Guide to Switching to Mac
We all have friends or family that are still in the dark side. Just like missionaries in a faraway county, we need to take them into the light. The Mac being the light side and Pcs being the dark side. Why even get them to switch? Well, for one you are helping Apple rise to the superpower that it should be, and making your loved one�s or friend�s life a whole lot better. Just think, half of the time you see your friend they are down, depressed and angry. Half of the time, a computer causes it. Wouldn�t it be better if you could see your friend having a great day and loving life, because their digital camera just works or the computer always works and never crashes? We all do, so this is my guide to switching your friends and family to the dark side.
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For one, there is Apple Style. They first part of selling a Macintosh to your friend is letting them see what they look like. The white or aluminum shell of these beautifully designed machines can add great looks to any room. Also, other PC users hate to see a beautiful Powerbook or iBook in a public place. The Mac user is always so happy! If you showcase products like the Soundsticks and iSub bye Harmon Kardon, iPod, iSight, and many other beautiful products that match Apple Computer�s products your future switcher will see just how far away from the beige box that PC manufacturers are trying to sell.
Ease of Use is something that PC users don�t have the joy of having. From The OS to every tiny aspect, PC applications are a pain to setup and use. On a Mac, out of the box, setup is easy the software is easy, and any future software is very simple to use. There will be minimal time on tech support lines (unless they want), and they will get a lot more work done. That is what a computer is for right, productivity? Even at having fun, a Mac is much more fun. We have the best apps out of the box to have fun with. ITunes, iMovie, iDVD, iChat, and even bundled games. The OS is the simplest to use. A powerful OS, it is, but yet it is so simple. In Windows, if you click around aimlessly, you will break something. In Mac OS, if you click around aimlessly with various keys, you will discover tricks and tons of features you never know existed. I am amazed every day by the amount of features that are in Mac OS.
Games or the lack there of is the most prominent argument today between Mac and PC users. I am going to admit that not every game that is on the PC is on the Mac. If you want a game, get a game console. You can stay on your PC with thousands of games and every two years pay out two thousand dollars to stay up to date with the latest system so you can play the latest games. Or, you can purchase a Playstation or Xbox every three years for 500 bucks and even get a new TV and have games, too. If you look at the margin, you are paying more to play games on a PC. Use the money you saved my buying a game console and get a Mac. Don�t get me wrong; there are games for the Mac. Companies like Blizzard (maker of Warcraft), Macsoft, and Aspyr. Aspyr is my favorite Mac game company, but all of them are great companies. They make original games and port games. If you are not familiar with porting, it is migrating the game from Windows to Macintosh. These companies only port the most popular games to Macintosh, but it is enough to hold you over.
Macs are slow, right? This may be. Look at the numbers. Intel chips go up to 3.5Ghz, and Apple�s chips only go up to 2Ghz. The numbers don�t lie, but whom needs a 3.5Ghz chip? The people I talk to about switching to Mac from PC don�t need that much power. I see a homemaker that does eBay and uses Quicken and Microsoft Word telling me that Macs are Slow. I just look at her in confusion. Then she is surprised when she can get an eMac that can kick her Computer�s butt and for such a low price! So that is that main problem that stops people from switching. Just tell your family or friend about the Virginia Tech Supercomputer. It is the third fastest supercomputer in the world and only costs 5 million dollars. Why would they choose a Mac to be a supercomputer? Well because it has the best speed for the best price.
Tips and tricks of that Mac are things that really switch people. My advice is to put them in the driver�s seat. Let them sit at your Mac, and let them setup a camera, import a CD, burn a CD, copy files, and get online. Trust me, they will be a switcher in no time. If you are using Mac OS X, show them features like minimizing to the dock, �expose, and other interface effects. The �lickable� interface and effects will give them another reason to switch. Last thing about OS X, is the System Preferences. Show them how every preference in your system lies in there. Every application has its own preference and it is under one menu. Those of us that have switched from Windows know that preferences are located everywhere. It takes an act of god to find the preferences. The future switcher will hug you when they see this kind of organization.
I get questions all of the time from friends that are trying to bring their Windows using friends to the light side of computing. This if for all of you that need to bring them into this world. Macintosh computing is the only fun computer left to use. The software is great, the computers are beautiful, and the ease of use is incredible. The last thing about bringing your friends and family to the Macintosh is the fact that you are helping Apple rise to the superpower they should be.
