Ten great reasons to switch to OS X

What? Hasn’t the OS X versus Windows debate died out yet?

‘fraid not, and it’s not likely to either.

So, without further ado, here are ten superb reasons why you should switch to Mac OS X.

1. Manage your windows better

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No, not that Windows (though it’s worth noting that you can still run Windows applications on a Mac with the right bit of software).

One of the biggest headaches on any computer desktop is the number of application windows you have to manage all the time.

Sure, there’s a minimise feature and you can always close windows you no longer need, but Mac OS X has some very elegant ways of managing the clutter of multiple windows with just a few keystrokes.

There’s Exposé which shows you all the windows you have open and lets you switch easily between them (you can even drag and drop items between windows this way) or alternatively clears everything out of the way so you can see the desktop behind.

Combine this with Spaces which lets you have multiple virtual desktops and you have a very slick window management system that makes it easier to accomplish tasks rather than wrestling with windows.

Sure, Windows can do some of this, but not as well…

Shock! Macs can get viruses too. Apple advises antivirus

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Hands up all you Mac owners who don’t run any antivirus software on your computer?

Thought so.

The message that’s been drip-fed to Mac users, and is now self-perpetuating, is that Windows PCs get viruses while Mac users don’t.

Leaving aside the self-righteousness issue, it’s fair to say that there are currently a lot less viruses for the Mac, partly because it hasn’t been such a big target (Windows variants take around 90% of the operating system market) and also because it is built on a more solid, but not invincible, framework…

iPhone may get handwriting recognition — think your chubby fingers can cope?

According to a number of reports, the iPhone (three iPhone stories in one day you say?) could soon get handwriting recognition. That’s based on the interpretation of a recent job advertisement which calls for a full-time “Handwriting Recognition Engineer” to work at Apple HQ in Cupertino.

The successful candidate will be responsible for “advancing Apple’s handwriting technology for Mac OS X” — which shouldn’t be difficult given that the current attempt (Inkwell) is pretty shabby. However, it appears that “the recognition technology… may extend beyond Mac OS X to other applications and the iPhone”…