Exchanging files between a Macintosh and a Windows PC is not only easy but extremely common. Even highly targeted applications and scientific packages are now available on multiple platforms — allowing for far easier file transfer.
Macs and PCs Use the Same Formats
Currently, major applications such as Microsoft Office use the same file formats on both Macintosh and PC platforms. On standard documents, a 100% compatibility between Office 2004 and Office 97, 2000 or XP for PC is guaranteed. Macros also work properly as long as they do not call on external programs.
Adobe PageMaker, Illustrator and QuarkXPress also use multi-platform files and the original page layout of these documents will be retained if the same PostScript fonts are used on both platforms.
Sometimes, it may still be necessary for files to be converted to move them from one platform to another. An application’s “Save as” option will often let you save a document in a format that is recognized by both Macs and PCs.
Most applications can save files in both Mac and PC format. Software like QuickTime, Debabelizer and Graphic Converter, and tools such as MacLink Plus and Conversion Plus are very handy for converting audio and video files as well as other unusual document formats.
