Summer Love

I am in LOVE!

Here is a picture of my secret love.



I have recently become an Apple fanboy. I was a die hard Windows user and have always had some sort of operating system from Microsoft- MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT, Windows 98SE, Windows ME, Win 2k, Win XP. I have not ventured completely into the Vista world as of yet. I did mess around with IBM OS2, but alas that went the way of the DODO.

A year ago I purchased a Mac-mini to hook up to my new hi-def TV (Samsung HL-S4666W) so I can browse the internet and read my email from my couch. Not to mention playing a little LOTRO. That was a great way, suggested by my friend Technotyrant, to introduce me to the Mac OS and the world of Apple. Little did he know, or perhaps a part of his plan, that he was about to introduce a fundamental shift of a friend's view.

In October of 2007, my 4 year old Windows PC crashed. I had a motherboard failure. It didn't phase me much as I was planning to upgrade the computer. I wasn't actively looking for a replacement as of yet, so I moved the Mac-mini from the living room to my office. I had loaded Windows XP with Boot Camp to have some Windows functionality and proceeded to use that for the rest of the month and into December. I couldn't divorce myself from the Windows environment since it was what I was used to. So I basically used my Mac computer as a Windows machine.

Boy was I a jerk.

It gnawed on me that I was using a Mac computer with Windows- an OS not optimized for it. So I bit the bullet and promised to give Mac a chance. I would use it for a whole month without Windows. After the first week and a half, I had gotten used to the Mac OS and was really enjoying my experiences with it. That one month promise lasted for 4 months. In April of this year, I worked from home and used the Mac exclusively and found that I wasn't missing much from the Windows world. That was the exact time- much like Neo in The Matrix finally realizing that he was the one, that I realized I didn't need Windows and I really, really liked the Mac.

Design, Interface, and Stability is what Apple has going for it with the Mac. From a strong OS X foundation (it doesn't crash), hardware that integrates easily, and a nice set of packed in software- using a Mac is an experience. Spaces, Expose, Finder, Garage Band, iLife, Photo Booth, and Time Machine are all applications that come with OS X and are great, free editions of software that are very useful and powerful for packaged apps. One only need to use a Mac for some time to understand all the fuss and todo that Apple fanboys have been shouting for years.

"It is easy to use!", "Better than Windows!", "Things just work!"

All of those are correct. Ever since that day in April, I having been pining for an Apple Desktop powerful enough to replace my Windows desktop and more robust then the Mac-mini. So over this past weekend I purchased an Apple iMac. This is what I chose- or perhaps what chose me:

24-inch: 3.06GHz

3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB memory
500GB hard drive
8x double-layer Super Drive
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB memory

This puppy rocks. I love the iMac design- though I have to see how I will adapt by not easily being able to get into the chassis (hardly a factor anymore since I barely have time to tinker with PCs at all). I seem to be giddy unearthing this new environment as I explore, uncover, and learn the ins-and-outs of this pretty machine. You may call it infatuation or puppy love and that may be true. But I do know that I haven't been this excited over a computer in a very long time. I can't express to you in mere words just how intuitive OS X is.

Though I may be in love I am certainly not blind. OS X does have its issues: the Mail app isn't as flexible as I would like. I don't like that I cannot have more than one session of an application running like a browser or a word processor. I'd like to have more control of the Dock. I'd like to have faster access to my applications folder without using the finder. But these are all minor complaints that certainly do not take away from the entire experience. Compared to the alternative, those issues are a walk in the park. All in all, I am absolutely ecstatic over my purchase and I hope that my Love Affair continues for a very long time.

If you want to have an affair as well- one that won't distress families or hurt your emotional id, do yourself a favor and get a Mac.

You won't regret it!



AAAH, isn't she pretty in motion???



So true, my bloated friend...

l8r