I am a user of Windows and Mac going back to the early 90′s.the one thing you will find with a mac and the mac third party developers is that you can delete every standard mac programs and install the application you use and love without the operating system trying make you use default programs embedded in the OPs. Outlook in windows is a great example.

shane

I’m sure you’ll have a blast with your new lappy. Enjoy!

I started High school, got a job, got into music, art, etc etc and was too busy for computers. Once the whole internet thing took off, I found the need to get back into computers. (eBay and email were my killer apps!) By then, Dad was rockin’ a Win 95 box. I used that for a few years until I bought my own PC in 1998. I had been so far removed from the Mac at that point that I didn’t even consider it as an option. There were no Apple stores, and I didn’t know where to even buy one, nor did I know a single soul who even had one.

I got used to the Windows OS, as bad as it was. I had to reboot my PC ever night or it would crash. Win NT and ME were on my machine for maybe a day. Yes, that bad.

I had high hopes for Win 2000, and bought it pretty much the day it came out. It was better, but far from the solid state OS that I longed for. Soon I upgraded to a P3, then a P4. I build cutting edge, state of the art machines; kept up with the times. But I found myself constantly fighting the OS to get done what I needed to get done. I continued to fight Windows tooth and nail for a few more years.

I was sick and tired of the lousy OS performance, despite having awesome hardware. Windows would hang, and crash.
An old friend of mine swears by Linux; uses nothing else. So I figured I’d give them a shot.

Over the next few years, I switched back and forth between Linux and Windows 2000/XP. I hated Windows with a passion, so with every new Linux release I prayed that it would be the one to replace Windows.

I tried Red Hat 7, then 8, then 9, then Fedora 1, 2, 3. I tried Suse 8, 9, 10. Tried Knoppix, Xandros, and Mandrake. They looked slick, performance was good. But, I couldn’t stand it that every time I went to install an app, I had to install package after package, dependency after dependency. This won’t install without that, that won’t install without this. It would take me 2 weeks to trick out the OS so that I could do something as simple as play a DVD or a few mp3s. Print jobs never looked as good with Linux as they did on Windows. I shouldn’t have to spend an hour rewriting my XFree86Config file to get my second monitor to work! Every program is a hack, written by some 14 year old in a basement in Holland. Sorry, I want iTunes for my iPod. I want my browser to play Quicktime and flash without a hack. I want to edit my home movies and make cool DVDs to send to my parents. I want to make my own music. I want a cool WYSIWYG editor to make a web site. I want awesome photo editing. (Sorry, The GIMP is horrible!) Maybe my standards are set too high? Maybe I have unrealistic expectations? Things SHOULD JUST WORK! See where I’m going?

Linux is great for email and surfing the internet. Good as a server that has to do nothing but sit there, but as far as a full fledged desktop OS, not on your life. I don’t see how other people do it. They must just accept the fact that they can’t do 90% of what they want to using Linux. And running Windows apps with WINE is just not a viable solution.

So Windows is out, Linux is out. And while all this is going on, I have my eye on the Mac. Apple stores are starting to open, CompUSA is stocking their shelves, coworkers have them. People are talking. I gawked over the G3 line, marveled at the specs. By now I had moved out of my parents’ house and was paying rent on my own. I couldn’t afford to drop 2 grand on a new computer. “Gotta get a Mac, gotta get a Mac”, I thought to myself. Soon, the G4 line came out. Aw! Now we’re talking! “Gotta get a Mac gotta get a Mac.” Still, couldn’t afford it.

The Windows struggle continued. I eBayed some old PC parts and an old laptop and made enough to built a new Dual Xeon 64 bit machine. XP64 was better. More stable, but still Windows. The OS X bug had been planted. I’d been to the stores, seen the machines, tried OS X. By now, I’d kill to run OS X. And that’s all I wanted. I’d given Windows and Linux the benefit of the doubt for 10 years, but enough was enough. I sold all my PC junk and bought a 17” MacBook Pro and 20” Cinema Display. It was the best computer purchase I have ever made.

As far as the WOW factor, nothing in Windows land comes close. I wish I bought a Mac when OS X first came out. It is the best OS I have ever used. I can’t find a single reason for someone not to switch. And with Boot Camp, Parallels, and Fusion. There’s no reason not to. If you find yourself in a situation where you need access to Windows or a Windows app, it’s very easy to get ‘er done.

Don’t get me wrong. I hate using Windows and Linux, but I’m not a self import elitist Mac user. I use Windows at work everyday. I use Linux for what it’s good for. Just the other week I used a PC and Linux to hack my Tivo and add a second hard drive.

Using a Mac has been the best computing experience I have ever had. It looks amazing, performance is great. Everything is so easy to do. Plus, the hardware design looks amazing.

I have since sold my 17” MacBook Pro and 20” Cinema Display. I bought a 13” MacBook and 30” Cinema Display and I am currently saving up for an 8 core Mac Pro. (I’m almost there!) I can’t wait.

If anyone out there is thinking of switching! Do not hesitate any longer. Take it from us switchers! As soon as you switch, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner! If you can’t afford a new Mac, take a look at eBay. Make it happen! You’ll never regret it!

No, finding Mac OS flaws and issues is NOT blasphemy – it’s one of our favorite hobbies! There is a long and storied history of Apple fans being their biggest critics – it’s one of the things that tends to keep Apple, Inc. on its toes.

Over and over, you’ll see that if Apple stumbles, the message boards light up with critical posts – we are NOT bashful about letting them know we’re not happy!

So settle in and enjoy – not only are the products great, but so is the community you’ve just joined!