My Macbook Pro. My latest obsession!
Every time I buy a new computer, my husband and I do another heated round of “which is better” – Mac or PC. I’m a diehard Mac user, and my hubby is just as staunch a PC man. Despite our arguments on the subject for over 17 years, we still haven’t been able to convince the other to swing to our side.
Let me give you a bit of backstory. Back when I was a junior in high school, I participated in a school-to-work program in a graphic design studio and was first introduced to the Mac. In college I purchased an iMac. This was back in the heady days of the first iMacs. They were bright and playful and absolutely adorable. I saw this little baby and fell head over heels.
This lime green beauty was my first iMac. Remember the infamous hockey puck mouse?
I still smile when I see this computer. It came with a game based on a brand new movie that was all the rage – “A Bug’s Life.” Apparently I wasn’t the only one who fell for this computer!
Well, I wore that one out, then moved on to my next iMac, the one that somehow meshed a volleyball and a lamp and came up with a computer. The swivel neck was actually pretty handy. My daughter is now using this computer for her writing.
Yes, I owned the volleyball lamp, cool enough to make it on the cover of Time Magazine!
This little workhorse plugged away for years. I was able to produce a mountain of graphic design work with this baby, but of course, something new came along and I had to have it!
The 27 inch iMac – a real beauty!
This is my current desktop. It’s especially been handy for laying out my books and for intensive Photoshop projects. When I moved into writing novels, I finally bought my first laptop because I needed something more portable. For the first time (gasp), I bought a PC, a little Asus laptop that did the job. I couldn’t justify the cost of a Mac when all I was using it for was writing since I was designing on the Mac. I wore that laptop out, and when it came time to buy a new one, my husband (assuming he had converted me) incorrectly assumed it would be a PC.
Since I’m moving into working with video and planning to do a lot more traveling and needed my design programs to be portable, I was able to justify the Macbook Pro. I seriously considered the gorgeous Macbook Air for a bit, but in the end, I needed the power so I went with the Pro. It’s speedy, the retina screen is bright and beautiful, I like the feel of the keys beneath my fingertips and the trackpad is silky smooth. I’m loving this Mac just as much as my original lime green iMac all those years ago.
In the end, I’ve come to realize there’s no “right” or “wrong” when it comes to computers. It’s more so what’s right or wrong for you. I’m fully aware of the arguments against Macs. They are expensive, and when it comes to specs, you can get more for the money with a PC. BUT, I’m a designer. I appreciate a well designed machine, and I actually use the software that comes with the Mac. Since I plan to use this baby heavily, I’m glad I paid a little more to get the experience I want every time I sit down to use it.
My husband, on the other hand, would be thinking how much he overpaid if he bought a Mac. When it comes to computers, he is less into aesthetics and experience as function. The computer is simply a tool to him, a tool that he wants to perform the task expected and nothing more. So for him, his new HP laptop is a perfect fit.
So what was your first computer? Have you remained faithful over the years, or have you switched between Macs and PCs?