this is the new machine. I was so excited when I opened up the box and took it out that i didn't bother cleaning off the table, i just shoved everything to the side [as you can plainly see]. I haven't had a "new" computer since I graduated high school. Since then, I have used several new computers, but none of them were actually mine. This is a big step for me...and I am glad that after all the shopping and comparing and researching I came home with a Mac. I realize that not everyone likes em' but that's okay, other companies make machines that operate and run much differently than this kind of computer. I have had this comp just over 24 hrs, and here is a quick list of the things that I have noticed, liked, wondered about, and disliked.
1. Having true wireless is a blessing. No more dances with the mouse cord, and no more plugging receivers in the comp using all the good USB slots. BlueTooth is great!
2. The dock is way cool. I don't think i'll ever get tired of seeing all the application icons magnify so smoothly as I roll my mouse pointer over them.
3. Slot load optical drive. No explanation necessary.
4. Since I was able to purchase Office for Mac, I have Word, Excel, Entourage (outlook), and Powerpoint. Nice work, and since it was a Student/Teacher edition, it was inexpensive.
5. The computer is visually stunning...esp on a 20in HD widescreen.
6. A Big thank-you to Kensington for making a two button bluetooth optical mouse [a must have for certain apps]
7. It is great not having a machine with 20 stickers plastered all over it telling you what's inside. I think that is so lame. It is like buying a certain car that has "hemi" slapped all over it...very hoosier. It isn't very cool if it has to make announcements about it.
8. Learning to use the Mac is kinda tough if you've grown up on PC. But that should never deter you from getting one.
9. So I can't use my iPod on both a PC and a Mac at the same time...crap.
10. Widgets. These are the coolest little apps around. In one click, I have a clock, calendar, calculator, phonebook, email tracker, dictionary/thesaurus, language translator, map/directions finder, six day forecast, and a yoda voice simulator. There is even one that shows guitar chords...just select what chord and it shows a little fretboard indicating how to play it [i will admit this would've been more hand 10 yrs ago when i first started playing]. And if those aren't enough for you, you can download somewhere 800 others...and almost all of them are free.
11. I don't have virus protection, spyware protection, or crash protection. The reason is because Mac's don't have these problems. That's right. No viruses, ever. No spyware. And programs are meant to run together not competing for memory. Last night I was installing/playing WoW and surfing the web at the same time with no slowdown.
12. EVERYTHING seems more expensive...i hate that.
13. This will not help me make friends. I imagine my social life just went down a few notches as I no longer have a reason to leave the house.
14. I really don't care much for Quicktime. Why is that? I'm not sure.
If you've never given these computers a chance, get to an Apple retail store and try a couple out. That's what I did.
