Apple’s aggressive new advertising campaign called “Switching Over” has sparked a great deal of consumer interest. A company representative recently told me that in the first few months of the campaign, the section of the Apple Web site dedicated to Switching logged in over a million unique visitors. The television ads, also viewable on the Apple Web site, show real live people from various professions who have happily switched from PCs to Apple computing.

I love OS X, Apple’s new operating system. The fact that Apple controls both the hardware and the operating system results in an unquestionably more stable computing platform. I gave the new iMac a glowing review. While I find the Mac superior for working with video and digital images, I still use a PC for most of my computing. Why? Because Apple holds a measly single-digit market share. To be compatible with the rest of the world, using a PC is just plain easier.

Switching to a Mac might make sense if you are tired of Windows or Microsoft.  Switching may also be viable if you spend most of your time working with video, music, and/or digital photos. Perhaps you just like the looks of the sleek iMac, or the look and feel of OS X. If you do, Apple tries to make it easy for you. They even provide an online Guide to Switching that gives guidelines for moving data from a PC to a Mac. These guidelines are very helpful, but they assume the information is being transferred from a newer PC with a writable CD. If you have an older PC without a writable CD and you decide to buy any new computer, moving your data can be difficult.   If you decide to switch to a Mac, you can expect that moving your data will be even more of a challenge.

Here are a few other things you should consider when making the decision to switch.

No Mac App Support

Make sure all of the important applications you use have Mac supported versions. Many popular software programs have versions that run on Apple computers, but a few do not. For instance, Intuit’s QuickBooks, the most popular small business accounting software program, has no Mac version. If you find you must use a certain program with no Mac version, you can run an emulation application like VirtualPC by Connectix that creates a Windows environment on the Mac. Using such a program is an acceptable solution. However, since it adds another layer to the operating system, it is considerably slower than running a Windows application on a Windows machine or running a Mac application on a Mac.

Printer & Peripheral Support

If you currently own a printer, you need to make sure it will run on a Mac. Obviously, if your printer can be attached only by parallel port, you will not be able to use it on a Mac that has no parallel connection. Even some printers with USB connections cannot be used on the Mac. Be sure you check before you make the switch.

Also, be sure to check out your digital camera, scanner and/or other peripherals. Not only must the equipment have the proper connections, but also Mac drivers must be available. A quick trip to the Web site of the product manufacturer will usually confirm or deny Mac compatibility.

Hidden Costs

You will find much software comes in specially designed Mac versions. Programs like Microsoft Office, Norton Anti-virus, and many others are available. Some of the software you need may come with your new Mac. If it does not, you will have to spring for the cost of purchasing new software.

Also, if you need to run a non-Mac supported piece of software, be sure to factor in the cost of the emulation software. Consider too, the cost to replace any peripherals that are not Mac compatible. All this can really add up, so be sure to calculate the costs before you make the switch.

The Future

As the years have passed, Apple and Windows operating systems have become more and more alike. It has also become easier to trade files between a PC and a Mac. Emulations programs, like the aforementioned VirtualPC, have additionally made it possible to run Windows programs on a Mac, bringing the two systems even closer together.

Right now Apple uses Motorola chips in its products. This was a necessity in previous versions of the Mac operating system that were tied to the Motorola hardware. Mac OS X, however, is different. It runs on a Unix base. This means Apple could conceivably run its new computers on Intel CPUs. This may be a real possibility in the future. If that even happens, Apple ads might cajole you to switch, with the possibility that the same piece of Apple hardware could actually run Windows, if you ever wanted to switch back.

Is switching still a wise decision? For some, it’s a definite option.  Remember though, the easiest way to switch is to just dump your old PC, programs, data and all, and start fresh with a Mac. If you find you have to move data and programs over, you need to weigh the benefits against the drawbacks. Just be sure you look at all the details before you take the plunge.