I, like many people was introduced to computers via the usual Windows platform.  My first encounter was at work and although I took to it, I decided to buy one for home use to brush up my skills and get to know all the applications needed to survive in the modern world.

Word, Excel, Powerpoint, emails and browsing. It was all great and the learning experience was also fun. I always heard Apple being mentioned in the background but never in my wildest dreams would I consider investing in one. For some reason it was Windows all the way.

 I started to buy new bits and pieces and upgrade my PC and try to keep up to date but was a bit out of depth buying programmes and doing work only to be plagued by viruses, even with anti virus protection!

 It was slow, expensive and always changing. Change can be good, I get that but many of the programmes no longer worked. I had discs compatible with Windows 98, XP, Vista and Windows 7 but with the new operating system came the realisation that some programmes didn't work.

I think my first real frustration was with Vista. My opinion of Vista is low, nothing worked and I had to reinvest although at the time I did not know just how much it would change my opinion on computing. When it came out I was excited and got the programmes I used most but also an editing suite which gave me endless fun with pictures and videos which helped slightly with the loss of my Photoshop which I was just learning.  Internet Explorer 9 came out and to my horror...it wasn't compatible with Vista! Every single time I opened a page there was about 7 boxes explaining why IE9 wouldn't work. I tried to reinstall IE8 but was my lovely PC informed me a newer version was detected therefore I can not go back! I tried Opera, was ok but not a bit messy for me. I tried Safari which is LOVE but on a PC I feel its very slow and I need speed on a computer. I have Windows 7 on my laptop which in all honesty works fine with IE9 but in my opinion, its the worst operating system I have ever used.

During this journey, I was given an iPod Touch as a gift. I loved it and was excited but I had a Shuffle and I didn't rate iTunes at that point, I was happy with the ease of my other MP3 libraries. I started downloading apps and having a ball and in all honesty, I have no idea where my other MP3 players are and I don't care! It blew my mind with all its brilliance and I said at the time..."This is Apple's finest moment and they are about to take over the world! Apple is definitely the way forward."

Hello iPad! This little beauty is amazing beyond description. As predicted, Apple is going from strength to strength and there will never be a day when we cannot fill it to it's full capacity with all new apps! Its lightning fast, light and all in such a neat little package!

A very very Merry Christmas to me as Santa brought me an iMac :)   WOW!   Me and my little Snow Leopard are best friends and I see only fun times ahead! Beauty, speed, ease and simplicity. Its the best present in the world!  For the first time since I owned a computer, I don't care that the old expensive programmes aren't any good to me. The dock is so much better than an untidy desktop or having to go into the start menu. Everything you need is there and the ones you choose not to have in front of you are also easy to find. Keynote, iPhoto, Pages....what can I say? They're brilliant and if I want to send to a Windows user, I can just click send as the relevant file.

Any new programmes I need are there on my Mac in the App Store. The fact that everything is tied so neatly together is such a great idea. Address book, iCal everything on this beast is custom built for the entire population! As Steve Jobs said, "It just works!"

You can imagine my squeal of delight when (& whilst) after having watched the latest Keynote regarding OS5 & Lion!  July is just not coming quick enough :(  There are so many things to shout about on a Mac, Snow Leopard is unimaginably wonderful and they have managed to make it better!

In my opinion, Apple have hit the nail on the head and for me, there is just no going back. I felt a bit cheated that I had missed out but on reflection, had I not experienced the mediocrity of a PC, I would probably not be able to see the absolute brilliance of Apple.