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Should I upgrade from Windows 7 to Mac?
7 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Microsoft has officiallyended support for Windows 7, and now common users and organizations are left wondering what their next step should be. Officially, there are only 3 things that a user can do as of now:
Of course, these are the only option if you plan on continuing using Windows as your personal or your company’s OS. This is because the option ofmigrating to an entirely new OSis always available.
For example, Microsoft’s biggest competitor in the OS market is Apple’s macOS. Given how popular these two OSes are, we’ve decided to do a breakdown and analyze several aspects:
Windows 7 vs macOS: What should I go for?
1. Windows 7 vs macOS: Which is cheaper for companies?
Windows 7 still holds strong popularity among companies, and plenty of themaren’t keen on migratingjust yet. As mentioned before, one of the options for companies that wish to continue using Windows 7 is buying the Windows 7 Extended Support for Business.
This feature is quite easy to acquire, but it is only a temporary solution, as it will only buy you up to 3 more years of security support. The only problem is that the costs ramp up quite a lot as time passes by, as you can see for yourself in the table below.
As you can see, a full 3 years of extended support for Windows 7 Pro will end up costing you $350, while 3 years of extended support for Windows 7 Enterprise will cost you $175 per computer.
That is a lot of money for both regular users and companies. This is especially the case when you consider the latter will just end up paying tends of thousands of dollars for an OS they will have to migrate from anyway eventually.
On the flipside, migrating to Mac seems to be a far more attractive offer as far as costs go. For example, Apple’s latest version of the macOS, called macOS Catalina is free of cost. The only downside is that it is free as long as you have the hardware.
Thus, the true question is whether it is cheaper to maintain an old OS, or buy some new hardware and get a free OS for life. The truth of the matter is that if you are still running Windows 7, most likely your hardware is in dire need of replacement anyway.
Because of that, putting hardware costs aside, the only real money sink is in the long run. While Apple kit is expensive, it does come with several advantages:
If all of these arguments have got you thinking about migrating, then you should probably know how to get started with the process.
2. How to migrate from Windows 7 to MacBook
Before migrating your data, there are several things you need to assess:
If everything seems to be in place, you may begin the migration process itself.
You will need to download the right Windows Migration Assistant, which varies depending on the version of macOS on your MacBook:
Once you’ve followed all of these steps, you should have migrated all of your data from Windows 7 to macOS efficiently.
If you just want to try out macOS before migrating to it entirely, then maybe you should see how to transfer data from Windows 7 to macOS.
Afterward, you can use the data in macOS, and see if you feel more comfortable with this new OS.
3. How to transfer data from Windows 7 to macOS
There are plenty of methods that allow you to transfer data from Windows 7 to macOS. Besides the Migration Assistant mentioned above you can also use one of these methods to transfer data efficiently:
3.1 Portable hard drive or storage device
Simply create backups of your data on an external hard drive or a USB flash drive and then transfer them to your MacBook, similarly to old-fashioned PC-to-PC transfers.
3.2 Burn CDs and DVDs
SImply burning data on a disk and then transferring it to your MacBook is the easiest way to transfer data. By using this method you also get the added benefit of having a spare backup of your data at hand.
3.3. Shared network folders
Using a server to which both a PC and a Mac have access to is another great way of transferring data since now everything is done without the need of any type of hardware.
The only limitation is that both the PC and Mac need to be connected to the same server.
3.4 Email
Small amounts of information like text documents or pictures are not worth having to use an external hard drive, CD, DVD or set up a shared folder. This is when transferring data via Email becomes really handy.
3.5. Via Ethernet cable
If both the PC and the Mac are in close vicinity to each other, you can always use an Ethernet cable to connect the two and share files between them almost instantly.
3.6 Move the hard drive entirely
This is probably the most complicated method of all since PC-formatted hard drives are not always compatible with Macs. Keep in mind though thatMac OS X v10.3 or later can read the contents of an NTFS-formatted drive, but will be unable to save any new files or make changes to existing files without first reformatting the drive.
Conclusion
Now you know the pros and cons of staying with Windows 7 or moving to macOS. Additionally, you now know how to transfer data between a PC and a Mac, or even migrate entirely.
With this information, you will now be able to make a better decision regarding what your next step will be in terms of the OS you will use for both personal use, and within your company.
Will you remain with Windows 7, upgrade to Windows 10, or move on to macOS? Let us know what your choices are in the comment section below.
More about the topics:mac os,windows 10,windows 7
Teodor Nechita
Eager to help those in need, Teodor writes articles daily on subjects regarding Windows, Xbox, and all things tech-related.
When not working, you may usually find him either at the gym or taking a stroll in the park, trying to find inspiration for the next articles he may write.
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