If only you knew the POWER of the Dark Side: a reverse switcher's tale

[lmalave]

Folks, 2 years ago I was a full-flegded, koolaid-drinking Mac faithful. I owned an iBook, used a Mac at work, owned multiple iPods, etc. How things change: now I have achieved digital nirvana by replacing all aspects of my digital life with Apple's competitors.

Instead of a MacBook, I'm now the happy owner of a HP Pavilion dv5000 laptop running Windows XP Media Center Edition. It's a PowerBook-quality laptop at an iBook price (I paid $1250 for mine...). Media Center is the bomb for watching and recording TV. I love how the remote has 1-button access to Live TV, Recorded TV, or the program guide.

Instead of an iPod, I'm now the happy owner of a T-Mobile SDA Smartphone running Windows Mobile 5.0. Yes, Windows Mobile. And it kicks ass. With a 2 GB miniSD card, it's basically like having an iPod nano in my phone.

Instead of iTunes, I'm now a very happy user of the Rhapsody To Go software and service. I love Rhapsody's internet radio functionality: the Custom Radio service is vastly superior to pecking through iTunes radio stations looking for one that's decent. Oh, and if you like a song, the download link is right there, so I can have it on my phone on my next sync.

...there are many other aspects why I'm happy with the whole Windows MCE / Windows Mobile / Windows Media ecosystem, but I won't get into them since this message is already getting long. Let's just say that for now I'm quite happy with my decision and have no regrets.

 

[cslewis]

No offense, but why are you telling us this? It's amazing that you could make such a 180 degree reversal in no time, although I hope you're happy with your new system. What prompted the switch?

I dunno, just me, I think the boastful manner in which you're presenting this is in a way that's designed to get people upset. It stinks of trolldom...

 

[leekohler]

Folks, 2 years ago I was a full-flegded, koolaid-drinking Mac faithful. I owned an iBook, used a Mac at work, owned multiple iPods, etc. How things change: now I have achieved digital nirvana by replacing all aspects of my digital life with Apple's competitors.

Instead of a MacBook, I'm now the happy owner of a HP Pavilion dv5000 laptop running Windows XP Media Center Edition. It's a PowerBook-quality laptop at an iBook price (I paid $1250 for mine...). Media Center is the bomb for watching and recording TV. I love how the remote has 1-button access to Live TV, Recorded TV, or the program guide.

Instead of an iPod, I'm now the happy owner of a T-Mobile SDA Smartphone running Windows Mobile 5.0. Yes, Windows Mobile. And it kicks ass. With a 2 GB miniSD card, it's basically like having an iPod nano in my phone.

Instead of iTunes, I'm now a very happy user of the Rhapsody To Go software and service. I love Rhapsody's internet radio functionality: the Custom Radio service is vastly superior to pecking through iTunes radio stations looking for one that's decent. Oh, and if you like a song, the download link is right there, so I can have it on my phone on my next sync.

...there are many other aspects why I'm happy with the whole Windows MCE / Windows Mobile / Windows Media ecosystem, but I won't get into them since this message is already getting long. Let's just say that for now I'm quite happy with my decision and have no regrets.

Good for you! Different people have different needs. I myself would never go back to PCs, they made me crazy. I can't imagine doing my job on a PC, but if it works for you, good. I think there are a lot of people here who use PCs as well as Macs and are happy with them.

 

[amacgenius]

It stinks of trolldom...

More like reaks.

 

[lmalave]

No offense, but why are you telling us this? It's amazing that you could make such a 180 degree reversal in no time. In addition, the boastful manner in which you're presenting this is in a way that's designed to get people upset. It stinks of trolldom...

...just giving an (ex) Mac user's perspective of what's out there in Windows Land and why I'm currently Apple-free. I think it's an interesting and worthwhile topic. I posted in the "Community" forum since it's supposed to be a forum for any general topic.

 

[muffinman]

yeah, there's nothing wrong with PCs. PC users and Mac users should just learn to get along and not make snide comments about how bad the opposing computers are. They're just computers for heaven's sake! Nothing to fight over.

 

[Peyton]

Like, I'm happy for you, whatever, but what is really the point of you riling a bunch of mac fans with this?

Seems like you could spend your time doing more productive things...run defrag maybe?

 

[lmalave]

It's amazing that you could make such a 180 degree reversal in no time. Do you enjoy the setup? I hope you don't run into any trouble...

Well, I have to live in permanent dread of viruses and spyware, but so far so good...

And yes, the setup did kind of suck - definitely not a Mac experience. Windows MCE was easy enough to set up with my cable box, but I tried Yahoo Music Engine and Napster before finally getting Rhapsody to sync with my phone (but on the plus side I was happy to discover Rhapsody's general excellend - I had been using Yahoo on my desktop).

 

[Zman5225]

Well i'm a very happy switcher to Mac recently (see sig) but I doubt i'll ever fully switch over. The Mac platform doesn't support my gaming needs, but covers all my other needs greater then a windows platform does. Glad you can use all those other devices including windows with such ease.

Have fun!

Z

 

[cslewis]

Wow, either you're kidding around or you're pretty darn forgetful... if you switched back over, why does your Bio in your profile say:

'I'm a switcher! Goodbye Dell, hello apple!'

 

[lmalave]

Good for you! Different people have different needs. I myself would never go back to PCs, they made me crazy. I can't imagine doing my job on a PC, but if it works for you, good. I think there are a lot of people here who use PCs as well as Macs and are happy with them.

I wish I could use a Mac at work so I could still be immersed in Mac land. I'm a Java web programmer so I should theoretically be allowed to use Macs (and in previous jobs I have). For home use, though, I'm quite happy with my Windows-centric solution for now...

 

[DeepIn2U]

WEll glad you like the Tmobile SDA smartphone with GPRS but does it have WiFi?
if so then good for you. Personally the Smartphone edition is still not as stable as S60 or UIQ Symbian. The more apps make it more unstable.

Btw, my SE K750i acts like a smartphone due to the abundance of Java apps and task switching between 2 apps or more (so long as memory allows, thats 40MB internal) and I've also got Sony's Mega Bass for audio playback up to 4 GB on the market today, with 8 GB in less than 3 months. I've also got a much better camera at 2MP with Auto Focus and paid much less than you did.

Just hope that you enjoy your laptop especially the low resale when you want to sell it for an upgrade. & Enjoy less screen real-estate from App to App when you run say 14 at a time. I do this everyday doing Tech Support for a US company, and it drives me nuts.

Windows XP, Media Center are not true multi-tasking apps run WinAmp 5.3 to play any MP3 you like, and switch user ... it still plays without a glitch, when the new user may not want to hear the same track, launching WinAmp for the new user doesnt show the current playing track from the previous login. Sure it may be bad app code, but the OS should limit this regardless. Unacceptable from the worlds most financially wealthy, powerful, and greatest coding minds in the globe.

 

[lmalave]

Wow, either you're full of BS or you're pretty darn forgetful... if you switched back over, why does your Bio in your profile say:

'Goobye Dell, hello apple!'

Well, a lot has changed in 4 or 5 years. I was a very happy iBook owner at the time. There was nothing to match them for my needs except maybe the Sony Vaios which were much more expensive. Now I look at some of these multimedia laptops that HP, Sony, etc. are coming out with, and I have to say they're quite impressive. Obviously I was impressed with the HP Pavilion "dv" series since I bought one. It's simply the best laptop I've used - and keep in mind I used to use a 15" AluBook at work...

And in the music realm, I have to say I'm quite dissapointed with Apple. All-in-one phones are where the market is headed, and Apple is really missing the boat. The iTunes-enabled phones with 100 song limit really don't cut it. Plus I have to say I really love the subscription model, and don't understand Jobs' vehement opposition to it. So what if people are "used to" owning their music? Hello - music subscriptions weren't an option before. I mean, what were record companies going to do - send you albums by mail like Netflix? The subscription model is possible only recently, because of DRM technology and the ubiquity of broandband internet access. Now that I'm using a music subscription I can't imagine anything else. I think subscriptions and on-demand downloads are where the market is headed. Cable companies will probably switch to a subscription model for their Movies On Demand soon. And eventually I think all cable TV that's not live (like sports, news, etc.) will be completely on-demand like a few stations are already doing.



....Oh, but one thing hasn't changed: Dells still suck!

 

[dmw007]

Well, I have to live in permanent dread of viruses and spyware, but so far so good...

Ah yes, my favorite part of using windoze.

And yes, the setup did kind of suck - definitely not a Mac experience.

True, you just can not beat the ease of setting up a new Mac.

I hope that you enjoy your new PeeCee, I for one can not stand using M$ XPee for more than ~15-30 minutes (any longer and I start pulling my hair out ).

Perhaps you will once again see the light my friend...

 

[leekohler]

I wish I could use a Mac at work so I could still be immersed in Mac land. I'm a Java web programmer so I should theoretically be allowed to use Macs (and in previous jobs I have). For home use, though, I'm quite happy with my Windows-centric solution for now...

Well, the new company that just bought the ad agency I work for has screwed it up so bad that I could see them trying to switch us to PCs. If that happened, the company would die- very quickly. Creative people tend to have a hard time with tech- Apple's are simpler to use.

 

[lmalave]

WEll glad you like the Tmobile SDA smartphone with GPRS but does it have WiFi?
if so then good for you. Personally the Smartphone edition is still not as stable as S60 or UIQ Symbian. The more apps make it more unstable.

Yes, the phone has WiFi, though I don't really use it. As far as the Smartphone edition I've been quite impressed with it so far. It can handle running a media player, instant messaging session, email client etc. simultaneously with ease.

Btw, my SE K750i acts like a smartphone due to the abundance of Java apps and task switching between 2 apps or more (so long as memory allows, thats 40MB internal) and I've also got Sony's Mega Bass for audio playback up to 4 GB on the market today, with 8 GB in less than 3 months. I've also got a much better camera at 2MP with Auto Focus and paid much less than you did.

I know all about the K750i, the SDA is replacing my old D750i. To be blunt, the SDA is so superior (at least to the current generation of SE phones), that it's no comparison. The SDA also runs Java apps, and has a screen that's twice the resolution. The sound output on the SDA is *much* more powerful and clear than it was on my D750i "Walkman" phone (I know that's the W800i but they're the same phone in different colors). The SDA uses mini SD which is significantly cheaper than the memory sticks (I got a 2GB card for $75). And I'm sure in terms of available size, the miniSD will be keeping up with the memory stick Duo. And for being 2 MP, I was really dissapointed with the camera picture quality. The SDA seems to take consistently better pictures even though it's only 1.3 MP.

Just hope that you enjoy your laptop especially the low resale when you want to sell it for an upgrade. & Enjoy less screen real-estate from App to App when you run say 14 at a time. I do this everyday doing Tech Support for a US company, and it drives me nuts.

I've never, ever considered resale value with any electronics purchase, much less with a computer. And I don't quite understand your comment about screen real estate.

Windows XP, Media Center are not true multi-tasking apps run WinAmp 5.3 to play any MP3 you like, and switch user ... it still plays without a glitch, when the new user may not want to hear the same track, launching WinAmp for the new user doesnt show the current playing track from the previous login. Sure it may be bad app code, but the OS should limit this regardless. Unacceptable from the worlds most financially wealthy, powerful, and greatest coding minds in the globe.

I'm the only person using the laptop, so I can't comment on multi-user capabilities. As far as multitasking, though, I've been quite happy. I'm always running lots of apps at once, and so far Windows seems to be good about not letting one app hog resources (that was a problem I experience with Windows in the past). OS X is Unix-based so it's still superior in this regard, of course...

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Since you say "switch" I assume that you weren't happy with the Mac to the point that you felt you needed a new OS?

I was born & raised on the Apple/Mac platform (well, a TRS-80 first...). However I now own/use both OS X and Windows XP every day about 50/50 (more like 70/30 OS X/XP if you only count home use). I can't see switching from exclusive use of one platform to exclusive use of another though.

I couldn't care less about phone functionality, since I'm a luddite where cell phones are concerned. So music on phones means naught to me...but an XP user certainly has a lot of options when it comes to music download services.

I don't like the subscription model for a couple reasons: First, I don't buy a lot of music, so I wouldn't be getting my money's worth. Second, I have an irrational dislike of DRM. Apple's DRM is less onerous than many (probably most) music download services IMHO(I've only bought a handful of tracks plus one album off the iTMS BTW, so I'm not exactly a big online music shopper). The idea that the music goes away when you stop paying doesn't sit well with me.

 

[angelneo]

I myself have a Windows smartphone as well, the older windows smartphone 2003 version. It have a few quirks which I really dislike. For example, it would locks up without any warning messages, which made me think that the phone was still working fine until I realised I am not getting phone calls for half a day.

My thinkpad T43 is also doing great together with my powerbook and I constantly have the both of them switched on side by side while I am at work. I have to admit, I have the hardest time trying to configure my thinkpad wireless access when I first got it. (Apparently there are 3 DIFFERENT applications that controls it, one from IBM, one from intel, one from windows.......) but I love the biometric login.

 

[Koodauw]

It's a PowerBook-quality laptop at an iBook price (I paid $1250 for mine...). Media Center is the bomb for watching and recording TV. I love how the remote has 1-button access to Live TV, Recorded TV, or the program guide.

Any 33 year old who used "the bomb" loses much credibility in my book. Anyways good luck to you, I'm glad your happy.

 

[xparaparafreakx]

Windows is okay I guess. But I gotta give the OP a point, the SDA is a great phone, even if its windows mobile. I was born on mac and I don't hate PCs but mac is just painless to use.

 

[Bubbasteve]

Any 33 year old who used "the bomb" loses much credibility in my book. Anyways good luck to you, I'm glad your happy.

Man is that funny lol

 

[plinkoman]

is this a really bad (and late) april fools joke?

i can understand people preferring windows because of software they use, or games, or performance, or compatibility, but someone who is very familiar with both actually preferring windows over osx? i just don't get it. i have a pc i use mostly as a linux box/server, but i have windows installed for a few games, and i can't tell you how much i dread opening that. it's not even the viruses, the spyware, crashing etc... i just cannot stand how dumb(for lack of a better term) windows is set up.

if you are for real and this is no joke, then props to you for doing what makes you happy, but of all the people on earth, i understand you the least.

 

[Kingsly]

April fools, right? Please tell me Im right. Pleeeeeeaassse!

 

[student_trap]

i actually rather like this thread. Yes I prefer macintosh (and recommend the platform to anyone that asks), but i think threads like this give a sense of balance.

 

[Chaszmyr]

That HP notebook of yours might be a decent value, because it's definitely cheaper than the MBP, but it's also definitely not in the same league.

It's more than a pound heavier.
It's more than a third thicker.
It has a lower resolution screen.
It's not nearly as aesthetically pleasing.
It doesn't have SMS to protect the hard drive.
It doesn't have a backlit keyboard.
It doesn't have a built-in webcam.
It has inferior graphics acceleration.
It has worse battery life.
It has slower RAM.
It lacks DVI-out.

There might be more, but that's a pretty good list. On the features end, the only thing it really has going for it is the optical drive.

As far as Windows being better than OSX, I wouldn't even know where to begin, and you didn't bring up any specific points to address.

Is the Windows world cheaper? Almost always. Is it better? No way.