“For most of the last two decades, I have been a Microsoft apologist. I mean, not merely a contented user of the company’s operating systems and software, not just a fan, but a champion. I have insisted that MS-DOS wasn’t hard to use (once you got used to it), that Windows 3.1 was the greatest innovation in desktop operating systems, that Word was in fact superior to WordPerfect, and that Windows XP was, quite simply, ‘it,'” Erika Jonietz reports for Technology Review.
“Yet my adoration wasn’t entirely logical; I knew from experience, for example, that Mac crashes were easier to recover from than the infamous Blue Screen of Death. At the heart of it all, I was simply more used to Windows. Even when I finally bought a Mac three years ago, it was solely to meet the computing requirements of some of the publications I worked with. I turned it on only when I had to, sticking to my Windows computer for everyday tasks,” Jonietz reports. “So you might think I would be predisposed to love Vista, Microsoft’s newest version of Windows, which was scheduled to be released to consumers at the end of January.”
Jonietz reports, “Ironically, playing around with Vista for more than a month has done what years of experience and exhortations from Mac-loving friends could not: it has converted me into a Mac fan.”
Jonietz reports, “…Many of Vista’s ‘new’ features seemed terribly familiar to me–as they will to any user of Apple’s OS X Tiger operating system… Playing with OS X Tiger in order to make accurate comparisons for this review, I had a personal epiphany: Windows is complicated. Macs are simple… I just want things to work, and with my Mac, they do. Though my Mac barely exceeds the processor and memory requirements for OS X Tiger, every bundled program runs perfectly… For me, if the choice is between struggling to configure every feature and being able to boot up and get to work, at long last I choose the Mac.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan” for the heads up.]
One by one their eyes pop open and they stand blinking in the bright light of reality. The dark ages of personal computing are finally coming to an end.
Related articles:
InformationWeek Review: Apple’s Mac OS X shines in comparison with Microsoft’s Windows Vista – January 06, 2007
NY Times’ Pogue reviews Microsoft’s Windows Vista: ‘Looks, Locks, Lacks’ – December 14, 2006
Forbes: Microsoft Windows Vista boss suffers from Mac envy – December 12, 2006
Unlike Microsoft’s Windows Vista, Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard will create no new jobs – December 12, 2006
15-year Windows vet tries Apple Mac: ‘My God! This is amazing!’ – December 04, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista: obsolete on arrival? – December 04, 2006
InformationWeek: Now that Vista is the past, let’s look at the future: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard – December 02, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista and Office 2007 releases generate yawns – December 02, 2006
Dave Winer: ‘Microsoft isn’t an innovator, and never was – they are always playing catch-up’ – December 01, 2006
Harvard Medical School CIO picks Mac OS X over Linux and Windows – November 30, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista vulnerable to malware from 2004 – November 30, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista developers used Apple Macs for inspiration – November 27, 2006
A Windows expert opts for a Mac life – November 06, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista is basically Microsoft’s version of Mac OS 9.3 – October 11, 2006
Embrace and Extinguish in action: TechIQ’s ‘The VAR Guy’ dumps Windows, switches to Mac OS X – September 25, 2006
Top Windows developer dumps Microsoft’s ‘pile of crap’ for Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2006
$399 for Windows Vista Ultimate?! (Hint: Get a Mac) – August 29, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista: If you can’t innovate… try to impersonate Apple’s Mac OS X – August 10, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new Mac OS X Leopard sets new bar, leaves Microsoft’s Vista in the dust – August 08, 2006
Microsoft botches another copy job: Windows Vista Flip3D vs. Apple Mac OS X Exposé – June 26, 2006
Sydney Morning Herald Tech columnist dumps Microsoft Windows, switches to Apple Mac – June 13, 2006
Windows Vista rips-off Mac OS X at great hardware cost (and Apple gains in the end) – June 13, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
Thurrott: Microsoft going to get eaten alive over Windows Vista’s resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – March 09, 2006
NY Times’ Pogue on Gates’ CES demo: Most of Vista features unadulterated ripoffs from Apple Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Analyst: Windows Vista may still impress many consumers because they have not seen Apple’s Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Apple’s talent and innovation vs. Microsoft’s hype – October 25, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Vista strives to deliver what Apple’s Mac OS X already offers – October 10, 2005
Thurrott: many of Windows Vista’s upcoming features appeared first in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 26, 2005
Microsoft’s Ballmer: It’s true, some of Windows Vista’s features are ‘kissing cousins’ to Mac OS X – September 18, 2005
PC World: Microsoft innovation – an oxymoron – September 14, 2005
As usual, Apple leads, Microsoft tries to follow – June 02, 2005
Bye-Bye Bill: another columnist dumps Windows for Apple Macintosh – January 20, 2005
Orlando Sentinel writer dumps Windows for Mac and writes ‘God bless Apple’ – January 16, 2005
IBM Fellow dumps Microsoft Windows XP, switches to Apple’s Mac OS X – September 02, 2004
Stockholm Syndrome comes to mind…
Loyalty to a more powerful abuser — in spite of the danger that this loyalty puts the victim in — is common among victims of domestic abuse, battered partners and child abuse (dependent children). In many instances the victims choose to remain loyal to their abuser, and choose not to leave him or her, even when they are offered a safe placement in foster homes or safe houses. This syndrome was described by psychoanalysts of the object relations theory school (see Fairbairn) as the phenomenon of psychological identification with the more powerful abuser.
Now my hat doesn’t fit. [Unsquirted] You have to [cough] roll-it-on before you squirt.
I just made the switch to Apple myself. I can’t believe how excited I am for my Mac to arrive. I don’t think that people realize that almost anything that can be done on a PC can be done on a mac these days. AND, the user gets to enjoy their experience with their OS, which is something that most windows users don’t have the privilege of. Also, the mac community is excited about their product of choice, where as a lot of windows users complain to no end about how much windows sucks. Then why not make the switch? I did…
Nick Young
http://keynote2keynote.blogspot.com
Back in the “Day” I loved DOS. Windows 3.1 just slowed everything down. We worked in AutoCAD 90% + of the time. Managed directories with Xtree Gold. Only booted into Windows to run WORD. AutoCAD worked great on a 486 with 8 MB (not GB) of RAM. Took Autodesk YEARS to make a decent version of AutoCAD that ran on Windows.
Mac as that time didn’t handle vector graphics well and cost a lot more…….
Different story now. Twelve years on the Mac- starting with System 7 -and after about 6 months of WTF, you couldn’t pay me to switch back.
Decrypt3 says:
Good for you; one convert. What about those millions of other Windows users? I don’t see them switching.
While this troll almost has a point, he’s missing some obvious facts:
– mention of this is symbolic of a wide-spread phenomena
– this switcher is one of the hard-core, not a casual user
– this switcher was convinced by her use of Vista, not OSX
– hundreds of thousands of PC users switch yearly
– hundreds of Mac users ‘reverse switch’ yearly
Trolls like this are one reason some of us would like a real forum with Accounts.
DLMeyer – the Voice of G.L.Horton’s Stage Page
G4Dualie:
“Stockholm Syndrome comes to mind…”
So does cognitive dissonance. It’s very painful and scary for most people.
So, Unsquirted is Ampar? HHmmm, could be.
Now, all we need is Sputnik and Peterson’s bad experience.
R:
I was thinking the same thing. Why do so many of MDN’s editorials sound like they were inspired by Winston Smith from 1984? Kind of scary.
DLMeyer I was thinking along similar lines. But am wondering, does anyone know of any links for Mac to Windows switchers?
No merit whatsoever on her part. If she was that dumb to suffer Windows hell during 2 decades, I simply cannot take anything computer related seriously from her.
It’s embarrassing really.
Verbatim: Don’t compare me to trolls.
Schwing! He gets it! Duh.
Mac-Forums.com
Go to Switcher Hangout
Anyone else know of switcher forums
or message boards?
Nick,
Welcome to the Mac Community. You’ll enjoy your new system. However, if you do run into problems that you can’t solve on your own, be sure to ask around. Fellow Mac users tend to want to help one another.
Regards.
Sorry Unsquirted, that wasn’t my intention.
Just hankering after the “old days”.
this story hit close to home for me. Personally, 2005 really was like coming out of the dark ages. Tiger still blows my mind
boar, bore or boor?
No problem, Verbatim. I hope there are better associations!
Cornell: Is that a Boer war?
Another one unplugged from the MS Matrix.
A very good friend of mine is a diehard Windows user, not because he loves Windows so much, but because he’s a gamer, and uses high-end 3D apps like Studio Max that aren’t written for OS X. He also likes to build his own machines and tinker. Because of his expertise, he has very few problems with his machines. He is just exactly the kind of person who *should* use Windows.
He told me today me might buy a Macbook. He thinks it will run Windows better than a PC for the stuff he needs Windows for. I think he’s right. But this is HUGE. This is like… like me buying a Zune. {I feel dirty}
So the tide just might be turning this time. I think it’s all going to be about 2007. Whatever happens this year will set the stage for the next decade or more of computing. I can’t wait to see what happens.
-c
sry, “he” might buy a Macbook.
Me buy Macbook. Heap big screen.
“Nick,
Welcome to the Mac Community. You’ll enjoy your new system. However, if you do run into problems that you can’t solve on your own, be sure to ask around. Fellow Mac users tend to want to help one another.
Regards.”
Thanks, I’m really looking forward to my new machine! Everyone in the community has been a great help thus far and I foresee them being even more helpful when I start needing real help and not just buying advice
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
ChrissyOne: It’s time to switch to decaf.
When I went to the web page where the original article was posted, to the right of that article was an Intel ad that had three leopards in front of three computers. I clicked on the ad, which took me to http://www.intel.com/business/xeon/?ppc_cid=EntMul1H07us_1B5 and again, there were three leopards in front of one of those computers.
I presume the leopards were in reference to the upcoming OS X 1.5
I am unfamiliar with the computer behind the leopards. Was it a generic computer, or was it a Mac Pro we haven’t seen before?
Is it possible that Intel put out an ad prematurely?