I flipped over to using Apple Macs in 2004. There's plenty in this blog's archives that points to my growing boredom with the PC and Windows world, my brief but fruitless dalliances with Linux, and my ultimate seduction by Apple shortly after buying an iPod.
Among numerous pieces of Apple kit around our home, I bought a beefy spec MacBook Pro in June 2007. When I joined Xero in Summer 2009, it was still just as snappy as a new MacBook would be, so I happily decided to forego a new company purchase and I've continued to use my own. And, albeit a small saving, it also felt good to be able to do that in a pre-profit startup.
But for the fact a now ex-employee accidentally trashed his MacBook Pro and we just got the insurance cheque to replace it, I'd probably continue to use my own MacBook. But the newly refreshed MacBook Air took my fancy and since the insurance company is technically paying for it I decided to sell my MacBook Pro while it's still worth a few hundred quid and take a company MacBook Air.
Then last night my old MacBook Pro died suddenly. All the usual tricks to resuscitate it drew a blank, so I booked an appointment with the local Apple Store. The Genius drew a blank too, but he suspected something. He explained that my build of MBPs occasionally failed due to a known problem with the graphics chipset. They'd take it in for some tests and let me know.
This foreshortened the period between deciding to get a MacBook Air and actually getting one, so I picked up a new 11" Air while I was there.
And this afternoon my Genius called me back to report that it was the known problem and they'd be replacing the logic board free of charge. This is on a three-and-a-half-year old MacBook Pro that's long since seen the back of its guarantee period.
I can't conceive of a world where that would happen if it was a random brand PC/Windows laptop I'd purchased from an independent retailer. Why would any of the independent parties bother going the extra mile on a purchase 2.5 years out of warranty. And even if, deep down, they wanted to bother, they couldn't.
People always wondered why Apple insisted on owning the OS, the core apps and the hardware. And then you note that last quarter Apple's revenues exceeded those of Microsoft.
Way to go, Apple.