What is a Mac?

‘Mac’ is a simple abbreviation for Macintosh, the line of personal computers designed, manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple Computer. The original Macintosh was released on January 24, 1984. Since then, there have been numerous models, updates, and revision to the Macintosh line.

The current Macintosh models are targeted towards home, education, and professional users. Macs are known for their elegant design and ease of use. Macs combine power with style.

All new Mac come pre-installed with the Mac OS X operating system, OS X which is also designed and built by Apple. This integrated end-to-end approach allows all Macs to have full support from the operating system. This allows Apple to build Macs with innovative features and technologies resulting in an exceptional user experience for all Mac owners.

Apple current product line consists of the following models:

The current Macintosh models are powered by processors (CPUs) from Intel. This is in stark contrast to prior Macintosh models that historically relied on competing processors such as the PowerPC. In June 2005, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that Apple would transition the Macintosh line from PowerPC processors to Intel processors. The transition was completed on August 7, 2006.

Thanks to the Intel transition, Apple can ship Macs that feature Intel's latest processors. As a result, Macs are no longer labeled as underpowered or overpriced. Mac desktops start at under $600 and Mac laptops start at under $1,100. All new Macintosh models ship with a minimum of 1GB RAM and the latest version of the Mac OS X operating system. All Macs come with features such as:

Dedicated graphics thanks to graphics cards from either nVidia or ATI or an integrated Intel GMA graphics chip
Either a SuperDrive; a DVD/CD burner multifunction drive or a Combo Drive, a DVD player and CD burner drive
Serial ATA hard drives
FireWire to support higher-performance devices such as external hard drives and video cameras
USB 2.0 to connect external devices and peripeherals such as printers
802.11g wireless networking
Bluetooth 2.0

Several Macs ship with features such as an integrated iSight video camera for video conferencing, an infrared remote control, and digital/analog audio in/out ports. Professional Macs have features such as Firewire 800 as well as more power to run the most demanding applications.

Macs do Windows
PC users are stuck with a PC. Mac users however can run the world's most advanced operating system Mac OS X and if they want, Windows and Windows based software.

Apple’s Boot Camp software allows you to boot into either Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows. This flexibility allows your Mac to function as a Mac or a PC. Virtualization programs such as VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop for Mac, provides Mac users the ability to run Windows and Windows software without leaving OS X.

Purchasing a PC limits your options, a PC cannot legally run OS X. A Mac however is more versatile. The choice is obvious, today's Macs are the most capable computers on the market that allow you to run Mac OS X as well as other operating systems.

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