A good read

To date, my specialization in Information Technology has been Apple's Macintosh. It all started in 1993 when my first wife and I were trying to decide what to get as a home computer. She was a Unix programmer, and most of her programming friends had Macs, and after looking at all of the options, the "hot item" Macs at the time (660av and 840av, for those interested in the "ancient" history) offered many more built-in features than their Windows-based counterparts for the price. In 1996 I began getting more familiar with Windows as I worked for CU Boulder's Computer Advising group, answering questions in computer labs on campus.

Since then I have gotten much more familiar with many popular platforms, to an expert level with Mac OS, and an administrator level with Windows variants. Bringing this long-story post to a point, AnandTech has posted an excellent article that is basically an anecdotal examination of what "a month with a Mac" was like for the author, a Windows-based technologist & writer. I appreciate the level of objectivity with which he approached the project (either before or after using the system), and I am happy to link to the "review," as it has a number of good descriptions of the strengths and shortcomings of using a Mac.

Having worked with many platforms for the past 5 years, my preference for the Mac has only increased, both due to the fact that I am so much more knowledgeable, and the constant experience of tasks and projects "being easier" using a Mac to get various tasks done. For the media projects and everyday use that I do, a Mac is the best choice, hands down. But for anyone that feels like a Mac is far too alien, this article offers excellent insight into a different world.

A Month with a Mac: A Die-Hard PC User's Perspective

Happy reading!