OK, I’ve finally seen the light 
After years of being in the PC camp – it’s been almost 13 years since I last used an Apple computer – a few days ago I left the, er, Dark Side and embraced the Mac.
New Mac convert here, so pardon me if I gush over things I know every Mac user might take for granted, heh. (I mean, seriously, how come it’s so easy to boot up and shut down when Windows takes forever?) So say hello to the sleek new MacBook Pro with the 15.4-inch screen that the office has assigned to me, which my five-and-a-half-year-old daughter Sam and I have christened Mikaela.
Now this is really a case of mixing business with pleasure. I recommended the MacBook Pro after comparing different machines that would handle our requirements for video editing. Since I’m the gaming and multimedia editor of INQUIRER.net, I also wanted it to be a serious gaming machine — plus I opted for a laptop in keeping with our commitment to the mobile office.
It’s funny, like a number of people, I was under the impression that the Mac would always be more expensive, but seriously, if you pit the MacBook Pro and its specs with other comparable high-end laptops, you’ll see that Apple actually offers you more bang for the buck.
So I figured it was about time to make the switch. I have to admit that it’s also partly for aesthetic reasons — which is just a fancy way of saying I was drooling over the MacBook Pro of our editor in chief JV Rufino and the MacBook of blogger and INQUIRER.net interactive media consultant Jayvee Fernandez.
Plus I was with Hinge Inquirer Philippines group editor in chief Adel Gabot and GAME! editor in chief Howard Paw a few months ago in Singapore, and saw just how simple it is for Mac users to share the same broadband connection in your hotel room – you know, for those hotels which want to charge you per laptop for the same room connection. Sure, you could find a way to do the same thing with your non-Mac laptop, but as in many things, Apple finds a way to let you do it simply and elegantly.
Heck, now I know why Mac users are passionately attached to their machines. As I told JV, I just wanted to stare first at my MacBook Pro, because it was a thing of beauty. It’s not just a machine you use for work or play; it’s a work of art. Yeah, I’m gushing, I know, but you just have to appreciate how everything works together beautifully, from the hardware to the software. Everything fits.
Of course, that’s because Apple’s a control freak, heh, but heck, I can live with proprietary systems if they’ll produce this kind of elegance.
JV welcomed me to the light with a list of apps that he highly recommends. Some of them I’ve also come to love even pre-Mac, like the open source VLC media player, which plays just about any video format.
I also went to OpenSource Mac, which unfortunately seems to be down as I’m writing this. The site offers a treasure trove of open source apps for Mac OS X. If you remember, I blogged about the Open Source Windows site back in February, so this one’s the version for Mac OS X.
One app I’d recommend is Miro, a nifty open source Internet TV and video player. And yup, a Windows version is also available.
I haven’t tried Boot Camp yet, but I’ll let you know when I do. I’m just having fun with Mac OS X first.
What can I say? I heart Mikaela :)
August 25th, 2007 at 1:40 am
Joey! Welcome to the mac world!! I recently bought a new macbook too! Gorgeous! Started with mac long ago, had to switch to PC for work, now i have both and LOVING MY MAC!!!
August 21st, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Mac OS X has provisions for windows-program support. You can either use Parallels which is a virtual pc on your mac or run boot camp which natively runs windows sp2.
But, nowadays, you would find equivalent programs on Mac of your Windows-program.
August 21st, 2007 at 6:35 am
hi ,
I just want to inform you that I fully agree regarding your comment about MACs. Before trying Bootcampp though, try to use parallels desktop for MACs first. I’ts a lot easier because it will allow you to toggle from MAC OS to Windows without shutting down the computer which bootcamp requires to do so.
August 20th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Panalangin ko yan
balang araw magkaka-mac din ako. ever since i love open source but my pocket does not seem to cooperate for that Mac.
August 20th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
there’s more to Mac. I’ve been a Mac-ker for the past years and it’s i loved it. iMovie and Garage Band are simply my faves. I’ve edited a lot of my friends’ video shoots and added background music of their choice. Simply Mac…
August 17th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
Hey joey!
Congrats, you made the best choice! hehe. if your new mbp comes with ilife 08 it’s twice the fun. promise you’ll never switch back to winDOZE again! I remember my experience a year ago, I took lots of pictures while opening this gorgeous machine. Priceless!
it’s like a virus free, no bluescreen of death experience. lol
mac fanboys unite!
August 17th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Hi there, glad you transferred to mac. I am an economics researcher. I have been meaning to transfer to Mac years ago but i know that i would be an island full of PCs in my econ field. However, with the intel macs, windows-based programs is also now very accessible! I use windows for one statistics software. but after getting the mac version, there is no use anymore for the windows. only as a back-up thing (for nokia suite). it is not only the looks that is elegant. the programs itself! everything fits. the choices are simple to follow. also, notice the mac help function. it really HELPS. unlike in windows where the help function ends up confusing you. money-wise, mac also is advisable. if your pc breakdown, you are at the mercy of your technician (sometimes you find good ones). but in MAC, the customer support is just great.
August 17th, 2007 at 9:05 am
“I also wanted it to be a serious gaming machine”
I agree the mac is one hell of a machine everything just works, except that it has a limited selection of games
it might have the power to play most of the graphic intensive games , theres just not much games to play with.
August 16th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
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August 16th, 2007 at 10:27 am
She’s a beauty! congrats on your new Mac, hopefully I’ll get mine soon.
Cheers!
August 16th, 2007 at 7:42 am
Hi Joey!
Congrats on the switch. I have to agree with you that it really gives you the best bang for your buck and you even get the best of both worlds
You might also want to check out parallels if you won’t be doing any process intensive tasks on the windows platform
August 14th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
So u finally saw the light..welcome aboard.. as his jobness said..its more exciting to be a pirate than being a navy
August 14th, 2007 at 7:24 am
You get to travel with Adel Gabot and Howard Paw, *and* work with Jayvee… then your switch to Apple is an inevitability!
August 14th, 2007 at 3:26 am
off course! mac is simply the best! to all pc users - switch to MAC!!!
August 13th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
thanks eugene
yup, i should have made the switch a long time ago.
thanks and hope you’ll keep visiting this blog.
cheers!
August 13th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
[...] network highlights: @play : I heart Mac Babe Republic : Cristine Reyes, FHM cover babe Tales of the Nomad : My dreamlike visit to fabled [...]
August 13th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
I share your excitement and enthusiasm with an Apple computer. I made the great move about 3 years ago, bought an iMac G5, and i can’t stop raving about it. It all started when i bought the 3rd Gen iPod, i call it the halo effect. And your right, simple things make you go wow. I am always on about how slow microsoft-based computers are turning on and off. I assure you that this is only one of the many things in Apple that will make you love apple even more. The thing that annoys me is that my Mac is too old by Mac standards. I can’t keep up with their new releases. If money permits, I will upgrade everytime they release a new nifty computer, sadly they don’t come cheap! Long live Macs and Mac Users!
August 12th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
[...] find out why I embraced the Mac and who Mikaela is in @play. By Joey Alarilla Feedbacks on this entry via RSS 2.0 Please leave [...]