I had a PC (a Dell Inspiron 8600, in case anyone’s wondering) for about four years and hardly used it because it was incredibly slow, would freeze without warning, and crashed several times. I had to get the motherboard replaced once and the keyboard replaced twice. It was simpler to just use the desktop computer in the basement most of the time.
Over the summer, I purchased a MacBook Air. Yes, it was expensive, but I view it as a good investment (and it came with a free iPod Touch.) Despite its slimness, it’s very durable, and I haven’t had a single problem with it. Safari is very easy to use, iTunes works like a dream, and with my built-in webcam I can, from Israel, Skype with my family in America.
I knew I needed to replace my laptop and might have just gotten the newest Dell model if it hadn’t been for my six-week internship at Moment Magazine last spring. Thanks to a generous donation, Moment has switched entirely over to Macs, and since my internship involved a lot of computer time, I got to know the operating system quite well. I decided that since I needed a new laptop, I might as well try a Mac.
There’s a world of difference between this computer and my old one (and it’s not just Dell; I’ve used my brother’s Gateway a couple of times and noticed the same things.) My MacBook Air is faster and more powerful, not to mention aesthetically superior and easier to carry around (because it’s so light.) It’s gorgeous, with its rounded edges, little door that pulls down to reveal the ports, and small space for the adapter to magnetically “snug” into the laptop. The backlit keyboard is great for those late nights when my roommates are sleeping and I have to work in the dark. Most of all, I love that I know how to use it. Sometimes when you own something, you don’t *really* “own” it until you figure out how it works and can actually take advantage of its functions. (So it was with me and my iPod Nano; I have no such problems with the iPod Touch.) I’m very much technologically ignorant (although I picked up some useful skills at Moment, such as how to use a scanner) so I was shocked by the ease with which I can operate this laptop and get all my work done without having to consult the manual every five minutes. I’m very satisfied with it; the only drawback is that it doesn’t come with a CD drive. I spent $99 on the external SuperDrive, which plugs into the USB port, but actually I’ve found that I don’t need to use it very often, so the lack of a built-in drive isn’t really a huge issue.