Resistance is Futile 2 - Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Mac
So you are in the market for a new computer. Like most people, you have always been a Windows user, but the idea of Vista has you a little concerned. So with a major change on your horizon, anyways, you are considering a Mac, right?
Don’t worry, you are not alone.
So in case you are not quite ready to make the plunge and go ahead and buy a Mac, here are my top 5 reasons to go ahead and buy a Mac.
1 - Beauty
There is little in the PC World that rivals the beauty and simplicity of the Macintosh line. I know there are some who might disagree. They might, perhaps, prefer the powerful look or the ultra mod with neon tubes look. But this is like preferring a 4×4 truck with ground effects. Your personal preference is your own, but just because you like that, you can’t criticize the Rolls Royce.
And the beauty and simplicity aren’t just skin deep. The beauty and simplicity can be found in the design of the operating system and the individual programs you use as well.
2 - Comfort and Flexibility
In college I played around with the idea of virtualization and dual-booting my hard drive. It was a great idea, but my choices were limited. I could run Windows or Linux, but to get on a Mac, I had to get on a Mac.
Today’s Intel based Macs give you the choice of dual booting or virtualization at an affordable price. This means that not only do you get the flexibility of having choices, you get the comfort of using familiar software from back in your PC days.
Determined not to choose but to stick with the familiar. This is your wild card that gets you the familiar and a new choice.
BTW… this is a great place to talk about games. Dual Booting means you can keep all your Windows games you love and be ready for the Mac games that are on the horizon.
3 - Media
I know. You can do graphics and media things on your PC. In the graphic design program I graduated from, two of my professors ran graphic design firms strictly running PC’s. Of course its possible.
The issue, though, is not possible, but better. There is a simplicity to the integrated workflow that is Mac. And the included apps in the iLife suite give the everyday user everything they need in an easy to use package.
Again, I know. I know that there are lots of apps for the PC that make these kinds of things possible without too much money or hassle. A lot of them are even free. But back to simplicity. Out of the box, my Mac does more when it comes to media.
4 - Productivity
iCal was the killer app that switched me to the Mac in the first place and OmniFocus is the killer app that keeps me here. It just seems like life on a Mac is more productive than life on a PC. It could be all in my head, but like the media workflow, the productivity workflow just seems simpler.
Everything seems to integrate with everything else. You can sync with your phone, out of the box. iCal, AddressBook, and Mail talk to each other as if they were one program, but unlike one program solutions like Outlook, they are not all running at the same time taking up your system resources.
5 - Price
I know what you are thinking. Price is the argument of why not to by a Mac. But lets compare Apples to Apples here. Go spec out a machine that matches, part for part to the Mac of your dreams and see if the prices don’t come out ahead.
For me and my particular needs, the computers I looked up came within $50 or the Mac was actually cheaper.
Yes, I know there are PC’s out there in the $300 range. But those $300 PC’s do not stack against the Mac very well. Maybe that is all you need. Maybe Apple should make a $300 Mac that is stripped down and is only good for email, internet, and word processing. But that is not the issue.
People look at Mac and like what it can do, not what it would be capable if it was a stripped down value PC. The see what they like and then cry, "but PC is cheaper."
So compare Apples to apples. This morning I looked up a number of models on Dell and outfitted with features to match some of the common Mac line. Apples to apples, there was only one desktop that came out cheaper similarly equiped and one laptop. Both were the home user entry level line. Everything else came out more expensive (even with Dell’s instant savings discounts).
Try it out for yourself.
6 - Mac Programmers
I know I said 5, but this is one I couldn’t leave out. The independent Mac programmers responsible for so many great looking and functional apps is part of the community that is Apple. They make beautiful programs that work. These are people who have a love for the Macintosh and want to see it improve. They lovingly create the future.
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Taken separately, each of these are probably not reason enough to jump in and buy a Mac, but together…. Resistance is Futile.
So quit debating about what you are going to do. If you haven’t already visited an Apple Retail store (or other local reseller) go spend an hour or two on a Mac. Do your homework. And if you still have questions, ask. You can send an email to Juan, Jayvee, or myself through the site here, or leave a comment and give the greater The After Mac community help you out.
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POSTED IN: Chris's Posts, Switch to Mac
1 opinion for Resistance is Futile 2 - Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Mac
Ben Boles
Jun 3, 2008 at 12:01 pm
You forgot the number one reason to buy a Mac. When you walk into the room and open you Mac laptop all the heads turn! Actually that’s a nice extra.
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