My Biggest fears before I bought my ibook

Where is the best place to start? The beginning. Here is how I officially became a Mac convert.

1. The nifty ibook with a handle
2. the Cube
3. the icebook
4. the Tibook
5. OS X

These were the seeds of my switcher tale, but honestly it took me 4 years to get one. I had huge worries, like the one button mouse, stability, multitasking, compatibility, speed and familiarity with Windows, And for me, what pushed me over the edge, was the Unix-based OS X, and the fact that most compact laptops in the 5 pound range were out of my budget.

The ibooks are the cheapest 5-pounders out there. Which was a pretty big shock, considering Apple's are typically expensive.

The first lesson I learned, well before I bought my ibook, was that compatibility isn't a huge issue. The main programs I use on my PC are Office, email, music players and web browsing. I used these things under the evil OS 8 and 9, and they were pretty similar. But OS 8/9 soured me on Macs for life (or so I thought).

And well the one-button mouse thing is pretty easy to get around.

But OS X sold me completely. Overall it is a great OS, but I still have some concerns, but they aren't deal breakers for me, but they still give me headaches. I like how OS X handles multi-tasking and the idea that I can learn Unix commands without pulling my hair out to set up a printer. And well Expose is nifty. And iApps and Apple's other exclusive to X software like iCal and Address Book are very cool, especially since they are free. And garageband let's me live out my music producer fantasies without spending big bucks on Acid.

The big thing I noticed, Macs think the way you would, if you never used Windows. That being said, there is a learning curve if you are coming from Windows to Mac, but if you are willing to give it a little bit of time, the odds are good you will enjoy your Mac. (Until you try to set up file sharing or use a print server at home, but that is another story)

So if you are on the fence, head over to your favorite Apple retailer, and play around for a few minutes. Then try again in a few weeks. And try again. If you get to a point where you want to come back and play with the Mac, then, you are ready to make the plunge. but you have to give it at least three separate occasions. Or find a Mac-using friend and borrow their computer for a little while.

And next time I will tell you why my ibook sucks.

Welcome

Well, I was inspired to have a blog, since everyone else does. There are 2 main purposes to my blog: it is better than keeping a diary, and I wanted a place to talk about Apple critically without getting flamed.

You will find, tips and observations from me, a 20 year PC user, and a place to ask questions.

I don't know all the answers, but I hope you enjoy my perspective.

Frequency of entries is to be determined. Maybe once a week or so.

Have fun!

jaded