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Windows vs. Mac: I'm starting to change.
Paul Keith:
Related article. (Sorry haven't been keeping up with the posts)
http://thinksimplenow.com/happiness/6-steps-to-eliminate-limited-beliefs/
I consider myself a frugal person and I’ve always thought that it was a good thing. However, I recently discovered that, while frugality is a worthy and useful quality, the root of my own frugality is based on some limited beliefs that I’ve held.
It all started with the story of a little dell laptop, and the story went something like this… The computer I use every day is a five-year-old Dell laptop. It was originally my work laptop from Amazon.com, until the hardware lease expired, and I was allowed to purchase it for $68.
This little machine has served me well, but due to its nature (ahem - it runs on Windows) - its gradual decline in reliability and performance was noticeable (even after re-installing Windows and doubling the RAM). I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated by the need to reboot my computer at in-opportune moments, and the random crashes and slowness of Photoshop - which I frequently use.
Last week, Jeremy watched as I was hunched over my little laptop, frustrated once again by the slowness of its functions, hinting of the need to reboot. I cursed out loud, not wanting to reboot because I had too many browser tabs open; so I persisted, insisting that I could tough it out. He turned to me, and with a concerned expression, said, “Honey, let’s get you a new Macbook and an external display. I think you’re really gonna love it and you’ll be so much happier and productive.”
I have resisted converting to Apple for about ten years. My excuse was always that I couldn’t stand the keyboard differences. While this was somewhat true, it was also an excuse to stay within my comfort zone and to resist change. That evening, however, I reached a tipping point in my dissatisfaction with PCs, and decided to give Mac a try (while trying to ignore the resistance in my stomach).
So, Jeremy and his friend Dave took me to the Apple Store. Once inside, I immediately felt like a kid in a candy store, drooling over the sleekness of the machines and the beautifully minimalistic store design. We walked into the store with the idea of buying the cheapest laptop + display combo, but when I saw that the current generation of 23″ monitors have a glossy reflective display, I knew that it would distract me more than be a tool of inspiration and productivity.
Then we spotted it, the 30″ Cinema HD Display, which has a non-reflective matte screen and the higher price tag to go with it. The three of us gathered in front of the model display “oooowing and ahhhhing” at the enormous mass of aluminum beauty.
After playing with it for about ten minutes, pulling up Think Simple Now in the browser, and testing out Photoshop with great satisfaction, Jeremy proclaimed, “Babe, let’s get you this.” Dave smiled widely.
And then, it happened, I heard a peculiar voice inside my head say, “You don’t deserve it“.
I observed as the feeling glistened over me. While I was excited for and had always lusted over the Apple Cinema Display, I felt the guilt hover over me and turn the hope into shame, for even wanting it.
I felt sad and pathetic that I had picked this belief up somewhere along the way, and have been unconsciously carrying it with me, for god knows how long. Memories of my childhood began flashing in front of my eyes…
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Afterwards
I shared this belief and emotional discovery with Jeremy, and he stared into my eyes with great empathy and conviction and said, “If anyone deserves it, it’s you!” He continued with tears in his eyes, “Think of how many hours a day you sit in front of a computer, and think of the number people you can help if you are happier with your work station.” My heart melted, and a feeling of relief washed over me. He was right, but I still needed some time to let that sink in and start to believe it myself.
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zridling:
Curtis Franklin agrees with Superboy!
Eóin:
Curtis Franklin agrees with Superboy!
-zridling (October 27, 2009, 04:13 AM)
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Absolutely no ill towards you Zaine but that comparison linked is laughably naive and illogical. It baffles my sometimes how far removed some people are from reality.
Darwin:
Absolutely no ill towards you Zaine but that comparison linked is laughably naive and illogical. It baffles my sometimes how far removed some people are from reality.
-Eóin (October 27, 2009, 07:42 AM)
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Absolutely no ill towards you Zaine but that comparison linked is laughably naive and illogical. It baffles my sometimes how far removed some people are from reality.
-Eóin (October 27, 2009, 07:42 AM)
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I feel much the same way about the the thinksimple link/story - it is insulting to the intelligence, at least where it touches on the Apple vs Windows debate (the six steps to eliminating limiting beliefs, which is the main point of the post are probably fine - didn't read 'em with any great atention to detail). The guy's gotten 5 years out of his Dell for Chrissakes! My mum and dad' bought a refurbished iMac G5 running Tiger about 2 ½ years ago (which makes it, plus or minus, about four or five years old). It was shit hot when they got it. However, after about 8 months I quadrupled the RAM (to 2GB) because my mum was starting to complain about a general "slow down" and it was snappier for a while. Today it is no speed demon, but if runs OK. However, they had serious issues with their Epson all-in-one not functioning properly (yes, I know, third party hardware and drivers) and switched that out for a small HP laserjet, which I've already had to troubleshoot twice for connectivity issues. Thus, overall, the performance of the machine has degraded. Every couple of months I mess about with it and claw back some speed and harddrive space for them.
My point? Why is this guy blaming the platform for problems that sound more related to running (I assume) newer software under an older OS on old hardware (specific blame probably lies with bus speed and CPU architecture)? If the Dell (which presumably was designed and certified to run XP) won't run nice and fast with a base install of XP, I'll eat my hat! My guess is that he re-installs Windows, bitches and whines about the length of the re-installation process, reboots for updates, and then doesn't pause to draw a breath before cramming additional security, productivity and other software that he uses on to it, thereby closely replicating whatever was causing the original problem! Think simple my ass, more like simplistic thinking!
Sorry, I just get pissed off by these illogical leaps that people make... this one reminds me of the correlation that a headline writer drew between playing Starcraft and a random act of violence: Starcraft player charged after knife attacky from a while back. "Mentally ill man charged after knife attack" doesn't have quite the same cachet. All I'm sayiing is that the blog writer has drunk the Kool-Aid, even if he's still running his Dell and pining for a Mac that he doesn't seem to be able to convince himself that he deserves because of conflict between his frugality and the bitter taste left by the Apple tax.
Come back tomorrow, I'll tell you what I really think :o
Rant over :-[
EDIT: removed replicated paragraphs
Eóin:
I suppose I should also add to that the bits I found so outrageous were the comments and conclusions on security which seemed to be based on nothing other than random notions.
That combined with how little concerned he seems to be about backwards compatibility meant I just couldn't take the comparison seriously.
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