- Joined
- Sep 2, 2007
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 3
- Location
- Shreveport, LA
- Your Mac's Specs
- SR MacBook Pro 15" 2.2Ghz - 120GB HD - 2GB RAM
My name's Derek and I'm a switcher. This is my story.
I cut my teeth back in '91 or so on a 386SX IBM compatible PC. I was 11. Since then, it's been this machine or that at regular intervals to keep with the times and technology. I've had Dells, Gateways, built countless machines of my own, laptops, desktops, and handhelds - all of which have been Windows based machines with the occasional Linux distro here or there for the sake of being well rounded. I'm an MS certified professional (for what that's worth), and I've served my time in the user support arena dealing with headache after headache, which I feel has made me stronger and wiser. Every professional career level job I've held since college has been in the IT field, and every IT job has been PC centric.
This past May I decided to take some extra cash I came into and purchase a new machine. Ironically, I had just purchased a new Vista based Gateway laptop which was well equipped and holding it's own- but it just didn't feel "right" anymore. You see, having the experience dealing with IT on a daily basis for so many years has made me appreciate well designed equipment that works, and works well. It's made me appreciate a piece of equipment that 100% performs as advertised again and again. It's made me appreciate plugging a device in and spending more time using it than setting it up.
Several weeks into my Vista experience I started encountering the usual issues adherent to MS wares - this or that function or feature either didn't work as described, only partially worked, or required a certain degree of tweaking to make it work the way *I* needed it to work. I'd had enough - The winds of change were stirring!
My Mac experience was limited. I had owned a PowerBook which I acquired off a buddy who upgraded to the previous generation MBP. It was a meager spec'd machine but I was impressed...it just didn't have the horsepower I needed and I ended up getting rid of it shortly after buying it. However, it was that brief hands-on encounter with OS X and the Apple design aesthetics that would plant itself in my mind and pave the way for my technological awakening. Fast forward to this year, May. I began researching machines and checking out pricing. I couldn't shake the memory of that sleek metal shelled PowerBook I had briefly owned...I made the decision to go the Apple route, this go round.
Being a moderate gamer, I wanted a machine that could handle an FPS or two when I was in the mood, and from my PC experience with integrated graphics chipsets I knew that the Macbook wouldn't meet my needs (not to mention satisfy my craving for the sleek brushed casing). MBP was the way for me. Now, I have a problem with impulse and instant gratification. When I want something, and set my mind to it, I want it now- not "7-10 days" plus shipping transit time!
.
I live in Shreveport, LA so the 3 or 4 Dallas TX Apple stores are only about a 2.5 hour drive away. Last week I made the short trip over to the Knox Street store. The area wasn't the greatest location for an Apple Store (that I could see), but I'm sure corporate had it's reasons. I walked in somewhat apprehensive and expecting to deal with a pretentious sales person (remember, limited Mac exposure and really on stereotypes to fuel me). However, my experience was quite the opposite. The gentleman helping me was polite and friendly. He was patient, and answered what remaining questions I had regarding some hardware curiosities and pricing although I will say his knowledge was rather limited (for example, even I knew that the trackpad settings could be configured to allow a double finger right click function). We wrapped things up after about 30 minutes and I walked out with my new MacBook Pro 15" 2.2ghz, and a new 30GB iPod (staff discount since I work at a med school in the library and the promotion was too good to pass up). The awakening was near!
I've had the machine for almost a week now and I couldn't be more pleased. The performance is phenomenal, the stability is rock-solid, and the sheer joy of using it makes me feel like for once I didn't get the short end of the stick on the purchase of a new machine. Things work intuitively- there's a relatively seamless transition between thinking of what you want to do, and carrying out the actions needed in OS X to do it.
My message to switchers on the fence is simple - do it and don't look back. I don't regret coming from the PC camp, the instabilities of the PC world have kept me fed and clothed for years. However, I'm getting a little older and I don't need the stress of using my computer to get things done to go along with the other stresses of life. If you're lurking reading this trying to do all your homework before that next big computer purchase, know that the grass *is* greener on the other side! Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to frequenting this forum more and more in the near future.
Derek
I cut my teeth back in '91 or so on a 386SX IBM compatible PC. I was 11. Since then, it's been this machine or that at regular intervals to keep with the times and technology. I've had Dells, Gateways, built countless machines of my own, laptops, desktops, and handhelds - all of which have been Windows based machines with the occasional Linux distro here or there for the sake of being well rounded. I'm an MS certified professional (for what that's worth), and I've served my time in the user support arena dealing with headache after headache, which I feel has made me stronger and wiser. Every professional career level job I've held since college has been in the IT field, and every IT job has been PC centric.
This past May I decided to take some extra cash I came into and purchase a new machine. Ironically, I had just purchased a new Vista based Gateway laptop which was well equipped and holding it's own- but it just didn't feel "right" anymore. You see, having the experience dealing with IT on a daily basis for so many years has made me appreciate well designed equipment that works, and works well. It's made me appreciate a piece of equipment that 100% performs as advertised again and again. It's made me appreciate plugging a device in and spending more time using it than setting it up.
Several weeks into my Vista experience I started encountering the usual issues adherent to MS wares - this or that function or feature either didn't work as described, only partially worked, or required a certain degree of tweaking to make it work the way *I* needed it to work. I'd had enough - The winds of change were stirring!
My Mac experience was limited. I had owned a PowerBook which I acquired off a buddy who upgraded to the previous generation MBP. It was a meager spec'd machine but I was impressed...it just didn't have the horsepower I needed and I ended up getting rid of it shortly after buying it. However, it was that brief hands-on encounter with OS X and the Apple design aesthetics that would plant itself in my mind and pave the way for my technological awakening. Fast forward to this year, May. I began researching machines and checking out pricing. I couldn't shake the memory of that sleek metal shelled PowerBook I had briefly owned...I made the decision to go the Apple route, this go round.
Being a moderate gamer, I wanted a machine that could handle an FPS or two when I was in the mood, and from my PC experience with integrated graphics chipsets I knew that the Macbook wouldn't meet my needs (not to mention satisfy my craving for the sleek brushed casing). MBP was the way for me. Now, I have a problem with impulse and instant gratification. When I want something, and set my mind to it, I want it now- not "7-10 days" plus shipping transit time!
. I live in Shreveport, LA so the 3 or 4 Dallas TX Apple stores are only about a 2.5 hour drive away. Last week I made the short trip over to the Knox Street store. The area wasn't the greatest location for an Apple Store (that I could see), but I'm sure corporate had it's reasons. I walked in somewhat apprehensive and expecting to deal with a pretentious sales person (remember, limited Mac exposure and really on stereotypes to fuel me). However, my experience was quite the opposite. The gentleman helping me was polite and friendly. He was patient, and answered what remaining questions I had regarding some hardware curiosities and pricing although I will say his knowledge was rather limited (for example, even I knew that the trackpad settings could be configured to allow a double finger right click function). We wrapped things up after about 30 minutes and I walked out with my new MacBook Pro 15" 2.2ghz, and a new 30GB iPod (staff discount since I work at a med school in the library and the promotion was too good to pass up). The awakening was near!
I've had the machine for almost a week now and I couldn't be more pleased. The performance is phenomenal, the stability is rock-solid, and the sheer joy of using it makes me feel like for once I didn't get the short end of the stick on the purchase of a new machine. Things work intuitively- there's a relatively seamless transition between thinking of what you want to do, and carrying out the actions needed in OS X to do it.
My message to switchers on the fence is simple - do it and don't look back. I don't regret coming from the PC camp, the instabilities of the PC world have kept me fed and clothed for years. However, I'm getting a little older and I don't need the stress of using my computer to get things done to go along with the other stresses of life. If you're lurking reading this trying to do all your homework before that next big computer purchase, know that the grass *is* greener on the other side! Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to frequenting this forum more and more in the near future.
Derek
