One of the blogs I read religiously is Graves on SOHO Technology. Recently, Michael [Graves] posted an article about “shedding weight.”
I’ve gotten to know Michael over the years through the VoIP Users Conference. He’s a great resource to the VoIP community and takes Halloween displays to the epic level.
But I digress…
On the Shedding Weight article, Michael (and I’m quickly paraphrasing here) discussed replacing his existing laptop with something that will offer great power and perhaps reduce the overall weight of his bag.
I commented:
Are you tied into windows or with the adobe suite is Mac an option?
Which set off some other comments, with one suggesting that Michael consider running a Macbook Air and dual booting / using parallels for Windows (paraphrasing).
I had typed up a huge response… and took my time, causing a refresh to wipe my words like dust in the wind. Gone baby gone.
In the nature of “sharing the message” and with a little encouragement, I will attempt to re-post my thoughts. =)
A little background…
I earned an MCSE back in the 90’s. I guess technically I still hold the MCSE, but I certainly haven’t moved forward in keeping with the certification.
In fact, the watering down of the MCSE tracks and the “qualified” techs I would see in latter years with the certifications made me question the entire process and not consider certification as an indication of knowledge or capability. But I digress.
After spending more than a decade on Windows servers I had started the transition of the majority of servers to Linux.
With no reboots, great performance, and an incredible ROI, I had quickly embraced the Linux platform.
For my personal needs I had been using laptops. The basic routine was a complete replacement every two years — ie, in 2 years my awesome laptop would have become useless.
Transition to Apple
In 2007 I decided to purchase an Apple Macbook Pro. They had just transitioned to an Intel platform and I was looking forward to something different. SSH from a native app would save me a little time as well… but mostly, I was getting fed up with Windows.
For example, it was taking one full minute for my VPN client to load. Not to connect… just to launch. Annoying.
In 2007, Macbooks were crazy expensive and I was apprehensive. My Pro ran around $2500.00.
I bit the bullet and tried… and love it. My VPN client loaded immediately. It took about a month to get my windows habits out of my system, but I was hooked. I loved it.
Apple Pre iPhone
Pre-iPhone I loved Apple. The computer was excellent. The computer STILL is excellent. I’m typing this response on that same laptop I bought in 2006.
Why?
It’s still perfect. It’s fast, dependable, and the best laptop I’ve ever owned.
Of course, things have changed.
After the laptop purchase, I invested in a Mac-Mini and then a Macbook Pro for the Mrs. When I purchased Yeni’s Macbook, the hardware had been “improved” to include a sealed case (aka no more being able to replace your own battery).
Apple had also been slowly converging their ios and osx to have very similar interfaces, features, and functions.
I’m Nobody’s Fanboy
Apple has grown by leaps and bounds. When I first got mine, I rarely saw others in the area. Today, they’re everywhere. Apple knows how to create a strong product following and they have very loyal customers.
Apple customers, from my own perspective, seem to embrace the new with a crazy passion.
Of course, some of their changes don’t sit well with all users… aka me.
For example, although my laptop is not only perfectly awesome, reliable, and quick… Apple says it’s too old to run their newest systems. Which starts a viscous cycle. Software will only get written for the newest OS, and soon you’re using a platform that will only support outdated versions of software you need.
None of this matters…
You see, choosing an OS/Platform can quickly become a religious war — and I definitely do not want any part of a religious war. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been very comfortable with “If it works for you, do it.”
Want windows? Do it.
Want linux? Do it.
Mac? Do it.
Doesn’t matter to me… but of course, I have opinions. Where I used to love Apple, and 5 years ago would have strongly recommended the product line, the Fred of today doesn’t have the same beliefs.
With enclosed batteries, a merging ios/os line, and a company that will fade out older hardware from their current offerings, Apple today is Windows of yesterday.
So, when someone suggests Apple to someone with a desire to use Windows, I simply remind the other person…. Do what works for you.
Buying an Apple to run Windows? Seems like a solution that at the best would cause annoyance.