Mac

by James Clay

Created on: October 16, 2009

When I first started using computers way back when the Commodore 64 first came out I was instantly hooked. Computers became an instant passion of mine and I've used them to their maximum capability ever since. I used the first version of Windows when it came out and I've owned and used every version since then. I was one of the guys that waited in line to buy Windows 95 when it released. I never owned a Mac until just this year, hell I never even considered owning a Mac until just a couple years ago. I had been convinced by all the Apple haters that Macs were just too yuppie and expensive, and were not serious machines. When Apple announced in 2005 that they were moving to the Intel processor my ears perked up. It was at that time that I started to look into the possibility of owning a Mac but I was still not sold. I struggled with all the preconceived notions about Macs that I had learned over the years.

I stuck with Windows and even built a few Windows machines between 2000 and 2007. I got very good at fixing, upgrading, and diagnosing Windows machines in that time. My in depth knowledge of registry, DLL, and system functions convinced me that I should just stick with Windows. I liked the fact that I knew how the computer worked and how to make it work for me. I should add, that if I had a dime for every time I wiped and reloaded Windows on a malfunctioning machine I could have afforded to buy a new Macbook Pro, but I digress. I was a Windows user and I wasn't going to give up on it.

It was earlier this year (2009) that a family member bought a Macbook Pro and raved about what a great experience using it was. I shook my head ever time they bloviated about their wonderful little Macbook. In the back of my mind, though, I was wondering if there was something there I should look into. It was shortly thereafter that I had a horrible experience with my main Windows machine. I got a serious virus that my virus software didn't pick up. Now, I consider myself a very savvy internet surfer and I know all the things not to do. I know that you don't open links or attachments in emails from people you don't know, hell I don't open links and attachments from people I do know. I don't surf website that I'm not pretty familiar with and I sure as hell don't use per to per software and I always always update by software both OS and anti virus. Never the less, I got hit and hit bad. It really shook my conviction about my knowledge of windows and computers. Enough that I made a trip to the Apple store near were I live.

I found the whole experience of the shopping trip to be pretty pleasant. I was also surprised to see that Macs were not as expensive as I thought they were. Oh, you can spend some serious coin at the Apple store but, you don't have to in order to get a pretty decent machine. I made several more trips to the Apple store after that and did a lot of research on line before finally deciding to jump on the Mac bandwagon. I purchased a 15" Macbook Pro with 500 GB 7200 RPM HD, 4 GB of RAM, and 2.8GHz processor running OSX Snow Leopard. It wasn't cheap but, it was in the same ballpark as the Dell XPS that I was considering at the same time. In fact it was only about $150 more expensive than the Dell I had configured on line. So, I can say firmly that Macs are not necessarily more expensive than comparable Windows machines. Granted, Apple has fewer SKU's but they have a very nice range to choose from and something for just about everybody.

I got the computer and stiffened myself for an arduous transition from Windows to Mac OS. To my surprise the transition was incredibly easy. I started up the computer and it instantly recognized my wireless network and all I had to do was put in my password. It also saw my network attached storage drive and my networked laser printer. I didn't need any drivers or complicated set up to make either work. The only software that I had to buy to help out with the move was a $10 program called O2M from Little Machines. This made moving my Outlook contacts and mail a breeze. Moving my pictures and music took a bit longer but went smoothly. All in all, setting up my new Macbook was a very pleasant and smooth experience. Nothing like what I expected, what I've come to expect from past Windows set ups.

Using the Mac has been a pleasure. It starts up very quickly, though I almost never actually shut it down. It shuts down in just a couple seconds, but as I said, I almost never shut it down. I usually just close the lid at which point the computer falls instantly to sleep and wakes immediately upon opening the lid back up. I can count on one hand the number of times i've actually shut the computer down since I bought it. In the past when I tried using Windows hibernate or for that matter just the sleep mode I found that weird stuff usually followed upon waking, if in fact it actually woke up at all which ultimately led to my having to reboot. This is one reason why Macs would be great for students. When class is over, just shut the lid and move on secure in the knowledge that everything will be just fine when you open the lid back up in the next class.

With regard to included software I have to say that Apple has a great overall package with iLife and, if you choose, iWork which in my humble opinion is far superior to MS Office. All of the included software works great and is fully integrated with all the other software on the machine. Every windows machine that I've ever bought in the past came with a glut of included crapware that I neither wanted or needed. Which leads to my next point, installing and uninstalling software. On a Windows based computer the installation process for most software creates folders and sticks files all over the place. It creates registry entries and sometimes shoves files in your system folder. Try fully uninstalling any software from a windows machine, it can't be done. Oh, you may think it's completely gone but I assure you that it's not. There are typically pieces and parts of programs scattered all over the place that make it next to impossible to completely remove every trace of a program. In Mac OSX this just isn't the case. Most programs are completely self contained or only have 3 or 4 files that actually get installed on your system. Installing most software on a Mac simply involves dragging the software program into your Applications folder.....that's it. Uninstalling is just as easy, just drag the program out of your Applications folder and into the trash, program gone. No registry, no DLL's, no newly created folders in weird locations on your hard drive.

With regard to the actual UI for Windows and OSX I'll concede that Windows 7 has a great UI, but so does Snow Leopard so lets just say that they both have very nice interfaces. Sure Windows has more published software to choose from , but most of that software is crap. I have yet to find one thing that I could do on my windows machine that I can't do on my Macbook. In fact there is a myriad of software for Macs free for the download and most of it is very useful and very powerful. The only software that I've bought for my Macbook was the afore mentioned O2M and IWork which I got for the bargain basement price of $79. Compare that to cost of MS Office which in my opinion is less user friendly than iWork. Other then that, I've gotten all my other software for free. Don't let anyone tell you that "there's no software for Macs". That was one of the myths that I was suffering under.

I'd like to say a word about Apple Care. Understand that I'm not some Mac "Fan Boy" as windows lovers like to label anyone who speaks highly of Macs. I'm just a guy who loves computing and everything that they can do for you. I'm also a guy who was tired of trouble shooting problems, sometimes on a daily basis. There is no way that something as complex as a modern computer with all it's components and millions of lines of code running that is flawless. That's why I opted to buy the Apple Care extension program which gives you 3 years of full coverage on your new computer. I would highly recommend that anyone getting a new Mac pony up for this option. I have actually have need to call them when, for no reason my bluetooth ceased to function and I couldn't use my bluetooth mouse. Here is the big difference between windows machines and Macs. When you have a problem with a windows machine you call up the manufacturer and you get some guy in India reading from a script who usually tells you that it's a software problem and you need to call the Microsoft or whoever. You then call the software manufacturer and they tell you it's a hardware problem and you end up going round and round for sometimes hours trying to get your problem solved. When you call Apple Care with a problem, be it software or hardware you get a guy in the US who is not reading from a script. Since Apple makes the software and the hardware and because they offer few SKU's, they are able to trouble shoot just about any problem very quickly. They had my bluetooth back up and running in less than 10 min and I never got shuffled around to different people. I called one number and talked to one knowledgeable guy and got my problem solved. Apple has the best customer support of just about any company in any sector. If you don't believe me just look it up.

What I've discovered moving from Windows PC's to the Mac is that all, not some, but all of the myths that I had believed about Macs were wrong. They're not any more expensive than a comparable windows PC there is a ton of software for them and they are incredibly powerful machines. The one thing that I don't see PC lovers arguing much about is the fact that there are no viruses or malware for Mac OSX. This was the biggest and final nail in the coffin of PC's for me. The virus experience that I had earlier in the year was what put me over the top on making my decision. I've been happily computing and surfing the net without worry and with out anti virus software. Now, some may argue that they can be hit by viruses and that they could be vulnerable but the evidence simply does not bare that out. I now know why Mac users are so passionate about their machines. I can't tell you how enjoyable it is to open up that lid and know that my computer is going to work flawlessly and that even if it doesn't I need only call one number to get back on track. I'm also comforted in the fact that Time Machine, Apples stellar back up software has my back if anything catastrophic was to happen.

Is Mac better than PC for students? Hell yes, it's better for anybody.

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