(Column) - Almost everyone that knows me can tell you that ever since I switched to OS X about five years ago, I’ve been a nonstop evangelist for Apple. I’m totally impressed with their products and their operating system, and I love helping others understand why they should be interested in these alternatives to Windows. I can usually figure out a way to help someone justify that a switch to OS X would be a good thing for them personally, but I was recently asked for some advice and gave an answer that surprised even me.

My dad has had his current Windows computer for something like eight years, and as you can imagine, it’s horribly outdated. He’s finally grown sick of it and can tell that its days are numbered, so he approached me to inquire about getting a new computer. I could tell that he was expecting me to instantly go on and on about getting a Mac, which I did at first, but after a couple of days of evaluating his options, I came back to him and suggested that he stick with a PC.

This surprised him, and to be honest, I couldn’t believe that I said it, but I did. He’s not a very active computer user, and he really just uses the computer to manage his business, respond to e-mail, and surf the Internet to a limited degree. All of the core applications that he relies on run under Windows, and they’re essential for what he does. He’s been using them for years, and the thought of making the move to other options doesn’t entirely make sense for him.

Microsoft's Secret Love for Mac Users

His original plan was to purchase a Mac Mini and just use his 15-inch LCD panel with it, but by the time I added up the cost of purchasing the Mac Mini, a new keyboard and mouse, a fresh copy of Windows, and potentially a copy of Parallels, I realized that he could just as easily purchase an entirely new and impressive Windows setup for the same price and get a bigger monitor with the package. In addition, he could also easily open up the case and access the hardware for component upgrade or replacement purposes like he has before, and that can’t really be said about the Mac hardware.

He admitted to me that since his applications were for Windows, he’d probably spend most of his time in Windows instead of OS X, and I know that Parallels would enable him to run them inside OS X, but while that’s cool for hardcore enthusiasts like you and I, it doesn’t really matter to him. Basically, he’d end up with a Mac that served as a Windows machine the majority of the time, and only on certain occasions would he use OS X for Internet purposes. With all things considered, it seemed to me like a Mac switch would actually complicate things for him to some degree, and I stick by my recommendation for him to just purchase another PC.

For all of you Mac users out there, have you also ever found yourself in a situation where you decided that it was best to recommend that someone just stick with running Windows on a PC? I would love to hear your stories.

Click here to check out the latest prices on Apple's Leopard 10.5 OS!