The Maccast was one of the first podcasts I listened to after buying a used iPod Photo on eBay back in 2005. Of those early podcasts, The Maccast is one of the few that is still going strong 6 years later. The host, Adam Christianson, recently did an episode where he asks eleven friends of his, "Why are you an Apple user?".For me, it was in 1992 I decided to get my own personal computer. Up to that point it had sufficed to go to the computer lab at the school I was attending, or use a typewriter. But now being married and a professional, I decided I needed my own computer.
I approach most large purchases in an analytical fashion. At the time, we lived in the infamous "Silicon Valley", very close to headquarters for Apple Computer, IBM and Hewlett Packard. The question at the time was, Apple or IBM? I had seen both. I worked as a minister and most churches used the IBM clones (For some reason they still seem to use Windows boxes. I have a theory about that and will address it a little later). The advantages of an IBM clone seemed clear. It appeared, you could buy more machine for your buck. There were nice big color screens, and more software available for the IBM machines. For a comparable price with Macintosh you got a nine inch black and white screen all in one box.
I talked with an IT friend of mine. He worked in the corporate world and spent his days repairing computers. He said he hardly ever repaired Macintosh machines. Something like 9 out of 10 repairs he did were IBM clones for the same number of issued Macs. Then, another friend loaned me his old Mac Plus. It didn't have much storage, and you had to put in floppy disks to do stuff. It was the small 9 inch black and white screen. This is where I fell in love with the operating system. It was so easy and intuitive. There was something elegant and endearing about it. I was sold. I went into a local Apple reseller store and bought an Apple Macintosh Classic II. It cost about $1500.00 with a printer.
Since then, I have always had Macs and Apple devices. Rarely, do they have problems and the Apple Care support has always made repairs a breeze. I have never had a virus on an Apple machine. The only regret I've had with computers is buying a Windows machine for the family in the late nineties when I thought Apple was finished. I had so many problems with hardware, support, viruses and complexity. I wish I had never bought it. Over the years I have stopped counting the number of Apple machines I have had. I now have an Apple museum in my basement. I still have that Macintosh Classic II, and the iPod Photo. There is also a gum drop blue iMac, a "toilet seat" iBook G3, a Power Macintosh G5, and the original iPhone. My home and office are filled with Apple desktops, laptops, iPods, iPhones, iPad and accessories.
I'm amazed at the things I've heard over the years about why people don't have Macs. "They cost too much." "There is not enough software." or, "The software I need isn't made for Macs." These are all puzzling statements. Actually, when you factor in the cost of virus software, maintenance, and lifespan of the computer, Macs are less expensive overall. And, I've never been wanting for good software. There has always been a robust developer community for Mac software. Often it is much better than anything available for Windows. These days you can run Windows on a Mac, but who would want to? The above myths are why I believe churches tend to have Windows machines. They seem cheaper in the short run. Emerging young clergy in our post-modern culture are now choosing Apple. That may be their sensibilities leaning them toward a more experiential, soulful, and relational technology.
Over the years my evangelization of Macs has not been 100%. Sometimes, I've encouraged friends to try Macs and they end up going back to Windows. I think this is because they try to use a Mac like a Windows box. I guess this makes sense if that is what they are used to, but Macs are not complicated. So the complexity of Windows is a hindrance.
So, now we come "back to the future". Everybody has an iPod, or now an iPhone or iPad. Apple has done a brilliant job of training everyone with iOS devices and iTunes to use their intuitive software. This is bringing many people to other Apple products like laptops, Mac Mini's and AppleTV.
In summary, I'm an Apple user because the technology does not get in the way of my experience. I am free to be and do whatever I want without thinking about the machine. Also, Apple is intuitive and easy to use. It's safe, secure and elegant. It really is magical. It works better than anything else.
