Becoming a Mac

A happy Mac user shares her story...

iBook G4I always thought macs looked like they might be fun (and easy!) but I was married at the time to a computer scientist (Ph.D.!) so I wasn't really in any position to give my opinions on the computer situation in our household. Frankly, I was thankful that was at least one thing I knew I never had to worry about.

Then, one day, out of the blue, someone gave me a white iBook G4 as a gift. Ooooohhhh it was so pretty. I put it in my office and didn't open the box for a few weeks. It was so perfect and so shiny, I didn't want to ruin it.

I finally did open it, and for someone like me who has always had all their computer needs taken care of, it literally took 5 minutes for me to set it up and be using it. It was so much fun, it felt like playing. It almost felt like a toy.

My biggest issue with the mac was finding all the software I wanted. Microsoft Office for Mac (which I had to buy) wasn't as powerful or sophisticated (or so it seemed), the mac version of the tax software I wanted was about 3 generations behind, the eBay software I needed to run my business at the time didn't work on macs so I had to scour the web for an alternative that wasn't as good, etc. Also, it would happen that often times websites looked funny or didn't work at all on my mac. This was a few years ago, and it seems there has been vast improvements, especially since the recent popularity of the iPhone.

The pros definitely include ease of use and the virtual non-existence of viruses, spam and spyware.

I use a PC for work and a Mac at home, and I like both. I'm not sure I would say I'm definitely one or the other, but I do love my mac. If I were to buy another computer today, and money wasn't an option, I would get another mac laptop.

... anonymous

I've found another great resource for Mac newbie's and users.  The author of "Macafarian Ramblings" shares his story:

Did You Grow up Mac?

Nope. I don't even remember what my first computer was.

What Was Your First Mac?

I first went Mac back in 2000, with the old colored iMacs. I haven’t gone back since.

What Are Some Of Your Thoughts On What Makes The Mac Unique?

The Mac combines simplicity and power with a slick design. The Mac's designmakes you want one.  I don't know about you, but the PC's bland, plastic-ness is a major turn off.
Apple's marketing and promotion department is genius. They have managed to create a borderline-obsessed community around a multi-billion dollar company. Whenever there's a Keynote announced, they can count on the community to built up huge amounts of tension and speculation. The media picks this up, and before we know it, everyone is talking about Apple's latest product.
Just look at the iPhone 3g S. People are lining the streets just to get their hands on one, and when it was announced, blogs, online news sites, and newspapers flocked to cover it.

Have I Ever Tried To Convert A PC User?

Of course! All my friends are using Macs now. In fact, I just turned over last two. They should be lining up to get their 13" MacBook Pros anytime now. It was easy to convince them, after a couple of demonstrations of OS X.

Justin\\ I Like Technology
Online Profiles: Macafarian Ramblings \\ Twitter \\ Squidoo \\ Associated Content

Taking Control of Switching to the Mac (Ebook)I've stumbled on another great resource for those looking to make the leap from PC to Mac. "Take Control of Switching to the Mac" is an Ebook written by Scott Knaster, found at takecontrolbooks.com, and is a great book to help walk you through making the transition from PC to Mac. I was able to contact the author and arrange a brief interview with him to get a little more background information on him. Here is what Scott had to say:

Did you grow up Mac?

My first computer was a Radio Shack TRS-80 in 1978. When I had myTRS-80, every time I went to the computer store to buy magazines, Ienvied the Apple II over in the corner. Eventually I sold the TRS-80and saved up to buy an Apple II. I think I've bought exactly onenon-Apple computer since then. I went to work at Apple in 1983.

What was your first Mac?

I worked in the Mac group at Apple in 1984. The first Mac I had was anoriginal 128K Mac with an external floppy drive that didn't have acase. The first Mac I ever bought with my own money (after leavingApple) was a Power Mac 7500. My current Mac is a 3.5-year-old MacBookPro (Apple's first Intel laptop model).

What was first PC?

When I got a job in the Mac group at Microsoft in 1996, I got a Macand a Toshiba laptop. I had never used Windows before. The Windowsteam wanted to observe me using Windows because they said it was veryrare to find professional computer people who had never used Windows.

What are some of your thoughts on what really makes the Mac unique?

Macs (and iPhones and iPods) just work. Apple cares incredibly deeplyabout user experience -- what customers live through every day. Thisincludes hardware, software, service, and shopping experience. BecauseApple owns the hardware, software, and stores, they can control mostof this experience.

Another Apple strength is the ability to regularly and relentlesslyupdate their hardware and software. Apple has somehow managed tomostly avoid huge schedule slips and massive product disasters while
steadily upgrading their lines and producing new products.

When I use a Mac, I feel that someone has thought about all the pathsI take through the hardware and software as I use it. There are signsof intelligent there.

Would you ever try to convince a long-time PC user to actually make the jump to Mac and why?

Sure I would, and I do -- for their own good. :) Writing "Take Controlof Switching to the Mac" was a labor of love and expresses my personalphilosophy. My friends who own PCs are used to putting up withnonsense that just goes away when you have a Mac. Apps that stoprunning, apps that stop working right, external devices that stopworking, painful upgrades, impossible-to-use software, unhelpfulsupport people. I try to explain that these things aren't universal toall computers, that Macs just give you fewer headaches. I also pointout the incredible advantage provided by Apple Stores and Genius Bars.

"Take Control of Switching to the Mac" can be purchased and downloaded instantly at takecontrolbooks.com.  If you order by cliking on our link you will get a 30% discount so the total price of the E-book is only $7.00!  A special thanks to the husband-and-wife team Adam and Tonya Engst who run the Taking Control website!  Enjoy, and please let me know your thoughts on the book if you decide to buy it.