It's easier than you think.

That's the first piece of advice I can give to anyone who has ever considered switching from a typical Windows-run PC to an Apple. The new 17-inch PowerBook G4 is a marvelous testament to this statement.

Only 1 inch thick and sporting a 17-inch wide screen, one would expect this shiny laptop to be all beauty and no brain. In fact, the first thing that stands out is the size and clarity of the screen itself, far outshining other laptop displays and even some desktop monitors.

This computer is far more than just for show, however. A speedy machine decked out with 512MB of RAM and a spacious 60-GB hard drive, this PowerBook has perfectly replaced my PC of yore and allowed me to keep all my old files as well.

Apple advertises that it's easier than ever to make the switch from PCs to their own systems, yet I have to admit I was skeptical at first.

I backed up all my PC data onto a portable hard drive and crossed my fingers. Upon plugging the drive into the Apple PowerBook (which comes with a plethora of ports for various peripherals), the computer churned for a few seconds, and suddenly there appeared my drive ready to go, files and all.

Even all my old Microsoft Word and Excel files worked perfectly as the PowerBook comes with a trial version of both programs.

Almost all my movie files played perfectly right away in QuickTime, and, for those few who didn't, I was easily able to find small applications off the Internet (including a Mac version of Windows Media Player) that soon were playing any file I threw at them.

As for my MP3 stash, it only got better and better. Built into Apple's operating system is iLife, an integrated network of four multimedia programs, including a music playing, CD-ripping and burning program (iTunes); a digital photo organizer (iPhoto); a simplistic yet powerful movie editor (iMovie); and the most amazing application of the four, a DVD-producing program (iDVD).

After easily dragging and dropping all my MP3s and photos right into the fast and beautifully organized iTunes and iPhoto, I decided to explore the integrated features of these programs. In iMovie, you can easily access any music or photos files and drag them right into your movie's timeline. A few button clicks later, and you can port your entire movie into iDVD or burn a real DVD, playable on almost all modern players.

A computer illiterate would have zero problems producing a professional-looking DVD in a surprisingly short amount of time.

The PowerBook's fancy features, however, go far beyond its given software (and there are plenty more goodies unable to be covered in the limited space of this review).

Besides the standard USB and FireWire ports, this laptop includes a wireless Ethernet card, which allows for wireless Internet access near special access points found most often in hotels, airports and some college campuses, although Penn State has yet to jump on this bandwagon of the future.

If I have one complaint, it's most definitely in regard to the battery. While Apple's site claims four and a half hours of life, I can never seem to get more than three, and that's with running few programs.

While I haven't watched a whole one yet, I can't imagine the battery surviving an entire DVD movie.

While pricey, Apple's PowerBook is pretty, portable and powerful. It's a smart computer and a smart buy.

So when it comes time to purchase your next computer, consider becoming a "switcher."