A Mac girl in a PC world

If a giant hamburger pops into your head upon hearing the word "Mac," then more than likely you're one of those elitist PC users. (For all of my fellow, yet-naive Mac users, a PC is a personal computer.)

Those of us computer users who favor Apple's Macintosh computers, we know we are in the minority.

Many computer programs will not run on our system without complex translation programs. Computer games are not designed for the Mac operating system, simply because it's not worth the programmers' time to build a Mac edition.

And finding someone to answer a question about a Mac? A Mac-user has more luck finding good tasting water out of a faucet in McCook than finding help with a computer.

I recently had a question specifically about my Mac and the Internet. I was told by my Internet Service Provider (which shall remain nameless for fear of shutting of my Internet) that "We don't support Macs."

I reassured him that I just needed some numbers for the Internet and would figure the rest of that stuff on my own. I'm still trying to "figure the rest of that stuff" on my own.

As a Mac user, we become more proficient at solving our own problems -- out of necessity.

I've loaded my start-up disks more times than I can count. I've looked through nearly every file, program, extension on my computer in search of a solution. And I've resorted to the end-all problem-solver with nearly difficulty -- shut the computer off and turn it back on.

(This is a solution that I have passed on to my children. If something doesn't work, just shut it off and hope it works when it comes back on. If the problem isn't solved with the on-off switch, then they can begin to panic.)

Time after time, as people send me e-mails and attachments that I can't open on my system, they ask me why I have a Mac.

The reasons are endless ... or at least number as high as three.

For starters, Apple computers are less likely to be attacked by viruses.

Just as game programmers don't want to bother with Apple computers, neither do the creators of viruses. It's not worth their time to attack four people, when their original program can affect millions of PC users.

I rarely pay attention to news stories about computer viruses simply because my computer's chance of encountering the virus is about as likely as me typing this column without being interrupted by requests for an afternoon snack.

Apple computers also appeal to me because of their individuality. Most PCs look alike: Black or off-white, a monitor, keyboard, a big-boxy CPU (at least, I think that's what it is called since I've never actually owned one).

Macs on the other hand are easily recognizable, whether it's the apple on the box of the iBook or the bright colors on the monitors. What I may be writing may not be original, but at least my computer color is.

But my primary reason for sticking with an Apple computer can be traced back to fifth grade. It was the first computer I ever used and was literally a big box with an apple on the front.

To this day, I can remember sticking a floppy disk in the drive, when the disks were still literally floppy.

My classmates and I were amazed that we could add 4+4 on the computer and see the "8" pop up on the screen -- all in various shades of green. Computer graphics never entered our minds.

I've rarely looked at anything but an Apple since then.

Apple is giving into the PC-users market. Some of their new computers will feature an Intel chip and will be able to run Windows, a foreign world to most Mac users.

In theory, this will allow more people to venture into Mac territory.

For the time being, I'll stick with my ancient, I mean three-year-old Apple computer.

-- Ronda Graff is considering the purchase of a PC as a back-up computer, but refuses to give up her Mac. It's moving into the kitchen, just to be closer.