I read this entry by Grover today about his relationship with his new MacBook, and I realized I’ve never written about my own Mac.
My family has always been a PC family; when I went to BYU, my parents bought me a Compaq desktop computer. I was happy with that computer, but it wasn’t life changing or anything. My sophomore year, I took a teaching/technology class (unbelievably ridiculous class) and they had a whole array of PC and Mac laptops for us to use during class. Out of curiosity, I used the Mac and was almost instantly sold. I began using the Mac labs on campus. And I began scheming how I could get myself a Mac. I never again considered, even for a moment, buying a PC (despite the rigorous protestations of many of my friends, one of whom said he regarded Macs as mainly “pretty white boxes”).
I planned on purchasing an iBook at the end of summer, right before my junior year began. But then I got married and suddenly I felt too poor to justify spending a $1000 on a laptop, when I already had a perfectly good desktop. Then, after two or three weeks of marriage, that desktop died. Fortunately, my husband had come with a computer included. Unfortunately this meant even a dead computer didn’t give me a valid excuse to buy a laptop.
And then, Bart found two vastly marked-down refurbished iBooks. One was a 12-inch and one was a 14-inch. He ordered them both for Valentine’s Day. It was one of the few relatively major purchases I’ve never felt a moment’s regret for. Bart’s arrived one day before mine did. I couldn’t even wait for him to come home before I had unpacked it, charged it, and started playing with it. This was a Thursday. We were supposed to go to dinner on Friday night, but my laptop still had not arrived by 7:00 p.m. I sat by the front door, almost in tears, sure it wasn’t going to come and I’d have to wait until the following week. When the FedEx guy knocked on the door at quarter to eight, I almost hugged him.
Four months after we bought our iBooks, the MacBook series came out. And while I’m excited for the day when I upgrade to one of those, I will miss my iBook. I love it’s thicker square body, it’s un-raised keyboard, everything. It has been the perfect laptop. I wrote my Capstone paper on it. I used to to talk to Bart for free when I was in London. I started my blog on it. It’s the first thing I go to every morning when I wake up, and the first thing I check when I get home from work.
I will likely never own another PC; I’ve drunk the Mac Kool-Aid and I’m completely hooked. My whole family now owns Macs. My sisters both have 13 inch MacBooks. My Dad has a shiny new MacBook Pro. My Mom uses a 20-inch iMac. And it all started with my beloved iBook.
Nina G says
I was just down at the Fashion Show Mall buying a spare battery for Dad’s new Mac and saw the 50 people crowded into the store all playing with Apple products (this was at 10:00 AM!!). It was a weird experience to see those beautiful white iMacs and think, “I have one of those at home!” For someone who has never owned the cool thing it was kind of a rush. So glad you converted the rest of us. I BELIEVE!
janet says
you don’t have Mac lust…you have Mac LOVE! So do I! I have never regretted buying my Macbook. I use it more than anything else in my life, really. I am also lucky that I work in an all-Mac office, where I have a shiny new iMac.
Ralphie says
I love where the outlet is in the first picture. Huh?
Bart Bradshaw says
I think the way I explained it to James is the most accurate for me: My Mac is a little friend. I always love having him around. My PC is a tool. It gets things done (when it’s not stalling or crashing), and is useful, but it will never be my little, friendly iBook.
Noelle says
Hmmm, you may be tipping the scale for me. It’s almost time to start justifying looking into getting some new computers at our house and two of my siblings (and best friend) have also converted. Perhaps it’s time…
Ginger says
Yes, I’ve heard about you crazy Mac people and your obsession. But I have to admit I love those commercials where the two men (one young and hip, one older) represent a Mac and a PC.
TheMoncurs says
Aaron wants one sooo bad! But his computer still works, so he can’t and won’t justify spending the money until it dies. He may be waiting a while.
Merrick says
Ahhh the good ol’ days of instant messaging while sitting right next to eachother!
So happy that my terrible old PC is gone with it’s broken, sparking, smoking cord and that I now have a beautiful MacBook.
RA says
I hesitate to jump into this, but I actually do like my PC. I like that it’s a tool. I love spreadsheets. I enjoy the right-click. I think the older guy in those Mac commercials is funnier.
I’m not anti-Mac as I am anti-“Mac person” persona. Is that the most defining aspect of a person? It doesn’t say anything to me except that that person uses a Mac. In the same vein, I happen to be a KitchenAid-mixer person, for what it’s worth. 🙂