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Since the class, I've used the Mac for a lot of things. Linux programs can run on a Mac with X11, or you can dual-boot with Yellow dog. My stepmother was using an old PC; I built for her with Windows 98 on it. She had to call me over to clean it, fix broken programs, spyware and the like. She wanted a laptop, so I suggested an iBook. At first she was hesitant, going to something she never used before and not many people she knew had one. She was unsure if her photos would still be viewed or if she can write documents and play Mp3's. I told her she could do all of this and showed her Windows Office 2004 for Mac. In my opinion it's better than the Windows version. She took a risk and ordered one and she loves the thing. She can go wireless and type her papers, do her e-mail and organize her photos of her grand kids. She was surprised of its usefulness, simplicity and design. My father pointed out that computers lose their value so quickly and asked how the Mac fits in with this model. I explained that a Mac holds its value over a PC laptop. PC technology changes so often, with so many different competitors that your system would be obsolete in a about a year or so. With a Mac you can still upgrade to new OS after 3 years time. (Assuming how different the OS is) You could run Panther on a G3 and they were made in 2000! Looking on eBay a G3 laptop is still going for about $800; even though you can buy a brand new PC laptops for less than that, people still want the older Mac.

Things got hairy in my high-speed Internet class at work when my instructor asked all of us when Apple first incorporated an RJ-45 connector. To everyone's surprise I was the only one who knew the answer. I felt like the sole Democrat at a Republican convention. From then on I wasn't Scott I was "The Mac Guy". Not many ISP help desks know how to support a Mac at all. PC techs would laugh at me, calling me names like poor Rudolph and his shiny red nose. The Mac seems like a misfit, but they do fit in. Mac's and PC's can talk using TCP/IP, share files, surf the web and it hardly seems any different. Going from a PC to a Mac was a very easy transition, I can only wonder what it would be like if that role were reversed. The Mac is an amazing machine, which acts more like an appliance than a tool. People think of a Ford Escort as a tool to get you to work. For example, look at a Mini Cooper, it's like a cool hot rod that has its own cult of fans. That's the best way to describe how Mac users see the difference. The Mac is a computing experience while Windows to them is more like just trying to get something done. Usually when I plug things into a PC it either works or I've got a problem to work on. Every time I've added something to a Mac it works right away. To get my PC perfect I had its lid off for almost a month doing tests on it. (Benchmarking is a serious business) A Mac is designed from the hardware to the OS. Windows can't be expected to have the drivers for every mobo, chip or video card that gets plugged into it. The Mac has only a couple of configurations to it. The hardware works well, because it tightly integrated into the OS.

I'm not saying everyone should get a Mac, but techs should respect the platform more. If you're a power gamer, don't even think of switching. Most of todays top games are not available for Mac and possibly never will. The Mac is for programmers, artists and people interested in a commercial work computer. Apple has done an amazing job reinventing themselves. Even some PC Mags are starting to review Apple computers. I respect the Mac as much as I respect Linux. I tend to look at them as second cousins. I love my PC desktop and always will. My AMD64 powerhouse still plays my intense games, but the PowerBook will be something I long for. I wouldn't mind having my main computer be a PowerMac G5. If it's good enough to clean up Return Of the Jedi, it's good enough for me. (A firm that cleaned up the old Star Wars movies used 600-clustered Mac G5's, see Apple site for the story.) I suggest anyone with an ipod give a Mac a try. You might find, like me, that you want the best of both worlds. PC's and Mac's should be friends.

About The Author: Scott Cabana has been in the IT business for 7 years and presently works for the cable company. He loves technology and spends most of his time studying it and playing in his rock band with dreams of success one day. He believes that all platforms have a place in this world, but of course they are not for everyone.

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