About four months ago, I decided to buy a MacBook Pro. My old HP laptop equipped with Windows XP had pretty much run its course. I needed a new computer, but I also felt that I needed somewhat of a lifestyle reboot.

Sure, I could dance around my PC with the best of them and Windows 7 had been well-received. I knew most PC shortcuts and work-arounds. I was the one usually answering the question, “How did you do that?” I could noodle with the registry and make tweaks to system performance unknown to others. Thirteen years of constant fidgeting will do that to a guy, I suppose.

But Microsoft lost me with Vista debacle and the complete redesign of Office 2007. As I’ve mentioned before, I wasn’t a fan. These two events made me open to making the jump, but there was one other factor. Macs just seemed hip. So I bought one.

In retrospect, I guess that a part of me wanted to project a hip and creative image. I also like learning new applications and was, quite frankly, curious about iMovie, GarageBand, and other tools about which so many people raved.

Graduation

I’m happy to report that I seem to have graduated from newbie status. Are my Mac skills better than my PC skills? Not yet, but the Mac is so fun and its acolytes so helpful that I am now the guy sometimes showing other Mac users how to do things. At a recent stop at my local Apple store, my iMovie instructor must have asked me three times how many years I have been using Macs. I’ll admit it. That felt good.

Now, I’m no Phil Montero yet, but I’m starting to dance around my Mac just as fast as my PC these days.

I’ve spoken to many people unhappy with the PCs but afraid to make the jump. Don’t be. It’s fun and, if you put a modicum of time and effort into it, you’ll be glad that you did it.