“Over Christmas, I spent some time cleaning up my Windows PC: removing spyware and adware that was crippling the machine, consuming the resources that should have been available to the applications I was trying to run. A couple of weeks later, I removed a load more. This is not an isolated experience: Windows users have to spend more and more time keeping their PCs free of viruses, spyware and spam,” Simon Kershaw writes for The Church Times. “Yet, in ten years of using the internet, my Macintoshes have never once been infected by a virus, spyware, adware, ‘pop up’ windows, and the like. Whether the Mac is less susceptible because it is inherently safer, or because it is a minority platform (probably a combination of the two), running a Mac is a much easier experience than running Windows. This advantage has traditionally come at a price — literally so, as Macs have been significantly more expensive than a PC.”
Kershaw writes, “Now Apple has taken an important step in changing this. The new Mac mini, starting at £335 (including VAT), is a more affordable computer than previous Macs, and comes with software for all basic needs. Mac OS X (pronounced ‘ten’) is a stable and easy-to-use operating system whose simple good looks make Windows seem old-fashioned.”
“[The] software makes the price tag very appealing: almost as if you are getting the hardware for free. The hardware is not bad, either. The base configuration provides a 40GB hard disk and 256MB memory, which should be upgraded to 512MB. You will need a monitor, USB keyboard and mouse: PC ones will do fine. Most USB peripherals — printers, scanners, and so on — will work, too,” Kershaw writes. “If you have been considering a Mac, but were put off by the price, or if you are fed up with the amount of time you spend defending a Windows PC from attack, then the Mac mini and its software might be the machine for you. The computer press certainly thinks so: it has been in raptures over the new machine. The stock markets are joining in the enthusiasm, too, as Apple’s shares have climbed to an all-time high. Be tempted by an Apple.”
Full article here.
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