After two decades of using Windows, the Mac -- with a little help from the Web -- wins away a user.
Windows 3.0, Windows 95, Windows 98, XP, Vista, Windows 7. Once I left DOS, I went Windows and kept with it, never feeling a need to jump to the Mac. I'd even enjoy some lighthearted mocking of my Mac friends about which OS was better. But a one-two combo last week of getting a new MacBook Pro Retina and trying Windows 8 is finally knocking me off Windows as my primary computing platform and over to the Mac.
Before I write any further, I'm not trying to ignite any Windows vs. Mac fanboy debates. Whatever works for you works for you, and don't let anyone tell you that you're wrong. I'm not saying Mac OS is better than Windows 7 (or Windows 8) with this piece. I'm just sharing how the Mac finally wooed away a longtime Windows user, myself.
The first computer I owned was an IBM-clone running DOS. Apple computers were out of my price range, back in my college days in the mid-to-late 1980s. I eventually moved to Windows and stayed with it because it worked fine for me. I'd made an investment in software that I didn't want to leave behind, and there were far more applications in those days for PCs, especially in terms of computer games. I used to have time to play those.
My first Mac, with a virtual Windows safety net
In 2008, I needed a new laptop. For the first time, I considered -- and purchased -- a MacBook Pro. The hardware was nice, well designed, ergonomic. It was more expensive, but given it was my primary work tool, it was worth that expense. Most important, the Mac could run Windows. I didn't have to worry about leaving anything behind. I could use both Mac OS and Windows.
In 2008, I needed a new laptop. For the first time, I considered -- and purchased -- a MacBook Pro. The hardware was nice, well designed, ergonomic. It was more expensive, but given it was my primary work tool, it was worth that expense. Most important, the Mac could run Windows. I didn't have to worry about leaving anything behind. I could use both Mac OS and Windows.
I jumped in using VMWare Fusion to run Windows virtually. I used a single external monitor, eventually running Windows "down below" on my laptop screen (mainly to use Outlook) and the Mac "up above" on my external monitor (mainly for Web browsing and composing).
Life was pretty good until 2010, when my MacBook Pro's logic board died. I had AppleCare, which covered the repair. But it also meant I would be without a computer for two weeks. I couldn't afford that downtime. I dragged out an old Sony Vaio laptop I'd abandoned after issues with Windows Vista, installed Windows 7 and was pretty happy.
Happy, that is, until the Vaio died. I went back to my MacBook Pro, only to have the logic board die again within a week! Down two laptops, I moved to a new Dell Studio XPS laptop. It worked well enough, but I missed the quality of the Mac. The trackpad wasn't as responsive nor as big. I missed the anti-glare screen of my Mac.
I'd have stuck with the Dell if it hadn't died on me a few months later. By then, new MacBook Pros were out, so I decided to try again. They had a 1,680 x 1,050 screen resolution with an anti-glare option, which made them especially appealing.
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