'Mac Migration' an Excellent Resource for Windows Users Moving to the Mac

Notwithstanding Steve Ballmer's bilious remonstrations, more and more small businesses have been tossing their PCs and switching to Macs, according to Jason R. Rich, author of Mac Migration: The Small Business Guide to Switching to the Mac, the book that's the subject of this review, adding that reasons to make the transition to Mac can be credited to more than just advertising.

"For years," Rich says, "Apple was known for offering computers useful to students and to creative people who dealt with graphics, animation, music and images. But now, due to their ever-growing lineup of popular business-oriented applications and their focus on compatibility, Apple's Mac computers are now in high demand by business people working in all jobs and industries."

Mac Migration's 350 pages are organized in 11 chapters, plus a forward by AppleInsider Editor-in-Chief Kasper Jade, a preface, an introduction, two appendices, and an index.

Fairly extensive preambles explore the general topic of how Macs are now more appealing to business users than ever, setting the agenda for Mac Migration to provide all of the information needed to make the switch from Windows PCs as quick, effortless, and trouble-free as possible, regardless of the reader's level of technical acumen.

The book's mission statement is to help the small business user to choose what desktop or notebook computer is best suited to their individual needs and budget, and help business users new to Macs configure their systems and select and install the most suitable software for their needs, to transfer critical data from the outgoing PC to the Mac, and then get up to speed with proficiency and productivity on the Mac as quickly as possible.

A Recent Convert

The author himself is a relatively recent convert from PCs to the Mac, having only made the switch a couple of years ago.

As he relates: "About two years ago, my PC-based notebook computer that ran Windows XP suddenly and unexpectedly crashed. Needless to say, I wasn't happy. During the time I spent visiting computer retailers and consumer electronics stores shopping for a new PC -based notebook computer, I kept seeing those 'Get a Mac' ads, and they piqued my interest. So I visited a local Apple Store, played around on a MacBook for awhile, and ultimately took one home.

"I still relied heavily on my desktop PC to do my writing and computer work, but while I was on the road, I used my Mac and found that transferring data between the two computers that relatively easy. About a year later I had to upgrade my desktop PC. Needless to say, my first stop this time was my local Apple Store, where I tried their one of the seek-looking on iMac desktop computers. Again, I was hooked . . . Within a week, I gave my remaining PC-based computer and have never looked back or regretted the decision."

Mac Migration: The Small Business Guide to Switching to the Mac is attractively designed with a very striking multi-blue cover color theme, an easy-to-read page layout, lots of Mac Tips sidebars, and plenty of screen shot illustrations.

• Chapter 1 is titled "Finding Your Inner Mac" and starts with a basic crash tutorial on what's available in Mac hardware (up to the book's mid-2008 publications date, so the MacBook Air is included, but not the Unibody MacBooks or the most recent revisions of the iMac and Mac Pro) and how to define your computer needs, tips on how and where to purchase your new Mac, and where to find information and get service.
• Chapter 2 assumes that you have made your hardware purchase and gets down to business helping you with "Setting Up Your New Mac" - everything from unpacking the new computer, using the Setup Assistant, making sure you have the latest Mac OS X update, configuring the machine and installing software, using the Finder and Dock, connecting peripherals, and getting acquainted with your new Mac computer.
• Chapter 3, "Introduction to Mac OS X Leopard", focuses directly on Mac OS X 10.5 in all its glory, noting that if you're already familiar with Windows XP or Vista, the biggest challenge you will face as a switcher is getting used to the Mac OS interface.
• Chapter 4, "Personalizing Your Mac Experience", goes about helping you smoothly transfer your PC-based data to your new Mac, choosing the right Mac software, and includes short tutorials on adding peripherals and accessories.
• Chapter 5, "Transferring Your Data to a New Mac", observes that most searchers will want to import data and files from their old PC. It explains various methods of accomplishing this, from taking the machine to the Apple Store and paying an Apple Genius to port your files to doing it yourself via drag and drop/cut and paste. There is a section on importing contacts and schedule data, using various file transfer utilities (like O2M, iTornado, and Move 2 Mac), moving your email archives, setting up iChat, and synching your iPhone, iPod, Blackberry, or other smartphone/PDA.
• Chapter 6 has an "if you must" tutorial on "Running Windows Programs on a Mac" - in particular Windows XP or Vista and associated applications.
• Chapter 7 is all about "Address Book, iCal, and Safari", software that comes bundled with OS X.
• Chapter 8 is essentially a tutorial on using Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Entourage, and Messenger - plus a discussion of potential Office compatibility issues between the PC and Mac editions of the software. There's also an introduction to Apple's iWork '08 and the open source OpenOffice suites as business productivity software alternatives.
• Chapter 9, "Apple iWork '08, iLife '08, and MobileMe", delves deeper into the Apple office suite alternative, with tutorial sections on the Pages '08 word processor and desktop publishing program, Keynote '08 presentation software, the Numbers '08 spreadsheet program, as well as the iLife suite of lifestyle applications - iPhoto '08, GarageBand '08, iMovie '08, iWeb '08, and iDVD '08, plus Apple's new MobileMe online service.
• Chapter 10 is "Additional Mac Software Ideal for Business Professionals", including what are billed as "14 must-have business-oriented software applications" for your Mac: Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional, Bento and FileMaker Pro 9, Endicia Postage Solutions, iTunes, MacSpeech dictate, MacJournal 5, Neat Receipts for Mac, PageSender, Personal Data Pro, Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop Elements 6, QuarkXPress 7, QuickBooks for Mac and QuickBooks Pro, Stox, and Skype.
• The last chapter of Mac Migration (chapter 11), "Backing Up Your Critical Data", could be the most important chapter in the book, so long as you heed its advice. It contains sections on using Apple's Time Capsule, backing up to an external hard drive (my personal favorite method), backup software solutions and remote backup options, creating backup CDs and DVDs, and data restoration services and software.
• Appendix A is a Record-keeper Worksheet to help track and record your transition to the Mac with useful reference information.
• Appendix B is a brief discussion of Mac Compatible Apple Alternatives - the controversial Psystar Open Computer Mac clone and the not controversial (i.e.: Apple blessed) Axiotron Modbook tablet computer, and also a glossary of "100 Mac-related Terms You Want To Know". A seven-page Index finishes things out.

Mac Migration: The Small Business Guide to Switching to the Mac manages to a pretty much cover all of relevant bases inside of 350 pages, and if you're making such a switch or just trying to figure out whether it's the right alternative for your business, I think you'll find it $17.95 will spent.

LEM rating: 3 out of 4.

This book is available at major bookstores and online booksellers, including Amazon.com, as well as from the publisher's website.

Mac Migration

Jason R. Rich

October 2008

Entrepreneur Press

ISBN 13: 9781599182711

ISBN 10: 1599182718 $17.95

Jason R. Rich is the best-selling author of more than 37 books that cover a wide range of topics, including computers, ecommerce, personal finance, career-related topics, travel and entertainment. He also contributes regularly to major daily newspapers, including the New York Daily News, as well as national magazines and popular websites.