May 2006 Archives

I'm excited, nervous, nauseated, giddy, and impatient. For months I've been talking about wanting a Mac. I've thought about it constantly. I've salivated over them; I've spent countless hours reading about them, looking at pictures, watching Steve Jobs's keynote addresses. I've talked about them to all of my co-workers. I've told friends about the latest releases (and there have been many with the move to Intel processors). My brother, poor Chad, has had to listem to me incessantly for these past several months. I've been telling him about them literally every single day. I tell him features, keyboard shortcuts, technical specifications; I've gone mad. He's long been a Mac-basher, but he's been telling me lately to just buy it. Though I think it's mainly to get me to shut up, I think he's intrigued.

I've had to wait, however. The first of the new line was the iMac, but I definitely want a notebook computer. Having acquired my current computer March '04 (a Sony Vaio), I can't imagine going back to the stationary detention of a desktop. I like to be online in the living room, on the porch, or in my bed, not to mention the ability to take my computer with me to places. This, incidentally, brings up another problem: my current computer is not in need of replacement. Indeed, it has a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 and, as a Christmas present, was upgraded to a gig of RAM. Those stats mean it's still more powerful than most notebooks advertised today. How can I justify a new computer purchase when my current one is so capable? It's hard, but OS X is vastly superior, and Macs are gorgeous.

So a few months ago Apple comes out with the MacBook Pro. Alas, it starts at $1,999. There is absolutely no way I can justify that. And so I waited. If that's the Pro, where's the regular MacBook? Why it came out on Tuesday. Rumors had abounded in the last couple of weeks about it. The announcement was a dream come true. The MacBook was better priced and had higher specs than I expected. Suddenly there was a configuration available that I could actually afford, sort of anyway.

And so, I finally relented. The process itself took quite a while. I added it to my cart hours ago, then saved the cart. Half an hour ago I logged into my bank account and looked over my funds again. Then I pulled up the cart again, and re-confirmed the selection. Apple already has my credit card # from my iTunes account. As confirmation, I had to put in my security code from my card, so I put it in, and shut my computer's lid. Then a couple of minutes later, I opened it back up. I still wasn't totally commited to buying it. I moved the cursor over the "Place Order" button, then waited some more. Finally I pressed it. AHHH! A full re-telling of this story must be done in person to accurately convey my hyperventilation, shakiness, and generally shock. That's a lot of money. A lot.

Anyway, here is what I actually bought, copied directly from my order confirmation page:

MacBook 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo - White
Part Number: Z0D5
SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
2.0GHz Intel Core Duo
80GB Serial ATA drive
1GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x512

I chose to upgrade the RAM to one gig (anything less is absurd) and also decided to upgrade the hard drive to 80 gigs from 60. My current computer has 40 and I've determined that to be hopelessly inadequate.

Apple has created a new ad campaign that replaces its "Switch" campaign. Now they have commercials with Justin Long (Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, and Herbie: Fully Loaded) and some guy who looks vaguely like Bill Gates. The campaign site, apple.com/getamac lists 14 reasons to get a mac, plus has another six pages that cover possible concerns, such as compatibility. You can also watch the six TV commercials (in gorgeous QuickTime, of course).

I want a Mac so badly. I think this is a well-done campaign and if I weren't already a convert-to-be (pending $$$), this would make me one. As it is, I've begun spending an inordinate amount of time thinking about Macs. I talk about them all the time; I read about them all the time. Can owning one live up to my expectations? I think so.

Alas, Apple products always carry a premium. Are they worth it? Absolutely. Does that mean I can afford them? Sadly no. I would love to have a new 15.4" MacBook Pro with a 2 GHz Intel Core Duo processor. Do I have $2,500 to spend on something I don't need? Not on my salary.

The good news is school is almost out. That means it's time for back to school stuff to start coming out. This certainly includes an Intel-powered successor to the iBook, presumably called simply the MacBook. If I could get a 14" model with a Core Duo processor at, say, 1.66 GHz for only $1,499, I might actually be able to afford that.

My biggest problem is that I don't actually need a new computer. I've already got a Sony Vaio notebook computer that's barely more than two years old. It has a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 and a gig of RAM. It's not quite "bleeding edge" but I think it's at least a paper-cut worth of blood. It's hard to justify a new computer purchase when my current one is just fine (at least by PC standards). In short, I'll have to run into some serious bank if I'm going to be getting a Mac this year.

As an added bonus, I should point out that Apple has used the phrase "Get a Mac" before. It's the title of this 1995 commercial, which is pretty funny: live.watchmactv.com/?p=60