Apple may be geek chic these days, but I am not an Apple user. Throughout my computer using formative years, I LOVED Apple. I had a crush on a Powerbook 5300ce for years and years, and to this day I can still remember that warm fuzzy feeling inside that I would get when I would grope it illicitly in the local computer store.
But they lost me to windows about when Windows 98. I simply found Windows easier to use.
What?! Is she nuts?! Possibly, but thats why your here.
I like Windows. That’s right, I am coming out of the closet, I like Windows. I am softie for new operating systems. BEos will forever by the king of the hill in my mind, and every so often I still find myself installing it an using it for a while. I like Solaris and BSD for some things, but… I just cant get into either linux, or OSX.
I treat BEos as a fun toy, Solaris as an interesting piece of software, and BSD as a server OS. But Linux and Apple, I expect to function as an every day operating system, which is not unreasonable. Both of them of course, do just fine for every day use, I do not however, find them better than Windows, here is why.
Windows has flaws, everybody knows it, and I accept that. It gets Windows sclerosis, it is not secure, it is ugly, and it can crash. Those of course, can be fixed, and I have. I mess with my toys so often that I end up reinstalling new operating systems long before Windows sclerosis becomes terminal. I first off, do not care all that much about security, but with the use of aftermarket programs, I have found that it is entirely possible to make it secure, for free. It is ugly too… from the factory. I have gone ahead and completely replaced the shell on my Windows install, and I am extremely happy with how it looks. Finally, it can crash. I know it can, because everyone I know tends to make their Windows systems crash. Me? I never seem to have a problem with it unless it is something that I myself have caused via overclocking, tweaking, or stupidity.
This means that there is a large learning curve with Windows to make it a viable operating system. Yes, you do. It is completely true. I however, have used it since I was a kid, and have gained those skills over the years.
So is Apple OSX better for new users? Absolutely. No question about it, but I am not a new user, so I do not personally use it.
What are the advantages of Windows though that make me love it, rather than the problems I can just deal with? Compatibility. Almost EVERYTHING in the universe, including my ex, is windows compatible. Games, software, hardware, flipping everything works with this operating system.
Second, I find it easier to use now. I love the start menu, I love launchy (which is a knock off of apple’s quicksilver), I love the task bar, I love right clicking (I know Apples “can,” but you know what I mean) it just makes sense to me. Apples pre-osx made sense to me, Windows makes sense to me, but OSX tends to frustrate me whenever I use it, go figure.
Again, I am not a new user, and I grew up with Windows. But we are talking about me here!
Third, it is not as pretentious. If you are a geek, you know the reputation that the Apple community has. I have recently been treated to Apple websites getting hacked and taken down by a very skilled hacker as a backlash to their “excessive fanboyism.” I find that quite awesome. I simply get bothered by the smug superiority that is given off by the Linux and OSX fanboys, it turns me off. Is that a reason why I don’t use it? No, but it doesn’t help me want to use it.
Now Linux.
I am sorry, but I want to Like you Linux, I really do. You are pretty, you are free, you are cool, you are secure, you are customizable… but I just find you obnoxious to use.
Whenever I want to do anything in Linux beyond the pre-installed software, it takes me forever. Not because I am inexperienced, but I just find that it is just not as easy to use as Apple or Microsoft products. I speculate that it is because Linux is offered with many different GUIs, which all have different ways of presenting things. Whatever the reason, Linux is a bitch to use, and who wants a computing experience like that?
Go ahead, make me want to switch. I love Apple hardware, I love the industrial design, and I love the stability. But… I just don’t see myself switching to Apple.
-The Digital Kitty
