A Business Owner’s Switcher Experience

Written by: Adam Christianson

Categories: Feedback

You don’t often get stories of businesses switching to Macs, so whwn I received this story from listener Jamie I wanted to share it with you.

Thought you might want to hear about my Mac experience.

I am a business owner of a computer software/support company. I have for years been slaving over books and updates to keep current on programming languages and new support bug fixes. In my offices I have several Windows Servers and Windows XP laptops and desktops. You guessed it, I am (was) a PC geek.

During a project at a local client, there were a few of us going to a meeting about the Java application we were writing. I didn’t take my Toshiba Laptop with me because these meetings were always about design or bugs. This certain meeting turned into a “bug-fix” session instead. Well, being without a laptop presented an issue. I was asked to correct a few things and I didn’t have a laptop to work with. Well another programmer on the team offered his PowerBook. I told him that I was against using Mac. I told him the story about me not being able to respect any machine that had a color description that was a fruit (iMac Tangerine). I was forced to make my changes on the PowerBook. Which wasn’t that bad.

My colleague offered his PowerBook for the evening. He created an account on the PowerBook and let me take it home. I agreed because I was going to put this machine through it’s paces. I was hell bent on locking the thing up or making it scream with mercy at the things I could do to it. Needless to say he didn’t give me admin access so there wasn’t much I could do. I noticed that there was no anti-virus software (BIG NO NO) and I tried everything. I installed and removed software, I checked the residue the software install and removal left (none, maybe a plist). The next day, I took the PowerBook back to my colleague. He just looked at me and told me not to say a word. There wasn’t anything I could say. I couldn’t break it. I tried. Believe me, I have the PC skills to kill any Windows PC on the market. I know how to trash a box. I left his office and retreated to the local Mac store at SouthPoint Mall in Durham, North Carolina. I bought two PowerBooks and an iPOD, deciding to convert my office into a Mac shop. Now we still have Microsoft machines, but they are not our main machines. I have been converting my offices for the past 10 months from support to software development, with great success I might add.

Jamie Daniel, CEO
Blade Technology, LLC
http://www.bladetechnology.com

There are 3 comments on A Business Owner’s Switcher Experience:

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  1. jon from vancouver | Aug 02 2005 - 11:52

    This story sounds like me after 20 years of computing on PC’s and 4 years on the Mac now. The unfortunate thing is that I need AutoCAD for business and it only runs on the PC. So I use both platforms, learn what is best about them, and enjoy it. I don’t get caught up in the PC/Mac hate debate that usually occurs with computer geeks or ignorant users.

  2. Joojo | Aug 08 2005 - 04:28

    i was also a PC geek, till i got the opportunity once to feel a mac. the ease of use, virus free, and the design made me fall in love with the mac. I totally understand your switching to macs. Hope others will have a feel then after we will see if they will be the same again. t

  3. annie b | Mar 01 2009 - 05:57

    I use Macs at home have have to use a PC at work. My PC is always having problems. My G5 is 5 years old and I’ve never had anything go wrong with it – and I run Logic and Final Cut – very memory intensive programs. LONG LIVE APPLE!