Master Dilettante

It’s here!

Just two days ago I wrote that I was making the switch from PC to Mac. I had ordered an iMac Monday through my friend Lisa and was told to expect it “by the end of the month.” Aiyah! I require instant gratification! Imagine my delight when Lisa called me this afternoon to let me know the package already had arrived!

So far, so great. My early thoughts:

• The out-of-box experience is phenomenal. My friend Emily suggested I photograph each step of the process, but, hey, this was like unwrapping presents on Christmas, and I had no patience for documentation. Open the top of the box (~24 in. height x 23 in. width x 10 in. depth), and the first thing seen is a smaller 11 in. x 5.5 in. x 1.5 in. box labeled simply “Designed by Apple in California.” Centered inside this smaller box is a pamphlet labeled “Everything Mac” and an identically-sized sleeve beneath it labeled “Everything Else.” The “Everything Mac” pamphlet is a quick start guide containing simple, clear, illustrated startup instructions. The “Everything Else” package includes the warranty and two backup installation disks. Flanking these items are Apple’s Mighty Mouse on one side and the remote control on the other. The only other three items in the overall box, all carefully and cleanly packed in Styrofoam, were the keyboard, the power cord and, of course, the iMac itself. Utter minimalist simplicity. Just beautiful.
• Startup is as easy as advertised. Plug one end of the power cord into the back of the iMac and the other into an outlet. Connect the Ethernet cable. Connect the keyboard to the iMac and the Mighty Mouse to the keyboard. Press the power button. A few startup and registration screens later, and I was opening Safari (the Mac’s Internet browser) and surfing the Internet. That’s it. Really. I timed the entire process from the moment I opened the top of the box; it took 10 minutes, and only that long because I was taking particular care with the unpacking and placement of items on my desk and marveling at the clarity of the user interface. Shockingly easy.
• I just joined a fun fan club. Usually, I eschew online registrations and avoid mailing lists like the plague. With this first Apple, I was happy to provide contact information during registration and to opt into mailing lists. I wanted to be known and to know. Can you imagine thinking such things with a Dell or a Sony?
• Bigger is better (for displays). I thought my Vaio (PCG-K13) screen was huge compared to the tiny screen of the Dell laptop (Latitude D410) I have for work. This 20-inch iMac dwarfs those. This is not unique to Mac — of course, larger displays can be had for any computer — but it’s still contributing to the delight I’m experiencing.
• Small is beautiful (for footprints). With the CPU, display and disk drive all combined in a single unit, this desktop hardly takes more space on my desk than my Vaio did. Efficient.

Again, so far, so great! The two early drawbacks I noticed:

1. Installation of new applications was marginally confusing. I installed Firefox and Skype during the first 30 minutes but experienced minor difficulty getting their icons to persist in the Dock. I expect to be able to do this more efficiently with familiarity.
2. The ergonomic designs of the keyboard and mouse aren’t very good. I think the spacing of the keys on the keyboard is too close, but I’m prone to think that because I use a Goldtouch keyboard at work. The mouse doesn’t feel great either, but I’m prone to think that, too, because I use a Whale Mouse at the office. I expect I’ll replace both Mac input devices to suit my idiosyncratic needs.

Overall, I’m very happy and looking forward to learning how to play with my new toy!

Three years ago, I loved my then-new Sony Vaio (Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.79 GHz, 448 MB RAM), with its vibrant, luminous display and blazing speed (at least seemingly then). It succeeded a long series of PC laptops and desktops. But, after 18 years of PC use, I’m making the switch to Mac.

Why?

(1) My laptop is dying

• Disk Space Is Full. I’m out of disk space. 30 GB seemed like a lot to me in 2004. The internal hard drive was bursting at the seams, so I added an external LaCie hard drive and moved most of my media off of the laptop. Before I added the external hard drive, if I wanted to add a new application, I had to delete an old one. Yes, I could upgrade the internal hard drive, but why bother? I’m throwing the baby out with the bath water.
• It’s Breaking Down. The internal CD/DVD drive broke over a year ago. I didn’t bother fixing it, because I didn’t want to ship my laptop away for any extended period of time and I was prejudiced the cost of repair would be more than an external drive. So I bought an external combo drive. Neither the internal drive nor the replacement have worked well or allowed me to burn DVDs. Also, the fan in the laptop runs 24/7 and is loud enough to be heard in an adjacent room when the door is closed. Finally, last year, I spontaneously began experiencing complete operating system failures which miraculously healed themselves. This is a disaster waiting to happen.
• Glaciers move more quickly. See below on why I am speculating Windows is to blame.

(2) Windows is pushing me away from the PC

• Speed Degradation. I’m tired of the consistently degrading performance of my three-year-old Vaio running Windows XP. Slower and slower and slower. I’m convinced that this pattern will repeat itself with any successor PC running Windows, because it has with every other PC I’ve owned. I’m tired of having to comb through my directories to look for things to remove that might be affecting performance.
• File Clutter. I’m tired of temporary Internet files (yes, I know I can delete them). I’m tired of the myriad programs listed under “Add or Remove Programs,” half of which I don’t recognize or remember installing.
• Poor Usability. I’m tired of the time it takes me to install any new software or hardware. After I switched routers recently, it was hours and days and phone calls to technical support before I could restore Internet access to my laptop.

(3) I hear the siren call of the Mac pulling me in . . . . Clearly, this is a decision steeped in pure logic based on extensive research . . . .

• It’s pretty. The first iMacs, in their candy colors, were cute . . . too cute. How could such machines possibly be functional and powerful? The present iMacs, with their sleek minimalism, clean lines, pure white color and compact footprint so obviously are a design and engineering marvel.
• I like the commercials. I’m a recovering lawyer working in the technology industry in the Valley. Who wants to be the dork in the suit? We all want be the chill, young dude with the long hair in the jeans and t-shirt.
• It certainly seems easy to use. I mean, the commercials wouldn’t lie, would they? Plus, so many of the computer enthusiasts I know are Mac advocates (and I’m quite susceptible to the power of suggestion). I’m lured by the promise that I can just take it out of the box and plug it in and everything will work immediately and well together.
• I need only basic functionality. I figure I use my computer 90% to access the Internet, 5% for iTunes (also Internet-based) and 5% for a poker results tracking program. I’m also intending to resume using Quicken, which can rely on Internet access. Of these applications, only the poker tracking program is built only for the PC, and Apple now has software that may still allow me to use it. Given my usage, I just want easy and fast.
• It seems reliable. The notion of having to fix my PC, whatever the issue, is daunting. I have a positive belief that the presence of Apple outlets throughout the Bay Area will allow me to fix my iMac as painlessly as possible.
• It’s not all that costly. I had the notion before that Macs cost a lot more. The delta isn’t that wide, and the trade-offs are acceptable. A new 20″ iMac retails for $1499.

Yesterday, through the help of my friend Lisa O. and her friend at Apple, I ordered an iMac 20″, which arrives within the week. I’ll write soon on the out-of-box experience!