Moving from Windows to the Mac, Series Part 8
The next thing to consider when changing from Windows to OS X is application software. Windows computers tend to have Windows software running on them, of course, which is not good news when you are moving to OS X. Although it took some digging and searching, I have replaced almost all of the applications I ran on Windows with OS X applications (mostly Open Source), or have at least identified the applications that I need to get. I only failed to find one replacement: a decent street mapping system. I have used DeLorme for years on Windows. They do not make an OS X version and there is no equivalent package for the Mac.
Nor have I yet purchased all of the software that I need. My licenses for all of the Adobe Web development products are two versions behind, primarily because I am on a fairly fixed income and they are WAY expensive. By the time I get what I need by purchasing the Creative Suite 3 Design Premium plus Fireworks, I will have spent more than the MacBook Pro cost. Needless to say, that purchase is also several months hence. But I would have had to eventually get the new versions of those programs anyway. With those two exceptions, the software problem turned out to be easy to solve. Here is the link to a PDF that will give you the complete list.
Two of these decisions require a special note. First, on the Web development apps, there is no replacement, period, for either Dreamweaver or Photoshop. Once you have gone that far, you may as well get the rest of the Adobe toolset so that you know everything is going to play nicely together. The only problem is the price, and I guess if you're the best, you can charge whatever you want for it. The office suite also deserves mention. I am currently using NeoOffice, but will probably change over to the new Open Office native OS X version (now in beta) as it become stable. The development team at Open Office is more active, and that means more features and more fixes more quickly.
Tomorrow - Moving Day
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