Yesterday morning I nipped down to my local Apple Store and bought a MacBook Pro. This is the second Apple product I've ever bought; the first was my iPhone. I'd be lying if I said the iPhone didn't have something to do with this.
I've been a Windows user all my life, mostly by choice. On the whole, I like Windows. I know it inside and out, upside-down and backwards, and I'm wildly productive with it. I'm also very aware of its many shortcomings, and one of the things Windows has never had that I've always wished it did is a solid Unix foundation under the hood.
Over the last few years I've watched as Mac OS X has risen in popularity and grown more mature. Part of me was always jealous — of the sexy UI, the powerful Unix underpinnings, the thriving open source community that sprang up around it — but another part of me was hesitant because there were things I liked very much about Windows that I would have to give up if I moved to Mac OS. So I watched from afar, often thinking about switching, but never making the leap because I could always think of at least a few things I wouldn't be able to live with (or without) if I switched.
Now, though, the time is right. Leopard resolves many of the minor complaints I've had about past OS X releases and brings a bevy of glorious new capabilities that Windows just can't compete with. And for those times when I still have to fall back on Windows — of which there will be, and already have been, many — I can rely on almost seamless virtualization thanks to VMWare Fusion and Parallels. And when that's not enough, I can still retreat to native Windows land via Boot Camp, whereupon my MacBook Pro shines in comparison with even the best PC laptops.
There have been, and will continue to be, frustrations and inconveniences (I still can't believe how slow and crappy Mac Firefox is), but I've made my choice. I'm betting on the OS that embraces tried and true technology rather than pretending it doesn't exist and that doesn't assault its users with DRM or unauthorized software updates.
Don't worry, Windows. We can still be friends. I just need some space.
Comments
Firefox
Don't use the normal firefox- google for a custom Mac build called BonEcho.
Camino
If you just want a nice Gecko-based browser, check out Camino. It isn't XUL based, so it can't use Firefox plugins, but for day-to-day browsing I've really been enjoying it.
Also, have you discovered Quicksilver yet? It's probably the single most useful program I have on my Mac- definitely worth learning to use. Congrats on the shiny new laptop!
Re: Camino
Camino is nice, but I miss the Firefox addons. I'm actually quite liking Safari 3, which also doesn't benefit from Firefox's addons, but is blazingly fast (even faster than Camino). And yes, I'm already trying to figure out how to have Quicksilver's babies. It's the most wonderful thing in the history of things.
I'll give the BonEcho Firefox build a try. Thanks evan.
Bon Echo
On second thought, it occurs to me that Bon Echo is just the codename for Firefox 3. Nothing special there. Were you referring to this?
Envious
Aww, now you just made me envious. I've wanted a Mac, either a Mac Mini, or a MacBook Pro for some time now, but sadly, I can't really afford one. And with no job, saving for one takes a long time :(
If Firefox on the Mac is slow, why don't you give Opera a try? It's free (as in beer), super-quick, just as standards-compliant as Firefox, and if you use the Kestrel-beta, it supposedly looks very Mac-ish. It doesn't have extensions in the same way as Firefox, but most of the functionality is already built-in
Congrats!
I bought a MacBook (Black) a few months ago and loving it. I'm even thinking about buying a Mac Pro. Goodbye Windows!
Isn't it awesome?
Wonko, like you, the MacBook Pro was my first apple computer, too. I love it. I tend to use Camino the most, but I have all the browsers. This weekend I will be going to get Leopard, because I got my MBP a few months ago. Just out of curiosity, which model of the MBP did you get? I just had to have more speed, so I got the 2.4Ghz version.
Hope it is good to you! Mine has been good to me!
Re: Isn't it awesome?
Yep, it certainly is awesome. And by awesome I mean totally sweet.
I went for the 2.4GHz model with a 15" glossy screen. I was tempted to get the 7200rpm hard drive, but I decided to try the base 5400rpm one and upgrade later if it was too slow. So far it's been plenty fast.
U nailed it...
I switched almost three years ago because my job required me to.. and I never looked back. Actually, I got rid of all my windows boxes and replaced them with a mac mini soon afterwards.. Left the old job and got a job where they got me a MBP. I am sooo spoiled now. I only use windows when absolutely necessary... I am just waiting for the day ie6 and 7 works well on wine for mac.
I'm floored!
I would never have thought you would do this. Good on you. I'm tied very heavily to Windows, XP in particular. It stems from client needs. I spend most of my day developing in the environments they use. I don't see that changing ever. Yes ever is a long time. Ubuntu is my other dual boot option. I like to play there when I can. Virtualization does seem to provide some hope. For now, I'll make do with the hardware and software that I currently own.
pb and jam
i'm still plugging away with my powerbook g4/1.67GHz. :) you are lucky to get a macbook pro. i drool.