Hi My 2006 Dell has almost had it so it’s time for a new Desktop. After 20 years I am considering switching from Windows to an iMac for two reasons, (1) everyone tells me Mac's are great and (2) I’ve got Windows 8 on my new Notebook and I hate it. My concerns are that my main usage of the computer (for work) are Excel and Outlook. On Excel I make extensive use of keyboard shortcuts, such as F4 (repeat key) and old remembered ALT combinations (such as ALT, I, C inserts a column, that sort of thing). These shortcuts, ingrained in my brain over 20 years are considerably faster than mouse equivalents, so I worry about losing those. I also make a lot of use of both the Windows Delete and Backspace keys, and the numerical keypad, and I currently have a cool Logitech illuminated keyboard that helps me work in low light. (doesn’t seem to be an exact equivalent for Mac and Logitech won’t guarantee my Windows keyboard work would on a Mac). I'm trying to do a find and replace in Excel 2016 for Mac, to replace all line breaks with a space. On Windows I'd do CTRL+R for find and replace, then hold the alt key and type 010 which would insert a linebreak into the find field. I’ve heard you can run the Windows version of Excel using ‘Parallels’ on the Mac but I wonder will it be exactly the same as in Windows? Will all the features and shortcuts come across just like I was on a Window machine? I'd be interested in any feedback please. I need some convincing.:-) Thankyou. If you run Windows in Parallels on a MAC then you have Windows and can run whatever version of Office you wish. Have you tried Office for MAC? It should work and then that is the way I would go. If you need Windows Office, then why not just stay with Windows? I have Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit running on my ThinkPad with Office 2013. It works great. If you can tell the difference between my Windows 8.1 desktop, Windows 7, VIsta, XP, 2000, NT4, and Windows 95 desktops, you are better than me. I made them all the same. So there is really no reason not to use Windows 8.1. However MAC and Office for MAC should work as well. I have been running Windows versions of Excel on a Mac with Parallels for almost a decade. I do so because I love the hardware quality of the Mac--especially in comparison to the Compaq, Dell and HP computers I used to use at work. You will love the screen, keyboard and trackpad, each of which has 'best of breed' quality. Mac Excel has been a stepchild of the Windows version since Excel 97, reaching its relative nadir with Excel 2008, which gained the big sheet of Excel 2007 but lost VBA. Excel 2011 restored VBA, but still runs slower as native software (in my opinion) than Excel 2010 or 2013 do in emulation with Parallels. I am currently using Excel 2013 in emulation with Parallels 9 on a 2009 MacBook Pro. I think the speed is plenty fast enough for the computationally heavy workbooks I use in my engineering day job. All of Windows Excel's keyboard shortcuts work, excepting only those that use the Windows key which doesn't exist on a Mac keyboard. Since I use a Mac laptop, I really miss having access to the ALT + 0xxx numeric keypad shortcuts for characters like degree sign, superscript 2 & 3 and em dash. On my laptop, the Delete key works like a backspace. If I hold the fn key down, the Delete key works as a forward delete. Likewise, if I hit a function key, I get the 'system control' feature like adjusting screen brightness. But if I hold the fn key down, then it works just like a Windows function key. I consider this tradeoff to be acceptable. Since you are looking at an iMac, you should be aware that it comes with a wireless keyboard that doesn't have a numeric keypad. But if you do a custom order, you can get it with a wired keyboard complete with an integrated numeric keypad--as a no charge option. The wired keyboard also includes page up, page down, home and end - and full-size arrow keys. It is not illuminated, however. I used to be an excel power user on a pc. When vista came out, I switched to a mac after many years but I also did not need to use excel to the degree I was used to. However, when you are used to using fast keyboard short cuts on the pc, you will have frustration going to the mac as they don't exist. Also, if you need to do any type of vb scripting, that will not be available on the mac. Now I am almost ready to get a new computer and I have been using both iMac and mac book pro and I am not a big fan of either mac/pc at this point. I just want something that works and I will go with what will be the best value as I think both mac and pc have what I need. If excel is important to you, stay pc.
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March 2019
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