What Mac Stuff We Like to Buy From Microsoft - Wait a Minute, Microsoft?!

So can you be an Apple fan and still buy stuff from Microsoft? I think you can. The rivalry is over and the companies went their separate ways. Microsoft's monopoly in the OS for PCs and in office suites is unchallenged. Apple has taken their wins where they can by creating the best consumer software and hardware, and dominating in the portable music player business.

So let's talk about the 800 lb. gorilla, Microsoft Office. I'm not sure this falls in the "like to buy" category. I think you buy it if you will be required to use it. If you work with people who need you to be 100% compatible with their MS Office documents, then you need it. Likewise, if you are in a class where it's required, then tough, you need to get it.

But let's be honest, most people could get by with a 15 year old word processor of any type. Free options like TextEdit and Google Docs will be able to take care of YOUR word processing needs, but the issue comes up when you get the Word and Excel docs from others and you need to work on them.

Bonus Tip: TextEdit, Pages and Google Docs all choke on some amateur art and layouts you will receive from colleagues, but if all you need to do is view the file, don't forget about Quick Look in the Finder. This has been one of the most pleasant surprises in Leopard. Quick Look will display the MS Office docs better than these other programs.

So what do we LIKE to buy from Microsoft? This might surprise you: mice and keyboards. Their mice are outstanding and their keyboards offer options you can't get from Apple.

It's Apple's style to put form over function, and for Microsoft, it's vice-versa: function over form. So when Apple leaves features out to make their products look good and be easy to use, Microsoft tends to load down their products with extra crap.

Where this works for you is your input devices. Everyone knows how to use a keyboard and mouse. Throwing 10 extra buttons in there shouldn't put you off your game. It should expand your game because now you can program these extra buttons to do shortcuts like move back and forth in your browser or have one-touch access to your apps through the keyboard.

There are several surprising things about Microsoft's keyboards and mice. First, that they make them at all. What in the world are they doing making $29 hardware? This group probably contributes .03% to MS's bottom line. Second, they actually innovate in this space. Just when you thought the last innovator at MS turned off the lights. Third, they actually have a lot of Mac hardware. More than Apple offers for input devices. Check out this page of all their current stuff.

So if you've seen this classic video of the Microsoft redesign of the 2005 iPod packaging, you can appreciate this side by side comparison of the packaging graphics for the same mouse for PC customers and Mac customers. Seriously, I think the Mac package has less than half the crap the Windows version does. (Note: the iPod video was produced for in-house viewing by Microsoft. At least they have a sense of humor about themselves.)

What about buying and running Windows on my Mac? I file this one under "have to buy", not "like to buy". If you are running Windows on your Mac, in all likelihood it is because you need to. I suspect if that program you are running in Windows was made for the Mac, you would be using it in the Mac OS.

Same goes for having to use Outlook to get on your company's Exchange server. That's actually an overlooked monopoly in the Microsoft portfolio. How many buying decisions are made based on compatibility with Exchange rather than on the product's own merit? Isn't it shocking how Entourage doesn't have that same bulletproof Exchange compatibility as Outlook does. Oh well. At least PC operating systems and office suites are getting less and less relevant day by day.

So do you think you can have Microsoft gear hooked up to your Mac? Is this cats and dogs living together? I know MS products don't look as good as Apple products, but look at it this way: your eyes should be on your screen, not your mouse or keyboard.


What other Microsoft products do you like? Do you have a favorite mouse or keyboard? Let us know in the Comments section below.

DIG DEEPER

Microsoft's Mac hardware page

Microsoft designs the iPod package

Microsoft puts its mouse in Mac clothing

What is this?

Tell A Friend

Print Page

Your Comments:

I find it sooo ironic that Microsoft, an alleged software company, actually produces better hardware products than many (and worse software than most).

I actually own far more Microsoft hardware products at home than I have Microsoft software products.

 John Lockwood
 01/25/2008  at  08:47 AM

I really like the new aluminum Mac keyboards. I'm typing on one now and not sure I could ever use anything else now. The Mighty Mouse, however, is really dismal. Apple's inability to produce a decent mouse in any era has always confounded me. I'll stick with my Kensington.

 Brandon Johnson
 01/25/2008  at  11:58 AM

Microsoft keyboards are made by Logitech, sometimes simply rebadged.

 snowbag
 01/26/2008  at  05:55 AM

Own a White Macbook and I bought a Mighty Mouse in the beginning. Right click not responsive at all. Bluetooth pairing takes forever.

Found this Bluetooth mouse from Logitech. Good design, light and I got the one in White and Gray to match

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/mice/devices/3287&cl=ca,en

Only pity is that Mouse Button 4 is missing so you can only choose either Desktop or Expose for the scroll click. Oh yeah it scrolls horizontally also.

 Noel
 01/28/2008  at  01:01 AM

I agree with the writer, Microsoft makes awesome keyboards and mice.
I'm a Mac diehard but when it comes down to input devices... Micrsoft wins hands down. I just upgraded my keyboard and mouse to the cordless 6000 and I love it. My last MS cordless keyboard was great never had a problem with it! In additon MS keyboards have neat little buttons on keyboard and mouse that work Awesome with Mac Apps right out of the box!

 Greg Nembhard
 03/04/2008  at  01:10 PM

Windows will be around for a long time, and there is always something you need or want (to make things easier for you) to the dark side of the world. Personally, I like Windows, and some features may be because I'm using it forever, but the good news, as I see it is that you do not have to choose one or the other, you can have both of them and use MS Word for documents , Apple to the core for presentations, etc. It's good to take advantage of the two mayors competing companies, which cover almost every aspect of Tech.

 Computers Software
 12/30/2008  at  11:19 AM