My Journey from Windows to Apple
For about a decade, I only had computers with the Microsoft operating system. I worked in tech support, where my job was to troubleshoot Windows XP and, later, Windows 7. Despite the numerous crazy problems I saw day in, day out, I was living by this philosophy:
Then I became a full-time freelancer. I invested in a "really good" Sony Vaio laptop. You know how they say some cars are just lemons from the start? That was this laptop. (Even Shelby was sad about it.)
Apparently Sony didn't really feel the need to make its hardware work with Windows 8. It probably had something to do with the fact that the company was fed up with selling computers, since they sold their computer division off about a minute after I bought this laptop.
I've complained about that Sony piece of crap laptop a million times on this blog, so I'll make it short. Blue screen of death once a month, which meant completely reloading the thing using something called "Assist." That process was easy--but it meant losing everything. So all of my files had to stay on one of these:
After about a year of that nonsense, I realized I was losing money. My freelance work is my living. If I have to spend the day fixing my computer, I can't meet my client's deadlines and that isn't good for business. On top of that...
I knew it was time. I just needed a laptop that would work. Every day. Without needing tech support. For at least four years. My decade of experience with Windows products had taught me that will never, ever happen, especially with Windows coming out with a new operating system every 15 days. There was only one solution...
It's been one year and four months with this computer and I've had not a single problem. Not one. NOT. ONE. It hasn't even frozen up. No viruses, no blue screens of death, no scrambling to find the control + alt + delete combo, then pounding the keys 20 times to no avail before reaching for the power button. None of that.
The funny thing is, just ten years ago I regularly told people that Macs were mostly for graphic designers and video editors. Regular people didn't really need to spend the extra money. But when I attend a writers' conference, it's very rare that I meet someone who doesn't use a Mac. Among my full-time freelancing buddies, most use Macs.
It seems to have gone much more mainstream since iPhones have taught us the benefits of having your software designed by the same people who designed your hardware. Maybe Microsoft frustration is sending more people Apple's way.
I'm sure most of you have Windows and never have problems, but I'm just glad to have a laptop that works every day. I spent ten years fixing computers and I'd like to spend the rest of my life just writing!
How do you handle computer problems?
Then I became a full-time freelancer. I invested in a "really good" Sony Vaio laptop. You know how they say some cars are just lemons from the start? That was this laptop. (Even Shelby was sad about it.)
Apparently Sony didn't really feel the need to make its hardware work with Windows 8. It probably had something to do with the fact that the company was fed up with selling computers, since they sold their computer division off about a minute after I bought this laptop.
I've complained about that Sony piece of crap laptop a million times on this blog, so I'll make it short. Blue screen of death once a month, which meant completely reloading the thing using something called "Assist." That process was easy--but it meant losing everything. So all of my files had to stay on one of these:
After about a year of that nonsense, I realized I was losing money. My freelance work is my living. If I have to spend the day fixing my computer, I can't meet my client's deadlines and that isn't good for business. On top of that...
I knew it was time. I just needed a laptop that would work. Every day. Without needing tech support. For at least four years. My decade of experience with Windows products had taught me that will never, ever happen, especially with Windows coming out with a new operating system every 15 days. There was only one solution...
It's been one year and four months with this computer and I've had not a single problem. Not one. NOT. ONE. It hasn't even frozen up. No viruses, no blue screens of death, no scrambling to find the control + alt + delete combo, then pounding the keys 20 times to no avail before reaching for the power button. None of that.
The funny thing is, just ten years ago I regularly told people that Macs were mostly for graphic designers and video editors. Regular people didn't really need to spend the extra money. But when I attend a writers' conference, it's very rare that I meet someone who doesn't use a Mac. Among my full-time freelancing buddies, most use Macs.
It seems to have gone much more mainstream since iPhones have taught us the benefits of having your software designed by the same people who designed your hardware. Maybe Microsoft frustration is sending more people Apple's way.
I'm sure most of you have Windows and never have problems, but I'm just glad to have a laptop that works every day. I spent ten years fixing computers and I'd like to spend the rest of my life just writing!
How do you handle computer problems?
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