Apple, it's just different

So we finally got rid of our old, old computer last week. We bought an iMac, and have now put our self into the "Windows switcher" category of computer users.

We've been needing to replace our old computer since August last year for various reasons. As part of the criteria for getting a new computer, I've been keeping tab of our computing habit and shortlisted the following as our main use for a computer at home:

1. Internet
2. Digital life (our photos and videos)
3. Productivity (spreadsheet, document, presentation)
4. AV console (really as our movie theater)

Based on the above, we could really go Windows or Mac as a platform to adopt, and with Mac pricing being more and more competitive as they are now, Mac has become a consideration for me. At that time too, both camps have been touting their upcoming OSes, so I wanted to at least wait and see what they have to offer before buying.

So January came and Vista was released and..... was a big flop (IMHO). Vista's hardware requirements are insane and feature-wise, nothing much to offer that's new. That's when we decided we will give Mac a try for once. Of course we had to wait till now to get it because Leopard just got released roughly three weeks ago.

Being a first time Mac user, I was very curious about all the things being said about being a Mac user - snobbish bunch of folks, think they are better than the rest of the world, etc etc. Why are people branding them this way and why are the Mac-faithfuls so... faithful even when the company was at the brink of losing it all? I thought I'd try to discover it for myself, therefore paid much attention to the tiniest littlest thing about my personal experience with the iMac. So here's a list (so far) from my first day till now, starting even from the unboxing experience.

1. Everything down to the most insignificant thing is neatly packed - I deal with Dells and Lenovos at work and those machines come neatly packed except the mouse, manuals and CDs. Those three most often than not are thrown into a large box that goes on top of the chassis. However, pick up the iMac packaging and shake the box, you will not hear anything jiggling inside. That's because everything is neatly and tightly packed. Everything (keyboard, mouse, manuals, CDs, remote, batteries) has its proper place cut out for/shaped to fit in one single box.
2. Adhesive on the plastic CD jackets - Can you remember the last time you have to pull a CD/DVD out from one of those flimsy plastic jacket? You pull back the lip (sealed onto the jacket by some adhesive strip), start pulling the CD/DVD out and what happens? The lip closes back and the adhesive strip (which is on the lip) is now stuck to your CD! Why can't they put the adhesive strip on the jacket, which is how Apple did theirs?
3. One way batteries - How do you have to install batteries on devices that require batteries installed parallel (one next to another, not one behind another)? You have to alternate them (first one goes in +-; second goes in -+; and on and on) right? With Apple's Wireless Mighty Mouse, you put all the batteries in the same way, +-)
4. Integration of little, seemingly insignificant tools but highly useful - Spotlight (Apple's search) can return you dictionary entries and is also an instant calculator as you search for things. Dictionary can return Wiki entries. Now I don't have to hit the web or launch apps to do this.
5. Help that helps - Help on the Mac is just so cool. You want to do something but don't know how to get there. Pull up search and start typing. If it's something you have to navigate the menu to get to, Search will put a big blue arrow next to the menu item to get your attention.
6. Stereo sounds - Sure, stereo sounds have been around for a while, but from an OS' default sound scheme? Try sending a mail from Apple Mail. When the mail is sent, you'll hear a jet engine swoosh by from your left to your right.

Like I said, I'm paying attention to the tiniest of details here. There is nothing revolutionary in the above-list, but it does reflect on the level of detail a company pays attention to in its products. So far, Apple has not disappoint. Have I have applications crash, or have to restart my Mac? Absolutely. But it has also done the task I need it to do simply and easily. I'll probably blog about that in the future. But right now, I'm just having fun learning to do things differently.