Never say never!
I have been an Apple guy for a long time. In the beginning I was all Microsoft: first DOS and then moving to Windows (grudgingly). My first Apple product was an iPod – the big clunky one with the wheel. Then came the original iPhone – this was before the iPhone actually did anything but make phone calls, sorta did email, and had a crappy web browser. It was during that time that I actually carried three phones: my trusty Blackberry, the iPhone, and an Android phone. People thought I was nuts (and I was), but it was my job to advise my clients on the differences between all the devices. I would get every new version of the different phones as they came out just to stay a step ahead. But the Blackberry was my main phone until the iPhone 3G came out in 2008 and I switched my main number to the iPhone. This was the same year I bought my first Mac computer – a MacBook Pro that was for personal use, although I had an IBM ThinkPad for my office work. It didn’t take long for the MacBook to become my business computer, even though I used it to access all my Microsoft Windows applications back at the office. Once I left the company and began my consulting career, I was a complete Apple user for all my electronic devices (2 – iMacs, 2 – MacBook Pros, 2 – iPads, 1 – iPhone, 2 – Apple routers, 2 – Apple TVs, etc.). While I still use the Microsoft Office apps, they are all the Mac version. If you asked me three months ago, I would have told you that I would never own a Windows based computer ever again. And I would have been wrong!
I am working on a project for a new engagement that involves building out some complex Excel datasets. These datasets utilize VBA scripting for automation and leverage Microsoft’s Power BI for data analytics. If all that sounds complex, it is, and I don’t really understand most of it. Fortunately I have a very good Excel consultant. What I do understand is that to access the new system requires a Windows version of Excel – I need to get a Windows computer. YUCK!
I resigned myself to this new fact of life and I researched my options. My wife Kathy has a Surface Tablet, and while she likes it, the keyboard is very dysfunctional. One of the options was a Microsoft Surface Book; it had all the features Kathy likes about her Surface Tablet and a laptop-like keyboard. I took the plunge.
My Surface Book arrived a few days later and… you are not going to believe this – it felt like opening an Apple product. The packaging was sleek, the product engineering and quality were awesome, and the process to set it up was flawless. It took me a few days to get it just the way I wanted it, but now I prefer it over my MacBook – who would have thunk it?! I actually like the device, I like Windows 10, and I like the overall experience.
I have been very impressed not only with my new Surface Book and Windows experience, but the whole Microsoft Office 365 product suite. I have become very bullish on Microsoft and their position in business computing.
Never say never!