I use my computer a lot, and it is the way that I express myself, manage my investments and listen to music. It is an important tool for my freedom.

Computers are quite personal. We customise our desktops, set up our applications how we want them and sometimes even choose a special case. There comes a point where the boundary between user and machine blurs, and at that point we start to become productive. People feel strong affection for their computer when it becomes a natural extension of their own thinking. It becomes a trusted friend, more than just an impersonal machine.

I was using a Windows XP PC, and it was starting to show its age. It was ok, but never quite a part of me. Never a friend, more like having to deal with someone who doesn’t understand my language.

Then it suddenly had a serious malware infection, even though I had all the latest security software. It got to the point where I had to start all the applications manually, because the start bar completely disappeared. The only alternative was to reinstall all the applications and data. That was touch and go because I had done this before, so would have used up all the install rights on my software (another annoyance to me).

I have had some privacy concerns about Windows over the years. They surfaced when I installed a firewall, and saw how much data was being transferred in and out of various applications without my knowledge. Who knows what data is being sent all over the place? IE was another weakness so ended up using Firefox (to get around all the issues with IE). I bought some DRM music, and upgraded my Windows Media Player, only to find that it no longer worked.

The alternative was to either buy a new PC and install Vista, or get something else. Vista to me just seemed like more of the same, and did not really demonstrate much value to me. A slick shell, but like a new fascade on a condemned building, or a fake Ferrari body on a Trabant.

At this point, I decided to purchase a Macbook Pro. I had been watching Macs from the sidelines, particularly since OS/X was released. I’m an IT professional, so anything based on the rock solid foundation of Unix is a plus for me, especially after having to use Windows. I had used Linux to run my cluster, and love its stability and power but it wasn’t quite for me as a desktop environment. I really wanted something fairly simple to use.

I did my own analysis, and there wasn’t a huge premium for Apples – that was just another myth. Especially since I didn’t need to buy lots of extra software just for my system to stay protected. I now own a 15″ Macbook Pro.

The system is certainly well designed and built. I would say that each part of my Mac was designed by someone who was totally obsessed about it being the best it could be. With my PC, it was another beige block, similar in style to the box it had been packed in.

Anyway, I’m pretty happy with my purchase. In fact it is the coolest thing I own. I’ve been able to use some excellent quality software on my system. There isn’t as much to choose from as Windows, but it is generally the cream of the crop. It makes Windows look totally archaic and crude.

Recently I’ve been very happy with iWork 08. There is no need to pay $500 for a copy of Microsoft Office with that new product.

Overall, I’m really happy that I am now free of Windows and its idiosyncracies. Now that I don’t use it at home, I realise that it was never aligned with the way I worked or thought. Now, I have a computer that I can use for the first time as a natural tool, rather than something I have to keep fixing up and fighting against. It has leveraged my time, and I can do all sorts of interesting new things. Definitely a power tool for my brain, like a high power electric saw compared to a blunt axe.

Tags: computer security, mac, windows, windows xp

This entry was posted on Monday, October 1st, 2007 at 1:41 pm and is filed under Wealth and work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.