Switching to Apple, a Year Later

I have been using Apple products for just over a year now… November 2011, after nearly two decades of Windows/PC/Palm/Android use.

How has it been? Enjoyable!

So long before trying, why?

Well my first exposure to desktop computing was with a PC and windows and I took to it… I enjoyed it and excelled at teaching myself. If it wasn't working just the way I wanted it, I wiped the machine and build it back up - Sometimes up for more than 24-36 hours.

Second, as Apple started to reemerge as a player those that used them were arrogant… the same reason I did not like cats, I never have had cats only dogs; however, I dislike them - why? The owners, they allowed their animals to roam free as did the laws, and cat owners thought they were above dog owners:-) … so fair or not I didn't like cats. The same was true about Apple, the owners/users I met were jerks, almost rabid, so Apple products never got a chance with me.

In fact, in 2010 when I attempted to purchase an iPad for my niece from an Apple Store, "owners" in the store started in on me when they saw my Android phone "Why are you even here if you don't use Apple?"… I explained my niece was an Apple user but not me and got "well at least she is intelligent"; in fact, the Genius became a Jerkius so I left! I bought the iPad from Best Buy, where they didn't care what I used!

Why did I finally try Apple products?

Really, when you get down to it… from my want to have the newest device I could. I changed jobs and for the first time I was unable to provide my own phone and just be reimbursed for the expense… the choice they gave me were the brand new iPhone, a 6 or 8 month old Android device, or a years old Blackberry bold - I choose the iPhone.

Well having time between old and new jobs and having zero experience with iOS and since one of the reasons for changing jobs was more money - I decided to get an iPad to learn iOS after all I could sell my Android tablet or give it to my wife.

Was iOS "better" than Android?

Actually, I wouldn't say either OS was worse or better than the other - I would say the apps for iOS were much more refined! Also, I would say the apps worked better with iOS than many apps worked with Android, not as many quirks… Made sense, iOS was created by the same company/team that created the hardware so it would be expected the OS would get every ounce of performance from the hardware and since they also tightly controlled the app, well you get the point. So I saw less requirement to clear memory, to restart the device, etc.

HEY, one would think it would work that way with iMac etc… and since there was more money involved - Well!

I replaced my personal laptop with an iMac! Smooth, no restarts, "it worked"… I replaced my WiFi with airport extreme and after getting the company iPhone why not an Apple TV.

I recently bought a personal MacBook Pro - So am I happy a year later?

Yes, I am am - Not saying a PC or Android are bad… in fact, I loved them - I loved playing around with them, modifying them, and I learned a lot! I believe as I am older I don't feel like "playing around" or "modifying", instead I want the devices to work when I turn them on and not be quirking - I don't have the time, the patients, or the desire to play/learn… I just want to do what I need to do and get on with my life - so I am an Apple user, wonder if I appear to be an arrogant jerk to non Apple users now :-)