A Message For All

I have been browsing and posting on these forums for about six months now, and I must say these are the best Mac forums I’ve come across. Most comments have been thoughtful and enlightening, however, there has been a pessimistic fog that has descended upon all too many of the threads here at MacRumors: the issue of speed.

Again and again I hear disgruntled Pro users ranting and raving about Apple’s dismal performance and how their impending Windows plunge looms closer and closer each day.

Let me begin by saying I am not a prosumer. I do not rely on my computer to make money and even though I would love a faster machine, I can survive with my 500MHz G4. I am a student, and while I work for my school’s Information Technology Department, I use my laptop for basic computing and minimal web and imaging work. I understand that many of you crave faster machines that Apple has postponed, and the cumulative frustration of .mac and a pricey Jaguar upgrade only sours the situation.

Yet my question to you prosumers is why did you choose to use Mac in the first place?

Was it the quality of their machines?
Was it the superb hardware-software integration?
Was it the intuitive OS that promised even greater excellence in the years to come?
Was it the excellent Mac-only Apps?
Was it the simplicity that empowered you to create better work?
Was it the alternative to the Wintel world?

Or was it speed?

I understand that many of rely on your machines and time is money, however, I know that when I purchased my PowerBook last March it was not just because of its computing power. Speed is important, and we would all love more, but isn’t it easy to forget why we chose Mac in the first place! True, we have fallen behind in the MHz race, and true Windows has come a long way, yet, I for one believe Apple is still delivering what made us love the Mac in the first place.

In a world where we work harder and longer and live at a faster pace, it is blindingly simple to get caught up in the speed craze. I for one feel that the older I get, the faster I live. I try to fit every element of my life into a schedule and I nearly rushed away my first year of college. My point is that it is astonishingly easy to get caught up in a high-speed lifestyle and forget that there is more to life than much you can fit into twenty-four hours. Similarly, there is more to a computer than the speed with which it crunches data.

So let’s slow down, catch our breaths, remember why we chose the Mac in the first place, and enjoy our wonderful little machines until Steve surprises us with some breathtaking new towers. Sound good?

Just my 2 cents,
Bill