Buying a MacBook Pro 13" to replace PC

[Howard Lester]

I'm seriously thinking of doing this after owning four PC laptops since
2001. In addition to "having to" learn a new operating system and giving up
whatever styles of layout in email and web browser I've so become used to
working with, I am seeing on the Mac newsgroups that there is a lot more to
using a Mac than what I thought was pretty much plug n' play. That is,
people are talking quite technical changes, modifications, software
applications -- all that I would have thought the typical consumer Mac user
would not need to do to make it "work right." I have an iPhone and iPad, so
I know the Apple basics, to that degree, and they both worked perfectly well
right out of the box. I'm very happy with them both. Should I *not* expect
that from/with a MacBook?

I realize this is a pretty open question, and before buying I will make the
hour drive to the Apple Store to see about getting an in-person hands-on
demonstration. I just want to get away from Windows and all of its
slowdowns, screwups, anti-virus software slowing things down more, and on
and on. I've read Windows 10 is no fun at all. (I'm running 7 on this Lenovo
PC.) I'm sick and tired of "Internet Explorer has stopped working...." (I
know, I could use Chrome, and I have it installed.) I'm tired of hardware
failures experienced in the past. I am hoping MacBooks are simply made
better and will be more reliable and last longer. They are not that much
more expensive than a comparably equipped PC with SSD and hi-res display, I
found out, so no, a typical half-the-cost PC won't cut it. I'm figuring
buying a refurbished one.

Advice? Be serious....

[nospam]

Post by Howard Lester
I'm seriously thinking of doing this after owning four PC laptops since
2001. In addition to "having to" learn a new operating system and giving up
whatever styles of layout in email and web browser I've so become used to
working with, I am seeing on the Mac newsgroups that there is a lot more to
using a Mac than what I thought was pretty much plug n' play. That is,
people are talking quite technical changes, modifications, software
applications -- all that I would have thought the typical consumer Mac user
would not need to do to make it "work right." I have an iPhone and iPad, so
I know the Apple basics, to that degree, and they both worked perfectly well
right out of the box. I'm very happy with them both. Should I *not* expect
that from/with a MacBook?

for the most part, but nothing is perfect.

Post by Howard Lester
I realize this is a pretty open question, and before buying I will make the
hour drive to the Apple Store to see about getting an in-person hands-on
demonstration. I just want to get away from Windows and all of its
slowdowns, screwups, anti-virus software slowing things down more, and on
and on. I've read Windows 10 is no fun at all. (I'm running 7 on this Lenovo
PC.) I'm sick and tired of "Internet Explorer has stopped working...." (I
know, I could use Chrome, and I have it installed.) I'm tired of hardware
failures experienced in the past. I am hoping MacBooks are simply made
better and will be more reliable and last longer. They are not that much
more expensive than a comparably equipped PC with SSD and hi-res display, I
found out, so no, a typical half-the-cost PC won't cut it. I'm figuring
buying a refurbished one.

what types of things do you want to do? be as specific as you want.

also keep in mind that you can run mac *and* windows apps side by side,
so you get the best of both. or, should os x not work out, you can boot
into windows.

[Howard Lester]

Post by nospam

Post by Howard Lester
I have an iPhone and iPad, so
I know the Apple basics, to that degree, and they both worked perfectly well
right out of the box. I'm very happy with them both. Should I *not* expect
that from/with a MacBook?

for the most part, but nothing is perfect.
what types of things do you want to do? be as specific as you want.

Primarily it's email and web surfing, and using Word and Excel. (I know I
can get them both for Mac.) My email client is Windows Live Mail 2009, very
much like Outlook Express, which I "grew up on" and like it a lot. Mail is
downloaded to the hard drive, so it's not web-based like gmail, etc. I've
learned how to use it. I've got what must be thousands of web bookmarks,
most organized into user-defined categories and easy to find. I'd like to
keep that.
I use the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom image-processing program. I guess what
I'm really saying is that I know how to use these programs and know how to
fix or adapt a number of things, I suppose from learning to work with "how
Windows thinks." Something like that. Familiarity over many years, and have
had people at work help me figure stuff out. (I'm no longer there, so I have
no one to look over my shoulder to help out.)

I think what I'm saying here is that, yeah, there's a learning curve, and
I'm willing to take it as long as I know the end result is going to serve me
well and I'll be happy with it. (Only I can determine that, of course.)

Post by nospam
also keep in mind that you can run mac *and* windows apps side by side,
so you get the best of both. or, should os x not work out, you can boot
into windows.

Are they really side by side showing up on the same screen, or do I have to
shut down and reboot and all that every time I want to use one or the other?
I am not/was not aware of this possibility. Are you thinking along the lines
of my using Word and Excel for Mac? Are there other Windows apps (programs)
that are made to be used in the Mac OS?

[nospam]

Post by Howard Lester

Post by nospam

Post by Howard Lester
I have an iPhone and iPad, so
I know the Apple basics, to that degree, and they both worked perfectly
well right out of the box. I'm very happy with them both. Should I *not*
expect that from/with a MacBook?

for the most part, but nothing is perfect.
what types of things do you want to do? be as specific as you want.

Primarily it's email and web surfing, and using Word and Excel. (I know I
can get them both for Mac.) My email client is Windows Live Mail 2009, very
much like Outlook Express, which I "grew up on" and like it a lot. Mail is
downloaded to the hard drive, so it's not web-based like gmail, etc. I've
learned how to use it. I've got what must be thousands of web bookmarks,
most organized into user-defined categories and easy to find. I'd like to
keep that.

that's fairly simple stuff, and even a chromebook might work if you are
ok with google docs.

also keep in mind that the included software on a mac can read/write
office docs, so you might not even need word/excel, depending on what
you do.

Post by Howard Lester
I use the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom image-processing program. I guess what
I'm really saying is that I know how to use these programs and know how to
fix or adapt a number of things, I suppose from learning to work with "how
Windows thinks." Something like that. Familiarity over many years, and have
had people at work help me figure stuff out. (I'm no longer there, so I have
no one to look over my shoulder to help out.)

adobe apps are essentially the same on either platform, but things like
colour management is easier on a mac as well as integration with other
apps.

Post by Howard Lester
I think what I'm saying here is that, yeah, there's a learning curve, and
I'm willing to take it as long as I know the end result is going to serve me
well and I'll be happy with it. (Only I can determine that, of course.)

the learning curve is minor. things like menu options are in different
places, some things are easier to do, other things not.

it's like moving to a new neighborhood. it takes a brief time until you
figure out where things are.

Post by Howard Lester

Post by nospam
also keep in mind that you can run mac *and* windows apps side by side,
so you get the best of both. or, should os x not work out, you can boot
into windows.

Are they really side by side showing up on the same screen, or do I have to
shut down and reboot and all that every time I want to use one or the other?
I am not/was not aware of this possibility. Are you thinking along the lines
of my using Word and Excel for Mac? Are there other Windows apps (programs)
that are made to be used in the Mac OS?

i'm assuming you have a collection of windows software you already own.

by running both mac and windows apps, you can minimize the impact of
getting all new software all at once. when it comes time to update a
given app, simply get a mac version instead of the next windows
version.

to run windows, there are two options, a virtual machine or boot camp.
in both cases, you need to own a copy of windows.

a virtual machine, such as vmware or parallels, will let you run
windows apps alongside mac apps at the same time. it's very well
integrated and you can copy/paste between mac and windows apps. windows
apps can either be in a separate window containing the entire windows
environment or they can integrated with the mac environment, where a
windows app is just another app. there is a negligible overhead for
virtualization, and unless you're doing 3d gaming or something along
those lines, you won't notice it.

boot camp will partition your hard drive and install windows. you can
then reboot to the operating system you prefer. when you boot to
windows, it's windows right down to the metal. if you push the hardware
to the limits, boot camp is probably a better option.

if for some reason you don't want os x all, you can reformat the drive
and install only windows.

[Jolly Roger]

Post by Howard Lester

Post by nospam

Post by Howard Lester
I have an iPhone and iPad, so
I know the Apple basics, to that degree, and they both worked perfectly well
right out of the box. I'm very happy with them both. Should I *not* expect
that from/with a MacBook?

for the most part, but nothing is perfect.
what types of things do you want to do? be as specific as you want.

Primarily it's email and web surfing, and using Word and Excel. (I know I
can get them both for Mac.) My email client is Windows Live Mail 2009, very
much like Outlook Express, which I "grew up on" and like it a lot. Mail is
downloaded to the hard drive, so it's not web-based like gmail, etc. I've
learned how to use it. I've got what must be thousands of web bookmarks,
most organized into user-defined categories and easy to find. I'd like to
keep that.
I use the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom image-processing program. I guess what
I'm really saying is that I know how to use these programs and know how to
fix or adapt a number of things, I suppose from learning to work with "how
Windows thinks." Something like that. Familiarity over many years, and have
had people at work help me figure stuff out. (I'm no longer there, so I have
no one to look over my shoulder to help out.)

It sounds like a Mac will be a good fit for you.

Post by Howard Lester
I think what I'm saying here is that, yeah, there's a learning curve, and
I'm willing to take it as long as I know the end result is going to serve me
well and I'll be happy with it. (Only I can determine that, of course.)

Naturally, there's a learning curve with anything new and unknown. But
what I think you will find (as many of us have) is with OS X, problems
are generally easier to solve, and with much less of an impact on
productivity than other mainstream operating systems. And at the core of
OS X is Unix, which offers lots of power not available to Windows
without large, cumbersome packages like Cygwin.

Post by Howard Lester

Post by nospam
also keep in mind that you can run mac *and* windows apps side by side,
so you get the best of both. or, should os x not work out, you can boot
into windows.

Are they really side by side showing up on the same screen, or do I have to
shut down and reboot and all that every time I want to use one or the other?

Side by side, no reboot required. Most apps run full speed this way -
the exception being apps that require direct access to hardware such as
games using the GPU. You can use a number of virtual machines to do
this, including:

Virtual Box (free):
<https://www.virtualbox.org>

VMware Fusion ($80):
<http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/>

Parallels Desktop ($80):
<http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/>

Post by Howard Lester
I am not/was not aware of this possibility. Are you thinking along the lines
of my using Word and Excel for Mac? Are there other Windows apps (programs)
that are made to be used in the Mac OS?

You'll probably want to use the Mac versions of Office rather than
having to start a VM just to run the Windows versions, but that's
certainly an option available to you. I've had to resort to using the
Windows versions for certain things not provided in the Mac versions in
the past, for instance. And it was nice to be able to do it without
having to reboot my Mac. : )

[Howard Lester]

Post by Jolly Roger
It sounds like a Mac will be a good fit for you.

Thanks, JR. All that you and nospam have explained so far makes it look like
I'll do fine. Also, I know you're "here" to offer good advice and direction
should I need it. :-) I think the biggest issue may be setting it all up
and transferring all my files, emails, bookmarks, and all that. There's a
lot of that I have no idea how to do. The folks at the Apple Store can do
that, right? But I think that's an added charge. ?

I can get Mac versions of Excel and Word for very low cost through my former
employer, so that's no big deal. Adobe Lightroom photo-editing program DVD
works on both Windows and Mac, so I have that. (I'd just need to buy an
external CD drive for the Mac.)

As for the Virtual Machines, I suppose I'll come to a point where I
determine whether or not I need that. I still don't understand why I *might*
need one. (I don't expect you to know because you don't know what processes
I'll be doing.) Oh - I don't do any gaming, so I have no special needs
required for that. Thanks again!

[nospam]

Post by Howard Lester
Thanks, JR. All that you and nospam have explained so far makes it look like
I'll do fine. Also, I know you're "here" to offer good advice and direction
should I need it. :-) I think the biggest issue may be setting it all up
and transferring all my files, emails, bookmarks, and all that. There's a
lot of that I have no idea how to do. The folks at the Apple Store can do
that, right? But I think that's an added charge. ?

when you first boot a mac, it will ask you if you want to migrate from
another computer, which can be a mac or a windows system. choose the
latter, follow the steps and let it do its thing.

if you prefer, an apple store can do that for you.

Post by Howard Lester
I can get Mac versions of Excel and Word for very low cost through my former
employer, so that's no big deal. Adobe Lightroom photo-editing program DVD
works on both Windows and Mac, so I have that. (I'd just need to buy an
external CD drive for the Mac.)

an optical drive is cheap, and you can download it anyway.

Post by Howard Lester
As for the Virtual Machines, I suppose I'll come to a point where I
determine whether or not I need that. I still don't understand why I *might*
need one. (I don't expect you to know because you don't know what processes
I'll be doing.) Oh - I don't do any gaming, so I have no special needs
required for that. Thanks again!

if you need/want to run windows apps then you might. if not, then you
don't.

[Howard Lester]

Post by nospam

Post by Howard Lester
I think the biggest issue may be setting it all up
and transferring all my files, emails, bookmarks, and all that. There's a
lot of that I have no idea how to do. The folks at the Apple Store can do
that, right? But I think that's an added charge. ?

when you first boot a mac, it will ask you if you want to migrate from
another computer, which can be a mac or a windows system. choose the
latter, follow the steps and let it do its thing.

It's that easy? I assume it's just a USB cable connected between them that
is all that is required. Does the process allow me to be selective? I
suspect there is plenty on this PC that I do not want migrated over. When I
bought this PC, I did the "Windows Transfer" process and I wound up with a
Toshiba wallpaper on this Lenovo PC. I found a bunch of other Toshiba stuff,
too, that I had to eliminate. If *that* stuff made it over, what *else* did
that I might never be aware of?

Post by nospam
if you prefer, an apple store can do that for you.

Post by Howard Lester
I can get Mac versions of Excel and Word for very low cost through my former
employer, so that's no big deal. Adobe Lightroom photo-editing program DVD
works on both Windows and Mac, so I have that. (I'd just need to buy an
external CD drive for the Mac.)

an optical drive is cheap, and you can download it anyway.

I bought the DVD version. I know Lightroom is available as a download, I
gave it a lot of thought, and I chose the DVD version. There may be other
reasons later I might need an optical drive. As you say, they're cheap.

[Larry Gusaas]

Post by nospam
when you first boot a mac, it will ask you if you want to migrate from
another computer, which can be a mac or a windows system. choose the
latter, follow the steps and let it do its thing.

It's that easy? I assume it's just a USB cable connected between them that is all that is
required. Does the process allow me to be selective? I suspect there is plenty on this PC
that I do not want migrated over. When I bought this PC, I did the "Windows Transfer" process
and I wound up with a Toshiba wallpaper on this Lenovo PC. I found a bunch of other Toshiba
stuff, too, that I had to eliminate. If *that* stuff made it over, what *else* did that I
might never be aware of?

See https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21974?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

*Transfer info from a PC*
You can transfer over a wired or wireless network, as long as your computers are connected
to the same network.

Close all other apps, open Migration Assistant on your PC, then follow the onscreen
instructions.

If you don’t have Migration Assistant, download it from the Apple website.

Windows Migration Assistant

[Howard Lester]

Post by Larry Gusaas
See https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21974?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
*Transfer info from a PC*
You can transfer over a wired or wireless network, as long as your
computers are connected
to the same network.

Thanks, Larry. I would of course connect the MacBook to the same WiFi
network. My question is, then, is the transfer dependent on the internet
speed itself? Specifically, I'm on a 3 mb DSL, which is comparatively quite
slow. (This is one reason I didn't want to buy the Lightroom downloadable
version.)

Or is something else at work, network-wise, for the transfer?

[nospam]

Post by Howard Lester

Post by Larry Gusaas
See https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21974?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
*Transfer info from a PC*
You can transfer over a wired or wireless network, as long as your
computers are connected
to the same network.

Thanks, Larry. I would of course connect the MacBook to the same WiFi
network. My question is, then, is the transfer dependent on the internet
speed itself? Specifically, I'm on a 3 mb DSL, which is comparatively quite
slow. (This is one reason I didn't want to buy the Lightroom downloadable
version.)

your dsl speed does not matter. what matters is the speed between the
two computers.

use an ethernet cable if at all possible. wifi will work, but it will
be slower.

[Larry Gusaas]

Post by Larry Gusaas
See https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21974?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
*Transfer info from a PC*
You can transfer over a wired or wireless network, as long as your computers are connected
to the same network.

Thanks, Larry. I would of course connect the MacBook to the same WiFi network. My question
is, then, is the transfer dependent on the internet speed itself? Specifically, I'm on a 3 mb
DSL, which is comparatively quite slow. (This is one reason I didn't want to buy the
Lightroom downloadable version.)
Or is something else at work, network-wise, for the transfer?

Internet connection speed is irrelevant.
If you had followed the links in the article I gave a link to you would have seen this:

"You can also connect an Ethernet cable between the Ethernet port on your Mac and your PC
to create a direct network connection." (Move your data from a Windows PC to a Mac
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT204087 )

[Howard Lester]

Post by Larry Gusaas
Internet connection speed is irrelevant.
"You can also connect an Ethernet cable between the Ethernet port on
your Mac and your PC
to create a direct network connection." (Move your data from a Windows PC to a Mac
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT204087 )

Thank you, Larry. I don't yet own a MacBook, so I had not gone that far.
Note, too, that the MacBook does not have an Ethernet port. I see on the
MacBook description page, under "Connections and Expansion," that there is a
Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter that I would have to buy.

[nospam]

Post by Howard Lester

Post by nospam

Post by Howard Lester
I think the biggest issue may be setting it all up
and transferring all my files, emails, bookmarks, and all that. There's a
lot of that I have no idea how to do. The folks at the Apple Store can do
that, right? But I think that's an added charge. ?

when you first boot a mac, it will ask you if you want to migrate from
another computer, which can be a mac or a windows system. choose the
latter, follow the steps and let it do its thing.

It's that easy?

pretty much.

Post by Howard Lester
I assume it's just a USB cable connected between them that
is all that is required.

usb won't work between computers. windows migration uses ethernet (or
wifi which is not a good choice for migration).

Post by Howard Lester
Does the process allow me to be selective? I
suspect there is plenty on this PC that I do not want migrated over. When I
bought this PC, I did the "Windows Transfer" process and I wound up with a
Toshiba wallpaper on this Lenovo PC. I found a bunch of other Toshiba stuff,
too, that I had to eliminate. If *that* stuff made it over, what *else* did
that I might never be aware of?

everything you ever wanted to know about windows migration:
<https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204087>

Post by Howard Lester

Post by nospam
if you prefer, an apple store can do that for you.

Post by Howard Lester
I can get Mac versions of Excel and Word for very low cost through my former
employer, so that's no big deal. Adobe Lightroom photo-editing program DVD
works on both Windows and Mac, so I have that. (I'd just need to buy an
external CD drive for the Mac.)

an optical drive is cheap, and you can download it anyway.

I bought the DVD version. I know Lightroom is available as a download, I
gave it a lot of thought, and I chose the DVD version. There may be other
reasons later I might need an optical drive. As you say, they're cheap.

the standalone version is downloadable as well as the subscription
version.

[Howard Lester]

Post by nospam

Post by Howard Lester
I assume it's just a USB cable connected between them that
is all that is required.

usb won't work between computers. windows migration uses ethernet (or
wifi which is not a good choice for migration).
<https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204087>

I bookmarked the sites you and Larry cited. So if WiFi isn't a good choice,
what about connecting both the new Mac and the PC to the WiFi router at the
same time? Does that make for an "ethernet" connection, making the job
easier?

[nospam]

Post by Howard Lester

Post by nospam
<https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204087>

I bookmarked the sites you and Larry cited. So if WiFi isn't a good choice,
what about connecting both the new Mac and the PC to the WiFi router at the
same time? Does that make for an "ethernet" connection, making the job
easier?

wifi will work, but use an ethernet cable if at all possible, even if
it's temporary just to set it up. remember, it's going to copy a *lot*
of stuff. all you need to do is connect both to the same router.

once everything is migrated, you can then relocate the computer to
wherever is most convenient and use wifi.

[Howard Lester]

Post by nospam
wifi will work, but use an ethernet cable if at all possible, even if
it's temporary just to set it up. remember, it's going to copy a *lot*
of stuff. all you need to do is connect both to the same router.
once everything is migrated, you can then relocate the computer to
wherever is most convenient and use wifi.

Got it - thanks! I have ethernet cables for both -- assuming the MacBook has
an ethernet jack.... Oops! OK, then, it looks like a special cable for the
MacBook is required to connect it to ethernet on the router - something to
connect to one of the Thunderbolt jacks?

[nospam]

Post by Howard Lester

Post by nospam
wifi will work, but use an ethernet cable if at all possible, even if
it's temporary just to set it up. remember, it's going to copy a *lot*
of stuff. all you need to do is connect both to the same router.
once everything is migrated, you can then relocate the computer to
wherever is most convenient and use wifi.

Got it - thanks! I have ethernet cables for both -- assuming the MacBook has
an ethernet jack.... Oops! OK, then, it looks like a special cable for the
MacBook is required to connect it to ethernet on the router - something to
connect to one of the Thunderbolt jacks?

true, the retina macbooks don't have ethernet because it's rare that
laptop uses plug in a cable. desktop macs do.

you'd need a thunderbolt-ethernet adapter, which is probably not worth
the cost for a one-time use.

migrating over wifi will just take longer. let it run overnight.

or have the apple store migrate it for you. i'm pretty sure they will
do it for you for free.

you would need to bring your windows system in for them to do that,
which if it's a laptop won't be a big deal. on the other hand, if it's
a desktop, it could be a pain.

[Howard Lester]

Post by nospam
migrating over wifi will just take longer. let it run overnight.
or have the apple store migrate it for you. i'm pretty sure they will
do it for you for free.
you would need to bring your windows system in for them to do that,
which if it's a laptop won't be a big deal. on the other hand, if it's
a desktop, it could be a pain.

Good advice, thanks. I wonder if they'd do it for free on a refurb that I
obviously wouldn't have bought at their store. Even if it's a nominal fee
I'd prefer they do it, preventing me from getting into trouble. Of course I
will ask all these questions when I go there to look at one.

My DSL WiFi is not reliable enough to stay on continuously, especially if a
landline phone call comes in, and I really wouldn't trust it to run
successfully. I live in a semi-rural area at the end of the Verizon telco
line. My Lenovo is a laptop, so I can easily take it to the Apple Store for
them to do the migration.

[nospam]

Post by Howard Lester

Post by nospam
migrating over wifi will just take longer. let it run overnight.
or have the apple store migrate it for you. i'm pretty sure they will
do it for you for free.
you would need to bring your windows system in for them to do that,
which if it's a laptop won't be a big deal. on the other hand, if it's
a desktop, it could be a pain.

Good advice, thanks. I wonder if they'd do it for free on a refurb that I
obviously wouldn't have bought at their store. Even if it's a nominal fee
I'd prefer they do it, preventing me from getting into trouble. Of course I
will ask all these questions when I go there to look at one.

it looks like data migration was part of the one-on-one program which
was changed to be within the first 60 days:
<http://www.macrumors.com/2013/04/18/apple-revises-one-to-one-policy-lim
its-data-migration-to-first-60-days/>

except that the one-on-one program is no longer offered anymore:
<http://9to5mac.com/2015/08/28/apple-to-retire-one-to-one-sept-28th/>

here's another bit of info:
<http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/143932/will-the-genius-bar-hel
p-me-transfer-my-files-between-macs>
As a former Genius, I can say that we were always willing to lend
cables to customers for in-store use, but we would not overtly assist
with data exercises. Then primary reason is the legality: if Apple
gets involved with your data, they become liable for your
intellectual property...which can be a legal mess. It's the same
reason Apple doesn't offer a guaranteed backup/restore service during
a repair.

maybe the store will loan you a thunderbolt-ethernet adapter so you can
do the migration in the store. they'll help you with questions but it
doesn't sound like they'll do it for you, but you never know. sometimes
they go beyond what they're supposed to do.

Post by Howard Lester
My DSL WiFi is not reliable enough to stay on continuously, especially if a
landline phone call comes in, and I really wouldn't trust it to run
successfully. I live in a semi-rural area at the end of the Verizon telco
line. My Lenovo is a laptop, so I can easily take it to the Apple Store for
them to do the migration.

your dsl doesn't matter. it's machine-machine within the lan.

however, the wifi does need to be reliable. that's why a cable is
better.

[Lewis]

Post by nospam

Post by Howard Lester

Post by nospam
<https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204087>

I bookmarked the sites you and Larry cited. So if WiFi isn't a good choice,
what about connecting both the new Mac and the PC to the WiFi router at the
same time? Does that make for an "ethernet" connection, making the job
easier?

wifi will work, but use an ethernet cable if at all possible, even if
it's temporary just to set it up. remember, it's going to copy a *lot*
of stuff. all you need to do is connect both to the same router.

You don't need a router. You can direct connect the two computers.

[Patty Winter]

In case you aren't aware, there are lots of free workshops at
Apple Stores that can help you get familiar with your new Mac
and then explore more advanced applications.


Patty

[Howard Lester]

Post by Patty Winter
In case you aren't aware, there are lots of free workshops at
Apple Stores that can help you get familiar with your new Mac
and then explore more advanced applications.

Thank you, Patty. I was not aware of that.

[Elden Fenison]

Post by Jolly Roger
Side by side, no reboot required. Most apps run full speed this way -
the exception being apps that require direct access to hardware such as
games using the GPU. You can use a number of virtual machines to do

There is a caveat. With this approach you're essentially running two
operating systems at the same time. So RAM requirements are something
to consider.

[Jolly Roger]

Post by Elden Fenison

Post by Jolly Roger
Side by side, no reboot required. Most apps run full speed this way -
the exception being apps that require direct access to hardware such as
games using the GPU. You can use a number of virtual machines to do

There is a caveat. With this approach you're essentially running two
operating systems at the same time. So RAM requirements are something
to consider.

Yep. If you have around 4GB or RAM for OS X and another 2-4 GB of RAM
for the guest operating system, you have nothing to worry about in that
respect.

[Jolly Roger]

Post by nospam
also keep in mind that you can run mac *and* windows apps side by side,
so you get the best of both. or, should os x not work out, you can boot
into windows.

And since OS X is Unix, you can run most popular *nix software as well.
Best of all three worlds. : )