End Windows suffering: going Mac 'a journey worth making' 




"Tired of viruses, lost files and the 'blue screen of death'? Like the majority of Windows users, I had experienced the 'blue screen of death', lost numerous hours of writing to files that then just vanished or refused to open, and increasingly witnessed the havoc wrought by viruses. Now I had a reason to buy the Apple machine I'd always coveted," John Dodds writes for The Independent.

"Lacking any knowledge of the hardware, I sounded out experts. Many of them gave rave reviews. There are no known viruses that affect the Macintosh OS X operating system, and - knowing people whose Windows machines are dragged through treacle by ever-larger antivirus software - that was a definite plus. Finally, there was the style. The awards given to Apple for design speak to me: increasingly, I think that good product design leads to a better consumer experience, both physically and mentally," Dodds writes.

"But, two months in, I have a prevailing sense of security and safety. There's been not a sniff of system meltdown. The software and security updates are easy, convenient and (via broadband) fast. The sense of considerable computing power and massive processing going on is very evident, but it feels secure behind the OS X firewall and a router; and all with no need for antivirus software," Dodds writes. "Then again, sometimes others react to my purchase with horror - principally, any large organisation providing internet services. Seeking to use a non-Windows machine for my broadband connection via my own choice of router caused a sharp intake of breath and backtracking away from effectiveness guarantees at every ISP I approached. This is very irritating. It's as if they think Apple is some weird home-build outfit rather than a top-level innovator. After all, with modern equipment, internet configuration is pure plug and play. In fact, all BT needed to tell me was the applicable set-up user name and password. It's that simple."

"If you're not a techie, it's a slight morass at first. However, it's a journey worth making. The initial expense was quite high, but I can't see myself needing more power or capabilities for years. PCs now seem positively clunky. I, for one, won't be struggling to peer through any Windows any more," Dodds writes.

Full article, a must-read, here.

MacDailyNews Take: This is an excellent article that brings up some interesting criticisms of Mac OS X as well. It is always a revelation to read these Windows to Mac switcher articles. They provide a point of view that is virtually impossible to attain if you've been blessed by above and your first personal computer was a Mac. Our advice, as always, for Windows-only switchers who're ready to end the suffering and get a Mac: keep loose, open your mind to new ideas, and get that Mac friend who's been pestering you to switch for years to give you a handful of quick hints up front. It is not hard to switch from Windows to Mac, but you must understand that you will have a revised view of Windows and the Mac (and of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs) just a few weeks, at most, after you switch. All we can say is that you will not believe how much happier and productive you will be with your Macintosh. You'll understand the profound truth that lies within seemingly trite phrases like "once you go Mac, you never go back," "you get what you pay for," and "why the fsck didn't I do this sooner?!"

For more information about smoothly adding a Mac OS X machine to your computing arsenal, just click here. 

Posted: Wed - August 18, 2004 at 03:12 PM        

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