Its market share has tripled since 2005. At the 2008 Macworld Expo, there were 475 booths and 50,000 attendees—both up 25 percent over the previous year. And Mac book sales are up about 35 percent over a year ago (woo-hoo!). And then there’s you, possibly the most signifcant statistic of all, sitting there reading this book—because, obviously, you intend to switch to (or add on) a Mac. What’s going on? Maybe the coolness of all those iPods and iPhones is rubbing off onto the rest of Apple’s product line. Maybe people have grown weary of boring beige and black boxes. Maybe it was the “I’m a Mac/ I’m a PC” ads on TV, or the convenience of the Apple stores. Maybe potential switchers feel more confdent to take the plunge now that Macs (because they contain Intel chips) can run Windows programs. Or maybe people have just spent one Saturday too many dealing with viruses, worms, spyware, crapware, excessive startup processes, questionable frewalls, ineffcient permissions, and all the other land mines strewn across the Windows world. In any case, there’s never been a better time to make the switch. Mac OS X version 10.5 (Leopard) is gorgeous, easy to understand, and virus-free. Apple’s computers are in top form, too, complete with features like built-in video cameras, built-in Ethernet, DVD burners, and two different kinds of wireless connections. If you’re talking laptops, the story is even better: Apple’s laptops generally cost less than similarly outftted Windows laptops, yet weigh less. Plus, they look a lot cooler.