Even since I bought my first computer in 1995 I thought windows based PC’s were the easiest, fastest and best way to go. I am by no means a computer geek although I understand the basics and can get around a program or two. Even Vista was well alright when used in the right situations.
One day I received a phone call from my Dad saying Mum and he wanted to finally join the 20th century and buy their own computer. Halleluiah, I had only been pushing them to do this for the last twelve years. I was in heaven, so for the next hour I explained what choices were available and what I recommended. In a nutshell they needed to buy a windows based PC. After listening to me rattle on about this most exciting purchase (I’m sure I must have confused the hell out of them) they said they would wait until their knowledgeable son came to visit them before purchasing this most modern abacus.
However a sinister turn of events was about to unfold because it just so happened that my sister (whom I often refer with affection as the devil herself) was visiting my parents. To my horror she persuaded them into purchasing a MAC (Apple MacBook). My god, a Mac, of all the things. How would I ever live down the shame? That little white fluffy thing that weighs nothing is not a real man’s computer. Oh NOOOOOOOO……….…the horror.
To add insult to injury my sister was moving overseas for 2 years and left me the task of teaching my parents how to use this little fluffy Mac machine. This task was going to be harder than it sounds. For all intents and purposes, when it comes to technology my parents would fit nicely into an Amish community.
Fortunately for me one of best friends happened to have a Mac. The only piece of advice he would offer me was “You have to dumb yourself down”. “Macs work on very basic concepts and use common sense approaches to the way they do things”. I thought to myself, what’s this idiot on about; nothing could be easier than using a PC. So with a shake of my head I said, “Thanks for nothing “ and proceeded to headbutt a wall and curse the very birth of my sibling sister and wonder why the world was so cruel.
Finally the day came when I went to see my parents. I also was about to have a showdown with the new little white thing they called Mac. (Yes, they actually call it Mac like it’s another one of their children). My parents, the people who don’t like change, who are completely against anything they term as “modern technology”, call this thing Mac. Hell, the most advanced office tool they have is a 1985 calculator that’s crystal display has deteriorated to a stage its impossible to differentiate between a 9, 8 and 6.
They actually named it Mac. What’s going on!
I needed to tell Mum and Dad the forlorn news that I didn’t know the first thing about this new computer and that I wasn’t going to be of any help to them. Shockingly Mum pipes up and says,” I love Mac, he’s so easy to use, even your Dad can use him to check his shares.” My jaw dropped, I felt my head swimming. This can’t be real, aliens have abducted my parents and left these techno freaks in their place.
This little white machine had taken over my parents minds. This can’t be happening. I decided I must do battle with this hideous beast head on. All I could think of, as I sat down in front of Mac, was to recall the rabbit scene from Monty Python’s Holy Grail. With trepidation I pressed the little ON button.
It whirled into action and made a musical little note. I was poised, ready to strike Mac and beat him mercilessly if it tried anything funny. Then I noticed it was ready to go. I thought to myself, hang on, something’s wrong here. What happened to the couple of minute start up and the checking of systems and hard drives and all that stuff? This screen has got to be a sticker or something. I checked the screen and moved the mouse and sure enough it is running. I started looking at the bottom tray icons which all made sense. They appeared quite easy and dare I say it, user friendly.
Could I be wrong, is Mac so easy a child can use it? WHAT’S THE CATCH!
Guess what, after using the little Mac for a couple of hours I found there was NO CATCH. It really is IDIOT proof. And believe me I did feel like a real idiot.
Who needs a PC with Vista (the colossus of all frustrations).
My friend was wrong in saying that you have to dumb yourself down to use a Mac. You are in fact being freed by a Mac. He and my sister were right in saying the Mac overall is the most easy to use computer ever.
There is also the question that a MacBook computers aren't as powerful and are much more expensive the a similar windows based computer. Overall the specs on the Mac range are only down marginally, this and the Leopard operating system seems to manage the hardware in an efficient and effective manner negating the overall hardware advantages windows based laptops may have. Apple MacBook prices do vary from seller to seller and there are many discounts and bargains out there for the discerning buyer. There was recently an article by Carmi Levi detailing that 91% of the premium computer market(computers over $1000.00)were Apple based systems. You get what you pay for. Build quality,parts and warranty show the Apple product is of a high standard and you pay for quality.
Guess what else, you don’t need virus protection. You can even get Mac Office for it so word processing becomes a dream. Everybody is getting an I phone or has an IPod and Mac talks to them whenever there in the same room. Technology at its best.
So all I can say as a Windows PC based computer man to anybody who wants to buy a computer is “HOW COOL IS THIS”? Get yourself a Mac!!
It's been a while since Mum and Dad purchased MAC but the current equivilant of that little computer would be: The Apple MacBook
Apple MacBook model number: MC240LL/A
Technical Details
2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
2 GB of 800MHz DDR2 RAM
160 GB 5400RPM Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Operating System
Advanced GeForce 9400M NVidia Graphics, 13.3 Inch Glossy Display
Product Dimensions: 16.7 x 13 x 5.5 inches ; 8.9 pounds
The MacBook also comes with the iLife '09 suite of applications that make it easy to live the digital life. Use iPhoto to share entire high-res photo albums with anyone who's got an email address. Record your own songs and podcasts with GarageBand. Break into indie filmmaking with iMovie and iDVD. Then take all the stuff you made on your MacBook and share it on the web in one click with iWeb.
Included Software
Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools); iLife '08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand); Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive; iWork '08 (30-day trial)
I have attached a link to Amazon which has this product available at this time.
Click on the Link to find more information about this great little computer > >
If you're looking for more there is the MacBook Pro. This is an excellent computer which is obviously a more powerful version of the MacBook with is a professional computer ideal for Graphic and Multimedia Applications.
Carved from a single block of aluminium, the new MacBook Pro unibody enclosure is slim and streamlined with a soft-brushed surface and stunning contours. But it''s not all about beauty. The unibody also makes MacBook Pro more durable than ever. You can throw it in your briefcase or messenger bag and pull it out at an airport, in a hotel room, or on location without a second thought. So wherever you go, you have everything you need to edit, compose, design and create.
MacBook Pro MC026LL/A
Processor Type Core 2 Duo
Standard Memory 4GB
Operating System Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Dimensions 0.95" Height x 14.33" Width x 9.8" Depth
Display Screen Type Active Matrix TFT Colour LCD
Optical Drive Type DVD-Writer
Optical Media Support DVD±R/±RW
Processor Speed 2.66GHz
Memory Technology DDR3 SDRAM
Widescreen Yes
Weight 5.49 lb
Processor Core Dual-core
Memory Standard DDR3-1066/PC3-8500
Graphics Controller Manufacturer nVIDIA GeForce 9400M GeForce 9600M GT
Graphics Memory Capacity 512MB
Hard Drive Capacity 320GB
Network Technology Gigabit Ethernet
Wi-Fi,Bluetooth,Processor Manufacturer:Intel,Camera,
Power Cord,Install/restore DVDs,Lithium-Polymer Battery
Printed and Electronic Documentation
If you would like to know more about this item click on this link photo or on the buy.com banner in the border > > >
Finally if your looking for an ultra thin computer the MacBook Air is the one for you. This is one very sexy little unit. There is one small drawback though, because the MacBook Air is so thin there is not internal DVD/CD Drive, you can add an external if required, but overall a great computer.
MacBook Air Notebook is ultrathin, ultraportable, and ultra unlike anything else. But you don''t lose inches and pounds overnight. It''s the result of rethinking conventions. Of multiple wireless innovations. And of breakthrough design. With MacBook Air, mobile computing suddenly has a new standard.
MacBook Air Notebook
Features:
Processor Core Dual-core
Processor Type Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed 1.86GHz
Drive Capacity 128GB
Standard Memory 2GB
Operating System Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Dimensions 0.76" Height x 12.8"Width x 8.94" Depth
Network Technology Wi-Fi Bluetooth
Screen Size 13.3"
Processor Manufacturer Intel
Maximum Battery Run Time 4.5 Hour
Color Aluminium
Standard Warranty 1 Year Limited
Green Compliance Yes
Graphic Mode WXGA
Display Screen Active Matrix TFT Colour LCD
Graphics Controller nVIDIA GeForce 9400M Graphics Memory 256MB
Widescreen Yes
Weight 3 lb
If you would like further information about this item please click on this link photo or on the buy.com banner > > >
If you end up buying a Mac I have found a number of books and software appplications that are very useful in getting to know your new friend and get the most out of it. The books include:
Switching to a Mac, The little Mac Book,Teach Yourself Visually Microsoft Office 2008for MAC, Mac OS for Dummies.
If your looking at what software you may require look into purchasing Microsoft Office 2008 for MAC and Roxio Toast 10 for Mac.
For those of you who just can't live without a form of Windows there is also a program called Parralles. This program allows you to place a version of Windows on your Mac. This is great for those programs which you just cant live without.
Here are a some of those books and programs I have mentioned with a brief outline of what they do. If you would like to know more about these items just click on the image of them and they will take you one of the many places there available.
Good Hunting!
Tips for Buying off the Internet!!!
Many tips on buying on the internet are the same as for buying from a shop, such as:
Shop around. That great deal might well be on offer somewhere else - and cheaper.
Use retailers and services you know about - or ones that have been personally recommended to you.
But there are also extra things to remember when shopping online:
A company might have a great website, but that doesn't mean it's law-abiding.
Make sure you know the trader's full address - especially if the company is based outside the US. The internet makes buying from abroad easy so it’s important you know your rights.
Don't assume an internet company is based in the US just because its web address has 'us' in it - check out the physical address and phone number.
Take into account the shipping, postage and packing costs. Weigh them up against the parking and travelling costs you would have to pay if you went to the high street.
Look for websites that have a secure way of paying.- these show a padlock at the bottom of the screen when you are filling in the payment details.
Check the company privacy statement
Other useful links are macintosh-laptops.net
