Finally, a way to make Macs and PCs play nice

This post is brought to you by Paragon Software Group, maker of NTFS for Mac.

It’s an unfortunate truth that Macs and PCs generally don’t get along. Snickering ads aside, the discord between the platforms is a real inconvenience for anyone trying to make the jump from one to the other, or for people who work with both at the same time.

Luckily, software can help — and you can enter to win a three-in-one bundle that helps bridge the Mac-PC divide.

One of the biggest problems is that the underlying architectures of Apple’s and Microsoft’s operating systems make it all but impossible to mount and view files from one when using the other — even using a simple thumb drive in one machine might make it impossible to use in another.

Complicated workarounds exist, but there are just as many potential problems as solutions. For the average user, the challenge can seem insurmountable (pun intended), but Paragon’s NTFS for Mac is an easy-to-use solution for this tricky problem.

NTFS is the language used by Windows-based machines to read and write information onto a hard drive. Apple’s equivalent is called HFS+.

The two are quite literally not on speaking terms — you can’t write onto a Windows-formatted hard drive on a Mac, and a Windows machine won’t recognize an Apple-originated drive. Since basically anything that comes from a Microsoft machine uses NTFS (and likewise for Mac and HFS+), making changes to one kind of drive on the other is a no-go.

Say you’re running Windows on your Mac using Boot Camp, with Yosemite as your OS. When you run Windows, you simply won’t be able to make changes to any files. Suddenly the window is a literal one, allowing you to look but not touch.

Or maybe you work in an office that uses a mix of Apple and Microsoft machines. As a Mac user, you’ll be out of luck the moment you’ve got to collaborate with a department that runs on PCs — unless you’ve installed NTFS for Mac.

How NTFS for Mac works

The software enables two-way communication between the needlessly distant worlds of Windows and Apple. Setup is simple, using a .dmg file of the sort you’d see when installing any other Mac application. It installs a first-of-its-kind, custom-built, low-level (read: it’ll disappear into the background) driver that becomes a basic part of the way your computer sees data.

It’s like an instant language course for your computer. Restart your Mac, and suddenly all your NTFS-formatted files are as readable and writable as any others on your machine, at exactly the same speeds. The Mac-Windows divide disappears, and soon your computers are getting along so well you’ll forget they ever disagreed.

NTFS for Mac will work on any OS from Snow Leopard all the way up to Yosemite, making it a viable solution for almost any Mac user. Paragon Software Group hasn’t forgotten about Microsoft users either — HFS+ for Windows 10 solves the compatibility issue from the opposite end, and Camptune X makes it possible to shuffle disk space between the Mac and Windows sides of whatever computer setup you’re using.

Get the 3-in-1 Mac bundle

There’s enough conflict in the world as it is; let’s make it so our computers get along.

If you’re ready to get your computers communicating with one another, Paragon has a great offer for you. All three products — NTFS for Mac, Camptune X and HFS+ for Windows 10 — are being offered in a single $39.95 bundle, delivering a lot of compatibility solutions for less than 40 bucks. Everyone will be happier.

Limited time: Win the 3-in-1 bundle

Right now you can enter to win one of 15 free copies of the three-in-one bundle being given away by Paragon Software Group and Cult of Mac. To enter, just leave a comment below by 5 p.m. Pacific on Monday, August 3, 2015. Fifteen winners will be chosen at random to receive free licenses for NTFS for Mac, Camptune X and HFS+ for Windows 10.

Important: You must have a valid email address linked to your Disqus account to win — that is how winners will be contacted. Entrants without valid email addresses will be disqualified. Winners’ free licenses will be registered to their email addresses by Paragon Software Group.

If you’ve missed the giveaway deadline, you can still buy your way to PC-Mac compatibility. Get Paragon’s 3-in-1 Mac Bundle or explore the three distinct products in the bundle.

Staff Writer

Cult of Mac is your source for news on tech and culture as seen through an Apple lens.