Easy to do if one is starting now with computers but not an option for those who already invested time and money on Apple hardware and use it for their daily wo

Easy to do if one is starting now with computers but not an option for those who already invested time and money on Apple hardware and use it for their daily work. In these context I would rather suggest to buy (or build, which is also fun and instructive) a 2nd PC machine running whatever the user wants. This would also helps to keep the two worlds separated (work|tinkering). That involves some money for sure, but if the user has a job involving Apple products, chances are that a much more affordable platform like a PC won't be a problem.