I did it. To the joy of some and horror of others, I did it. I bought a Mac. Whether you praise or shun me for it, I did it , and it’s certainly been an interesting experience all the way around.

At the Store

First, the Mac store is the strangest place I’ve ever shopped, hands down. It looks like some kind of modern museum or gallery, not a store at all. When you walk in, the dude at the front asks what you want and pages another guy, who then comes out to assist you. He’s got a hand-held register that does everything he needs to get you in and out in a hurry, there’s clear plastic and metal everywhere, and every sample computer is actually a means of communication between the salesmen up front and the stockroom guys in the back. Before I even realized I’d made a purchase, I was walking out the door with a little box and a receipt with a big price. I still don’t know if I liked it or not — it was just weird.

From my Dad?

That night I got on a plane and flew home for my middle brother’s college graduation. The next morning, when my dad saw me trying to do some work on the new Macbook, he shunned me for getting a Mac just like my youngest brother. He actually scowled at me, which is weird considering he barely has any interest in using computers at all. He only ever learned to use one because it offered him access to Ebay and The Sims.

Despite my efforts to explain that I’d made the choice in an attempt to be humbler, he still only approved of anything I said when I mentioned that I still hated their commercials. Granted, his attitude was all in jest, but still, him having an opinion is like seeing Switzerland take a side between the Red Sox and the Yankees — why would he even care?

Customer Service

Honestly, this is where Apple shined in my experience. I had a bit of a snag when I had to return something I’d bought online but no longer needed, so I talked with someone to see if I could do that. When I got hold of a representative — which really did take some time — his service knocked my socks off. All he ever said to my requests was “yes, we can do that,” and each time he gave me something I’d asked for, he went a step further. Instead of just accepting a return, he offered to send me a free packing label, and instead of just refunding the product, he refunded the extra shipping fee I’d paid to receive the order faster. He never gave me any kind of problems and always gave me more than I’d asked for. I literally found my mouth hanging wide open by the end of the conversation, and when I said thank you at the end of the conversation, I truly meant it.

Best customer-service experience ever.

File Exchange at Work

Part of my reasoning for getting this computer was being able to better share files with my Mac-based coworkers. Too bad it doesn’t work that way. Because Macs now offer Apple and Microsoft software, though I have a similar machine to the rest of the staff, we still use different word-processing software, so exchanging files is still a nightare every so often. Forget that try.

Responses of the Mac-friendly

They all ask “how do you like it?” and wink at me or give me that awkward smirk we give the groom when he returns from his honeymoon. Seriously, I understand they’re all fans of Apple, but exactly how good do they expect my experience with any computer to be?

I was also asked today how I’d made the transition from PC to Mac. I shrugged and said “fine.” There are some differences to be sure, but none so great that I just can’t operate necessary parts of the interface without help from a professional. Again, this isn’t really so revolutionary that I don’t know what I’m doing anymore — which really is a greater praise to the user-interface people than if it was so revolutionary I couldn’t use it.

Using it

Eh, whatever. There are some really fun features that the Macbook comes with, like the ability to scatter all your open windows by dragging four fingers across the track pad — that’s fun. I also like the changing desktop pictures, the dock, and the backlit keyboard (good call, Yale). But when it comes down to it, those are really all just gimmicks; they really don’t change the basic functionality of the machine. As far as I can tell, PCs and Macs do essentially the same thing — and I know that saying that just brought down wrath upon my head from both sides of the debate.

The Pretty Factor

I’d like to consider myself a relatively deep person, but I have to admit that one of my favorite parts of the new Macbook pros is the look. I’ve never seen a computer company put as much time and effort into making their laptops pretty, and this pretty factor, at least with me, goes a long way — let’s just say that this super thin aluminum unibody is hot, and I like that.

What I Have to Say

I’m not a Mac-lover, though I can certainly see the value in them. Frankly, though I do acknowledge that I like the way this Macbook looks — the pretty factor pays off for them– but really, I still stand on the “who cares?” platform. I’m grateful for what I have and appreciate its Mac-ness, but if I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t die.

Judge me or not, this is where I stand.