What a year this has been for Apple Computer and the Mac. The switch to the Intel based machines which began at the start of the year has brought a large audience to Macland.

I am in no situation to document the full steps and events that occurred throughout 2006, there are many Mac specific sites which can/will do a better job than I could even fathom. My Mac Year In Review will be based on my opinions as a switcher and maybe other switchers out there share my thoughts/ideas.

I am a computer geek, I’ll admit this and I’ve had Mac-envy for a couple of years. I followed Mac related news on the surface, I heard of the Intel-switch and thought it was neat but didn’t realize at the time what it would actually do for the company, the brand, the Mac.

The first line of new iMacs and MacBook Pros came out sporting their Intel based chipset while keeping the sleek look that the Mac has become to be known for. Added to the speed increase that the new Core Duo chips provided you were now able to run Windows and OS X together. This fact alone has to be one of the biggest selling factors for these new machines, not everyone will do it but the possibility of being able to do it is the point.

Through very fortunate circumstances near the end of April I was debating actually purchasing my first Mac. This was something I thought I would never do, the money factor alone was keeping me away but the sheer performance of the machines drew me to them. I was debating between a 20″ iMac and the newly introduced 17″ MacBook Pro. I ended up choosing the MacBook Pro for many reasons and I’m very happy that I did.

Why did I make the switch?

There were numerous factors that played into it. The new hype surrounding Macs was undeniable. The reviews were largely in favour and it was a once and a lifetime opportunity to switch and I did it. I don’t regret the decision one bit, I can’t believe I waited so long to actually switch.

When I made my purchase I also purchased a copy of Windows XP to install on the Mac and enjoy it for all of the dual boot goodness that it would provide. I still have not installed Windows XP on the machine. The fact that I could and I thought I would was a strong selling point, the fact that I haven’t should go to show how powerful and easy to use OS X truly is.

There is a small learning curve if you do switch, if you’ve been using Windows for any period of time you have become accustomed to it’s nuances, you expect to follow the same path to get to your programs etc. If you install Windows on your Mac the same thing will probably happen. You won’t give yourself time to learn OS X and its features that set it apart and actually make you more productive, give the OS a shot, I dare you.

This site, imamac.com was born in the second half of 2006, hibernated for two months and is now back. The site was started because when I was making the switch there weren’t many resources available for the simple things - the things I was used to doing on Windows but now were different in OS X. I thought what a better way for a switcher to learn the operating system and some software than through another switcher.

Getting the actual domain name was a shock. I first looked up a different name playing off of the new commercials Apple was producing with “I’m a Mac” and “I’m a PC”. As a quick thought I decided to check to see if imamac.com and it was so I quickly purchased it and waited to develop the site when I was ready. How it was available I do not know but looking through the Internet Archives a few years back it wasn’t the most “safe” of sites to be sifting through on the web.

The new year will hopefully allow the site to fully develop and provide help and information for those looking for it. I have quite a few things planned on where I’d like to take the site and I’m hoping anybody reading this helps me bring it there.

I’m always looking for ideas, guest writers and anybody who feels like commenting. If you’ve recently made the switch let me know why, I’m always interested. If you’ve been a long time devotee to the Mac, stick around, I’m sure your guidance will be appreciated. If you’re a PC user, welcome, hopefully you’ll enjoy what I have to offer here and maybe one day you’ll make the switch yourself.

Follow-Up: The Mac Came Back - Part II

Note: In an act of full disclosure this post is also written as part of ProBlogger’s Group Writing Project.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 20th, 2006 at 1:24 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.