Friday, September 12, 2008

Moving to a new platform?

Sharing a computer among three people at home, all of whom, I might add, need the computer at diffrent levels, can br frustrating. Not only you can get kicked off just when you were starting to have fun on the Internet, you have to share hard disk space. Not to mention that your files aren't exactly private (though props to my brothers for minding their own on that haha).

I've wanted a laptop for so long, back since high school when Windows was just at the 3.1 version. Firstly because, hey, that looks cool! Then in college, because it was convenient rather than going to the shop and renting a computer (yay for boyfriends and friends who had their own computers I can borrow haha). Nowadays, it's more for me, plus the fact that I have an online writing gig that I need to work on for hours at a time and cannot be bothered by someone wanting to use the computer.

Now that the time has come that I can finally get one, I am filled with questions and "first time" jitters. What should I get? What specs would be good for someone like me who not only uses the computer to surf the net and write documents, but also draw and edit graphics? Will it be a good investment if I get this or that?

I'm a PC/Windows user, and even had a brief stint as a tech support. I've used Linux Ubuntu when I attended a seminar last year, but I can still remember the days when the aforementioned boyfriend (now ex) had an old, old, not so GUI friendly version on his computer (yes, he's a geek). The only time I ever touched a Mac was when I play with it at Power Mac Center or as of late, my uncle's MacBook.

So I visited forums (Philmug is good. I got a lot of great info on using a Mac as well as where to find the best bargains for one), read blogs and reviews, even posted a question at Plurk about it. Suffice to say, the positive feedback was overwhelming. Many (especially at the forums) were gracious enough to answer questions on the MacBook's reaction to certain functions.

Moving to a new platform can be daunting, but based on the stories of PC to Mac switchers, it wasn't that hard to get used to it. Pretty soon, they said, you'll even wonder why you had your old system in the first place.

I'm still scared of what may happen, but I'm quite ready to take the plunge on moving to Mac. If things work out great as I hope they would, maybe by this time next week, I'll be updating from my new baby. Cheers!

P.S. No, I don't plan on getting the black one. That's just the most decent photo I could find haha.

Interesting reads related to the Mac
Official MacBook site/page
More Mac users? Let’s embrace them
Miss Choi on her Mac

4 comments:

  1. Golly. Funny to think how I had these exact same thoughts, and now I'm a true Mac addict. It's a huge decision, but like others have told you - it's so worth it.

    By the way, I got my start on Windows 3.1 as well, and I remember when Windows 95 came out and how it was so amazing. Little did I know at the time that Microsoft had stolen the Mac OS from top to bottom to make Win95.

    Good luck with everything, and if you need any help - just ask!

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  2. The first time I got my hands on a Mac was back when its GUI wasn't so nice looking so I was sort of not interested (when it comes to gadgets, looks matter to me hehe). But I did recognize that it looked familiar to the 3.1 and 95 interface, not realizing that yeah, Windows was a ripoff haha.

    I'm now really excited about getting one. The community of Mac owners is just amazing, and when they welcome one into their fold, wow.

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  3. I know that a Mac is supposed to be superb compared to Windows but I haven't had the courage to buy one! Ha! When you get one Kat, can you give me a head up? I'm not a total whiz when it comes to computers and stuff but I do okay - in Windows that is... :)

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  4. Haha, I feel your apprehension. I was really, really, really hesitant to get one, but I was reading the testaments of various Pinoy Mac users in Philmug, as well as hearing about how good it is from my uncle and my online friend Krysty, both who made the switch recently.

    There's also the cost, but comparing it to Windows laptop and the stability plus longivity of a Mac, well, they say a Mac is the better deal.

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