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I jumped into the world of Mac after my over 20 years of PC hardware and software experience. I had previously taught several PC operating systems classes as an adjunct instructor at a community college in California, so I was no novice. I decided to "take a bite of the Apple" when my old Windows 98 clunker gradually could not keep up with the bloated Internet add-ins and after my unsatisfactory experience with Windows Vista. I still use my Windows Vista notebook computer that runs satisfactorily, as long as I overlook its glacial pace of booting up and annoying security and update features that seem to intrude at the most inconvenient times.

So I made an appointment to see a sales rep at my local Mac store, which, frankly, made a very positive first impression. Mac computer stores are not your cavernous and impersonal electronics warehouses with semi-qualified sales people (when you can find them). The people at Mac know their stuff, and the salesman who showed me the high-end Mac I wanted and answered all my questions. I was also impressed with the Mac store's array of technical support and service after the sale. I saw no unattended customers in the busy store that day.

From its first minute out of the box, my experience with my new Mac computer was like switching from a Honda Civic to a Mercedes Benz. Compared to any PC I have ever used, my Mac desktop boots up and jumps on the Internet faster, runs its operating system and software smoother, and just looks and feels better. Its Unix-based operating system is self-correcting and the old Windows "blue screen of death" never intrudes. Whatever may be causing a problem (usually my legacy Windows software) is isolated and shut down through the "force quit" feature, never taking the entire operating system with it. I have also encountered absolutely no hardware compatibility difficulties. I use the same printer and digital camera as before. All I had to do to get my broadband modem up and running on the Mac was to attach it to the Ethernet outlet.

I still need to use the Windows operating system in my home tutoring business. My Mac, which is Intel-based, can run Windows Vista in a "virtual" mode with the help of a software program I bought called "Parallels Desktop." This proved to be a bit pricey, since I had to pay about $90 for Parallels and buy another copy of Windows Vista (I found a copy on e-Bay and saved about $50 over the retail price). However, it was money well spent, since now I have the best of both

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