I’ve been a Mac user for about 4 years now. I bought an iMac G5 at about this time in 1995 for my CD/DVD printing and duplicating business up in the Yukon. Being a musician and generally of an artistic bent, it was the only choice for me, what with all the creative bells and whistles a Mac offers.
My previous computer was an old IBM Thinkpad with Windows 98 and ports that have been obsolete for years. I don’t think you can even buy a printer that will plug into that sucker now.
Last spring I bought a MacBook Pro, a portable upgrade from the iMac, and recently found that I was using the iMac for nothing more than stereo equipment. My new career as a Sunbelt Pacific business broker requires the use of software that is not compatible with my adored MacBook, so I put an ad on craigslist to trade my iMac for a PC. I know nothing about modern Microsoft, but it is a necessity, even though it pains me to say it.
I received a response last week from someone whos computer turned out to be a lemon, according to all the reviews, so I passed. A few days ago, another person replied to my ad and we made a trade that was mutually beneficial. He’s a creative guy who used to have a Mac but made the switch and has regretted it ever since. I ended up with an HP dv2000 notebook that has everything I need for work, while he has my beloved iMac with everything he needs for his work. A good deal all around.
Now I have operating system bi-polar disorder. Two laptops that are as different as mangoes and tarantulas. Imagine my shock at being introduced to a crash course in Windows XP when, as mentioned, Windows 98 was my last experience with this technology. Ack! Sure, I’ve used Windows machines over the years in my work, but they’ve been configured and all I needed to do was find the MS Office folder.
It took me two days to configure the HP and all along the way I was wondering why Microsoft makes things so bloody complicated. I mean, you buy a Mac, turn it on and it tells you what to do so you can get on with using it. You get a Windows machine and it’s guesswork and luck that gets you where you need to go. I don’t have to restart my Mac to switch from wireless to hardwire. When I want a new network, it tells me how to do it and sometimes does it automatically.
My hope is that Microsoft will one day embrace the fact that genius exists in people who can figure out how to make magic with a software program without having any technical knowledge. Apple knows that and I love them for it. Focus on your strengths instead of dwelling on the weakness.
On the upside, it creates an entire job market for people who have the patience to understand these things. On the downside, it is very frustrating for people who just need the interface for practical applications. Applications that exist on both platforms but don’t always get along.
Fortunately, after hours of confusion, I had the humility to email the person with my old iMac to ask how I could get online with a hardwire connection. Turns out, there’s a switch on the front of the notebook for wireless. I have to flip the switch, shut off the computer and start it up again to make that happen. Who came up with that idea and how would I know that? Talk to Apple, for cryin’ out loud. Get with the program.
Cheers,
A day in the life of Heather
p.s. this post was written on a Mac.
