I am switching to PC
I’m one of an old dying breed. I am a pre-iMac user. One of the oldest in existence. I began 20 years ago in 1989 when I was introduced to the Apple LCIIs in basic Journalism class.
But Macs are no longer for me.
I’ve owned 5 Macs. Each one lasting a good 4 or 5 years. One upgrade was prompted by a hard disk crash. One was prompted by the new look of the colourful lozenge iMac (and also because Apple stopped supporting OS9). One was prompted because I needed a laptop rather than a desktop. The last one was by the theft of my iBook.
I don’t upgrade out of habit every couple of years. But it seems Apple doesn’t want those kind of customers. They make decently-solid computers that do seem to last many years. Mac users also tend to treat their computers well which also lengthens their lifespans.
This time, I don’t need to upgrade. But Apple is demanding that I am, even though my iBook works perfectly fine. They stopped making spare parts like batteries and power supplies for my iBook a long time ago. At the same time, for the second time, they stopped supporting my operating system (OS 10.3.9).
Being unable to get a replacement battery or power supply is a really ridiculous reason to have to invest in a new laptop. But that’s Apple for you.
The only way for me to continue using a Mac is to buy a new one. And I am refusing to play this game.
At least Microsoft tries to make their operating system backward compatible. And there are a lot more software companies willing to ensure their products work with older PCs. But Apple and their suppliers will cut you off, perhaps in the belief that they are doing you a favour by making you get a superior product.
There are things I like about Macs that I will be looking for in my new PC.
I want a small sized PC laptop (around 12″ inches), a solid feel like my iBook, no DVD player, something lightweight like the Air, with a nice GUI and with a Firewire port as standard.
I can’t say it hasn’t been disappointing. It’s been a bit like finding out you married for love and she married for money. Then again, there were plenty of wonderful years.
So long, Apple. It was good while it lasted. No hard feelings.