I own both Macs (MacBook Pro, MacPro, MacMini) and Windows machines (Alienware quad processor, Sony Vaio notebook, and misc. boxes); having added Macs back to my setup early last year (after the Intel processors were launched) after a 10 year hiatus.
Here are my thoughts on it.
- In general, I use my Macs much more than windows. I just find it more comfortable. I am an expert windows user - still enjoy the Mac more.
- If you know how to run PhotoMechanic in Windows, you do on the Mac. The differences are minor. The performance feels the same to me. No scientific testing, but on comparable machines, I don't see that big of a difference.
- I don't ever run Bootcamp. Don't see the point, probably because I have other Windows machines.
- I do run Parallels for a couple of apps (esp on the road) and it works very well (including Photoshop for some plug-ins - see below). However, if you do, make sure you setup a static drive size, the growing drives tend to get fragmented and make it slower than it should be.
- Get 2GB RAM at a minimum, 3GB+ if you can swing it. I would tell you the same thing for Windows, especially since you are now stuck with Vista.
- The biggest issue for Photoshop users is plugins. If you get CS3, you can only use Universal Binary plug-ins. If you get CS2 or CS1, it won't be Universal Binary, but will support all plugins. Consequently, I find myself running both. I also find myself using Parallels sometimes for plugins I haven't purchased on the Mac. This is a temporary problem, but you should be aware of it. My suggestion for you at this point is to go CS3 and get the plug-ins you need on the Mac. If you must revert for a specific function, revert to Photoshop in Parallels on Windows (it runs really well if you setup Parallels right) with your old plugins, don't bother with CS2/CS on the Mac.
- I also use Capture One Pro and found it equally good on Windows and Mac. The license transfers straight across just like PhotoMechanic.
- There is some very cool software on the Mac and lots more high-quality inexpensive software and tools. It feels more polished.
I'd suggest going the MacBook route. Be prepared to spend a little money on some new software toys. Not because the Mac needs it, but because there's a lot of cool stuff. Whether it's it's full-blown commercial software like Omnigraffle Pro and iBiz; shareware like GraphicConverter, LicenseKeeper, , TextMate, VisualHub, NetNewswire, and Netflix Freak; or free software like Adium, Burn, LinoType FontExplorer X, Renamer4Mac, VLC, and iGTD, you'll be getting a lot of new toys.
If you want move from Outlook to the Mac, while you could use MS Office for the Mac, I recommend going the Mail, Addressbook and iCal route. Use O2M to convert your current Mail, Addressbook and iCal entries. Also, I like the free NeoOffice just fine for full-blown MS Office work unless you have to interact extremely regularly with Office users (that's a good use for Parallels using the Coherence capability). For basic, but highly create documents, I really like Pages (part of the iWork suite).
Enjoy,
Greg
