What Kind of Computer Should I Buy?

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked that at work.  I guess people assume that since I provide hardware support I know everything about anything PC-related.  Trouble is, they never really like the answer I give them:

"Get a Mac."

The usual response? "I meant what kind of Windows computer!"

I tell them I really can't recommend any computer running Windows, and then relate my own story of how, after being a loyal user since Windows 2.1, I reached the end of my rope with the OS.  When pressed, I usually say, "Okay, if you have to buy a Windows box, then go with Dell or HP, but be warned you'll be stuck with Windows 7, a ton of useless presinstalled crapware and 30-day trials that will nag you incessantly when the trial period expires if you don't uninstall them.  The first thing I would recommend if you insist on going this route is to find someone to completely wipe the box and do a clean reinstall of the OS without all the garbage."

"How much would you charge to do that?"

"I don't do any outside work."

At this point they usually get a worried expression on their face and then come the excuses (all of which I used myself at one time or another since I saw my first Mac in 1987 and when I finally made the switch in 2009) and begin with, "I'd really like to get a Mac, but…"

• They're too expensive.
• I'm replacing an old computer and none of my software will work.
• Nothing I do on a Mac will be compatible with Windows.
• My husband/wife/partner uses Windows.

So then I explain that yes, Macs are more expensive than your average PC, but you get what you pay for: beautifully designed hardware and software that always just works.¹

It's true that out-of-the-box, Windows software will not run on a Mac, but you can install Parallels or BootCamp and run the bug-ridden² OS on your Mac hardware if you insist. Or, you can go out and find equivalent native Mac software that does the same thing your Windows software does.  It forces you out of the "I could never live without…" mindset. (Although after two years, I'm still missing Thumbs Plus.)

If by "nothing" compatible you mean standard word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software, that's totally false.  Not only does Microsoft have a fully-compatible version of Office for Mac available, Apple's own productivity suite, iWork, both imports and exports files in Office format.

And finally, who cares if your significant other uses Windows? Do you share the same toothbrush?  If you bring home a shiny new Mac and show him/her how beautiful it is and how easy it is to do things on it, you might convert them.

And did I mention that Mac still remains (for the most part) virus-free? You can't say that about Windows.

So what invariably happens? They go out and buy a $400 piece of shit laptop from Best Buy and wonder why it works so poorly or blows up after only a year of use.

Maybe I should start telling them to go buy an iPad. At least that way they'll get more than a year out of a $400 investment…

¹First release of major upgrades to the operating system notwithstanding.
²Last week when I did a fresh install of Windows XP SP3 on a machine at work, there were 108 updates. ONE HUNDRED EIGHT.