PC or Mac? Switch gives you both
February 16, 2005 DIGITALTWO0216
When Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, introduced the $499 Mac Mini in January, he called it a "bring your own display, keyboard and mouse" machine. Implicit in that characterization is that the Mini is meant to appeal in part to PC owners who may want to give Apple a try and who already have those peripherals connected to their Windows machines.
The trouble is, if you're going to move your keyboard, mouse and monitor to a Mac, you will no longer be able to use the PC. That may be just fine with Apple, but not for users who don't want to give up their PC. While they may be attracted to the Mac for its easy-to-use software like iPhoto and GarageBand, they may prefer their PC for games or work-related tasks, or they may have one or two PC-only programs that they can't live without.
There is a way to have your Mac and PC, too, without having to devote money or space to an extra keyboard, monitor or mouse. If you network the machines, it's also possible for them to share hard drives, printers and other peripherals.
What you need, besides the two machines, is a KVM switch, a device that permits you to use a single keyboard, monitor and mouse with two or more machines. KVM stands for "keyboard, video and mouse," but some KVM switches also let you control your speakers and microphone. Using a switch not only saves money and desk space but adds to the capabilities of both machines by creating a system whereby the Mac and PC work together. At the risk of offending some Apple enthusiasts, Windows users could think of the Mini as a PC peripheral.
You could, for example, use the PC to run a business application while the Mac is downloading music from iTunes, burning a CD or retrieving your e-mail. If your PC has a DVD burner and your Mac doesn't, you could use the Mac's iMovie program to create a movie, and then burn it on the PC.
Mark Heyer, a computer consultant in Palo Alto, Calif., also recommends that Windows users consider the Mac for Web surfing and e-mail. "It's less prone to viruses, spyware and other security problems," he said.
New York Times |
