Switching

Back in the summer of 2007, I decided to switch from being a Microsoft Windows user to a Mac User.

I had been a long time Windows user since 1997 when I bought my first PC. But over time I had gradually become more dissatisfied with using Windows:

• Reinstalling every six months: It seemed that over time my Windows PC at home would slow down. Whether it was applying updates, or installing new software that caused it, I cant say for sure. I was pretty conscientious about defragging my hard drive about once a week, but after a while, the system would start to blue screen.
• Security: Back in the day, Windows XP was the most popular OS for Windows users. It seemed like every month, new exploits were being found for the system. The one I remember the most was the Blaster worm. Id have a firewall installed and antivirus running in the background, but I was always a bit paranoid about having my computer compromised. It just seemed that Windows wasnt secure enough.
• Maintenance / Backups. Every month Id go through the process of backing up my favourite programs, emails and what not to DVD. It was a very long and boring process.
• Windows Vista. For me, Windows Vista was the nail in the coffin. At the time there had been much press about how different Vista was going to be from XP, all the new features that were going to be added. I bought Vista Ultimate with the promise that Microsoft would be releasing a lot of exclusive content for that version. Well first of all, performance in Vista before service pack 1 was terrible. Secondly driver support was not up to scratch. I remember hunting around forums trying to get driver support from my motherboards onboard sound card. Finally, the exclusive content for Vista Ultimate was terrible; a few screensavers and some language packs. I wasnt impressed with Vista at all.

So I bought a Mac Book Pro and later Leopard. And Im pretty happy with the whole experience.

• Things just work: no blue screens, no crashes, no having to reinstall every six months.
• Secure: No annoying popups everytime I want to make changes ala Vista's UAC. Knowing that my system wont be compromised by browsing sites, becausing applications requires elevation of privileges.
• Things Just Work: Time Machine is just awesome. Painless backups - just attach an external hard drive, and Time Machine does the rest. Need to reinstall? The OS X installer will restore all your settings from Time Machine backups. No having to manually restore files.

Would I ever switch back however? I run Windows 7 now in Bootcamp, and I have to admit, its a great improvement over Vista. Faster, better driver support. If Windows continues to improve, then yes, I will switch back. Another factor is Apple's preoccupation with iOS, the operating system that runs on iPhone / iPad. Its very much a closed ecosystem in that installing apps have to be done through the Apple App Store. I think if Apple ever went that route with OS X and locked it down further I would consider moving to Windows, or even an Open Source alternative like Linux. Time will tell! At the end of the day, pick the operating system that works best for your needs.