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an inveterate PC software junkie, over the years I have loaded new, dangerous stuff into Windows with sometimes destructive results. That is not possible with Mac, which probably explains why Mac does not seem to support many games. (I play my games on X-Box and use my PC for more productive activities.)

Service after the sale

To be honest, PC dealers do a horrible job in looking after their customers once the computer is taken out of the store. Try getting any service or trouble shooting help from a vendor or computer manufacturer and what you get is basically a frustrating runaround. The hardware guys blame the software and it's hard to get the software guys to blame anyone, since it's nearly impossible for the average disgruntled customer to diagnose the problem in the first place. (What is a "fatal error," anyway?)

Remember, I said I purchased my Mac at a Mac Store near my home. The first day I started using the Mac I couldn't figure out how to open the DVD drive bay and I couldn't get the speakers to work. So I picked up the phone and called. The young fellow on the other end patiently walked me through these (admittedly embarrassingly simple) problems. In fact, the Mac Store is more like a computer lab with roaming experts - a far cry from the eclectic Circuit City environment, whose sales people probably won't be working there when your quirky Vista machine loses its Wireless connection.

It WAS worth the money.

So comparing a PC to a Mac, my experience so far has been that Mac has provided superior performance. My Mac has allowed me to keep and use all my PC legacy software and has generally improved my home computing experience. I also have the peace of mind knowing that the people who made the hardware also support their software, and service is only a few minutes away. Was the extra cost of the Mac worth it to me? Yes it was. However, if cost is an issue, most users can buy a satisfactory Vista PC - that probably won't fail - for less money and do just fine.

Learn more about this author, Jerry Curtis.
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