Taste of the big Apple
Mac Tempts PC Users to Make a Switch

Real estate has traditionally been a Windows-based industry. But with recent upgrades to the Mac and the introduction of the iPhone, will that change?

BY MICHAEL ANTONIAK

Apple is poised to take a bite into the PC-powered real estate market with its latest product introductions, including the iPhone and applications that let you use Microsoft Windows programs on a Mac. Will these Apple products be a fit for your business?

You’d have to be living under a rock in recent weeks to miss the hype surrounding Apple’s rollout of its sleek iPhone, a cell phone/iPod/Web browser all-in-one. Powering the iPhone — and all Mac products, for that matter — is the Mac operating system, OS X, and its Safari Web browser. Regardless of whether the iPhone lives up to its pre-launch billing, Apple’s take on the smartphone is a standard-setting product bound to influence future smartphones.

So, it’s no wonder why some real estate professional are now asking themselves: “Why not a Mac?”

The Return of the Mac

Two years ago, that question probably never would have arisen. After all, real estate has thus far been a Windows-powered profession. Vendors of specialized real estate software and MLS solutions have focused their efforts where the numbers are — on the overwhelming number of practitioners who use Windows.

But that was two years ago, and much has changed since then. First, through last year’s launch of desktop iMac and MacBook notebooks, Apple made a strategic shift to build its systems around the same Intel processors also found in many PCs. The promise of running Windows programs on a Mac came to fruition with the launch of several products, including Apple’s Boot Camp (more on that in a minute).

There’s also been a trickle of more Mac users into the real estate field, including new licensees. Since I first addressed the potential of Intel-based Macs in real estate in a Tech Watch column more than a year ago, I’ve received a steady thread of inquiries from real estate professionals who don’t want to give up their Macs. Their ranks are slowly growing. Even Apple’s taken notice and now has a Web page dedicated to real estate users.

The Case for the Mac

So what’s the attraction of using a Mac? Fans of Macs proudly point to the ease-of-use and creativity that the platform allows, making it deceptively simple to achieve sophisticated results. Consider iMovie for creating video tours of homes, or Keynote for all types of presentations.

Furthermore, Mac users also rarely have to contend with the kind of viruses, spyware, and other forms of malware that target the Windows universe.

However, the best case for using Macs in real estate is that you get all that and Windows, too. With today’s Macs, you can work in OS X or Windows, and their compatible applications, on the same computer. (For now, at least, the Mac is the only platform which allows that.)

Try it out: Sample this alternative universe on Apple’s Safari Web browser, which was released in a beta version for Windows last month. It will give you an idea of the look and feel of working in the Mac environment — where it excels and where it may fall short of your habits or expectations.

Making the Switch

For those who decide its time to go Mac, you can take several approaches to run Windows, and compatible applications, on one computer. You’ll need one of the Intel-based Macs running the latest version of OS X, a licensed version of Windows XP or Vista, as well as one of the these solutions:

• Boot Camp software. This is Apple’s own solution in allowing you to run the computer as either a Mac or Windows machine. You choose which operating system to boot at start-up, or switch from one to the other during operation. Additional information, instructions, and a free download are available here. It’s currently in a beta version but is scheduled to be included in OS X leopard when it’s released later in the year.
  
• Parallels Desktop for Mac. This software, available for $79.99 from Parallels Inc., allows users to run Windows or Linux applications on an OS X Mac without rebooting the system. Windows applications appear in windows alongside native applications on the Mac desktop. Parallels Desktop for Mac also supports Windows-compatible hardware, like phones and cameras. Windows Transporter, which is included, guides users through the process of migrating a Windows system and resources to the Mac.
  
• CodeWeaver’s CrossOver Mac. This software, available for $59.95, lets Mac and Linux users run Windows software without installation of these other operating systems. In its current version it is not compatible with all Windows applications.
  
• VMWare’s Fusion. The software also lets users run Mac and Windows applications side-by-side on the Mac desktop. VMWare’s Fusion is currently available in a free beta version, but can be purchased at a pre-release price of $39.99, half the regular price when the final version ships late this summer.
  
• TrueNorth Technologies. This offers an entirely different approach to cross-platform compatibility with its Web-based Northstar service. Subscribers can run Mac or Windows applications on any PC or hardware connected to the Internet. The service is priced on an application basis, and the company will also convert subscriber’s licensed software for Web access for a monthly or annual fee.
  
  A Final Caveat: The PriceTag
  
  While Apple’s newest features may be attractive, they come at a cost. Macs traditionally command a higher price at retail — generally ranging from $1,000 upwards to $3,000 — than comparably featured notebook and desktop PCs, which you can sometimes find for under $1,000. Add to that the cost of the above software and services — as well as Windows — and the Mac might not make economic sense. That is, unless you’re attracted to the idea of getting two machines, a Mac and Windows computer, for the price of one.