Before you switch to Apple

In the past few months I've talked to hundreds of physicians who are contemplating switching to Apple computers -- most of them to the MacBookPro -- from their Windows-running PCs and laptops. And I've talked with many dozens who have made the switch. I have yet to hear from someone who made the switch and was unhappy about it.

However, it does make sense to consider a few things before you put down your money on a new Apple computer and put the PC on the shelf, or donate it to the local community college.

1) what applications will you be running most of the time? Many physicians use their new MacBookPros to run EMR applications that are Windows-based, but then switch to Apple OS at home or when away from the office. As I write about in the article on Parallels (see home page) this is very easy to do, and you can actually toggle back and forth between Windows XP and the Mac OS. The newest version of Parallels will let you easily upgrade to Windows Vista, the new Windows operating system. But to really enjoy the Apple computers' best features, you'll want to be certain that some significant portion of the time you're computing that you're using the Mac.
2) how concerned are you about security, viruses, etc.? Frankly, one of big reasons that I made the switch to Apple computers in 2004 was that I got sick and tired of all the hassles associated with virus protection. It really bugged me (no pun intended ) to wait for the security software to do its thing on boot up, and even then I got two machines infected. Etc. Etc. But if this doesn't bother you, then you may not want to switch.

I'd be glad to hear what others think about "making the switch" to Apple.
Kind regards, DCK