resize it from the right.

Also, I agree with the font sizing issue. I've seen it a lot with OS X Mail. Sounds like a per-app issue, but I think there needs to be more work done here.

Baggins,

I'm not sure I understand point 3. Could you elaborate?

Re: Point 4, I've run into this too. Of course there are settings for both the Finder and Mail apps, but occasionally you get something you're not expecting.

Point 5 May be a bad keyboard?

And lastly, Point 1: Way back in Mac OS9, you had much more "grabbing room". I miss that. I agree with this complaint, as many times I've moved the window up too far and not been able to reach either the top or bottom to resize it. There are workarounds to this, too, but it's pretty clumsy, IMHO.

Hey, Gandalf! To change default screen font sizes for applications, get the freeware application TinkerTool. Also check System Preferences:Appearance:Font Smoothing Style to optimize for your display. Under the Finder's View menu, choose View Options... and you can set the default size for Finder and Desktop fonts.

Sure would be nice if Apple gave you a global way to change font size in themes, like Windows does with "Font: Normal", "Large" and "Extra Large" under the Display Properties: Appearance tab.

But with TinkerTool, you have a great deal of control. It's just not obvious how to access it.

uControl is a freeware and open-source Mac OS X utility that lets you set up custom re-mappings for keys on your keyboard, and your mouse. With uControl you can use any Windows-style keyboard and make the Windows key map to the Mac Option key, and the Alt key to the Mac Command key. It's a lifesaver.

uControl also lets you take any USB two-button mouse and swap the left and right buttons for left-handed use (which I need, too).

For going on ten years I have used a Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite and a Logitech two-button scroll-wheel mouse on my Macintosh. I love Macs, but the Apple keyboards and mice have never appealed to me. Now that everybody's on the USB standard, it's easier than ever to use Windows-style input devices on Macs.

Font sizing in OS X Mail:

Pull down the Mail menu and choose Preferences. Under "Fonts and Colors" you can specify any font and any point size for Message List, Message Font and Plain Text Font.

The Bi-System DVi sharing box works great with Macs and PCs. I have got 2 pairs of PC and Mac setup and it work like a charm. Applepro Keyboard works fine.

Awesome, totally positive feedback -- keep it coming. I'm learning!

Don't forget to drag-n-drop your Hard Drive icon onto the right-hand side of the Dock. You get instant hierarchical access to *everything* with a right click.

I too have a Mac Mini and a PC. But my PC is a Compac Presario laptop running on AC most of the time. The only thing they share is a printer (an older Epson with multiple ports). A little more expensive, a little less performance, but no switch boxes, no extra cables, little clutter, far less real estate taken up, and with two monitors, I can watch what both of them are doing. Works great for me.

To B. Baggins

Re #1: Try WindowsDragon. It's freeware.

It requires that APE is installed. It's also freeware.

Some claim that APE can crash your applications. In theory that's true for one user, not on the system level. But I've never had an issue. APE is also good in letting you disable things for a single restart or per application if you suspect that it causes problems.

I forgot: I actually prefer WindowsDragon's way of resizing from all "edges or corners" over that of Windows (which I daily use).

With WindowsDragon I don't have to exactly position the mouse on the edge or corner. Just anywhere within the window will do. Then press a key combo that you define and move the mouse to resize the window.

I wish Apple would include that feature natively.

Re the Mac application-level menu bar vs. the Windows window-level menus:

Mac's got it right, if you look at it from a forest perspective (as opposed to a trees perspective). In any information design, if you find yourself repeating something on the granular level, it ought to be a sign that you're dealing with a higher-order concept that begs for a more global implementation instead of a more local one.

As Bill Clinton said, "it's the economy, stupid." I don't say this to insult anybody--the point is about the economy of presenting important shared functions once only, in a universal place and format--and not about the hyperbolic "stupid" part of that famous quote.

Makes sense if you take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Repetition of elements is inelegant and cluttered. Occam's Razor, if judiciously applied, makes it unnecessary and undesirable as well.

About the Plextor External drive, I'll add that OS X recognizes it as a burner, only if you burn from the Finder. To burn from iDVD you need an Apple approved DVD Burner (Superdrive). That is what Patchburn does, it fools the OS into thinking the drive is a "Superdrive".
So you should be able to use the External Drive with third party application like Roxio Toast, Dragon Burn, MacBurn, or even through the Finder without Patchburn.

Macs are great computers...you'll see!!!!!!!

I highly recommend the book _Mac OS X: The Missing Manual_ by David Pogue for anyone using a Mac.

Very, very readable and comprehensive

Doug

I really don't like KVM switches. I bought a Belkin 2 port version and found it often 'forgets' that you've switched computers, so you have to press the switch button a couple more times to get control. Also, their default cables are very poor quality - you'll get ghosting on your monitor and the decent 'gold' cables are quite expensive for what they are.

A FAR better solution is to use Microsoft's free remote desktop client for OSX. This lets you have your Windows machine open in a window on your OSX desktop. Obviously you don't get a fast enough refresh for 3D games, but for everything else it's great. And it shares your Mac hard disk to the PC with zero configuration so you can swap files. If you do it via Airport (or another wi-fi card / hub), then you don't need any extra cables either.

Windows just seems nicer when it's in a window on my Mac!

I've been interested in getting a Mac mini because I started with the Apple operating systems years ago and I still have a fondness for Apple. Also I would like to use iMovie, etc instead of what I'm using now on my PC to edit digital movies. But, there seems to be something wrong with an operating system that it's users suggest 3rd party shareware in order to do what it should do in the first place. I thought the Macintosh operating system was supposed to be simpler. How many average users are going to want to download these 3rd party patches in order to make things right? I don't think I use any 3rd party patches for Windows XP. And what's this about the "hidden magic in OS X"? Why shouldn't a simpler operating system be more apparent and less hidden. Why do you have to push the control button, or is it the apple button, or is the option button,
or shift button while clicking the mouse instead of just right clicking? Is Apple's method somehow simpler?

More Font sizing in OS X Mail:

1. Right click on the Mail toolbar, select 'Customize Toolbar...'.
2. Drag the 'Smaller', 'Bigger' font buttons onto your toolbar.

Now every-time you get a micro-font email you can very quickly make it bigger.

I believe that the problems you are encountering with the Belkin switch is that is does not properly emulate USB keyboard and mouse connections. This is a quite difficult to do and this difficulty makes the solution a little more expensive. It amazes me that people will think nothing of spending hundreds, thousands on computers but complain when their $30 KVM switch does not perform very well.

Macs cant play games they are stupid. and 1.4mhz how slow is that my $200 PC is 2ghz what kind of a numnut would buy a mac besides there OS is unstable and XP has less viruses!

XP has less viruses than OS X? ROFLMAO! As for games, some of us are too busy working to play games, but then again some of us aren't teenagers either.

macs are stupid as i said before OSX looks horrific maybe they should take some tips from windows XP on looks and user interface. As for the specs of the mac mini they are like a PC of 4 years ago the G4 1.4ghz is the equivelant of a P3 1.5ghz THAT IS OBCELETE. The mac mini should be able to run windows XP then maybe someone would use it if they wanted to pay extra$$$ for nothing!!!OH yea and macs designs are for girls!!

Sorry, my incorrect spelling caused some confusion.

The software to fix issue #1 is WindowDragon, not WindowsDragon (mind the missing 's').

I cannot post a direct link here. They get blocked probably to avoid Google-spamming.

But it's available at MacUpdate with id 16952 or if you simply search for WindowDragon.

Zealots never really help any cause; there's or anyone elses!

This discussion _was_ very helpful. XP and OSX both have advantages and disadvantages. This discussion was helpful in learning the reasons for certain things, and the need for others.

I use Windows XP every day at work and did use it at home. But, after moving to OSX at home, I would have to say that it has some compelling attractiveness; perhaps in some measure due to its simplicity. Like XP, it can be improved.

Robert makes some interesting points about the need for 3rd party share/freeware and the hidden magic of OSX.

I don't think we'll ever get to the stage where an OS can meet every need right out of the box.

Personally, I've never bought a 3rd party solution for a PC, but lots of them for Macs. I've never searched for any hidden personalisation or labour/time-saving magic within Windows OSes either (apps most certainly though).

Considering why, it occurred to me that most of the work I do on a PC is pedestrian, though utalitarian. On a Mac, I'm pushing it a lot more and demanding a lot more from the apps and the OS. Plus, I'm doing it for personal enjoyment whether I'm at work or home.

I picked up a Mac Mini configured in the same way as the review version and it's changed the way I work. It's also given me the impetus to rearrange my home office to be more productive (& include a TV so I can still have fun & relax). This in turn has led me to seriously considering selling my laptop.

BTW, I think an illiterate PC-zealot like Crazy Burner can be useful sometimes. He's living proof that maybe if he knew how to use a Mac, he could have quickly accessed a decent spell checker (free or shareware if not built-in) before he posted. Then he'd be spared some of the feelings of pity & contempt directed towards him. The fact that he still games on PC instead of a console... well, that's just sad.

Great comments, I use a Mac Mini with a Toshiba XP Laptop. I use a dual input lcd, running digital on the mac, and extending the desktop on analog on the pc (the lcd is primary). For Swithcing everything else (usb kb & mouse, printer, and ext HD) I use an IOGear 2.0 USB switch. Boot the Mini, then the laptop, which has it's own kb and trackpad built in, then with two button pushes you can switch between them. Just remember to dismount the ext HD. All with a 20$ switch. i had to buy a monitor anyway, so I don't count that in the cost. The only time my setup hangs, is when the laptop goes to sleep.

Great comments, I use a Mac Mini with a Toshiba XP Laptop. I use a dual input lcd, running digital on the mac, and extending the desktop on analog on the pc (the lcd is primary). For Swithcing everything else (usb kb & mouse, printer, and ext HD) I use an IOGear 2.0 USB switch. Boot the Mini, then the laptop, which has it's own kb and trackpad built in, then with two button pushes you can switch between them. Just remember to dismount the ext HD. All with a 20$ switch. i had to buy a monitor anyway, so I don't count that in the cost. The only time my setup hangs, is when the laptop goes to sleep.

Great comments, I use a Mac Mini with a Toshiba XP Laptop. I use a dual input lcd, running digital on the mac, and extending the desktop on analog on the pc (the lcd is primary). For Swithcing everything else (usb kb & mouse, printer, and ext HD) I use an IOGear 2.0 USB switch. Boot the Mini, then the laptop, which has it's own kb and trackpad built in, then with two button pushes you can switch between them. Just remember to dismount the ext HD. All with a 20$ switch. I had to buy a monitor anyway, so I don't count that in the cost. The only time my setup hangs, is when the laptop goes to sleep.

Interesting thread. I'm a long-time Mac driver but I've been a school computer coordinator and have had to support Windows machines, too. I'm currently a magazine editor and so my workflow doesn't include Windows machines. When I made the move from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS 10.2 two years ago, I was just lost, it was all so different.

The point of my post is that it took me a while to adjust. I had to accept that Mac OS X isn't really a Mac at all; it's a Unix system which only looked and worked something like a Mac. I'm spending my day looking into four different screes, two on a G5, one on my iBook, and the fourth in the studio where a new Mac Mini chats with a Canon Digital Rebel. Not only have I adjusted, I'm much more productive. You don't want your little Mac to operate like a Windows machine because it isn't.

Use Windows on your Windows machine and use Mac OS X on your Mini, enjoying both for what they are. As a Mac user since 1984, I'll speak for at least part of our community when I say that you can keep Crazy Burner; we don't want him!

Baggins, try option key,command key and + key, to zoom in. This is sweet. you can zoom in to the last pixel I don't know if you can do that with windon'ts I mean windows

I too purchased a mini as a secondary machine. My switch is a Linkskey with DVI, audio and USB. I had similar troubles with the ordering and sequence in starting things up. Everything seems to be ok now. The only issue was the microphone not switching so I changed the sound to a usb iMic - you can check amazon, I think there are actually 2 different types, the cheaper/older one works great. Also I like to watch Tv on my computer so I purchased the new ConvertX by Plextor - Warning!!! Buy the MAC version and then the "upgrading" to Windows otherwise you will be out of luck like I was - Plextor's licensing agreement prevents them from selling an "upgrade" to the Mac AND The folks at Elgato will NOT sell you a separate copy of EyeTV - annoying!

I would also like to recommend "Desktop Manager" to create multiple vitual screens.

YMMV,

E.

Arghh! Typos!- "upgrading" and "virtual" respectively.

One minor nit the "home" and "end" keys do not work on my Ms Keyboard (which oddly enough was the only non-wireless OSX compatible keyboard I could find at the store). Tried the Microsoft setup and eventually Ucontrol but could not find those particular mappings.

E.

Arghh! Typos!- "upgrade" and "virtual" respectively.

One minor nit the "home" and "end" keys do not work on my Ms Keyboard (which oddly enough was the only non-wireless OSX compatible keyboard I could find at the store). Tried the Microsoft setup and eventually Ucontrol but could not find those particular mappings.

E.

I've just bought a Mac Mini, and I've experienced similar problems with characters repeating when typing. It's certainly not an issue with the keyboard settings in System Preferences: when typing, two characters are occasionally displayed when one key is pressed. The 'e' key seems particularly prone to this, or that might just be because I use it more often.

I know what Trainchaser is saying about the shock of moving from Mac OS 9 to X. I did it when OS X v.10.1 came out and it took me almost a month to get used to the interface. Then again, my girlfriend eyed OS X warily until Nov '04 made the transition in less than a week.
Moving from v. 10.1 to 10.3.8 took nearly zero time and let me just say, "Expose rocks!"
I had to pick up a cheap Mitsubishi Diamond Touch keyboard because none of the old keyboards linked by USB. Once I glued the Mac "Control" symbol over the MS symbols, I was flying. No repetitive key strokes, good "rebound" and unlike the KB at work, it's sensitive enough that it doesn't miss any key strokes.

Crazy Burner ? Crazy name, Crazy Guy. Try the application of some lightweight though processes. Processor mhz is of only minor relevance to performance (As AMD have proved in the PC world by beating Intel with 'slower' chips).

I run two boxes -a Dell Insprion at 1.7mhz and Powermac at 1.5mhz. The Mac blows the Dell away on every test. In fact I have to wait 5 minutes just to get XP fired up, whilst OS X rouses from sleep and is on the internet in 3 seconds flat.

If only I could get all my PC apps on OS X.....

A lot of people are easily let to the conclusion that raw processor speed is a good determinant of operating system and application performance. But, in actuality, it can only be said that the _same_ o/s or application would run faster on a faster processor.

What's more important is how efficient the o/s design is, as well as the overlying libraries. Too much bloat or bad design, and one o/s running on a 3.0GHz cpu will be slower than another running on a 1.5GHz cpu. Simple as that!

And the real problem is this: Once an O/S gets big enough and complex enough, it's very hard to rework it to perform better if it wasn't designed very well in the first place. One has to be concerned with "legacy" issues, etc. And it's just a bear to do.

Another factor is, of course, the design of the entire motherboard, etc. You can have an extremely fast processor, but it won't do you much good if the bus is slow or peripherals are slow, etc.

These reasons are why many people, including myself, have observed that OSX runs at least as fast as XP on "slower" CPUs. Seems to be better designed from the ground up.

Gandalf makes an excellent point about processor speed, or more correctly 'processor clock speed'. I think speed comparisons should be more application specific or task specific. For example, compare the two platforms on Photoshop, or 3D Apps, rather than an all round comparison. Because as Gandalf rightly said, speed is also affected by factors other than CPU speed. Bus, memory, graphics, and everything else's speed on the system conspire to give the user performance on any application or OS.

Going back to the comments about 3rd party software to adjust interface elements: the 3rd party software being suggested are solutions to problems like "I wish this worked more like Windows." They are things that change behavior of interface objects where a *different* design and behavior choice was made by Apple.

In much the same way, there are interface widgets available for Windows that make things look and work more like a Mac. You wouldn't choose to use them, though, if you were more familiar with the Windows way. Likewise, most Mac users don't want or need to change the standard way the Mac interface works because that's what we're used to.

Comme ci, Comme ca

"But, there seems to be something wrong with an operating system that it's users suggest 3rd party shareware in order to do what it should do in the first place"

Mac supports PDF viewing and file archiving out of the box, you have to add Acrobat Reader and Winzip for those features on Windows. It supports CD and DVD burning out of the box, you need to BUY something like Nero to do that on Windows... and it doesn't work as well. There's nothing wrong with there being different collections of bundled tools with different platforms... in fact it would be astonishing if it were not so!

I've been using a ConnectPro KVM switch between a PowerBook and IBM ThinkPad; works great, in part because there's no software involved (just a switch, nothing more). Minor problem: if you leave the switch on the IBM, and the PowerBook wakes to it, it will take on the IBM display settings. As with many things between WinTel and Mac, you learn to adjust quickly, but after many years using WinTel, my main computer is now the Mac, and I'm much happier.

Interesting article. I am also considering getting a 2nd computer, and want to experimment with the Mini. Only hurdle is that even though its $499, its just a G4.. and i dont like the feeling of buying something that I KNOW is already obsolete. Anyway...

I have just one question for all you multi-computer users that are using KVM switches. By using a switch you are basicaly limiting yourselves to using one machine OR the other at a time.. when you've paid for two machines, why would you want to limit yourselves to this?

Why not network teh home and have them both running at the same time... i am sure there would be times you would be using one and someone else in the house may want to check email or burn a dvd or something on the other machie.