The story of a happy Apple Macintosh convert

After bashing my Dell computer keyboard too many times to count, and after reformatting my hard drive for the umpteenth time due to virus attacks, I finally conceded defeat and decided to buy a Mac. Not just any Mac, a MacBook Pro.

It cost as much as two top of the line Dell desktops, but I knew that my money would pay off. I had always liked electronic gadgets and every time I upgraded my computer or cell phone, I spent about two or three days playing with it, checking out all the functions before I actually began using it.

With the MacBook Pro, I was completely entranced by all its functions and settings. It was a computer that I could customize to my needs. But the best thing of all is that I didn't have to worry about virus attacks, Trojan horse attacks, Ad-aware attacks etc. -- I also felt more secure in making online purchases, after my credit card number had been stolen once already.

I also relished the fact that I had just joined the minority of computer users. It is estimated that around 10% of computer users use an Apple computer and I finally understood the reason why once people start using a Mac, they never go back to Windows. No offense to the brilliance and ingenuity of Microsoft's engineers, but the software is riddled with bugs, hit by virus attacks, and subject to other vulnerabilities where a mid-level hacker can easily take advantage. Microsoft seems to roll out their new products when they are still at their "beta" phase and they are using the consumer to tell them what their bugs are, instead of testing their products to rid them of any bugs before rolling it out onto the market.

A good friend of mine, who is a graphics and web designer, has always sworn by the Mac; in fact she never has less than two Macs at one time and like a cell phone, she "needs" to update her Mac every two years. When I would visit her home and borrow her computer, it was so aggravating because I didn't know how to use anything and I knew that she used her computers for her work; I didn't want to accidentally change any of her settings, which is the number one annoying thing a friend can do to you. So, i was frustrated a lot -- I didn't know where the windows went after I minimized them, I didn't know how to retrieve things that I had saved, and I vowed that I would never get one of these wretched machines. I will stick to my Windows Operating System, thank you very much!

But all that changed when my Dell computer, which I spent a lot of money in upgrading, failed again. My sound went out because the sound card driver wasn't compatible with my version of the computer. I duly called up my computer technician, the one I go to when my computer is acting crazy and again he suggested that I bring it in and do a reformat. He is so accustomed to it that he doesn't even stop to think if there is something inherently wrong with these "IBM compatible" machines.

So, in September of 2008, I purchased my first MacBook Pro. I loved its sleek design and it's versatility, though I didn't like the price so much. It was much more than what I am accustomed to paying for a computer -- but I knew it had to be done. Though Apple now offers free classes to first time users of any Apple computer product, I decided to try it on my own and sure enough, it wasn't that hard.

I learned how to smoothly operate the Mac in less than one week. What I particularly love about Apple products is that you can always bring your machine into any Apple retail store and their Geniuses can diagnose your computer; if it's an application issue, they fix it for you on the spot, if it's a hardware issue, they tell you how much it will cost to fix it -- for free! It was then I realized that though I got my Dell computer at half of my Mac's price, the money I paid to upgrade and fix it may have made up the difference. So no, I am never going back to PC's again!