Los Havros

Ok, I’m really starting to like the Mac- a lot. I’ve also noticed amongst other things that web designers and other creative people use Macs. So I guess I’ll start off with why I like the whole idea of the Mac. Both hardware and software is made/controlled by Apple which means that everything ‘just works’. Also, the build quality and aesthetics of the machine are amazing. Macs are generally more secure than PCs out of the box, and everything about OSX is just visually amazing. Having just invested in an 8Gb iPod Nano, I’m one of those people who are thinking, well if their MP3 player is this good, then surely their Macs are going to be just as good? I’m certainly not alone in this kind of thinking as there has been loads of talk about the ‘iPod halo effect’ that has benefited Mac growth rates.

Unfortunately though, there are several big obstacles that are stopping my dream dead in the water. The first is all of my favourite applications; what about those essential applications that are only out on PC and there are no suitable Mac substitutes? The second obstacle is games. Even though I’m a big console gamer I still love my PC games. Whatever you try and say to me, there are just no-where near the amount of games for the Mac as there are for the PC. If anyone suggests Bootcamp, well, doesn’t that defeat the whole point of switching to the Mac? Besides, I’ve never been a fan of running multiple OS’ and I’d have to pay for a copy of Windows.

The third obstacle is Mac OSX itself. I’ve had the opportunity to try Macs at friends’ houses and in computer stores, but it is just bizarre. What on earth is up with the dock; having icons of both shortcuts to programs AND programs that are open/currently running? I’ve been a Windows user for well over 10 years now- would I even be capable of adapting/ would I be willing to adapt? The fourth, last, and perhaps most important obstacle is the price. Even with generous student discounts applied, I still find the Mac prohibitively expensive. With a PC, you get WAY more for your money.

I’d just like to point out that these are just thoughts about what is currently stopping me getting a Mac. Of course, that could all change; I could decide to be extravagant and take my wallet for a ride, or I could just decide ‘to hell with everything Windows’ and ditch all my old applications, maybe PC games won’t mean so much to me in a few years time. So yea, these are my thoughts out in the open, and I would welcome anyone’s thoughts or opinions of what I should do in this matter.