I've given up on Microsoft.
As a Windows loyalist for over 20 years. hoping that one day they would have their operating systems run in protected mode, similar to OS2 and Mac OS, I've given up holding my breath. There are so many security holes in Windows, that the maintenance of keeping my system going has become tiresome.
Everyone I know, who own Macs, don't have this management problem.
So, the other day, against everything I had sworn I would never do, I went into the Apple store and purchased a 15-inch Mac Book Pro for my daughter, who is in college. This replaces her Thinkpad that runs XP. After checking the various vendors: The Thinkpad/Lenovo loyalists are complaining about keyboard and build issues on some of their comparable machines, Sony appears it might sell off its VAIO line to some brand-X company (at least to me they are), Dell is Dell (I have a Dell Dimension XP tower) that will become a Mini Mac. And the other major laptop companies all have their issues. When my son's Lenovo goes, he gets a Mac Book. When my daughter's VAIO goes, she gets a Mac Book.
The Mini Mac is a 7.5 inch square that is 1.25 inches high, minimal sound, unlike the tower I have now, and the Mini Mac is extremely energy efficient. It comes with either an i5 or i7 processor. The one I'm looking at will be an i7, 8GB and a 1TB drive (see below).
The main gripe... the fragility and insecurity of Windows.
Sure Apple does NSA stuff along with MS, but their machines are built solid and come in at the same price as comparable Lenovo machines.
The bonus to Macs are the bundled software products... Their own office suite, integrated anti-virus... never having to buy those again. Folks with Macs keep them for years, because their seems to be supported software for many, many years. When you factor in the build and the bundle of software, the Mac systems are actually the same, if not better deal. Sure you can't get a $500 PC, but add Office, AV, and all the other stuff and you've exceeded a Mini Mac--and you don't have the headaches of Windows.
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I'm done with Microsoft... until they can provide a secure OS that doesn't have inherited exposures to it.
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