Fan Wall

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  Mar 16 2008, 08:34 AM

  So I foolishly bought a Mac computer before Christmas 2007. New Leopard OS X (10) operating system - full bells and whistles - a MacBook Pro laptop with the most memory and speed possible. Had to special order it since they don't offer the full deal in the Apple Stores. Nope, it's an order you can only make on the Internet. And it was fast to arrive (the only fast thing about it I might add). From the Mac-manufacturing plant home in China to a ship to a plane to my home in about three... More... So I foolishly bought a Mac computer before Christmas 2007. New Leopard OS X (10) operating system - full bells and whistles - a MacBook Pro laptop with the most memory and speed possible. Had to special order it since they don't offer the full deal in the Apple Stores. Nope, it's an order you can only make on the Internet. And it was fast to arrive (the only fast thing about it I might add). From the Mac-manufacturing plant home in China to a ship to a plane to my home in about three days. That's a fast ship! But I digress ... I really wanted a fast chip. MY PC WAS DEAD My PC CD drives crashed and it looked like repair would be useless. It was an old PC anyway and not really compatible for newer programs and even getting on the Internet. Long story short, I figured the Mac ads showing the difference between PC and Mac made sense ... oh yeah, I've dealt with PC aggravation. Really, almost daily in my working professional life. Oh, it's so true", I said. "I must become an Apple convert because surely no one else would make another system so bad". ANOTHER SYSTEM SO BAD Yikes, I've had nothing but the same aggravation on the new machine including: . having computer hangs . seeing the "rainbow ball of death" . having to re-load all of my software as the drive became corrupted . getting error messages that don't make sense . buying software that won't work on the latest operating system . discovering that software simply isn't available for the system Do I need to go on? SECURITY The only issue right now that has prevented me from not throwing the freaking machine out of the window (I live 30 stories up) is the security issue. So far, it seems to be true that the Mac hasn't got the same problems from Internet surfing that PC's do. That's true for now. But I fully expect within weeks (maybe days) that Macs will be inundated with viruses! THE "MC" CONSPIRACY I think it comes down to a world wide conspiracy against people with "Mc" in their names. If I was a PcDonald or a MacDonald, I would surely be free of these frustrations. But no, as a McDonald I must live with the kind of issues that would drive any sane person to kill themselves. INSANE You see, I must be insane. In looking at my overall expenses on the new Mac (5 grand) and the software purchases (1500 extra smackers), I could have bought a new PC for about the same price as the software and had exactly the same aggravation! I won't tell you how I managed to order the machine without having the Internet because of the old PC machine breakdown. Nor will I tell you how many hours I've spent on work-arounds just to edit a 3 minute video clip of my band playing a song. Of course, I have no time left now to rehearse the band to make future clips. THE CULT OF MAC Nope, I'll leave you with the story of discovering there is a Mac cult out there far worse than any ruminations of Scientology or any other "ology " you want to add. I purchased Final Cut Express to see if it would do the kind of video editing I need to do. I'm standing on the subway reading the (very slim) manual. I look up and some dude is smiling at me. A big grin. Do I know him? Maybe from work or a gig? He keeps on smiling and it's obvious he wants to say something. He does: "A Mac eh?" He says. "Yes" I answer. And we ride happily on our way to the same subway stop (coincidence? I think not). All the while I outline my problems with the machine. His answer? "Well, that shouldn't be happening. Not with the Mac." So it would seem it's just me. But at least I am now a part of the cult. I expect "they" may kick me out however. When, I don't know. I watch over my shoulder at all times. But at least until then, I can say to anyone reading anything with an "Apple" on it: "Mac eh?" And just grin ear to ear and perhaps have someone to talk to on the subway. I'm sure in some cultures that would be well worth 5,000 dollars!