AW_Learner - 12:40 am on Jul 17, 2004 (gmt 0)

What is it that turns you on about your Mac?

It's damn sexy and sleek. Thin, light, large 17" screen (powerbook). Easy to use. Always work. Functionality and the way it works makes instant straight-forward common sense without having to try to figure out what it is doing or why it is not working like on windows. Very stable. Very high resolution screens/icons. When I use OSX I feel like it is my own personal customized virtual world that I am in total control of and understand like the back of my hand. Like breathing. When I use Windows I feel like I am in a weird twilight zone cheese world, where nothing makes sense or works the way it's suppose to. And it's like I'm an unwelcome visitor that is totally abused. Everything is low res. and looks like a 2yr old designed it. And that's just the software. Get into the cheesy plastic toy like machines made for use with Windows. All gadgety and gimmicky but cheap.

What functionality would you loose if you went to a comparably equipped PC?

There's functionality in Windows?

What is your main complaint about PCs... the viruses and Micro$oft?

Everything about it. Can't write a book here. But I'll just say that in my book with PC's representing generic machines that run windows, "P.C." stands for "Piece of crap" and "Windows" is what it should be thrown out of!

Why do you put up with such a small selection of software and aftermarket parts providers?

Small selection? Are you kidding? The selection is HUGE! Just how much time is there in a day? Out of all the programs and software I have and that came free with my OS, I probably only use about 10% of them ever. Are you using a new software every 10 minutes? What is the point of that? The main thing comes down to the Quality of the software, not the quantity. It is a little frustrating when I see some software I would like to try out online that is for windows only. But I do have Virtual PC 6 running Windows XP. So I just download it anyways, fire up Virtual PC running XP and check it out on there. And even then, while using the virtual windows all it does is remind me how much I hate it and why I don't want to use windows. And the new software is hardly worth even using the virtual PC. I keep thinking about trashing it.

Is it your roots in Apple (most mac users seem to be life long) that have kept you in Macs?

Hell no I have no roots in Mac. I grew up using PC's with windows because that is what my family had and used. I didn't convert until 1998 when I met someone who used Mac's exclusively. It didn't take more then a day of using a Mac for the first time in my life to instantly convert me for the rest of my life. I was so happy to sell my PC! I hated it before I even ever experienced a Mac. Now I've converted my parents as well.

Is a Mac REALLY worth paying SO much for?

Well considering that I probably would barely use computers at all if it were not for being able to use a Mac I would say of course! They are not even comparable. Not now that OSX is out. It's like comparing a Yugo car to a Porsche or Mercedes and asking if a Mercedes is REALLY worth paying SO much more for. (Actually I prefer Landrover). Well it sure is as long as you have money. Mac's seem to keep there value much better too and are easier to sell since there are not as many of them on the market. I have gone through probably about 50 Macs so far. The most I have ever lost buying a brand new Mac and then reselling it on Ebay a couple years later has been a few hundred dollars. So it is almost like cheap renting. And I get to always have the latest version. Compare that to some PC servers that I bought a couple years ago for over $3,000 each and would be lucky to get $300 for today. In fact I have been trying to sell them for Months now with no luck! The market is saturated and they are worth nothing now.
That's a far greater loss in investment!

Not to mention that generally the only add ons I usually ever need to buy for my Macs are some extra ram, extra firewire storage and maybe an airport card. It comes pre-loaded with everything I really need right out of the box. And since I have switched to Mac I have not had ONE virus. I never buy the extra Apple Care Protection because I have not had to ever use it. If I did, I could just go down the street to my local Apple Store and they would fix it right there in a few minutes.

I have versions of all the programs on my PC that my Mac guys use. It seems that Macs are evolving to conform... what are your thoughts on this?

I have tons of programs that are only for Mac. Actually I can't wait until Apple starts taking over all the main professional programs. I'd like them to replace all my Adobe programs etc. Because they make all there in house software so much better and more intuitive and advanced then these 3rd party companies I use now. That is the way they are going too. They may have a small share of the market now but computers are still very new. They have great long term vision... My thoughts are that Apple seriously should be patenting all these amazing new things that there developers and programers create because they are ALWAYS copied and imitated a year later for the PC. But as they say, always imitated but never duplicated!

BTW- these are just my personal experiences and subjective opinions. Nothing objective and nothing against windows or those who like it. I just can't stomach using it myself.