Why Other World Computing Has Earned My Trust
There once was a time when Apple, above all others, was the tech company I believed had earned my trust. But it has since been surpassed by Other World Computing, an American computer hardware company that actually has a close relationship with Apple.
Despite being a loyal user of Apple products for than three decades, my trust in this Cupertino-based company has been eroded in recent years, not only because of concerns of how the company collects and uses personal information but also how it gouges even long time users by refusing to lower prices for items like the MagSafe adapter and wired Apple Mouse that's still widely used on older equipment and continues to charge top shelf prices for items like the Apple Watch, Thunderbolt cable and the recently introduced but much maligned AirPods.
Although my personal connection to Other World Computing (OWC) doesn't stretch back to days when Macintosh computer screens were black and white, it can be traced to the glory days of the Macworld Expo in San Francisco. At its peak, the annual MacWorld trade show drew countless numbers of Mac loyalists, who would converge upon Moscone Center to discover the latest innovative Apple gadgets, as well as products from its software and hardware developers and partners, which included Other World Computing.
Around the time I first started attending the MacWorld Expo, my Apple computer of choice was a Power Macintosh G4, upgraded from a line of other Macs that included the G3, Power Macintosh 6500 and Macintosh Plus. As I was getting more serious in my work in digital media, it became obvious I needed to upgrade my memory in order to optimize the computer's performance, especially when utilizing memory hogging software like Adobe's Photoshop, After Effects and Premiere.
With a high profile presence at MacWorld San Francisco, an outstanding marketing campaign and an impressive line of memory and expansion products, OWC became my first choice for an memory upgrade. Moreover, with easy to understand instructions and how to videos on its website, I could install my own memory without having to rely on a third party. Since then, the company has provided affordable and reliable memory solutions for my other Mac computers, like the memorable iMac G4, the G5 and a few iterations of the Intel Core Duo. I also now use many of its other exceptional peripherals, such as the Thunderbolt 2 Dock, external storage devices like the Mercury On-The-Go Pro and the Envoy Pro EX and the Mercury Pro Blue Ray optical drive. OWC is also my go to place for additional Apple related accessories like Thunderbolt and Lightning cables and NewerTech NuGuard KX cases for the iPhone and iPad.
Since that first memory upgrade, OWC has vastly grown as a trustworthy tech company and continues to offer an ever growing line of affordable Apple compatible products like SSD flash storage upgrades, internal and external drives, in addition to premium quality memory upgrades for several types of Mac and iMac desktops and laptops. Known throughout the industry for maintaining its high standards of product quality and exceptional customer service, OWC now employs more than 150 people and its 37,000 square foot corporate headquarters opened in 2008 in Woodstock, leading to the company being named as one of the Top 12 Green-IT Companies by Computerworld. The following year, the corporate headquarters became the first technology manufacturer/distributor in the country to become completely powered by on-site wind power, with energy generated by its state-of-the-art wind turbine.
Not surprisingly, the company has also earned a sizable a number of other industry awards, including a bevy of awards from the Computer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, a Reader's Choice Award for Best Mac Peripheral from About.com. and a Gold Stevie Winner for Hardware - Peripheral or Storage from this year's American Business Awards.
As a consumer forever loyal to Apple, there's no question I'll continue to use products like the iPhone 7, Macbook Air and the latest and greatest iMac despite my consistent aversion to its pricing. But when it comes to enhancing my user experience with these pricey gadgets, I'll put my trust on affordable products from Other World Computing.
