That Time I Bought a $1800 iMac
UPDATE 1/25/2015 – In the 5 days that this post has been live I have received some incredibly rude comments. I love trolls. They are the highlight of my freelance career. What makes me laugh is how they stop by, formulate thoughts, and then just assume they know everything about me. So, let me say this – this post was written out of sheer frustration. I’m also pretty sarcastic; maybe a bit dramatic too. You have to add some entertainment value right? I wouldn’t be doing my job if you didn’t laugh at least once. If you don’t see that, that’s your fault. I never say within this post that I hate Apple or the Mac. I started working on a part two for this post after this one published. I guess now I have something else to discuss. Comparing Apple/Mac to any computer brand running Windows is like comparing apples to oranges. I’m also not someone who purchases things to be popular or be a part of the cool crowd. I made my purchase because I do like Apple and my iPhone and iPad are truly my favorite things.
So please read this post with an open mind and some laughter in your heart.
~Chrystal~
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$1800.
Ouch.
But, before we get to that, let me tell my little tale. I promise, I’ll try to make it quick and painless. I’m going to be 40 in July (another Ouch!) and I have been using computers since I was about a Junior in high school (I graduated in 93 for those doing the math.) We had switched from typing class on typewriters and merging to computer keyboards with built-in typing programs on the computer. I took a business class and we did everything on the computer. Internet was extremely limited in those days. I didn’t get on the internet until college around 95ish. I had a computer at home a friend had given me to type up papers, but it was a while before I got dial-up. So I would visit the campus computer lab and hang out until all hours of the night surfing around this land of Inter.
When I finally got dial-up at home and a computer of my own I started blogging. It was so different in those days. I think my first computer was an HP, but I can’t remember. Gosh, it seems so long ago now that I think about it. I do remember it was expensive. That computer cost me over $1000. Computers weren’t cheap then and their wasn’t a lot to pick from. Now I am starting to feel really old. Back in the days of using the telephone line so that when folks called they would always get a busy signal. Oh, those were the days. Pagers where necessary and soon folks were getting cell phones. But computers had Windows and that’s what I used.
At some point that computer went bye-bye and I upgraded to a sleeker style by Dell. That computer stuck with me for a very long time. When my mother and I opened our own business, we purchased another Dell for that store. When my mother moved from Oklahoma to Michigan to take care of her parents who were battling cancer at the time, I took the newer Dell from the store. For the life of me I can’t remember what happened to my first Dell. Maybe I sold it..maybe I gave it to someone who needed it. Either way, Dell was a good computer company in those days. I never had a problem with them. They lasted and they worked. Dell had great customer service. When I packed up and moved here to Michigan, I brought the Dell with me. When I moved out of moms house and here with hubs, I left the Dell behind for her to use and I used hubs old Dell. My mother used that computer almost everyday for the 6 years I have lived here. We did upgrade the RAM. I tell you what, that computer traveled and if it could talk I am sure it would have some stories to tell. Sadly, that computer finally bit the dust a few weeks ago. I am guessing it was about 8 or 9 years old. So, I would say we more than got our monies worth.
A few years ago I got a sweet Black Friday deal on an ASUS laptop. I had a Dell Mini that I had used along with the desktop. The Mini allowed me to write as I traveled and I didn’t have to be tied to a desk. Now that Mini is obsolete because it has Windows XP which is no longer supported and it’s not equipped to handled Windows 8. It makes me sad. That was a great little computer. Key word being ‘little.’ As the years have passed, my eyes seem to be getting worse. So, I used that Mini less and less until it got stuck in my desk drawer. When my moms Dell died, I passed it along to her so she could at least check her emails and do her online banking.
My ASUS laptop is a dual core i5. It works really well and I’ve since become a fan of ASUS. Over the years I see that Dell has declined in their computer department and customer service. I do not know if I would go back. I am very happy with ASUS. However, I have been using this laptop as a desktop. It was my intention that I would hook it up to two monitors and use it as a desktop when I am working, and then I’ll unhook it when I want to be mobile. Only, that never happened. The laptop is widescreen. It’s great for watching movies on, but not so great to work on long-term because it gets heavy. Another thing that bugs me about the laptop is the mouse pad is not centered. It drives me crazy because my left wrist constantly bumps it. So, I’ll be typing along and the next thing I know, my paragraph is missing cause my stupid wrist just deleted it.
Needless to say, the laptop hardly ever leaves my desk anymore. I finally got to the point where I really wanted a laptop that I could use. So, I thought I’ll check out a Chromebook. It would be perfect for me to travel with and then in time I can just get a new desktop and sell my laptop. I had used my step-mother-in-law Samsung Chromebook and liked it well enough for me to use when traveling or in the living room. Where ever I needed to go to get out of my home office. When I went to Best Buy, I ended up with the ASUS Chromebook because it just felt better to me overall.
That ASUS lasted me a few days before I took it back. I can’t really explain why. I really loved it, but at the same time, it wasn’t as fantastic as I needed it to be. I contemplated on keeping it for my mom since we found out that her desktop can’t be repaired. Well, it can. But she would just be better off buying a new computer for the price. So, I didn’t give her the Chromebook because I was afraid she wouldn’t use it.
Ok. Now that I have gotten all of that out-of-the-way. Here is where Apple comes in.
I love Apple. My first iPod was the U2 limited edition model. It was thick, like a deck of cards and had the clicky wheel. I loved it and it went everywhere with me. I still thank my ex husband for that purchase because I think it was the best present I ever got. I kept that iPod for a looooooong time. It went with me through a divorce and a move. It went with me when I met my new husband. When the iPod Touch came out, I got one, thanks to my now husband/then boyfriend. Soon iPhone came out. I got that and traded in my Touch. I had also sold my U2 iPod, which is something I really regret.
iPhone led to 4, 5s and I am sure eventually it will lead me to 6. Maybe 6 Plus. I can’t decide. Point is, I love my phone. I love having my iPod inside my phone. It’s awesome. I don’t really play games. But, I do check emails and social media. My iPhone would be pretty boring compared to most. I certainly don’t utilize it like a lot of people do. Eventually that love of iPhone got me an iPad. I had a Nook when they first came out. But, I quickly became frustrated when a lot of authors would put their books on Kindle but not on Nook. So, my reason for the iPad was to read all book formats on. And, that is mostly what I use my iPad for. Sometimes I use it for the internet and once in a while I’ll browse a recipe app.
So, when I took the Chromebook back I decide once and for all I was just going to get a Mac. Every time we went to Best Buy I would stand at the Apple table and just gawk. I love the MacBook Air. I wasn’t really in the market for a laptop though. I really wanted to get the iMac with its big, beautiful 27″ screen. When we found out there was a floor model/open box that was a few hundred dollars cheaper, I had to check it out.
It didn’t take long for me to decide I really wanted that iMac. I wasn’t thrilled with the price, but it would be worth it to have my iPhone and iPad work well with my computer. It would be nice to not deal with all the problems Windows computers have. (What are those again, exactly?) After using dual monitors for years, I thought, “Wow, it would be nice to just fit everything on one monitor!”
I should point out that years ago when I worked at an interior design firm, we had Macs there. So I wasn’t a stranger to the Mac OS.
I’ve kind of always wanted a Mac.
So, we get to the desk to pay for my quad-core i5, and hubs ask the guy to plug it in. Just to be safe. So, he does. And there we are faced with a username and password option. Ugh. So, it goes back to Geek Squad, I pay my $1800 (Floor model discount, plus Geek Squad, Protection and tax), and go home empty-handed. Day 2, no phone call. By day 3 I told them to have it done by noon or I was going to get a refund. I mean, how long does it take to reformat and set it up for me? C’mon Geek Squad. Hubs goes to get it, brings it home, we hook it up. It’s the same damn screen as when we were at the store.
WTF Best Buy? What did you do all that time you had it? Why would you send me home without a password and login? I was so angry. My husband started calling people. I was ready to take it back. After a few hours of Googling, we found an answer and tried it.
Yah. Success.
So, I am all up in the Apple. Working. Testing things out. Getting completely frustrated at how backwards everything is. It took me forever to figure out how to set up the right-click on the mouse. Even then it still sucked. And lets not forget how backwards the scrolling is. Or, is it upsidedown? While I like the Apple mouse and the two finger scroll, it’s useless when I’m going the wrong way!
And that dinky keyboard that it comes with? I have one of those for my iPad. I rarely use it. As someone who has to be able to type all day and at a quick pace, that keyboard was not very user-friendly for me. Tried it. After a few hours I set up my wireless ergo keyboard and mouse that I used with my laptop as a desktop. Worked ok. But, the scrolling and clicking was still backwards.
Ctrl + P no longer worked. Ctrl + V ugh and wait for it – Ctrl + F….non existent.
When I plugged in my iPhone to grab a video to put on YouTube, instead of being able to go to the file on my phone and upload, iPhoto and iMovie started to load (this was after I had to install them.)
While I realized I was going to have to learn all new things, I guess I was not prepared for just how much was going to change on me. For a bit, I was willing to learn.
Then, I started to install programs that were necessary for me to create and share. Like Photoshop. Like Lightroom. As if buying the Mac wasn’t expensive enough, trying to convert my Windows program to Mac was going to cost me another arm and a leg. I have 2 external hard drives and while Mac can read them, I can’t edit or save anything to them. I did find a free trial of a driver that helped with that, but it’s only free for so long. I don’t have the means to move all the 1000s of files elsewhere to reformat the externals. So, there’s that. But, when you install something, it’s not this quick install like Windows. It’s install, move to desktop, install, run and then delete all the crap that was placed on your desktop.
You also can’t drag and drop like you can on Windows.
You also can’t save to a specific folder on external hard drives which really irks me.
During this time I see that half of the software that my Mac was supposed to come with was not installed. There was more time wasted dealing with Best Buy. By this time I want to just throw it out the window. But, I can’t. It’s not paid for and it’s too pretty.
Word. Microsoft Word has been a huge staple in my life. I’ve been using it for as long as I can remember and I use it daily. Mac doesn’t come with a related program. They have iPages, but you have to pay $19.99 for it in the app store. There is the Word for Mac option, but it costs even more and from the reviews I have read it pretty much sucks. So, I tried Open Office. Open Office to me is like Word was back in the late 90s early 2000s. Lets face it, free is awesome. I can see why people like it. However, it sort of ate up some of my Word files and that’s just not going to cut it. I have multiple documents and books on my hard drives that I need a writing program for.
How many learning curves do I need at once?
Now, let me tell you about this 27″ screen. Sure, it looks cool. But dammit, it burned my eyes. When people joke about Retina Burn, now I finally get it. I installed Flu.x which changing the colors and brightness according to the time of day. It helped a little. I miss my dual screen. Even though this screen is huge, it’s a little too big for my poor (always) tired eyes. The screen is big, the text is small. You change the text size and things get all squishy. You put things side-by-side so that you can have two documents or a document and a browser and things get either too small or too large and squished.
I can’t win here.
Chrome runs ridiculous on a Mac. I can’t even tell you how disappointing that is. I tried using Safari, but damn, where is my bookmark bar? Oh, it doesn’t have one. #fail And, in order to get to my actual bookmarks and I have to push the webpage over to get to them.
After 5 days of owning a Mac, dealing with Best Buy, trying to learn and work through my issues, I can honestly say, I have buyers remorse. I’m not thrilled. I am not wowed and I certainly expected more for my money. Maybe it was the Best Buy customer service experience that led me on this path. I guess I just expected so much more from this machine. Sure, it’s pretty. Sure it works well with my gadgets and it has some neat perks. But, at the end of the day, I am not super thrilled with my experience. Like I said, I know there is a learning curve, but some of these things are a bit much for me. I just don’t think it’s worth the price tag at this point.
X out doesn’t close. It minimizes. So you are forced to manually quit programs.
When you do maximize, it’s a very interesting experience.
The dock isn’t as customizable as it should be.
Don’t even get me started on the Java issues.
iMac, you didn’t wow me.
Before we get into any debates about anything, let’s clear the air.
People buy Macs because they think they last longer. Not true. PCs and Macs can last the same amount of time.
Most Macs are not upgradeable, but PCs generally are.
Macs have less software and the software they do have costs more than the Windows counterpart.
Macs DO get trojans and viruses. You just don’t hear about it as much, but it does happen.
Macs don’t freeze. Yup, they do. I saw it with my own eyes. I’m sure Mr. Photoshop will back me up here. Safari probably won’t since he sides with Apple.
There are a lot of myths about Macs, you just have to search Google for them. We could be here all day.. and I am already rambling on. 🙂
So why did I get a iMac?
Honestly, I got the Mac because I always wanted one. With it’s great story, it’s charming products and pretty packaging. I felt it would work better with my devices, streamline my work day and help me to get better organized. I also thought it would help with productivity and creativity. I mean, that’s what Macs are known for in the creative circles, right? I mean, everyone I know in the blogging world (ok, maybe not everyone) has a Mac (laptop or desktop,) most of my designer friends do, most of my vlogger friends do. You get the idea. And they all say the same thing. They switched from Windows to Mac because the photo / video / whatever programs were better and it helped them to be much more efficient and productive in their workday.
For $1800 I expected this thing to poop out gold bricks.
So, there was this time I spent $1800 on an iMac and decided to just take it right back. So, back to Best Buy I go in a few days. I am sure they are going to love me.
I do not know what computer I will try next. I think I’ll just clean up my laptop, hook it back up to my dual monitors, and call it a day. Maybe I’ll just buy a ASUS desktop tower. Who knows. I do know that I am over my fascination with the big, beautiful iMac. I guess I am a Windows girl after all.
But just remember kiddies, bigger is not always better. A higher price tag means nothing.
Was there a product you purchased that you had severe buyers remorse after the purchase? I’d love to hear your story.
I seem to do best with Dell–I have had mine for a long time now. Windows is my friend. Apple is meant for graphics mostly from what I have seen and heard! Best Buy can drive you crazy until they fix it or you just give up! I feel your pain. I am dreading the day I need a new computer–but it will be a PC desktop-that I know for sure1
I did really well with Dell too until I discovered ASUS and learned more about their company and where they get their stuff from. True story, a lot of computers an the market today (Dell included) are made with ASUS company parts.
Thanks for this! I don’t have one and have been wanting to make the switch for many of the same reasons! I too would expect it to go above and beyond..
If you have the money to spend and don’t mind paying to swap your software over, than it *could* be a good investment.
However, all the Mac things can be found on Windows – especially now with the release of Windows 8.
For that price, I just expected so much more than what I felt I got – learning curves aside.
OK I laughed a little after reading this even though your promised us a short preview at the beginning. 🙂 Anyway we’re an Apple household. Both my daughter and I own MacBook Pros and there’s an iMac that we just upgraded about 3 years ago and we LOVE it. I haven’t used a Windows computer in ages so I can’t really tell about the software issues etc. I only use Chrome though on both my MacBook and iMac. Safari sucks for me and that actually does freeze. There are pros and cons to both OS but I’ll stick with my Mac.
I SOOOOOO want to love this Mac. I really do. I think I have just been using Windows for so long. But, I can get a Windows machine with all the same specs for 1/3 of the cost of Windows and since I take care of my PC, they tend to last me just as long as a Mac does for some people. My computer has to be able to multi task with out hiccups. Lightroom, Photoshop, browser and even iTunes. The Mac still gets wonky like my laptop does if I load all 4 things like that. *sigh* So, for that price tag… well.. I should just swap back to Windows..
And..yeah..I talk a lot..I did say I would try to make it short and sweet lol
I have been saving to buy a Mac Book. I need a laptop (no room for a desktop in my house) and I have my heart set on a Mac.
My MIL has a MacBook Air. It’s wonderful. Now, I love the Airs and would actually consider having a Mac laptop someday. But, this desktop is a whole different story.
There is a learning curve whenever you switch platforms, but I think if you gave it a little more time you’d love the mac. Now I struggle on PCs!
The thing is, I don’t hate it. And I know that the learning curve is there and that Apple is Apple.
What I am not loving is that I don’t feel its really all that much better than the i5 Asus I already have. So, for me, its more about the $1800 price tag. It’s not about the programs and the OS. I’ve already battled through the worst of it.
If I am going to spent that sort of money I want that wow factor.
I am so glad I read this! I’m a little older than you so your trip down memory lane was like walking through my own mind except for the Michigan thing. I am still using my old, let’s see 2003 Dell and while it works okay you know how it is I feel like it is going to keel over at any time. I want a laptop but I need all of those things you talked about. I’ve not been on the Apple kick and have stuck with Samsung products. I have a Galaxy phone and tablet and I want a good laptop that has Windows because this dog is just to old to learn that many new tricks. So I really can’t wait to find out what you pick out. I hope that Best Buy doesn’t give you refund issues because they are notorious for that one. I used them for my tablet but I don’t think I would use them again. I think I will just go to Walmart or Sam’s and pick out a nice middle of the road laptop that doesn’t cost me an arm and a leg! I’ll be waiting to hear about your ordeal when it’s finally over!
My husband is an Elite rewards member, so we actually have 45 days to make a return instead of the regular 15. They were really good about me returning the Chromebook. We know a lot of people at the one we go to cause my husband worked there for a while when we needed some extra money and he was gearing up to go back to school. He was in the mobile department but learned quite a bit about computers. He actually had his own repair biz when he was a lot younger, so he’s pretty knowledgable.
I do have a Samsung monitor that I used with my laptop. Love it. And the little Chromebook my Step MIL had was great.
I’m actually leaning towards an ASUS i7. Which is better than my laptop and the Mac. It will cost me about $600 or so. An i7 should do what I need it to do. But, I am not going to rush this time.
I’ve always been on the fence about Apple. On the one hand, they are less prone to viruses, and people rave about them. On the other hand, everything is proprietary which I’m not a fan of.
I was reading something last night about the sudden increase of Mac related threats. Because there are more Macs out there, hackers are taking notice.
Honestly, you can get a really great Windows machine that does all the same stuff for 1/3 – 1/2 the price. I am glad I was able to give the Mac a good try. I’ll be using it for another day or two. But, I just don’t think the price tag makes it worth it. But, they are pretty.
I love my iPhone and iPad and don’t really see me giving those up.
They are supposed to be better for Photoshop and things like that, but honestly, I saw no improvement from my laptop i5 to this Mac i5. The only difference was I could have a few more browser tabs open before the Mac got sketchy.
Great story – I started out with Mac since my son was an artist and loved it and have an iPod –
He still has Mac
I have Dell – the best place I found to buy my laptops has been Costco –
Great points and fun post 🙂
I love Mac products but when it comes to my computer I’m sticking with Windows. I can’t justify the price in my mind.
I have to admit I love my iPod, iPad and iPhone but I just don’t see the point in going over to an iMac.. I’ve heard a lot of people rave about them but nothing really makes me think I do need..
It’s such a shame though that it hasn’t worked for you – it’s a crazy amount of money for it just not to be up to scratch.
It’s mostly my designer friends that rave about them. We used to crack jokes because everything they were doing on their Mac with Photoshop I could do on my Asus Photoshop. It didn’t make much sense. But, I had all these Apple products so it just seemed right in that regard. I am just having a hard time grasping the price tag for what I got.
My husband has the MacBook Pro and loves it. I have a Dell laptop and I don’t know if I could ever go Mac. I just don’t love the Macs as much (and it took me much longer to get my iPhone, which I do love, love, love.) I hate that you spent so much to be so disappointed!
I really wanted to love this Mac. I thought it was going to be a perfect fit for me. I spent all day on it, trying to change my mind. I love my iPhone and iPad so I doubt I will ever be completely without a Mac. And, I do like the MacBook Airs. But, the desktop, just not feeling it.
Yes! A Kirby Sweeper. That stupid thing cost $1500. It was heavy, took forever to switch out the parts, and was a real pain. I sold it on ebay and bought a Dyson. Much better purchase!
Oh dear!
We just bought a new vacuum at Best Buy. I tried all the ones in my price range and found a perfect fit. It’s light weight and doesn’t take a rocket scientist to use the hoses or clean it out. I have heard good things about Dyson, but we have hardwood floors so we couldn’t ever see ourselves spending that sort of money on the Dyson. Now, the Rumba, my husband is dying for one of those. I think he just likes the thought of having a robot in the house.
I love my apple iProducts, but I have used Windows since I started using computers. I don’t want to have to learn everything over again with a Mac!
After going through what I went through, I don’t blame you.
For the longest time Apple was the best computer. But, now with new technology, Windows based computers have caught up.
This is so funny, I just went through a similar process of upgrading my comuter last summer. And I blogged about it…Here’s the link: http://listen2mama.com/2014/09/15/pc-vs-imac/ As you’ll see, I ended up not getting a MAC, and I do love Apple and can’t live withoug my iPhone 6+.
Oh gosh! I looked at that Dell, too. And there was a Samsung (I think) version too. I honestly thought Mac would be better. I mean, its so pretty, right? I kept thinking the giant screen and lack of a million pieces of software would really help me. Truth is, Photoshop is just the same, iTunes and everything else I had on my laptop is just the same as the Mac. I like the iMac, it’s cool and it’s pretty. I spent all day on it again today – hoping for a change. And while the whole transfer process is over and the only thing I really have to learn is the new commands for the keyboard, it still just doesn’t feel comfortable to me.
True story – I commented on that post under my other blog name (YUM eating) so I went back after your comment here and left you another reply. Same Chrystal, just different website. 🙂
This is too funny. I’ve had a lot of trouble learning to use my apple laptop too. Maybe I’m just used to windows.
I told you that was likely to happen. The learning curve for these sorts of things is huge. Not to mention the cost is insane! If I were you, I would consider cleaning up the laptop you have, maybe buying an actual small TV for a monitor instead of a computer screen because you can get bigger ones. And then get a new laptop. That way you get everything you want for a lesser price and lose the learning curve 🙂
I am pretty much over the learning curve now. Since I have used Macs before it didn’t take long. The only thing that I still need to work on are the commands/keyboard shortcuts. Copy, Paste, Find are big in my day to day work space. Not being able to do that efficiently was irking me. Why does Mac take 3 keys instead of 2 like Windows?
At the end of the day, I don’t hate Mac. I hate the price. For $1800 I expected so much more. When the reality is, it did not run much better than my laptop used as a desktop. That’s what my major complaint was.
If folks have $1800 to spend on a computer – go for it. You will probably like it once you get around the learning curve and dish out more money to swap your software from Windows to Mac, and let me tell, Photoshop and Lightroom aren’t cheap for Mac.
So, I just kept thinking, is it really worth the $1800? For me? Probably not. I can take it back, get a refund and buy a nice ASUS desktop with the same specs as the Mac and pay about $600. I can think of a lot of things to do with that saved $1200.
Sure, I can afford the $1800 Mac. That’s not the problem. I live a very frugal and minimalist life. M and I are very different in that aspect of life. So, yeah, its pretty and its trendy/cool but I’d rather save the money and use it for something else.
I think I need a part two here. LOL
Wow, that is an expensive machine! I don’t think I would ever pay that much.
I didn’t think I would either. But, I thought it would be a better investment. For me, it is a depreciated tax deduction since I work from home.
I totally love my Mac and was surprised that the learning curve from my PC was way easier than I expected. I’m sorry you’re having such a bad experience with it. I would never go back to a PC.
It is easy, it’s just frustrating.
Like I don’t Nicole a few comments up or down depending on where I end up here (LOL) the $1800 machine didn’t run all that much different than the laptop I have. So it got me to thinking, learning curve aside, do I really need to spend $1800 on an iMac when I can save some money, buy an ASUS desktop with the same specs and save myself over $1000. That’s where my accounting brain goes.
I am so sorry you had such a rough go of it. I moved to a MacBook Pro a few years ago and wouldn’t go back. I did figure out some of those things that you had difficulty with (like the bookmarks bar). It is definitely a huge learning curve though and there are still times I have to google what to do to make it like Windows I knew for so long.
The laptops are much easier to use than the desktop. My MIL has an Mac Air and it’s really cool. I am not opposed to the MacBooks, nor am I really opposed to the iMac. Learning curve aside, it’s the cost vs. benefit that gets me. I am an accountant by nature and I start seeing things in checks and balances. So, if I spent $1800 on a computer that doesn’t run much better than my current one, then I should consider my options. I am not a brand name person. Apple is cool and trendy and all the cool kids have one (hahaha) but if I can get a comparable machine for less, then I can save that money and use it for something else. I do love my iPhone and iPad and would probably never switch brands for those. But, the iMac, well, it really just may not be worth that money or the money I have to put in to it for all the software swaps.
I love my Apple products! But I’m not willing to dish out $1,800 for the iMac. I rarely use a desktop as it is 😛
I’ve never been a fan of MAC personally, I always had a love for PC; it’s just what works for me!
I was raised on Windows and I have been using it for over 20 years. I have used OS in the past so I was familiar with how it worked. I’m just not all that serious about the price tag. Ouch.
My husband only uses Apple. He’s still got his old one from years ago that works great.and his new one….his original Mac has lasted longer than three of laptops I’ve had (windows).
It is my goal that at some point of my life I WILL have a Mac computer. It’s SO much better for the kind of work I do. The biggest thing I had buyers remorse for was a home sales business I got involved in. Big waste of money and time!
Rachelle, I am curious to know what sort of work this is? As a designer, video editor, photographer, blogger, freelance writer, published author and so on – I can run document programs for writing. PhotoShop , Lightroom, video editing and so many more programs without a problem. I’ll be posting a part 2 soon that will go into more detail.
After doing some research on Mac you will see that it’s not about ‘better’ but more about personal taste.
Hi!
Firstly, don’t “Lar-f” at my name. Can never work out why my parents did that! LOL. You get used to it though.
I discovered your post using Stumble Upon. I like that site/program because it comes up with some interesting things out of the blue. I am bit of a geek and that site keeps me satiated in a random way because I can tweak what I get served up.
Shame you had such an experience with your Mac. I loved my previous Mac and used it for many years. It has lasted me well and with a few minor memory upgrades and storage upgrades it saw me happy for 7 years. Very happy with its longevity. Even though it is still working I gave it to charity, and because it can still run the latest operating system it will be great for someone less fortunate to benefit from it.
So after I retired ‘old faithful’ I immediately went out and bought the same model (Retina) that you did. I adore that display because it actually offers relief to my tired old eyes! Unlike you I had a great experience with the guys at an Apple Store and their post-sales support and training (whilst I didn’t need it) was there in the offing. If you had avoided those idiots at Best Buy I think you would have had a much better experience. Shame I wasn’t able to be there for you to help get over the hurdles. Reading your comments it seems like a most of them were ‘fixable’ with the right advice. Also Best Buy tried to rip you off by not organising your Pages etc because Apple does give them to you for free.
Its more of a shame that the big companies like Adobe can’t use common sense and allow people to switch their licences from PC to Mac (or vice versa). They might gain a few more customers that way.
So all in all, with only minor annoyances, Apple’s products have served me very well and in general I find that they sort of work together more seamlessly than Microsoft, Android and similar, non-Apple, type products. I think everyone that had Windows 8 might agree, at least on that point. Hopefully Windows 10 will be more Windows 7-like.
Thanks for your story. It’s interesting to hear alternate views on things!
When you asked your parents why the name, what did they say? 😉
I am a fan of unique names, so no giggles from me. I do like how you just put it out there.
StumbleUpon is great. I don’t use it too often for this site, but I have a food site and share all of my stuff there.
I have been working on a part 2 of this post. I started it right after the first one went live. I think I had more things I really wanted to explain.
It is unfortunate that I had such a bad experience with Best Buy. Up until that time I have always had good luck. Of course, most of my business there is through the mobile department. A few years ago my husband took a part-time job there for a while to make some extra money. He worked in mobile. They put those guys through a tremendous amount of training. Now that he’s done with school and works at a hospital, he doesn’t have time for another job. So, when we go to Best Buy we generally spend time talking to the people he knows there and they are fairly helpful.
No one was around to help us with the Mac. And I am sure that is what started me on the path to frustration. I felt snowballed from the moment I walked over to the Mac table. At any rate, I did work through the issues I had on this post. Even fixed the display. But at the end of the day I was just so incredibly frustrated and angry that I just wanted to take it back to Best Buy and basically tell them to f-off. I did swap computers for something I am much happier with.
I want to personally thank you for your understanding comment. I do like Apple. I did like the Mac. I’ve used them before. I was just frustrated in general.
FYI, about my name… My parents are Polish and their command of the English language was limited when I was born and I was named before their language skills increased (after moving to Australia)! Lar is actually an old Anglo-Saxon name and they simply liked the name they told me and they didn’t come to realise until later what the nett result of my full name was. They think its special though because they unknowingly gave me such a ‘positive’ name. I’m now as Australian as they come and fortunately the Aussies laugh with me and not at me!