Are you a switcher?
I stood there in a confused haze trying to get a grip on my thoughts. "Are you a switcher?" Asked a young girl wearing a black tee and a name-tag, she must have spotted my dazed expression from across the all too brightly lit room. "Umm a switcher?" For a moment I though she was asking me about my "private" life if you know what I mean. She read my face immediately and giggled. "A switcher; you know from Windows to Mac?" Oh my they even have a word for it? I feel like such a statistic. "Oh, umm yeah" I said biting my lip a bit unsure of myself, "yes, yes, I'm a switcher."

I told her that I was a writer, and an artist and had gotten rave reviews on the Mac and was finally ready to take the plunge. I settled on a sleek, white notebook, purchased all of my necessary accessories and software, and proudly marched out the store feeling triumphant that I had officially made the "switch"... or so I thought.

When I reached home and booted up my brand spanking new laptop I was overcome with childish excitement. How splendid, I though, how absolutely marvelous... such a feeling is not meant to last.

No right-click?!
It wasn't long before the frustrations of a brand new world settled upon me like a dark cloud of confusion. It was absolute bedlam every time I turned on this silent white beast. I would consider myself to be a pretty resourceful, brain-muscle flexing, technology-savvy kind of gal but I kid you not when I say that when it came to this Apple all my knowledge became irrelevant. No such thing as "right-click", no "My Computer", "Control Panel" or "Programs", I couldn't even figure out how to put icons on my desktop.

My common sense was Windows trained and I was a complete train wreck when it came to the Mac. The clock was on the wrong side, no "Start" option, nothing comforting or familiar on any level, not even an "E" icon for the internet but instead some "Safari" headache. The manuals were incoherent, annoying, thick and extremely dull, and going back to the source for some official training seemed like such a hassle and nuisance. So I blindly went into attack mode and resolved to decipher this beast on my own. My own personal challenge if you will.

Such vivid pictures!
I even thought the unthinkable at some point with all my frustrations, should I return the monster? Oh but even with all of its foreign lexicon and formatting it was and is such an amazing computer. I've never seen such vivid pictures, watched such a vivid movie or been so attracted to a desktop. The way the icons have a reflection beneath them as if they are resting on a tranquil pond, the way they animate when I hover my mouse over them, its quite exquisite. All of the nifty little tools and programs already included I don't think I can do without now that I have sampled them; like "Photo Booth", and "Dictionary", all of the "i" features like "ichat" and a whole plethora of useful and fun gadgets.

And so instead of surrendering my new computer and forfeiting the game, I resolved to make it my mission to get familiarized and knowledgeable in this crafty little machine. It's been a couple months now and I have to say that I have really come a long way. There is still much to be learned and there are still daily adjustments and frustrations to deal with, but if you ask me its completely worthwhile.

Mac win's round 1
I compose these words now on that very machine I marched home with that day a few months back. I type with ease now having found my toolbar and everything else that I may need, all with great efforts might I add. By no means am I an "i" expert these days, but as far as design and features I would say that Mac wins the battle hands down. And although I am still a stranger to it, I don't think I would be able to part with it now that it's in my possession.

By Lucky Clover

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