I splurged a mighty splurge the other day, and purchased an Apple PowerBook G4 laptop. My old Dell laptop had finally outworn its welcome, falling short on performance and capabilities when I needed them the most. In replacing it, I wasn’t going to go for the cheapest option, but for an option that would last me as long as possible. Since I have an 10-year old Powerbook 530c that still works (slow though it may be), and two Windows laptops that are five and six years old that have failed, I opted for a Macintosh. I should have done it sooner.
I’ve used Macs since they came out in 1984, and have used Windows since version 1.0. I used other things before that (MS-DOS, CPM), and have used various other systems in the past 25 years (Unix, Linux, VAX/VMS, etc). I have always found that the Mac systems were the ones that helped me get things done without getting in my way. David Pogue said it best: “I’m not a Mac bigot, I’m an elegance bigot.”
Windows has always been problematic. Before Windows 2000 came out, being an expert at Windows was always about knowing how to overcome its shortcomings. Windows XP was a major improvement when it came out, and I continue to favor it over all previous versions of Windows. It’s the closest Microsoft has ever come to “plug and play,” and has been by far the most stable Windows ever.
But give me a Mac any day. Especially now with Mac OS X, with its Unix underpinnings, it’s a real geek’s operating system, with a face that even your grandmother can love! For the past several years, I have had both a Mac G4 and an HP Pavilion Pentium 3 on my desk. They’re about as old as each other. I have had to reinstall everything on the HP at least three times, when it has completely crashed on me. Getting all of my programs reinstalled and getting everything configured correctly takes hours and hours. I have had to reinstall everything on my Mac G4 exactly once; recovering my configuration was as easy as moving a few folders around, and I only had to reinstall two programs. Time spent: about two hours.
So the choice to get a new PowerBook was as easy. Deciding to spend the money was tough, but with my consulting business coming together, I have some justification to make such an investment.
Tuesday, when I went to buy it, I went to the Apple Store at Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton. That’s very near my friend John’s office, so I invited him to come with me and share the fun! He met me there, and we gawked and drooled at all the fun stuff in the store while we were waiting for them to get all the pieces I wanted together. Then we went back over to his office, so I could open it up, kick the tires, all while kibbutzing and drinking coffee together. It doesn’t get much better than that. Well, maybe if there had been a large-ish basket of Gordon Biersch’s garlic fries....
As I was driving to John’s office, I was feeling very thankful. I started praying a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Not so much for the laptop; I doubt whether God gets as excited about our new toys as we do. But I was thankful for having a vocation that I enjoy, and good tools to do it with, and for friends who I can share such non-essentials with. Especially since I have several friends (John, Ken R., Walt B., Brian S., as well as my brother and my dad) who are fellow geeks and fellow Christians. The material things we enjoy together (computers, coffee, baseball, music, books) are transient, but the faith we share is eternal. We can talk about our mutual interests, build friendships based on our shared experiences, and know that we are building relationships that will be carry on into eternity. Computers will crash, become obsolete, and go in and out of fashion, but the fellowship of Jesus’ followers will go on forever.
So, what do you think? Is God a Windows user or a Mac user?
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4 comments:
Well you have me really curious now... I haven't used a Mac since way back in the mid-80s, when I was helping a college professor with a study on preschool children and computers. We had Apple IIe's.
I get frustrated with the limitations/glitches/idiosyncrasies of Windows. Is switching to a Mac the answer???
Aww, now, Dew, you're arguing religion. Any computer is as versatile as any other. As for availability of software, keep in mind that on Windows there are a lot more programs, and most of them are very, very bad. The only things I wish I could get onto my Mac that I don't have are a couple of neat games I've gotten hooked on. The problem with my HP has never been the hardware. It's been as solid as anything I've ever had, but the software has always been fragile. I've built computers, but don't find that they're any better or worse than brand-name systems -- except that I can't blame the problems on homemade systems on anyone but myself!
Karen, to answer your question, every computer has its limitations/glitches/idiosyncrasies. By switching, you just learn to deal with the l/g/i's of a different system.
I find the Mac to "feel" much more natural. I am an expert at both Macs (for almost 20 years) and Windows (for almost 15 years), and both have strengths and weaknesses. If you'd like to list some of your frustrations with Windows, I can let you know how it compares with the Mac OS.
But the Mac OS is worlds different from what you knew on the Apple IIe.
Oooh, my husband would argue with you until kingdom come. Macs are NOT an option in his world.
God using a computer?
What kinda theology is that? He built the best computer known, and it's sitting inside your skull.
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