So, it’s gonna be a few months (five, to be exact) until Mac OS 10.5 “Leopard” is let out of the bag. No big deal. If you’re already a Mac user (and especially if you’re using Mac OS 10.4 “Tiger” and iLife ’06) you’re already using the operating system that Windows Vista hoped to be, and then some. If you’re “on the fence”, and considering discarding the shackles of Windows, there’s lots of good reasons to go ahead and get a Mac now. Here’s just a few.

Surf the web with “abandon”. My MS Word dictionary defines “abandon” as “complete lack of inhibition or self restraint”. Never see pop-up windows again, as the Mac’s Safari web browser blocks them all with a simple menu selection. Never worry whether you’re getting any spyware or adware “behind the scenes” when you visit a web page. Never worry about infecting your system with a nefarious keystroke logging “bot” attached to something you download. Say goodbye to Norton, McAfee, or Windows Defender usurping precious processor cycles (and your precious time).

Don’t lose your “security blanket”. If you still really need to have Windows around to use some proprietary software, you can run it on your new Intel-based Mac. With Apple’s free Boot Camp software you can create a partition into which you can install any brand of Windows you’re using (yes, even Vista), and boot into it when you need to. For $79.99, get Parallels Desktop, which creates a virtualized “Windows in a window” that runs alongside your Mac desktop – no rebooting required.

Start using iLife ’06 (included on all new Macs) for all your digital lifestyle needs. You’re probably already using iTunes with your iPod. Enjoy that same “it just works” simplicity and elegance in managing, editing, and sharing your digital photos and home movies, creating professional-quality DVDs to give to family and friends, creating great-looking web sites, or setting up a home recording studio. Nothing included in Windows (any version) even comes close, and getting close to iLife will cost you hundreds of dollars in the Windows world.

Finally, every Mac on sale today (and those sold in the last two years, for that matter) will run Leopard with great aplomb. No wondering if your new computer is “Vista Ready”, or which version of Vista it’s really ready for.

The question is: are YOU ready to simplify and magnify your computing life?