Why Choose Macintosh?

Why Choose Macintosh?
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Our extensive experience with both Macintosh and Windows platforms has proven to us (and many others with dual-platform experience) that the Macintosh provides the most friendly Operating System user interface for almost any computer user, which leads to a happier, more knowledgeable, and more productive computer user. Adding additional devices and software to a Mac is truly "plug and play" although this is not always the case with Windows. "Macs: Hard to break, easy to fix - PCs: Easy to break, hard to fix" sums up our extensive experience very well.

We've seen hard-to-fix problems on both platforms, but in general, troubleshooting a Mac requires a fraction of the effort in troubleshooting a PC. 90% or more of all problems causing a computer to fail to start up are directly related to its Operating System software, so Operating System quality DOES matter... and nearly all computer industry columnists (even those using PCs daily) have stated at one time or another that the Mac is still the easiest, highest-quality, and the most elegant computer experience available.

Macs are generally best for these kinds of users: the ordinary computer user at home, in a school or in a small business - those people who just want their computers to work efficiently and be reliable. As Apple said back in 1984, the Mac is "the computer for the rest of us" (as opposed to the select group of techies with years of "doing time" with Windows, who already know how, when, and why to run msconfig or ipconfig, etc.).

As you may have heard, a Mac is also generally known as the best (and most popular) choice for graphics, professional printing, multimedia, home and professional digital video, and professional (studio) audio. That's no coincidence - multimedia pros bill their time at hundreds or even thousands of dollars per hour, and downtime costs a fortune. Nearly all major magazines and newspapers are published by a network of Macs - these publications have deadlines that they cannot ever miss due to computer glitches. The highest-paid graphics and publishing professionals have used Macs for years, tried Windows many times, and would never even consider switching.

Beware of "expert" advice about Macintosh vs. Windows from someone who only knows one side (which is almost always the Windows side) of the issue! We've used and provided support and repairs for both platforms extensively, for over 14 years, and we know the differences very well. CONTACT US for a FREE consultation on how easy and cost-effective it can be to choose a Mac for your next (or first) computer.

If one or more of the following apply, you should PROBABLY buy a PC:

you like "playing" with computers: opening them, adding peripheral devices, tweaking their performance (much as a "car nut" would much rather own a 1969 Barracuda than a 2005 Lexus).
you are technically proficient with Windows, and are comfortable backing up, restoring, and/or editing your Registry, using msconfig.exe, resolving .DLL conflicts, and searching the Internet for updated device drivers, and don't mind spending time doing these things
you need to use very specialized software that is customized for a particular industry (although Windows running on a Mac could easily negate this point).
you play a lot of high-end games on your computer (in which case you should seriously consider buying a Sony PlayStation or Nintendo instead of, or in addition to, a computer!)
you plan on spending lots of time at the local computer store checking out the latest joysticks and latest video cards in the hopes of improving your Quake 3 Arena framerates and network scores.
all your friends use Windows, overclock their machines, and brag about how many gigahertz their new computer has, and you want to be part of the crowd

Unless you fall into at least one of the categories above, you will PROBABLY get more use, enjoyment, and satisfaction from a Mac, for one or more of these reasons:

they are easier to set up and easier to use
it is much easier to add software and accessories
mouse movement is much smoother and more precise, making it easier to click what you want to click
the graphical user interface (the "Desktop") is easier to customize, more consistent, and more intuitive
it is much easier to install, configure, and learn new programs
they are more stable (operating without crashes) and "fail to boot" after crashing much less often
when they do stop working they are almost always much easier to fix and much less likely to lose the data on your hard drive
despite what you may have heard, there is plenty of very high-quality software available (including thousands of Mac-only programs, and thousands of Windows programs also available in Mac versions) - much of it for available for free trial download, and under $20 to own. Nearly all major commercial software from major developers such as Microsoft, Adobe, and AOL, is available for both Macs and PCs.
a virus infecting Mac OS X has yet to be forund, and Macs are currently completely immune to e-mail "worms" such as Melissa or "I Love You" and its latest variation, "Very Funny Joke" as well as trojans, spyware, root kits, etc.
they are cheaper to own and maintain, especially when you consider service life (how long they stay "current" enough to run the latest software), and how much "downtime" the average PC has over its service life. Macs have proven themselves (in hundreds of instances that we are aware of, as well as documented studies) to be cheaper to own per day of useful service life, even if they cost hundreds of dollars more than a PC on the day of purchase, and even if you give a Mac the same service life as a PC
you get more use out of a computer that is easy & enjoyable to use - you will learn faster and master more new software and peripherals
they are as fast or faster than a comperable PC - Macs are no longer always more expensive, and are often LESS expensive than a PC that includes the same specs and features
the single most important factor in considering value should be how useful a computer is and how fast it performs in the real world, not how many gigahertz are on the label
being the "most popular" does not mean having the highest quality

On this page, we present you with some links to some compelling information on why so many intelligent, experienced, and informed computer users choose to own a Macintosh (and enjoy using it), instead of choosing Windows simply because it is the "most popular" (as is the music of N-Sync and the food of McDonalds). If you feel that any statements we make above are not supported by these links, and/or your own direct experience with both Mac and WinTel platforms, please e-mail us and tell us why - we enjoy rational discussion of the merits of all computer platforms, and realize that personal experiences may vary widely.

Why you'll love a Mac.
START HERE. A fact-filled and informative analysis (though not exactly unbiased) from Apple themselves, with straight answers to nearly any question you might have about switching from Windows to Mac.

Common Macintosh Myths (click for more details). There are so many untruths or half-truths that almost everyone has heard about a Mac, such as "there's no software", "you can't upgrade a Mac", and more. Here are some Myths and the Realities....

MYTH: "There's no software for Macs"
REALITY: There are over 15,000 software titles for the Mac.

MYTH: "Macs aren't compatible with the rest of the world"
REALITY: Macs are the most compatible computers you can get.

MYTH: "Macs are slower than PCs"
REALITY: All Macs now come with the latest and most powerful chips from Intel - the same chips found in high-end PCs.

MYTH: "Macs are more expensive than PCs"
REALITY: PC prices are usually advertised WITHOUT monitor (just the tower with mouse & keyboard). A new iMac including LCD monitor can be purchased for as little as $999.

MYTH: "Macs are much less upgradable than PCs"
REALITY: Macs use the same standard RAM and standard hard drives that PCs do, and they are much less likely to NEED an upgrade (except for maybe RAM and occasionally a hard drive), compared to a typical PC.

Why most people should buy a Macintosh instead of a PC.
A very informative analysis of who should buy a PC and who should buy a Mac.

Macintosh vs. PC.
From the Mac OS section of About.com - dozens of real-world comparisons between the everyday use of a Mac and a PC

Apple Wins ZDNet's Support Star Award
"Apple Computer successfully makes its customers happy with courteous and prompt technical support service," writes Wendy Dittamore on ZDNet. "Overall, Apple ranked highest with users who were completely satisfied with their technical support experience." [Oct 23, 2000]

Why Mac?
Attempts to answer the age-old question - why are Mac users such fanatics about their computers? Why is it that most Mac users seem to love their computers, but Windows users (at best) seem to tolerate their computers? Here's a hint - it's NOT mass hypnotism, drugs, or mind control on the part of Apple or Steve Jobs. The Mac Experience is simply that much better than the alternative - just ask any Mac user who also uses Windows!

Ten reasons why Macs are better than PCs . Written by a well-known columnist and computer expert. Excellent and informative. Quick, to the point, and easy to understand.

The Out-of-Box Experience
User Interface
Hardware Performance
Standards
Multimedia
Networking
Cost of Ownership
Plug-and-Play
Upgrading
Coolness Factor

A Descent into Computer Hell.
What happens in the Windows world all too commonly.... fixing a random Windows software problem can induce a severe migraine headache (and days of computer downtime) for even the most tech-savvy computer user.

My 12 year old son made his first digital movie in 3 minutes at Circuit City -
This one was one of the best "conversion" stories we've ever heard, so we had to include the whole thing!
Since 1981, I have been a PC user and programmer. I have owned a half dozen PCs, spent countless hours configuring interrupts (IRQs), DMA settings, memory blocks, AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, SYSTEM.INI, etc. files. I have added boards and removed boards, I have made it a practice to just remove the screws from the PC's case the day I brought it home, because I knew it would have to be opened to add RAM, and countless upgrades. You get the picture, I was a happy PC owner, running MS Windows and thinking this was normal behavior to own a personal computer.

Last weekend my wife and kids finally won me over; they were all crowded around the iMac in a local store, begging me to get them one. Not understanding me telling them, "Oh no, that's not for us, it doesn't have software and it isn't upgradable." So I played with it for 5 minutes and went on my way. I found myself stopping at a Circuit City on the way home that day for another look. My 12-year-old son went in with me. He was playing with the iMac DV while I was reading up on the AirPort, within 3 minutes, he was calling me over to see his movie. That's right, in 3 minutes he had connected the FireWire of a nearby Camcorder, started iMovie and was taping me, and had edited the movie and added "My Dad" as a title. I had been messing around with the PC at home for 6 months trying to get the camcorder to do what he had done in 3 minutes [his first time using an iMac].

Well, we ended up taking home a Ruby iMac DV. When we unpacked it, my son had it up and running in-- no kidding-- 5 minutes.

This little iMac is amazing; how and why did we ever deal with the constant hassles of Windows and Intel? The construction of the unit is beautiful, and it just works, the Mac OS just kicks butt, so easy to use. And this lie about not having software... my USB Zip drive, RIO 500 MP3 Player, HP Printer, Sony Camcorder all have software for the iMac. I bought Word, Office is coming, I have Netscape, IE, Outlook, Lotus Notes, and Lotus Designer, and Quicken is included... plus the included AppleWorks software rocks. So I'm a convert. The iMac is worth every penny of the $999 I paid for it. So this is what I have been missing for all these years.
Thanks from another happy iMac owner!
Don Strawsburg

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