The Switch is On
There is a deep bias against Macintosh computers in the Windows users world. I know about this bias because I, too, was one of those who made fun of Macintosh computers and their users of them for over 15 years. If you must ask why I did this, I can honestly only tell you it wasn't from any personal experience with them. I was merely repeating what others said to me, and they were probably doing the same.
Falling in Love with Macintosh
In early 2004 after falling in love with the look of Macintosh OS X and making my Windows XP operating system look like OS X, I decided perhaps it was a time for a change. I, at the least, owed it to myself to fully look into Macintosh computers and what they were really about. It dawned on me that I had no experience with them. I've learned in the past that I can't judge a movie by what a movie critic or even what a friend of mine might say about the movie in question. There were many times someone loved a movie that I went to see later only to not like it.
At the company where I work, two fellow employees had Macs at home and only one of those used one at work. She was the only employee in the company that had a Mac at the office. She was the print designer at our company because even a web-based company must advertise in print from time to time. I remember I used to tease them for a long time and I always called them Crapintosh and numerous times I asked them when they were going to get a real computer? Funny how things change.
Making the Switch to Macintosh
So in July 2004, I finally took the plunge and purchased a PowerMac G5 Dual with a 20" Cinema Display. It was probably the most expensive computer I had ever even thought about buying and there I was buying it. At the same time, my Mother, who came with me to the store, purchased a PowerMac G4 with the same display to go along with it. So we took the plunge together. Everything was so well thought out and done, from the opening of the boxes to the set-up. So many minor details that you would never even think of doing with a product were done by Apple, and as they said, everything just worked out of the box.
It took me about a month to get out of my Windows habits, whether it had to do with keyboard shortcuts, the way of thinking, and just overall usage. I've noticed that I never even thought about doing 75% of the things I do on my Macintosh on my Windows PC. The ones I used to do on it work and don't crash me. Gone are the random involuntary reboots my machine did to me. The lag is gone when I have twenty applications running. OS X handles memory better. I watched many video podcasts now, listen to many audio podcasts now and read RSS feeds like mad.
Learning to be Open-Minded
My way of thinking has changed, I am more open to things, and my way of designing graphics, ads, and websites has changed. For example, I understand that white-space is my friend and that a paragraph can be made easier to read by line-spacing. I think it has to do with the presentation I see on Apple's own website and how minimalistic is good and easier to focus on content. I could list so many things that have changed for me, but that would make this story even longer than I had intended it to be.
It can not be denied that Macintosh usage is on the rise, and the switchers are coming in droves, especially since the switch over to Intel processors. We are in the news; we are everywhere. So let Microsoft continue to believe they are number one and the best operating system. We know better, and nothing lasts forever, especially monopolies. They tend to stagnate with innovation, and no competition leads to someone else coming along and blowing them out of the water.
Starting the Mac Revolution at Work
Many people in the company where I work have either switched to Macs at work or at home, actually close to 20 people so far. We are on the rise, we can run Windows on a Mac (if we are so evil), and not only should Microsoft be wary of the future, but even more so, Dell, Gateway, and HP should be because why would I buy a PC when I can get a Mac that can run every OS there is all on one machine and all at the same time if I choose to do so? How long will it take for people to realize that OS X blows Windows away and that we don't need Microsoft for anything, not even office? There are free applications that do the same thing, and they are fully compatible with Windows Office file formats.
It is said that Mac users are incredibly proud or snobbish about their Macs, but the truth is we feel a deep love for our machines. They do so much, more straightforward than you're doing on Windows, and being fair to yourself if you haven't given them a complete, honest try, you should. Everything is different so expect to be frustrated for a while while you unlearn your bad Windows habits. Free your mind, and the rest will follow, or so I heard once, and it's so true. I've had my say there, and it was all done on a Mac.