I don't do Windows anymore
Written: Mar 15 '00
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: easy to use, fast speed
Cons: keyboard and mouse
|
|
|
| susi's Full Review: Apple iMac Indigo 15 in. (M7669LL/A) Mac Desktop |
It was mixed marriage. I was a long-time Windows user, and my husband was a die-hard Mac fan. It made sense at the time - I was working in the business world, and he's a graphic designer - so we'd pretty much stayed in the niches society had carved out for us.
I had learned how to use computers way back an Apple Lisa. One of the original Mac computers marketed to businesses. It was a dinosaur when I got it - a relic of a departed employee, but it was mine! I felt like I'd entered a whole new world, and taught myself the ends and outs of the programs without a manual or human guide. Then disaster struck, literally. I had a bad experience with a faulty surge protector, a thunderstorm and pilfered system discs. I loved that little computer, and was heartbroken it couldn't be repaired.
At a new job, I was assigned a brand new PC with windows 3.31. I launched myself into learning all about it as if I had never been burned by a computer before. It was a lot more complex than a Lisa, but it had been about 10 years since she'd been created. I became the office expert, spending long hours learning programs, pushing my computer to do more. I suffered through viruses, network problems, frequent crashes, unexplained memory problems, frequent reloading of corrupted programs. I didn't care. Just fix it and let me get back to work.
I got a PC at home. I played games, discovered the internet and to my surprise...met my husband for the first time...online.
I played and worked my way into carpal tunnel syndrome. Had surgery. Had to give up computers for a long time.
Then my husband asked me to do some research for him, and put it in database. I knew for the sake of our business and our marriage, I'd have to work on the computers we had. I had to change platforms. And I was dreading it, knowing how much time I had spend learning the ins and outs of my old computer and its software.
To my surprise, it wasn't that hard. I could move around pretty easily and get my job done without taxing my hands too much. The system set up was a lot easer to figure out than Windows, at least for me. The File Maker Pro was a lot easier to program than the Paradox I had been using in my other life. I was up and running in no time. A new ergonomic split keyboard helped too.
During a slow time in our business, I worked for a temp agency, and used PCs and Windows software again. Once again, I dealt with a lot of crashes and corrupted software. My computer had a quirk that forced me to reinstall the printer every time I turned the machine on. I missed my Mac.
A few months later, back at our business, my husband replaced my old Quadra with an iMac. The change in speed was incredible! I set it up all by myself! We did have the memory upgraded when we purchased it, after all, we own a graphic design firm, and that stuff eats memory. For all their good looks, the keyboard and the mouse were unacceptable ergonomically - the keyboard too compact and restrictive and the mouse just plain uncomfortable. The mouse was easily fixed. Finding a comfortable split keyboard with a USB connection took longer.
Based on my experience, our growing business, and the affordability of the iMacs, our business purchased four iMacs in the following three months. We bought a fifth for my inlaws for Christmas, and have enjoyed watching the former computer phobes dive in.
I've lost some variety in giving up my Windows views. I miss the variety of software I enjoyed with using PC, particularly games. I waited years until a reliable voice software became available for Macs. (I am using it right now!) I typically wait a little longer for Mac Versions of 'mainstream' products like Quicken. But for my limitations, I find the Mac environment much much easier to get around in - reliably - with a minimum of downtime spent tinkering with the machine before I get to work. When you only have a few hours of hand time available per day, that's pretty important.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
susi
|
|
Location: Shelburne Falls, MA
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.