Switching from Macintosh to Windows Vista

The news:

Some of you might have already known that I made the switch a few weeks back from Macintosh to Windows Vista. I went to the PC show with my girlfriend, and we purchased a pair of laptops together – We each purchased the NEC Versa E6300 14” laptop together for S$1199.

-          Windows Vista Home Basic

-          Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7250 @ 2.0 Ghz

-          3GB DDR2 Ram ; 160GB Storage Space

-          6-in-1 card reader, with Bluetooth

-          A 2.0 Megapixel Integrated Web Camera

What I was using

I was using an iBook 12” PPC running OS X 10.4 for the past 4 years, and my girlfriend was looking out for a desktop since she don’t think she will be bringing her computer around. It was an odd choice for me because I had always been on the look-out for another Macintosh replacement, and had reservations about switching back to Windows, remembering the horrible user experience I had with Windows ME (my last OS before I purchased my iBook).

What prompted me to switch

-          NEC’s claim that they are the best in Japan. I thought any company who was that confident to claim that should have some form of backing for what they mentioned. I trusted them, and till now they have not disappointed me. I know I have just fallen as a sucker for marketing campaigns I guess.

-          I believed the purchase was value-for-money (I’m not the only one). I always thought the cheapest laptop I can get will be at S$1500, and I will rather top up $100-$300 for a MacBook with equivalent value. However, the cheapest Macbook I could see then was around S$1700. Sadly, the $500 makes a difference because I’m broke, and I badly want a new laptop. I spent 80% of my non-sleeping time at home with my computer, and I bring them around wherever I go.

-          I witnessed for myself how running XP on Parallels and VMWare on the Intel Macintosh does not work well with my Windows mobile 6.0 phone. I needed a compatible system to synchronize files, photos and contacts with my HTC Touch.

-          I thought it will be pretty cool to have the same laptop with my girlfriend together. It might just “synchronize” us together.

-          Apple releases new versions of their OS too fast for my liking – Leopard (10.5) does not impress me.  The only outstanding feature Leopard I see that’s different from Tiger (10.4) was Time Machine, and I seriously cannot imagine myself using that application.

-          I heard rumors that Apple is going to refresh their notebook lines again in June, with the Intel Montevina (Centrino 2), and made with more eco-friendly materials such as air-craft grade aluminum and stainless steel. Maybe I should just wait a few more months for them to refresh their design?

I have written down a list of my Vista experiences after the switch, and will update more on it soon! Hopefully, it will be helpful for anyone who’s considering switching operating systems (either way).