Why I switched to Apple from Microsoft
For years I have been saying that I wouldn’t move from Microsoft to Apple. Too expensive and Microsoft would do well for me. Well I have to admit: I switched to Apple.
What has happened? Well I always thought that Windows worked just well for me, but I have discovered that it didn’t do that at all. How? Let’s compare it with driving a car. When the only car you have driven in your life is a Daihatsu you might think it is a good drive, but what happens when you’re driving a BMW? Well, than you will suddenly understand that the Daihatsu operates just fine, but that the experience won’t meet the BMW in the next 1.000 years. That is what happened to me. Only Windows doesn’t operate like it supposed to do. At least for me it doesn’t.
I’ve had several Windows computers like Sony Vaio, Dell, HP and IBM/Lenovo (the worst notebook I’ve ever used. For example each time I started it, it smelled like burned plastic). The Dell XPS is a fine notebook but it misses the finishing touch and that became quite clear to me when I first started to use a MacBook.
It all started a few years ago when we bought our first iPad. At first I wasn’t blown away. I liked it, but didn’t use it that much. As time passed by I started to use it more and more. Than the first iPhone arrived at our home and shortly after the first MacBook pro. It didn’t take long for me to admit that I wanted it too. The MacBook had the BMW experience and my Windows notebook felt like a 20 year old Daihatsu. Here’s why I switched to Apple.
Trackpad
Most people I know use an external mouse, but I love to use a trackpad. You don’t have to take the mouse with you and when it’s setup properly it does everything most people probably need. That’s just the thing that it doesn’t do on my Windows notebooks. The Dell XPS trackpad has a lot of features, but its response is quite lousy. The trackpad on the Mac is great. It’s one of the main reasons why I wanted a Mac and and why I switched to Apple. It’s quick and the multi gestures work awesome. It does everything it has to do and more.
User experience
What a relief when I was setting up the MacBook. I could find the things I wanted. In all my years with Windows I haven’t been able to understand the logic behind the configuration options in Windows. Each setup was a kind of discovery.
The overall use of the Mac is great. It’s quick, intuitive and above all it does what it has to do. That was quite a revelation for me.
Operating system
How about the operation system? I think it’s great. Some things are just the opposite of Windows but that didn’t bother me at all. In most cases it felt more intuitive. For some people it might take some time to learn another operating system, but I think it’s worth it.
Screen
The retina display is awesome. One of the things I love is that it has a high resolution, but you don’t have to size things to make it readable. That’s something that is a problem with my Dell XPS. It’s display has a high resolution and it’s sharp, but I have to make adjustments to be able to work on it properly.
And Lenovo? Well my Thinkpads still don’t seem to know how to display the color red and that’s just the start of my complains.
Updates
This is one of my primary headaches over the past years. Each Windows update comes with trouble. Personally I think Windows 8 wasn’t that bad at all and I liked it more than Windows 7, but than Microsoft came with updates. That was the beginning of the end. Functionalities disappeared, the trackpad gets totally useless and so on. The lousy updates finally made that I switched to Apple.
How about phones
Before I had my iPhone I had a Nokia Lumia Windows phone. I have to admit that I liked it. It was the best Windows device that I’ve had for years, but the iPhone is faster, has more apps and is more intuitive.
What about Windows
I still have my Dell XPS but it only opens when I have to use Windows based programs. It think one of the problems for Windows is that software and hardware aren’t really made for each other. There is of course a reason why Microsoft has developed the surface tablets.
If you’re considering to switch to Apple but you still have doubts or questions. Just leave a note. I’m most happy to tell why I switched to Apple (because the list is much longer) and to share my experiences. You can also check 9to5Mac.
