“I didn’t wake up one day and say ‘Wow, I hate Windows. I’m going to switch to Mac,'” Alison explains. “I bought a little white MacBook, put it on the desk next to my primary Windows machine and started playing with it. Though technically underpowered compared to the dual screen, custom built PC I spent all of my time on, I found myself constantly reaching over to the MacBook to use it. The environment was fresh and new to me and I began to really enjoy the user interface consistency that OS X and the vast majority of Mac applications shared.”
“For such a small device the performance was excellent too; though it was the least expensive of the MacBook line of computers it didn’t feel like a compromised machine,” Alison reports. “Applications loaded quickly and I could run several large applications at once and see very little performance impact. In the past when I purchased the least expensive Windows based laptops the machine was barely usable out of the box; it needed to be cleaned of all the “extra” applications and within a month of using it the performance would start to deteriorate. Not so with the Mac.”
“In relatively short order I went from having a MacBook to purchasing a Mac Pro, which replaced my primary Windows desktop,” Alison reports. “Whereas the MacBook was quick, the Mac Pro was—and still is—remarkably fast. With dual 2.8Ghz quad core Xeons and 12GB of RAM, I was suddenly able to run a huge number of applications seamlessly.”
Alison writes, “The bottom line is I’m really happy I decided to ‘try out’ that MacBook two years ago. Computing—as a software developer the place I spent a huge number of my waking hours—became fun and exciting again.”
Full article, including several useful “Tips For New Switchers,” here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “qka” for the heads up.]
I switched to a Mac about 2 and a quarter years ago, to a similar white MacBook. I literally swapped over one evening. It was a great experience and I extended that to an iPod touch last summer. Now I need an additional Mac to cope with the demands of my graphics work, and I think a Mac mini (hi-spec) or an iMac looks good. All in all, I agree with the author of this post: Macs are worth every minute of use! Windows, on the other hand, feels like a slug, and I don’t mean a bullet.
I await Zune Tang’s sure-to-be entertaining response.
That “I’m a PC” dude can f-off though. It’s not funny if you’re actually that stupid.
I switched to Mac from my Kaypro CP/M in 1985. Haven’t looked back!
“Amen”
As my name suggests I am a switcher. And what switchers do best is get others to switch. We should get commissions!!!
Nothing will make me go back to M$ Winbloze, nothing and neither do any of the people I’ve help switch.
I love Bootcamp, it’s where I show people how bad life is on the other side and a quick reboot later we are freed from a world of hurt…quickly working in the world’s finest operating system OS X.
I’ve rarely found Zune Tang to be entertaining, as those posts are basically the same drivel I hear from the management and IT staff (save one or two) here where I work. It’s actually quite infuriating, as they are deadly serious and believe the talk. It has taken quite a bit of self discipline to not snap back. It’s kinda like talking evolution with a neo-fundamentalist.
I bought my first Mac, a Mac Pro, in March 2008. I meant it to be a complement or supplement to my Windows computers. However, as I got used to the different interface, I found myself increasingly reluctant to boot up the Windows desktop or laptop.
This past December I bought my second Mac, a MacBook Pro. I have no plans to get any more Windows computers.
Maybe ZT has to Check In with MonkeyBoy to ensure the right wordage?
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Any rate, wonderful article and it’s very clear points are very helpful to those whom want to switch.
I switched; from pen and paper in January, 1984.
Used the pen to sign the cheque. Still do on occasion.
I bought my first Mac in the 80s. I have never used a Windows thingy and never want to. I have advised many, many DOS people (read dozy people) to switch to Macs over the years. I still own the original bag for carrying the first Mac. It’s huge and I use it as a carry-on when traveling.
Conversely, I made the instantaneous decision to switch all at once. Installed parallels, ran windows for a month – then deleted parallels and windows and never looked back. 4 years later I’m typing bad grammar into a mac blog.
@ron
I can’t believe you still have “the bag.” I lugged an Mac SE to London and Tokyo back in the day to demonstrate LabView programs. It was just barely doable; no way I could have done it with a big beige box.
Now I have a MacBookAir….
Oh… is Zune Tang entertaining? I missed that memo.
Over the last two years I’ve gone from a Windows developer exploring the Mac as a compliment to my Windows and Linux machines
too bad there’s no spellcheck for stupid.
Ashamed to say I was great promoter of Windows in the 90’s. But in ’99 I began to be unhappy with Microsoft and switched to Mac.
So, I became passionate over Mac using OS 9
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> – I doubt too many people switched in that period, though of course the iMac and iBook were great little machines.
Macs have just got better and better and better ever since..
Meanwhile Windows is still stuck in its spaghetti coded muddled up nightmare of a design.
Switched about 4 years ago, after using Windows for 15 years. A new friend introduced me to the Mac, and I was impressed. I bought one (PowerBook G4) shortly after and loving Apple ever since.
Well, I needed a week to adjust. Often shouting “What the hell!!”, and then “Ahhh, yes, of course”. (the Windows mindset is often more complicated than Mac OSX, so you need to unlearn some of the crazy Windows stuff).
The consistency and clutter-free operating system is just great.
Also, it seems that sitting behind a Mac all those years and looking at all the beautiful apps (and accompanying websites) had a big influence on my design skills…. My apps UI are more polished and user-friendly, thanks to all the Mac developers around the world.
And only 55(?) days until the iPad… Man, life is sweet!
Where’s all the articles about Mac-to-Windows Switchers, Two Years Later? There’s not even one????
only 2 years? God I feel old, I’ve been switched for 8.
I switched when my last newly ordered Dell arrived from the courier and did not work out-of-the-box (although can happen at times with any computer). The straw that broke the camel’s back was when I had to spend a couple of hours on the phone from someone from another country whom I could hardly understand. He had me opening up the tower and pulling at parts (and I know nothing about hardware), even though I had purchased a warranty which he disregarded. Finally I had had enough and told him I wanted to ship the thing back. Got my Dell money back, got a Mac, and NEVER EVER looked back.
Does it count as switching if I went from Apple IIs to a Mac in 1984?
I switched from a Compaq 386, state-of-art back then, to a Mac SE in 1987 and haven’t looked back.
What I have witnessed is that Windows switchers are like reformed smokers. Once they use OSX for an extended period of time, they no longer can stand Windows. Just like those that quit smoking, can stand cigarrettes anymore.
Now, for me, I can work on ether one, it’s just that Windows is like running in waist deep mud.
And, speaking of lugging, I lugged my Mac SE back and forth from Beijing to HongKong, a trip of over 32 hours via train, a number of times. I’d even boot up in the station, 220v, and always be thankful when it chimed. The power there fluctuates considerably. My Toshiba dot-matrix printer died on Chinese power, though.
Switched writes, “As my name suggests I am a switcher. And what switchers do best is get others to switch. We should get commissions!!!”
Ah, but then they’d insist “You’re just saying Macs are great because Apple pays you.” Maybe we do it because we’re tired of helping them “fix” their Windows boxes, but mostly we do it out of altruism. We don’t like to see people suffer.
I’ve never switched! Started on a IIci.
When my (High School-attendee) grandson was in primary school, … I had a “conference” with the Principal..
It seems they had placed him in front of a “computer” to “teach” him how to “use” one ..
He said, to the teacher…
“What a piece of junk !!”
The teacher was surprised at this, and asked him what he meant by it…
He looked at her and said …
“It ain’t a Mac !”
I always thought … “Now THAT says it all!”
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I stayed true to the Apple II to -92.
I switched from an IBM Selectric Typewriter to the 512 FAT Mac in April of 1985. Bought my first Jasmine Hard Drive in 1988 or 89 for all of $999.00 It was a whopping 70 MB big!
@Norrin Radd
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“Does it count as switching if I went from Apple IIs to a Mac in 1984?”
Well, I would say ‘no’ – but Galactus might agree with you
His blog along has so a lot of helpful hints for switchers. I remember reading about his switch years ago and glad that he’s found the Mac platform a much safer and fun place to be.
I went from a Tandy TRS80 to a Tandy Model II (at my first job in 1980) to an IBM PC then a Compaq desktop something (at my second job in 1984).
Wrote the case for acquiring Mac SE IIs (twin-floppies) and got six into the office (in 1986) one of which when home with me as I did not like lugging them around in those massive bags. I’d start the Mac SE II with one floppy containing a System folder and some storage space then use a second floppy containing Word, Excel and Switcher (remember that?) to create fablous reports and business plans. It was great when Multifinder came along…
And other things like user centric stuff happened. We put together our own AppleTalk networks with servers that had storage AND shared LaserWriters plus email. And in due course came ethernet. All without an IT guy around as it was all ‘plug & play’.
But then came WinDOS95 (how could the Rolling Stones let them use their song to promote it?). My employer (a sizeable entourage had been smoozed and charmed when taken from London to Redmond for a sales pitch) went from over 60% Mac to 100% WinDOS and I had to lead one of the change management projects (no problem, sling a salute and kick them over the precipice).
I concluded that compared to Mac OS 7, Windows 95 was back to front and upside-down. You know, task bar across the bottom, menus that you push up and a waste basket on the top right of the desktop. And that the hardware/OS/software interfaces were shoddy at best. No finesse.
Also that it required the services of IT support person almost every week while my various Macs and MacBooks just carried on.
Good thing web developers did not carry that upside-down and back-to-front convention into their websites. Imagine websites where the main menu bar of options was across the bottom of the home page. Or menus had to be pushed ‘up’. They’re such backward people in Redmond!
I love the Mac because of its finesse… not the coolness, not the computing specs but the finesse. It just empowers me to get on with what I want to do and be my creative best.
Been waiting for the iPad since the MP2100 was canned. And I can’t wait to get my hands on one! Yet another example of finesse.
I meant, top left…
I have been using Apple computers since the II and I wouldn’t have anything else.
Windows is second rate, also ran white noise junk I refuse to buy, use or support.
I simply won’t do Windows.
Apple. Real Intelligent Design.
Haven’t seen anything like this in years. More and more heads popping up from the foxholes.
All quiet on the western front–?
I’m about 8 1/2 years into my “switch”. I could never imagine myself going back. I’ve used Windows at work all that time, so I’m constantly reminded of how much it sucks.
——RM
I switched to Mac three years ago this month when I started working for a new employer. It was a Mac environment and they bought me a new iMac.
As someone else said, it takes a week or so to figure out where things are and what the key combinations do.
I sold my Sony laptop (on which Windows XP had crashed and a friend had to pull the hard drive and copy it to save my stuff) and haven’t looked back.
Used them all. Apple II thru all the Macs.
In college talked our advisor into spending some of the student activity/store money and get a Mac Plus and that new thing called a LaserWriter. To this day I can’t believe we spent that amount of money.
Anyway, we got it setup in the office and started using MacWrite to put together my resume. Had a choice of 10 fonts I think. Printed it and was just blown away by the quality. Showed a few of my friends and they asked what printer I used to have it typeset and printed. Back then, you used Dot Matrix printers or you paid a print shop to print it for you.
Thus began the desktop printing revolution and I was right in the thick of it. Started getting many requests for printing resumes.
I love all these stories…. I’d seen the Xerox Star system and lusted after Lisa, but the Mac’s real strength didn’t occur to me until 1990 when I lost my 5 year old in the computer store…. I found him 10 minutes later standing calmly in front of an LCII creating Kid Pix drawings. He was opening and closing drawings and had to show me all the cool pens, stamps, and erasers. He was creating with the thing in less than 10 minutes with no instruction.
Switched in 1995. Never looked back. P
I made the switch about a year ago, best thing I ever dir
Running Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit as I’m reading this. I wonder why I’m not impressed with MAC.
http://www.bing.com When it comes to decisions that matter, Bing & Decide
I was an early proponent of Windows. This was for a multitude of reasons, but chiefly it was a much better idea than DOS. You gotta be kidding me with the DOS.
Friends of mine used Apple II’s and early Macs, but DOSx86 was cheap cheap cheap and ooooh they came in a big shiny metal boxes full of plastic for you to play with, so to replace my aging Vic 20, my parents bought a 286 with DOS and a text based authoring app that my mother was afraid of. She wouldn’t go near the thing.
When I loaded Windows 3.1 she could at least cope with it, and that was a big step. She was able to work on her book and be productive. Making music and looking at pictures was also a lot more fun. Windows was clearly better for the average person than a command line interface.
In 1995 I went to work for a small stock photography outfit you might have heard of. They used Macs. I had 2 brand new 8100’s that I worked every day on.
I felt a little betrayed, actually. I had championed Windows for so long… and I didn’t have a clue what I was missing.
I think it took about two weeks.
Another human being freed from Windows slavery. We abolitionists won’t stop until the entire world is FREE!
I made the switch 21 years ago :o)
Is Zune Tang still alive?
There are two stages of emotion at the time of switching: Elation at that light-bulb moment when the user “gets it”, followed by quiet grieving for all those wasted Windoze years …
I was fortunate at my work (I’m a printer) learning desktop publishing by tag-teaming with the engineer’s Lisa computer. Our department got a Macintosh shortly there-after and I’ve been happily using one ever since.
The idea of using a Windows machine was inconceivable from my early experiences. It just didn’t have the computing power even though it might have had higher specs.
At home, I could only afford a Commodore Amiga computer, but when Apple got into Mac OS X, with it’s Unix kernel, I couldn’t wait to switch to the Macintosh and bought my TiBook in 2001.