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I am in the process of being won over…or perhaps not.
I’ve been a PC kind of guy my whole life. Really. I was the odd man out at both the schools I’ve worked at, being the only teacher with a PC instead of a Mac. I was ridiculed, shunned, and left out of so many private jokes that only a Macalonian would understand...and others that only they could appreciate.
What’s the fastest way to speed up a PC? Drop it off a building…
The PC just felt more comfortable. More familiar. More friendly. More better.
So what spawned the change three weeks ago to my entry into the world of Macness? Well, my PC had slowed down to a level rated at cataclysmically infinitesimal and I knew that something had to be done and done quickly.
What’s the difference between a PC and an Abacus? It doesn’t take 20 minutes to boot up the abacus…
I researched online, went to various stores, and talked to ‘experts’ in the proverbial field. The consensus was blindingly clear: Macs were the way to go, and if I didn’t jump on the computerized starship of Apple, I was a fool indeed and would be left behind in a world dominated by viruses and spyware.
What’s an Intel chip doing in a Mac? A whole lot more than it’s ever done in a PC…
At Simply Mac I was given the spiel. I found myself swaying, my foundations beginning to crumble. I discovered myself pulling out my credit card and spending far more than I’d originally planned. I’d been promised the world if I'd only own a Mac. I found myself driving home with a MacBook Pro tucked into the back seat - safely in place like a toddler. I brought it in and fired it up.
I hate it.
I researched online, went to various stores, and talked to ‘experts’ in the proverbial field. The consensus was blindingly clear: Macs were the way to go, and if I didn’t jump on the computerized starship of Apple, I was a fool indeed and would be left behind in a world dominated by viruses and spyware.
What’s an Intel chip doing in a Mac? A whole lot more than it’s ever done in a PC…
At Simply Mac I was given the spiel. I found myself swaying, my foundations beginning to crumble. I discovered myself pulling out my credit card and spending far more than I’d originally planned. I’d been promised the world if I'd only own a Mac. I found myself driving home with a MacBook Pro tucked into the back seat - safely in place like a toddler. I brought it in and fired it up.
I hate it.
Hate is such an ugly word, isn't it? Perhaps that isn't the word I was really searching for...perhaps despise? Abhor? Loathe?
I was cautioned by several individuals to allow myself time to acclimatize to the new computer - at least two weeks before I passed any final judgements. "It's hard at first, but then you'll get to love it."
I figured that this advice also pertained both to smoking and becoming an adamant fan of country music. It always starts off with a lot of burning and discomfort. Much unease and throwing up in one's mouth - but just a bit. Then, in the end, one becomes a full-fledged chain smoker, breathing in that smoke like a chimney without the least bit of coughing. They listen to the twang of old guitar and caterwauling and come to see it as something more than audio pollution. I was told that this little computer was eventually going to win me over...
I was promised.
I'm going on week four and not feeling any great adoration toward this machine, but instead find myself looking longly at those with PCs, all of which are running a trove of programs that this computer either can't handle, or that simply don't exist for it.
And don't even begin to talk about Parallels...
So, to all of those out in the great void known as cyberspace, please let your wisdom illuminate upon me. Please tell me just why this machine is supposedly so wonderful and I will love it.
Why doesn’t Apple go the whole hog and run Windows XP on their laptops? That way their users could run some useful applications…
P.S. If you have any connections at getting a copy of CS4 for the Mac, I'd be most appreciative; it seems that this 'amazing' computer just can't quite seem to handle CS3.
14 comments:
Man am I ever sorry you hate your Mac... yes, it is different from the PC, but I really do think that you will come to love the thing. I hated my Mac for months before I finally started figuring the darn thing out...now I love it. Give it time, lets get the proper programs for you loaded on it and then we'll both bug Miya for all of the cool shortcuts we could be using.
Yikes! I too did the research, talked to the "experts" and have been drooling over Mac's ever since - wishing I had one. Hopefully, with the increased speed and lack of virus trouble, (and hopefully not too much money invested in new programs; does the Photoshop work with Mac?) you end up loving it! Keep us informed. Thanks ;D
Perhaps I don't know much about Mac...but I much enjoy the modern country music. Perhaps your listening to The Grand old opera performers when you talk about the twang of old guitars. Perhaps you need to give them both a little longer chance before closing your mind. Country is much more than my old dog died....my wife left me and I just lost my job.
Hang in there, it will get better....at least you won't have to worry about virus problems .... there is always E-bay
HA! Thank youuuuuuuu mywest!!! Country rocks!
As for Mac's and PC's......I'm a pretty boy. I've a PC and everytime I go to Kristen's and use her Mac I HATE IT! YES HATE HATE HATE it. She tells me it is wonderful.......and if I got one I'd love it......why should I take the time to fall in love with something painful? I don't have the time! And like the old beater cars we drive around....if there's a problem with my PC, The SM can fix it! We don't have to take it into some specialty shop and pray for the best. Newer isn't always better.....unless it's country music.
You should see the giant grin on my face over this transition you have made. Welcome. Welcome. I hope you used your education discount since that is one of the many perks of the apple familia and you being a teacher. You can also get CS4 at a discounted rate, or should be able to, that is how I got my copy.
Try going to the apple page and looking over the tutorials. They help. As others have said give it time. I don't know what to tell you about parallels since I refuse to use it. I jumped right on in and embraced the apple. Makes the transition easier.
It also helps if you can find a member of the apple cult in person to teach you our ways so you can navigate things easier. I suggest camino for a browser since it is speedier than both firefox and safari. I am at work but if I ponder any more tips I will shoot them your way. Welcome to superior technology my friend.
I'm a PC girl and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Call me a nerd or whatever you want but I like my little PC world. It's comfortable and familiar.
Agree Gerb! PC is the way to go! That and I'm getting too old to learn a new system.....
As for country music, I use to say we all have our thoughts and versions of what pegatory would be like. Mine was a place where the only music playing was the twangy country music of my youth playing 24/7. But thanks to my sons, I do like what they call progressive country music. But my pergatory is still the twangy country music of my youth.
To each his own I guess. I use to hate Macs, but it was because I had never used one: it was unfamiliar. I had a pretty old computer in college and most of my roommate had Macs. I would use the computer labs on campus and when I was at the apartment would occassionaly use one of my roommates macs to hop online to check email, etc. Once I got past the learning curve, everything just seemed more intuitive and natural. My next computer was a Mac. But, like I said, "To each his own." The differences in the OS I think adhere to different ways of thinking.
I know it's a little late, but I would have recommended getting use to the OS before making the purchase. You have access to a Mac through your work and could have easily started to make this "transition" well before taking the plunge.
Regardless, I'd like to ask you:
1. what "useful applications" do you feel you're missing now that you're on the mac? There's a number of programs that are OS-specific to Microsoft, but the scenario runs both ways. There are some pretty phenomenal programs I use (and love) that don't exist for the PC platform.
2. you're having problems with CS3 on the new Mac? Send me the specs of your new machine so I can help pinpoint why you may be having issues.
Roy is totally jealous, he's been drooling over the new Macbooks for ages. OS X is my preferred operating system, I even had Roy "Hackintosh" my EEE-PC netbook so now I have a little mini Mac. But the learning curve is different for everyone. I never even thought twice about Macs until I borrowed Roy's one day while he was fixing my PC (it was his first Mac as well, before he'd always used Linux) and I was hooked after about an hour of playing with it without it slowing down or any programs crashing on me like my PC had been doing every five minutes.
I heard you bought some Genius Bar sessions, have you tried using any? Also, I think I said it before, but Apple.com has really fantastic video tutorials on their website that explain all of the features and popular applications. Definitely worth looking into!
There's a tear in my beer, cuz I'm crying for you dear...you...are on my lonely mind...(You just need some bona-fide Hank to love country, Jason! ;) I've heard the same spiel from all my Mac loving friends, and even thought I'd take the plunge this last time, but circumstances prevented me from doing so--I needed a computer too urgently to wait for one on order, so it's another PC for me. Let me know how your feelings for this one shape up.
Shawna - It has gotten a lot better over the months…I think I like it now.
Corine - It's much more user-friendly than I thought at first though there is still so much more that I do not know how to do with it yet.
Dad - Country music?! Have you gone off the deep end, sir? I can only hope that whatever you have is not contagious.
Rachel - Another follower of the evil, country music? I never would have guessed it would've been you. Guess it's never the quiet ones…
Lars - Thanks for the tips. I've already used a few of them…
Gerb - I used to feel that way too, now I am starting to like the Macworld.
Bonnie - Makes you not want to be in purgatory, doesn't it?
Yancy - Thanks for the lists of great programs. I use several of them and they made the transition so much easier.
Miya - Checking into them even now…
Lori - I think you'd like the Mac. I'm starting to get there and learning all of the ins and outs of the thing. I think it and I are going to be friends after all...
I have a love/hate relationship with MAC's. I'm personally a PC girl! I always will be. My husband is a MAC. Final Cut is made only for the MAC's so that's why he took that road.
After purchasing several desktop MAC's over the years I have come to the realization that we spend DOUBLE the amount for the MAC then we would for an equivalent PC. I virtually built (on newegg.com) a PC with the same bells and whistles as the MAC that my husband bought (this was a couple of years ago). The price tag for the PC was almost perfectly in half of the price of the MAC. I say the extra is so we have a pretty half eaten apple on our machine.
My husband's machine DOES crash. It DOES get viruses. Not as often on the viruses but the crashing in the middle of an After Effects project can be annoying.
It is nice that when his machine does crash or gets accidentally shut off by a co-worker's 11 month old son, all his open windows are saved and pop right back up.
His machine does overheat. He does have issues with compatibility with other machines on our network. Granted, he uses it HARD and all day. It's a serious workhorse. I HATE that every part that goes in the machine is proprietary. We had to buy a MAC video card from the MAC store because absolutely NOTHING else on the market would be compatible. Of course it came with the Apple price tag to boot.
I personally think a computer is a computer is a computer. If it will run the software you need, USE IT. PC's are cheaper though.
We are a PC household here but I have used a Mac to make slideshows and I have to say that the Mac rocks at that where the PC wants to make me pull my hair out. Other than that I don't have any personal experience. I do have another good friend who just bought a Mac without realizing that she now has to buy all the programs that will only run on a Mac. Good luck.
I've used both Macs and PCs for years, personally and professionally. I've typed up all my reasons and thoughts and started over a couple times...so suffice it to say that I think Mac OS is MUCH better in terms of the user interface/operating system. PCs are "better" if you have to interface with a company running on Microsoft technologies.
If you're still looking for CS5 (CS4 is the old version now), then I can help. I work for Adobe and get an *amazing* discount. Let me know.
Daniel
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