When you upgrade to a Mac, you may justifiably wonder what�s going to happen with all the stuff you�ve created over the years on your PC. Your Word documents. Digital photos. Email. Video and music files.
The simple answer: nothing. In most cases, you�ll be able to continue working with them like you always did � except with the added benefit that now you�ll be doing it all on a Mac. How can it be so easy? Computing standards.
Standards let everyone work together harmoniously. That�s why Apple has adopted so many of them. For example, Microsoft Office files created on a PC � spreadsheets, documents, presentations � can be opened on a Mac with no hiccups, and vice versa. JPEGs, MP3s, AVIs, QuickTime files... they all work the same way on both Mac and PC. All you have to do when you get your new Mac is copy your files over from your old PC using a network, burned CDs, or an external hard drive. You can even go to a retail Apple Store and ask one of the Geniuses to do it all for you.
Email? You can transfer all your years� worth of Microsoft Outlook email messages over to your Mac with just a few steps. If you use a web-based email service like Gmail or Yahoo! Mail, it�s even easier because there�s nothing to transfer. Just fire up your web browser, log in, and start mailing. Mac OS X Mail also works with Microsoft Exchange mail servers, whether you�re in the office or on the road. The Mac supports standard compression and expansion for file attachments so all your Mac, Windows, and Linux friends and colleagues can easily open and read them.
Sharing files among Macs and PCs is incredibly easy. The Mac is at home on just about any kind of network � including VPNs � making the business of sharing files with other computers entirely painless. Prefer discs? Mac OS X automatically burns data CDs and DVDs that support the cross-platform ISO 9660 standard. And your Mac can read all your PC-formatted disks, including CDs and DVDs (even Zip and floppy discs if you attach an external drive).
