Staying cross-platform?

Windows and OS X are at the point where it really doesn't matter what you use, 95% of the time.

Your purposes could really be accomplished on any OS, so it sounds like you don't need to worry.

 

Does work pay for these redundant computers? Or are you self-employed?

 

That's a strategy that worked well for me for years in law. Law is still dominated by PCs, so going back and forth was necessary all the time. Tons of the really important software is cross platform anyway: word processors, graphics, etc. And if it isn't, you're set anyway...unless one or the other machines go down.

Some software comes cross platform, and some licenses, though not many, cover both. I use Lightroom on both platforms, and Photoshop. And even some utilities, like 1Password. It's a lot easier to share stuff now and I see no reason not to do what you're doing. The only real hassle is the different file systems for external drives, if you use them, but that can be dealt with as well.

Rob

 

If you want to keep switching between Mac and Windows, then cross-platform data file compatibility makes sense. If you're exchanging files with folks who may be using either Mac or Windows, ditto.

Otherwise? As long as you don't change platforms, get whatever apps will give you the best service. There will always be Mac-only and Windows-only apps. Plenty of developers choose to develop for one or the other. Unless data interchange is a critical issue, then it's no issue. As long as you can export data in a cross-platform format, even that's not a big deal.

As to Firefox? It's a browser. There's no shortage of browsers. The only reason to worry about cross-platform is if you're personally switching between platforms and want to avoid major changes.

 

If work is that important, there's a much easier way to handle failures: Keep a bootable clone of your Mac around for emergencies. You can use either Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper to create / update it. The best part about using a bootable clone is that, if something goes awry with your main setup, you can simply boot from the clone, restore your Mac, and get back to work in far less time than it would take to reinstall the OS and apps.

 

I'm new to Mac. Guess ill look them up

 

Yes, it is always a good idea to keep everything mission.critical cross-platform. Basically, you never know when or how your machine will crap out. Only that it will, at some unspecified point of time. You should never trust any single piece of hardware.

For example: hard drive crash with bad sectors. This is a serious issue, and when it happens in the wrong area, you're good for a reformat. Most likely though, a clean OS X bootable clone on an external drive can save your day.

But if your machine gets stolen, is down for repairs for an extended period of time, or otherwise unavailable, then a clone won't help you. You'll have to rely on machines that you don't necessarily know well, with unspecified restrictions (such as in a corporate setting), yet you still have to get the job done.

So far, major applications are tri-platform, with the notable exception of Evernote. But is your question oriented toward a flexibility standpoint, or a catastrophe recovery procedure?

 

+ 1 for this post. I have and use both, and they are great.