My First Mac

Macs in a Class of Their Own

Greg N. Weinstein - 2000.10.23

Until I went to college in 1989, my only computers were an Atari 400 and 800XL. I had never really used a PC, and I had only limited experience with Apple IIs. I had always been curious about Macs, but my parents didn't want to spend that much on a computer. (They used the Ataris, too, when they needed a computer.)

When I left for my freshman year at the University of Alabama, my father got me a 286. I didn't have a whole lot of choice as to what computer I got, but I often went to the school's computer store in the basement of the math department and played with the Macs they had for sale. Mostly they were Classics and Mac IIs. I liked the sounds and desktop patterns, which weren't part of the 286 experience. I eventually received various 386s as gifts, but never got a Mac because they were "too expensive" and "no one uses them."

Finally I graduated and traded in my 486/66 PC for a used PowerBook 520c. Even with only 4 MB of RAM, I enjoyed it far more than any computer I had used. I bought plenty of software for it, downloaded even more, upgraded to 20 MB RAM, and then installed a PowerPC 100 MHz card. I got a 1.3 GB MO drive because the 230 MB hard drive was just not cutting it for me.

When the iMacs came out, I sold my 520c to put money towards a 266 MHz Grape iMac. It's still my main computer today, but I am eyeing the G4 towers and the Cube - or an iBook once my income allows it. I bought a PowerBook 170, only to have it stolen from me less than a year later. Between my fiancé and myself, we also have a Centris 610, a PowerBook 150, a IIsi, and a 512k Mac.

At work I have to use a PC, and I don't enjoy it. I think Macs are in a class of their own, and hope the platform continues for years to come. I will always choose them.