Dick,
Yes, the Macs will run Windoze. To run Windoze on a Mac you have to purchase a retail copy of the Windoze program. I could not justify spending over $1200 for the computer and $200 for the Windoze XP to run Coastal Explorer when a Compaq could be purchased for under $400. I also did not want to expose a $1200 computer to the salt air.
I considered the MacENC nav program which is available for the Mac computers, but it is more basic and does not handle waypoints and routes as well as CE. MacENC looks like a good program for folks who boat in limited areas, but not for Puget Sound to Alaska work. Many routes and waypoints are required and my current Furuno GPS has about 750 waypoints and 50 routes in it with more to be added this summer.
In setting up Coastal Explorer, the CE program was $300 at the boat show and a USB GPS to match is $150. Also required is a serial to USB converter at $50 to $125 and a serial cable to get the AIS info from the new Standard Horizon GX2100 VHF/AIS ($400) to the computer. Still to go is buying the Canadian West coast chart discs for $350.
So the $800 not spent on a Mac book pro paid for the VHF/AIS and the Canadian charts.
The Compaq running W 7 will be dedicated to navigation only, and not used online, so it will be safe from viruses.
I did not want to have W 7 and have to learn a new OS, but it is getting difficult to buy a new XP machine these days.