[kstar]

Here's a little something to chew on from tomorrow's WSJ. Stories like those told in the emails are mounting and Apple continues to rack up sales of those other things they offer - computers.

At some point the AAZZs (Anti-Apple Zealot Zealots) will get over their irrational dislike of Apple and realize Apple makes really good computers and software at reasonable prices.

FWIW.

Part 1

Readers Endorse Switch to Apple
Former Windows Users Offer Tales
Of Why They Switched to a Mac
September 17, 2007
Last week's column on pondering a new PC, and the possibility of throwing over Windows for Apple, brought in a tidal wave of forum posts and email -- and more evidence that the consumer-PC market is turning in Apple's favor.

Email after email came from people who had recently switched from Windows to Macs, or were planning to do so once OS X 10.5 -- alias Leopard -- comes out next month. (By the way, why not stick with the working names for operating systems? They're always cooler.) And many of those emails came from people who were longtime, dedicated Windows users, including engineering types who had resisted what they saw as Apple hype. (Another theme that emerged from my correspondence: Vista was the final straw for a number of Windows users. Microsoft has a problem on its hands there.)

I know looking through an inbox is anecdotal evidence -- but there was an enormous amount of it, of which the letters below are a small sample. Yes, there was a reverse wave of folks suggesting Linux, building my own PC, or staying the course and getting a game console. But it was a small ripple against the tide. Thanks to everybody who wrote in with their experiences.

By way of brief update, I've put off my PC decision for a bit. I've eliminated the Mac mini because it doesn't seem capable of running dual monitors, something I've come to rely on quite heavily. This is disappointing, because I'd liked the idea of simply plugging my existing gear into a new box -- and because the price of a mini is far below that of an iMac.

I'm definitely considering the iMac, but I'll wait for Leopard, and paying $1,200 for a new PC (at least -- because you know I'll want the 24-inch iMac and the fastest processor and the most RAM) makes this a decision to be mulled over a while longer. But like so many correspondents, I sense an Apple takeover of my computing world. I haven't tried Vista, and I've always been fairly happy with my Dell machines, but in last few years the world has changed, and I can't think of a compelling reason to stay on the Windows-only side of it.

On to the letters -- as always, they've been edited. We'll start with the switchers:

David MacCallum writes: I found myself in your exact same predicament about four months ago. Ever an early adopter, I found that Windows Vista left a bitter taste in my mouth. I thought, "Is this is the best Microsoft could do in five years?" It was slower and more unreliable on my P4 3 GHz PC with 2 GB of RAM. I started down the path towards a new Dell with Vista when I came across some articles about Macs and their ability to run Windows and seamlessly switch back and forth nearly instantly.

REAL TIME FORUM


Further thoughts on a new PC and the choice between Windows and Apple? Join the ongoing discussion in the Real Time forum.
I took the plunge in April, bought a Mac Pro desktop and have been extremely happy. Some things work much, much better than on a PC while some things are not as good (but very close). It does take a couple of weeks, but once you get the hang of it there is no looking back. Oh, and in those four months with the Mac, I have not had a single application or operating-system crash.

Jeremy Ferguson writes: With iPods doing so well, I figured I would look into Apple computers. After jumping on one in the Apple store I became hooked. Everything just worked. It has been about nine months now and I absolutely love this machine. There is nothing like it. I don't regret ever using Windows -- I am just upset about how long it took me to realize this.

Andrew Farro writes: As a former Windows user, I can tell you wholeheartedly that you must switch to Mac if you want to experience the joy of being "wowed" by a computer again. I took the plunge about 10 months ago (with a 20-inch iMac) after many years of thinking about a switch, and how refreshing this plunge was! If you can survive the first two weeks of having a Mac, you are set for life. After seeing my Mac, five friends (and counting) have now converted as well.

Bob Pollack writes: I had been a loyal PC user for almost 30 years. Most recently two events occurred. The first was my 21-year-old daughter purchased a Mac laptop. The second was the appearance of Vista. My daughter had a 15-minute learning curve and was off and running -- not one minute of difficulty. I brought Vista home to what I thought would be a happy home but found myself on the verge of placing my new laptop on the target range and using any and all ammunition I could acquire to put it, and me, out of our collective misery.

My new Mac Laptop and I are having quite a romance. With the addition of Parallels, using Windows XP I can run any Microsoft products I still need. My learning curve was a bit longer than my daughter's, but I feel that the 30 minutes I needed was not too bad. I strongly urge you to make the switch. You will live happily ever after with your Mac and your PC-less world.

Zen Chu writes: Eighteen months ago my XP system experienced a OS corruption from which it never recovered. Thankfully I had backed up regularly, but still it was an incredible pain. Instead of rebuilding, I took the opportunity to buy one of the first MacBook Pros from Apple. It has turned out to the best tech decision I've made in a long time.

Total cost of ownership, including software, has been much lower and time spent scanning for viruses has been replaced with more time with my kids. I did rebuild my Windows laptop just in case, but very rarely need to boot it up. I'm amazed when I occasionally look at my uptime stats -- often I have not rebooted the laptop for over a month.

I recommend Macs now for power users and my mom alike.

Demetrios Tsipras writes: My wife and I were "fortunate" enough to have a backpack stolen on our last vacation. (Who knew Vancouver was so sketch?) Among other things, it contained a spankin' new Dell laptop. To be honest, we were a bit relieved. Neither of us cared for that thing.

Vista is a mess. The laptop crashed within five minutes of turning it on the first time. There was a conflict with pre-installed software. Vista is a resource and battery drain. It accesses the hard drive for every task. And you know that Mac ad with the secret-service looking fellow ("allow or deny?") Let's just say it's distressingly accurate.

We replaced that laptop with a new PowerBook. We love it. It's so intuitive, simple and pleasing to the eye that you'll wonder why you've ever bothered with Windows. I'm ashamed to admit that I've been following the herd all these years.

We have two Dell desktops, both about five years old. They both run XP and have been acting up recently. We're going to replace them with a top-of-the-line iMac. And if you're worried about playing video games, get a Wii. That's what I did.

Forrest MacGregor writes: I have been building computers since they were made from individual ICs, and many/most of my engineering tools are still PC-based. However, when I am frequently asked to recommend someone's next PC, I unhesitatingly blurt out "Apple. Without a doubt." Anything you can possibly think you are giving up by choosing an Apple is vanquished by what you are getting by switching to Mac.

"Switch. Enjoy. Gloat. Exalt. Recommend." That is evolution under a Mac banner. Compare it with "Settle. Puzzle. Tweak. Complain. *****. Upgrade. Patch. Replace." That seems to better describe the Windows universe.

W. Brennan Carley writes: I recently found myself in a similar situation, with an aging Dell running Windows XP. With two kids and a wife who all make heavy use of computers for school and volunteer work, I had to buy another computer.

I have been using PCs since DOS 1.0, started my career writing PC operating systems for IBM, and some of my code wound up in OS/2 and (allegedly) in Windows. So while I haven't written a line of code in about 20 years, I know more about PCs than the average consumer. But I found myself wasting too much of my time being a systems administrator for my home computer. The whole family has iPods, and the kids are comfortable with Macs from school, so I decided to consider Mac.

I wound up buying a MacBook Pro for my wife and an iMac for the kids. Six months earlier I had bought a new Dell for my mother-in-law and spent a full day setting it up: installing patches to Windows and rebooting, uninstalling craplets and rebooting, installing antivirus and rebooting, installing patches to the antivirus and rebooting, etc. Setting up the Macs took 15 minutes each. Done.

My wife and kids shifted to the Macs without a hitch; after that experience, and with the Dell behaving increasingly flaky, I decided to cut the cord. There are some little things that still frustrate me, like the way the keyboard shortcuts work, etc., but I am now 100% Mac (at home). It works, I spend much less time having to fiddle with computers, everything integrates nicely, and I would never contemplate buying a Windows PC again.

End Part 1 - Continued Below