Are PCs compatible with Macs?

Yes.

Windows PCs, Linux PCs, and Macs can all coexist on the same network, share files with one another, and communicate with one another.

While the applications (programs) are particular to each operating system, there are often comparable or compatible applications that can work with the same or similar file formats. For example, Microsoft Office is made for Windows and for Mac OS X (although in different versions), but not for Linux -- but Linux has OpenOffice.org or StarOffice, which are similar products and can even work with standard .doc and .rtf files.

Many file formats are standard file types that can be opened and/or used with many different applications. Take JPEG (.jpg), for example - it's a standard image file format that can be opened and/or saved with a variety of applications, ranging from MSPaint to Adobe Photoshop to Graphic Converter to Corel Photo Paint and more.

All platforms have email applications and web browsers, and the internet is becoming increasingly standards-based, making computing platform choice a secondary concern.

Also, virtualization technologies are allowing users to install and use multiple OSes on a single computer, mitigating many concerns about cross-platform compatibility.

First answer by Arbee. Last edit by Ckm. Contributor trust: 110 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 9 [recommend question]