“This may sound odd, but I’ve always felt that part of my job as editor of a technology publication was to use the same operating system most people do. Yes, I’ve used a Mac and Ubuntu on the side, and I constantly use iOS, but on my nondescript gray desk at work, a Windows 7 laptop sits snugly in its docking station,” Eric Knorr reports for InfoWorld.
“Now I need to replace my aging ThinkPad. Until a little while ago, I was determined — even excited — to stick with Windows 7 and follow Microsoft on its journey to Windows 8, which in theory seemed like a bold way to bridge the desktop and mobile worlds,” Knorr reports. “Well, guess what? I’ve changed my mind. After 22 years of using Windows for work, I’m opting for a Mac instead.”
“All it took was a long look at Windows 8 Consumer Preview. In hindsight, I suppose that Microsoft’s quest to combine a desktop and mobile OS into one was damn near impossible to begin with,” Knorr reports. “ut couldn’t the company do better than what landed with a thud on Feb. 29? I was shocked, not only at the clunkiness of Metro on the desktop, but also at the disappearance of the Start menu — a double-barreled fail. My gut reaction is one thing. But the clincher for me has been the response from Windows gurus I respect [such as] Martin Heller, longtime InfoWorld contributor and Windows expert, who sent us an email last week with a subject line that read: ‘I was so impressed with the Windows 8 preview … that I ordered a 21-inch iMac.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Welcome, Eric, to the land of bliss full-time. Congrats on coming to a happy realization!
As we wrote last spring:Microsoft, in trying to cram everything into Windows 8 in an attempt to be all things to all devices, will end up with an OS that’s a jack of all trades and a master of none (which, after all, ought to be Microsoft’s company motto).
By the time this hybrid spawn of Windows Phone ’07 + Windows 7ista actually ships, one can only dream where Apple’s iOS and Mac OS X will be! For Microsoft, it’ll be more like a nightmare. Perhaps Microsoft will someday put some scare into Google’s Android/Chrome OS, but only time – and a lot of it when measured in tech time – will tell. We simply do not see the world clamoring for the UI of an iPod also-ran now ported to an iPhone wannabe that nobody’s buying to be blown up onto a PC display.
From what we’ve seen so far, Windows 8 strikes us as an unsavory combination of Windows Weight plus Windows Wait.
Not to mention that probably no one on earth knows how much or what kinds of residual legacy spaghetti code roils underneath it all (shudder). Is Microsoft giving up on backwards compatibility? If so, people might as well get the Mac they always wanted. If not, then Microsoft’s unwilling to do what it takes to really attempt to keep up with the likes of Apple or even Apple’s followers. No matter what, if Microsoft’s going to ask Windows sufferers to “learn a whole new computer” (and that’s exactly how they’ll look at it, regardless of how Microsoft pitches it), millions will simply say, “Time to get a Mac to match my iPod, iPhone, and iPad!”
Related articles:
How the editor of Windows Magazine became an ‘Apple fanboy’ – July 25, 2011
Windows user tries ‘A Month of Mac’ – the inevitable happens – August 3, 2010
Longtime Windows sufferer tries Mac, dumps Windows, switches business to Mac, sees productivity soar – April 22, 2009
Longtime Windows sufferer finally tries Mac: ‘Mac OS X beats Windows’ – April 16, 2009
Recent Windows to Mac switcher: ‘I’ll bet my blood pressure dropped 10 points’ – April 10, 2009
A recent switcher’s top 10 free Mac utilities – February 20, 2009
Windows 95 lead architect is a Mac switcher, launches first iPhone app – July 21, 2008
Are growing legions of Windows PC to Mac switchers diluting Mac community’s IQ? – January 25, 2008
Windows to Mac switcher dispels myths – May 16, 2008
Indispensable tips for Windows to Mac switchers – May 08, 2007
Top 30 mistakes made by new Windows to Mac switchers – April 30, 2007
‘It’s About Time’ to learn the Switch to Mac tool smoothes transition for Windows to Mac switchers – April 28, 2007
Windows to Mac switcher finds comfort in ability to run Windows, then leaves Windows behind – April 16, 2007
Longtime Windows sufferer switches to Apple Mac: ‘I’ll never buy another PC’ – April 09, 2007
Smart business owners migrate to Apple’s OS-unlimited Macs – April 09, 2007
IT manager for Fortune 500 company seriously considering OS-unlimited Apple Macs – April 06, 2007
WSJ: Apple makes inroads with Macs that can run Mac OS X, Linux, Windows – March 20, 2007
Network World: Need a new PC for Vista? Switching to Mac may cost less and give you more – March 16, 2007
Windows expert dumps Windows, switches to Apple’s Mac OS X, finds software plentiful – March 12, 2007
InfoWorld: 9,000 people switch to Apple Mac every day (plus testing ‘Embrace and Extinguish’) – February 28, 2007
Netscape founder Marc Andreessen switches to Apple Mac – February 28, 2007
Computerworld: Windows expert dumps Windows, switches to Apple’s Mac OS X – February 08, 2007
Microsoft’s Windows Vista: Five years for a chrome-plated turd – January 30, 2007
Those unfamiliar with Apple’s Mac OS X may be impressed with Windows Vista – January 29, 2007
A Windows expert opts for a Mac life, finds the experience ‘superb’ – December 07, 2006
15-year Windows vet tries Apple Mac: ‘My God! This is amazing!’ – December 04, 2006
A Windows expert opts for a Mac life – November 06, 2006
Apple Macs can run more software than Windows PCs – October 30, 2006
Top Windows developer dumps Microsoft’s ‘pile of crap’ for Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2006
Dude, you got a Dell? What are you, stupid? Only Apple Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows! – April 05, 2006
Embrace and Extinguish in action: TechIQ’s ‘The VAR Guy’ dumps Windows, switches to Mac OS X – September 25, 2006
Apple Macintosh simply does more and costs less than Windows PCs – February 14, 2006
Intel-based Macs running both Mac OS X and Windows will be good for Apple – June 10, 2005
It looks like Windows 8 is going to be as good for Apple as Windows Vista was. Thanks Microsoft!
This level of user appreciation for Windows L8 will be no means be unique. I expect a deluge of similar appreciation once the thing finally hits the streets.
Aprés le deluge…
22 years with Mac here.
Once you try Mac – you never look back.
Welcome, Eric, Martin!
They have driven the final nail on the coffin!!!
Welcome !!!!
I switched all my home computers to Macs starting in 2010. Now I’m waiting for Apple to update either the Mac Pro (preferable) or the iMac so that I can update my Windows PC workstation here at work.
“I was so impressed with the Windows 8 preview … that I ordered a 21-inch iMac.”
PRICELESS!
37 years with Apple here.
Wanted Mac but got a Compac Portable in 1985 or so – then came a couple 286 desktops that were suppose to network ….
After spending nearly $1,500 for the networking genius and his hardware and software and $6,000 for two identical machines but to network and three months of failure, I went out and got two Mac Classics and networked them together in 5 minutes, I was AMAZED … and sold ….
Now we had a network but what the heck didn’t use until Filemaker and our database came in 1995 ….. Just about the time Windows 95 was coming …..
My Partner got a Windows 98 machine a few years later and was sold on Windows and pressure me for several years to switch our little company but because I did the work on Filemaker and refused to use a PC we stuck with the Macs ….
Now we have six 27″ iMacs and a Mac mini serving off Filemaker Pro Server along with 4 iPads and 6 iPhones and my Partner …. He has two iMacs at home ….
End of Story
You should have tried Helix back then. Multiuser, relational object oriented graphical programming. In 1987 I think (the multi user version) Waaaaaay before Filemaker and waaaaaaay more powerful. Apple went on to support the fugly, bug ridden 4D instead, though.
Ah, yes, 4D, AKA Silver Surfer. Actually I liked OverVUE from ProVUE Development, which is now known as Panorama. Before that I was deep into Barney Stone’s DB Master for the Apple ][. That app was super, and it fit into Apple’s 64k of RAM at the time. Today it’s Bento for my light database needs.
26 years here.
And helping about 50 switchers over from the Dark Side.
Interesting, Apple was established in 1977 and incorporated in 1977 (36 and 35 years ago respectively).
Were you, Steve and Woz friends?
So 1977 was 36 years ago? And 1977 was 35 years ago (true).
Be that as it may, I go back to mid-1978 (almost 35 years ago) with an original Apple ][. Had to wait for months for the floppy drive as Woz was still writing the DOS for it at Xmas 1978, I believe. Of course my memory plays tricks on me now and then. 🙂
38 years here. I bought the first Mac sold in my state back in 1984. Since that time I have used only 5 desktop Macs for my primary work station (original Mac, LC, Proforma, Quicksilver Pro, and Intel Pro).
Think about that, only 5 versions of a computer in 38 years. Thatis testimony to the longevity of Macs.
What is truly amazing is how long Microsoft takes to “revamp” the same old spaghetti code and design new packaging for it.
Yeah, can you imagine how long it would take if they ever finally took the long overdue step of starting over?
The problem many of windows sufferers face is going from a complex, “you-need-a-manual-to-figure-it-out paradigm” to a much simpler “you’re-trying-to-figure-out-how-to-do-something-you-don’t-have-to-do-on-a-Mac” paradigm. Very few of the complex things you learned to do regularly on a PC, and feel the need to do on a Mac, are just unnecessary. My 77-year-old father switched to a Mac a little over a year ago. He has an occasional issue with a couple of processes, but most of the time they were something that was not needful to do on a Mac. He learned that pretty quickly, and has been very happy, even though he occasionally calls me with one of those questions. It’s not necessarily Apple’s fault, but I do understand where some things that we like to do should be in a manual, but we can only find online.
But honestly, in 2012, who would look for an answer in a manual if you even had one? In today’s world, the answer is found more easily, more quickly and more thoroughly in those Internet threads than any manual could’ve possibly dreamed.
Welcome, but wow, what took you so long?
More fool them. They just wasted how many years sticking it out with Windows?
All Macs at my house. I used to joke that I was the IT department at home and looking back it was no joke! My God I wasted massive amounts of my life configuring sh*t and doing maintenance on that God awful soul eating operating system.
These days I don’t even think about our computers and I sure as hell don’t waste any Saturdays fixing windows problems anymore!
Free at last… thanks Steve I’m free at last!
+1
I hear that a lot from IT friends.
The people who wrote this article and those that agree with it, are all a bunch of pathetic whiny losers! Windows 8 is awesome and WAAY better than OS-X for the following reasons:
I’m impressed. You delineated every single reason!
Hey… you copied my list!
MEES I have used windows since third grade. That is when Mariemont City Schools first got computers. They were running Windows 95. The reason I am switching is that I am fed up with Microsoft and their defective and piece of crap software. I was one of the users who got and paid for windows Vista. It was the worst software to install and get to work and was very unstable and consistently had to be re installed to fix issues. I did buy Windows 7 which was stable and useful like Windows XP. But my biggest problems with Windows 8 is that their no more start menu, pain in the ass to get to a desktop and to get back to Metro UI, No clear way to exit apps started in Metro. Metro UI might be great if you had a touch screen. Very user unfriendly, and it is more unforgiving than previous versions of windows. Here is the you tube video link of a kid trying to prove a point to Microsoft and people like you that a person that has never used a pc will have problems using metro UI and windows 8.
I am not that Paul.
The Paul to whom I am replying must be a real simpleton and possibly a Troll.
What on earth could have confused you about the Mac Mini? HDMI to the TV, plug in the power chord and you are ready to go!!!!
And, even more confusingly, what on earth could that windows laptop have done for you in terms of simplifying the setup?
the track pad would not work until a thread suggested taking the batteries out and turning on AFTER macmini on. The TV cut off part of the screen, including the menu and we had to go out and buy a monitor to see all the screen. The photos from IPhone would not copy over to iPhoto. The Finder method is confusing. iMovie was not on the dock until brought there. I also have a friend who is. Retired lawyer and. It exactly a simpleton who got an iMac and has been going to classes at Apple store and he is not happy at at all with the system.
Leave the dark side. Come to the light!
We have cookies. Been eating cookies
for some 10+ years now 🙂 🙂 🙂
Well, even though I have Macs, I’ll still be able to test Windows 8, so for me it’s a win-win situation. Windows 8 looks interesting to me just as Windows 7 seems functional to me. I like trying them all.
I can see Windows 8 being used on desktops and notebooks but for the life of me I can’t see most consumers buying Windows 8 tablets at all.
Eric welcome to the wonderland of Apple toys and heavenly peace of mind. I switched to Apple in August 2002, dump all my windows computers and never went and will never go back to windows. I use Parallel with win 7 because I use one mortgage software from Calyx “Point” and I can’t find any thing to replace it. Every time I use win 7 it like I make a trip to HELL. I hope one day I will find a solution for that too.
Are you still using calyx point on your mac? If so is it worth the head ache? I just bought a pc t run calyx and going back to a pc is like stepping into the stone ages.
> but I’ve always felt that part of my job as editor of a technology publication was to use the same operating system most people do.
Then Eric Knorr should still be using Windows XP, because a higher percentage of Windows users still use XP compared to Windows 7.
That also means a significant percentage of Windows users will be migrating from Windows XP, compared to Windows 7 (or Vista), when they “upgrade” to Windows 8. For those XP users, migrating to Mac OS X Lion (or Mountain Lion) will seem more familiar to them than the strange kludge that is Windows 8.
I’m not saying this will happen. It’s just that I’ve seen this before.
Don’t be surprised if he switches back to a Thinkpad running Windows 8 as soon as it hits the market. He’ll praise the last minute fixes Microsoft made while quietly thanking Microsoft for the cash that just came his way.
welcome to the Mac
Been with Mac 26 years and Apple 28 years. Wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on an Apple III while my wife did hers on a IIe.
In my laptop or Mac pro, I have WIndows 7, not so much that I use it (although I double-check my powerpoint presentations with it), I mainly have it just to see the look on my PC friend’s faces when I convert my computer into theirs, plus Ubuntu plus the Mac of course. What? Your’s only does the one operating system? For roughly the same price? Heheheheheheheheh….
Priceless 🙂
It doesn’t say that he is switching from Windows to OS X. It says that he is replacing his aging IBM with a Mac this time around.
As an editor of a technology publication that wanted to use the system most people were using he should have done this in 2006 when the Intel based Macs came out. He could then run multiple OS’s including OS X on one machine.
I doubt he plans on abandoning learning about Windows all together now.
It doesn’t have to be one side or the other. Your more valuable if you know both, whether you like Windows or not.
Reminds me of a former colleague who used to deride my preference for the Mac. He didn’t use the term “fanboy”, but he clearly thought I’d drunk the Kool Aid. Then his HP laptop froze up and he spent a few hours with Tech Support (someone with an Indian accent) which left his laptop un-bootable. He took a ride down to the nearest Apple store to see if there might – just might – be something better, and walked out with a 24″ iMac. He was so excited by his new venture he had to email me the news.
Using both Windows machines and Macs after college in 92, but once I got a Performa (LOL!!) I never had use another Windows PC for personal use again!!
Hey, my first computer was a Performa. That was in 1996.
Been all Macs ever since.
My first computer was an IBM AT. That was 1988. Been all Macs ever since! 😉
Ironically, in an attempt to revive Winblows, Microsloth has dealt themselves a death blow.
Don’t count your coffins before they’re loaded with stiffs…
But Windows L8 is going to awaken a vast number of people from their near-death experience.