How compatible is Apple with PC now?

[wildeyed]

I want to purchase a laptop for home use and some light work duty. According to the sales person at the Apple store, you can buy a bundle of microsoft programs to run on the Apple, so I will still be compatible with work and my volunteer jobs, too.

Does anyone have experience with this? Is it really compatible? I am no techie, just a recreational user, so I don't want to get into anything complicated. But I am so so sick of my Dell, love the iPod, so I thought I might give their laptop a go.

[Omphaloskepsis]

1. They network together just fine..

You can buy a version of Office that runs on OS X (sans access). And you can run XP if you need to.
http://www.apple.com/bootcamp/

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

2. They're completely compatible.

Just buy Office for OSX. I've had no problem transfering files from Windows machines to Macs & vice versa. I used to have to do it a lot when I worked for a theatre company that had PCs. My reports didn't lose formatting switching between machines and the programs I used were word & Excel.

Hell, they even run Windows natively now, but I suggest just using OSX on them at first. Once you get used to it, you probably won't want to put Windows on it.

[wildeyed]

3. Thanks all.

That puts my mind at rest.

[Bunny]

4. Obligatory "Apple sucks - no, PC's suck" post.

Seems like it can't be a real DU thread unless someone says it.

[Guy Fawkes]

5. Don't buy Microsoft Office OSX.

It is common knowledge that there aren't many computer viri for Mac OS X. The total number is something like 7. But all of them are made by exploiting holes within Microsoft Office OSX.

I recently got a Macbook Pro for school. It is a wonderful laptop, and easily compatible with Windows. You can even install Windows XP on the new intel macs (not the 24" desktop, though), either using Parallels or Bootcamp. Another program, Crossover, will allow you to run many Windows applications directly in OSX.