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Why I Love My Mac
I have always loved computers. In school they fascinated me and were fun to play with. When I grew up and became a secretary, I delighted in recreating print documents and forms on my computer using WordPerfect for DOS. My daily success was measured by how little I used my typewriter. The only thing I didn't like was how ugly the programs were on the screen. The backgrounds were always black or royal blue, with (full-bodied shudder) red or green type. Some programs allowed a modicum of visual customization, but the danger of damaging your eyesight was prevalent (imagine red type on a royal blue background!). Still, computers were way more fun than typewriters. No more using calculators either! Each time I had to perform a calculation repetitively, I created a spreadsheet that would do it for me. Although I was "Suzy Super Computer-Using Secretary," I had no clue how the computer actually functioned, nor did I care.
When I saw my first Macintosh, my eyes were wide as saucers. It was colorful! It had little pictures on the desktop! No more black or royal blue screen and funky colored type! (Although with some tweaking in the customization settings you could attain that horrid look.) I don't know how but that little Mac exuded a feeling of friendliness and ease of use. Even the cables in the back were "picture-coded" to the plugs in which they belonged! As far as the software, I could poke around in any folder on the hard drive, double-click on anything, and the computer told me what that item was used for. If it was something I shouldn't be messing with, a dialogue box would appear stating, "This extension is used by the system and cannot be opened." When I wanted to delete something I threw it in the trashcan. How logical! And wow, I could open several documents at once, move the windows around, and a word processing document actually looked on screen exactly like it would print.
The Mac seemed logical, pure and simply, and it seemed interesting. I knew at that moment when the time came for me to buy a home computer, I would buy a Macintosh. It would be something I could operate, maintain, and upgrade myself. No need to call the geeky, scary, and expensive PC technician to come fix my computer. I could install new software, attach new peripherals, and even upgrade the memory all by myself.
However, computers do have some downsides. Basic arithmetic and correcting spelling and grammar are less important to students that have software that virtually does these tasks for you. “…Drilling addition and subtraction in an age of calculators is a waste of time...If we do, then drilling reading in an age of multimedia is a waste of time can’t be far behind” (David Gelernter, p. 187). Children are less likely to read as much. If you see a Shakespeare book next to a laptop, most kids these days are going to choose to pickup the laptop without second guessing it. Computers can also be
Craven, R., & Hirnle, C. (2009). Fundamentals of nursing: Human health and function (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.
All might think that a PC is awesome, but is not called Windows for nothing. When they say Windows they mean Windows. Macintosh has been known for it’s simplicity. Windows users say Mac has no games. I say to them there are games, but if you want to “play games” get a game system. Macs give a new vision in the computer industry.
Computers have changed our lives in many, many different ways. We do a lot of things from computers and our portable devices such as get music, watch videos, pay bills, order dinner, keep connected with friends on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, take college classes online, and many other things that I could make a 5 page list of all the things it can help us do straight from home but that would bore you to death. Now that I have told you how computers have changed our lives and how they are used in daily life, let me tell you the importance of the people working in computers and IT. These people are very important because without them who would you go to for help with your computer, make sure your information is safe, get viruses off your computer and keep it safe for kids from being attacked? That’s right, you wouldn’t be able to do any of this.
Apple was definitely “thinking different” when it created the new addition to the Macintosh family, the iMac. It’s creative design and refreshing departure from the computer industry standard of boring beige boxes is gaining this marvel many optimistic reviews. This new personal computer, which is pronounced eye-Mac –the “i” stands for Internet, combines the computer and the monitor in one unit making it, in effect, an updated version of the original one-piece Macintosh. That makes the iMac ideal for people who want to conserve desk space.
Windows based computers are more practical, easier to use, and more versatile than Macintosh computers. There has always been much debate over which is the better system. There are people who are die-hard Macintosh users, and there are people who are the complete opposite, and naturally people sitting somewhere in between. The fact remains that the majority of home and business users own Windows based systems because of their versatility in all areas.
The earliest memory of my using a computer comes from when I was around four years-old; my grandmother sat me in front of a clunky, large desktop running off of Windows 95. It was like it was love at first site, and now it feels as if I’ve always had this sort of love-affair with computers. Technology is something that changes every day. From computers to eReaders it’s as if each time we turn the corner, there is some new update waiting to be downloaded or installed. For some this is no issue, yet for others it’s a massive inconvenience. The latter is left wondering why the current generation is so dependent on technology, or why more and more people prefer to read from a Kindle or Nook rather than “old-fashioned” books. For people with these questions, I strongly advise reading “Lazy Eyes” by Michael Agger, as it not only provides information that’s useful and thought-provoking; it manages to be funny at the same time while Sherry Turkle’s “How Computers Change the Way We Think” is dull, dated, and doesn’t provide any sort of helpful information.
It was Steve Jobs who made Apple leave the garage and make leaps and bounds in the world of technology. Steve Wozniak made the first prototype, but it was Jobs who “saw the potential” in his computer and persuaded Wozniak to sell it (Peterson 106). Even though that first computer saw very little success, Jobs knew that Apple had potential and so released the Apple II. From the beginning Jobs knew what the consumers wanted, and where computers were going to take the world; he had a vision of the opportunities in technology and saw that Apple needed to move in a different direction. In 1984, one year before he left, Jobs finished the Macintosh computer system. He was pushed from his original computer design project, “the Lisa”, and then raced to release the Mac first, but the Lisa was released to the public first. Although the Lisa came out first, the Mac “[became] synonymous with Apple, mark[ing] a…revolution in…personal computing,” (Peterson 106).
This computer was designed to be easy to use as well as portable and easy to take it anywhere you need to go. People who buy the computer could take the computer out and use it immediately whenever and wherever they wanted to. It also could be easily carried and easily accessible. Many people do not know this but the “i” in iMac, stands for internet. This meant that you could access the internet on this computer without using a desktop, and it being only for your personal use. Not many people had the knowledge or equipment to use one of these computers, so if you had one, you really knew what you were doing.
“Computers play a key role in almost every sphere of life” (Berry, Terrie). Without them, everything would be different. People all around the world own or used a computer. Whether you are a professional in technology or just an average person, computers are still very important in your everyday life. “No other technology has accessed the world like computers and the use of the Internet have” (Maddox, Amanda). Without computers, consumers would not be able to do half the things as quickly as we can. Advances in computer design have increased its use for different industries, especially in the medical field.
In almost every part of the world Apple and at least one of their products is known. The Apple brand started in the 1970s. Three men founded the organization in 1976, to produce a computer that every citizen could use personally (Sohail, 2010). The first item released was the Apple 1 personal computer kit made by Steve Wozniak (Sohail, 2010). Through the 70s, Apple concentrated on developing storing technologies such as the floppy disk and the use of color, graphics, and spreadsheets used for business (Sohail, 2010). Apple was about to have their first major product release with a million dollar ad campaign. This was the release of the Macintosh personal computer, which also led to Apple’s great reputation (Sohail, 2010).
When I become a teacher, there is no doubt that I will use computers in my classroom and my students will do activities with computers. It is just the way to do things now. There are so many valuable programs out there to help students learn and to help teachers teach that computers are pretty much a necessity in classrooms. In my opinion, for an elementary classroom, there should be at least five to ten computers in each room. Without the access to the computers, it is hard to take advantage of all the wonderful things a computer has to offer.
I cannot forget how excited I was when I first bought my own computer. Like a mother who spends time sewing and knitting for her newborn baby, I spent hours and hours to sparkle my computer. I waited a long time to buy a brand new computer. I had to work more hours and saved money to buy a computer. I did not want to buy a cheap computer, but I wanted to buy a professional one. Was I professional on computer? No! I was not. I did not even know how to type, but I was sure that my expensive com puter could make me a computer expert. 17 inches monitor, color printer, two speakers and well-designed fancy keyboard made me just happy by looking at them on my desk.
Computers are ubiquitous. As our society grows towards being a culture connected through the Internet, and as prices of these machines gradually decrease, more and more have been purchased by families for their homes and as a result, children are beginning to learn to use the computer at an earlier age. Even if computers are not presently available at the home, a child will almost certainly be exposed to one at school or the library, among other places. Adults today are amazed at the amount of knowledge a child has at such an early age – children generally find that computers gives them a sense of power and accomplishment. “A computer is nothing more than a box of circuits that perform software level tasks for a user. Even the software is little more than instructions to the hardware to perform specified tasks. Therefore, a computer, in and of itself is, neither positive nor negative. Its inherent goodness or badness is determined by the user.” With that being said, there are many positive, with as many negative associations that come along with owning a computer.
First of all, the computer’s role in society has increased significantly throughout recent years. In the past, a computer was mostly used for minor tasks, such as typing a paper or playing a game for leisure. A child could rarely be found sitting in front of a monitor screen, and they usually didn’t even know how to operate the machine. Software games were on the market, but were not very popular for purchase. Usually the more developed households and higher-class families were the ones that contained a computer at home, but mostly adults were found to be the users. Many families found it easy to do without one, as they were mostly used for typing, and typewriters or handwriting took their place. In the past, computers went without the Internet, were extremely slow, and weren’t capable of much of anything.