going to mac

niccy

my laptop has almost breathed her last breath ( O.S. Windows XP ) , so i am looking to buy a Mac for a change.My question is will all my saved photos and my few word docs which i've saved to an external drive go seemlessly onto a new Mac.

Moneymaker

A new Mac comes with a trial version of MS Office. I don't know what it costs to buy but you might like to try the free open-source version (There's Neo Office and Open Office - I forget which) before paying.

Most Word docs will open up in "TextEdit" (comes with OSX) anyway.

Your photos won't be a problem. I recommend the very cheap GraphicConverter (shareware) if you can't afford a professional package. You'll also find that iPhoto (comes free) will do basic stuff.

Basically, you shouldn't have a problem but the first few weeks of using a different O.S. will seem strange and maybe even frustrating at times. Macs do work slightly differently from Windows.

There are plenty of specialist Mac forums and mailing lists where you can get free help from people who are enthusiastic.