How many Macs are too many macs?

Macs hold a special place in the hearts of Macfanatics. Mike Wendland shares a common dilemma: When to part with much loved computers that have been replaced by newer, shiner Macs.
Please don't think me greedy.

I'm just attached to my Macs.

I suspect I'm not alone: The more Mac computers I get, the harder it is to part with them. I no sooner pay for one than I buy another. And although I have sold a few over the years, lately I'm turning into a Mac miser.

You know those little old ladies that the newspapers regularly write about that have 347 cats in their house?

That's what I'm worried I may be like with my Macs.

I have a dual processor G5 with dual monitors, a 15-in PowerBook, a 15-in MacBook Pro, a G5 20-inch iMac and - thanks to work - a new 17-inch MacBook Pro.

There’s no way I can use them all. But it’s almost impossible to part with any of them.

I, for sure, should sell the PowerBook and, twice now, have started to post it on eBay or Craig’s List, only to chicken out at the last minute. The new Intel MacBooks don’t work with my Verizon Broadband Access PC card. The PowerBook does. So, I tell myself, I may need it when I go on vacation in a few weeks in case the place where we’ll be staying doesn’t have Net access.

Then there’s the new 15-in MBP. I bought it in March, only to be pleasantly surprised when, a month later, my employer suddenly provided me with a 17-in MBP. I should sell the 15-in. But, then again, that’s mine. What if work suddenly took back their 17-incher. And so the 15-in MBP sits in a carrycase. Just in case.

I don’t really use the big G5 and the two monitor setup anymore either. But when it comes to listing them, I get queasy. It’d be like selling a child. Or getting rid of my dog. I can’t. i just can’t.

The iMac is easy. I have given that to my wife. No way would she part with that. She’s now as hooked on Macs as I am.

Still, I wonder…. how many Macs are too many Macs?

Five Reasons to Love Macintosh Computers

I bought my first iMac in 1998, have upgraded twice, and am still happy as a proverbial clam. Here, then are five reasons to love the Apple Macintosh.
If you've never owned an Apple computer, you don't know what you're missing. On the other hand, if you regularly use Macintosh computers, you understand that once you have a Mac, you'll never go back. An Apple Macintosh - whether it's a MacBook, a Mac Pro, or an iMac - takes personal computing to a whole new level. I bought my first iMac in 1998, have upgraded twice, and am still happy as a proverbial clam. Here, then are five reasons to love the Apple Macintosh.

1. Cool elegance. If there's one thing Steve Jobs knows how to do, it's designing electronics that are ultra-cool yet beautifully elegant. Why have a cumbersome big box desktop computer when you can have everything you need in an elegant iMac? Behind that clear, bright 16:10 aspect ratio monitor is the entire computer, including a DVD drive and a 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo processor. There's even a webcam built into the iMac so you can video chat or video conference whenever the whim strikes.

2. Intuitive functionality. Even though Windows copied the friendly desktop interface from Apple Macintosh, they still haven't been able to get it right. Navigating the Mac's interface is truly intuitive, engaging, and just downright fun. With a mobile computing product like the MacBook, you can take full computing functionality wherever you go. And, wherever you'll go, you'll always be connected, since the MacBook automatically finds nearby wireless networks and gives you nearly instant online access.

3. Digital living. Macintosh computers are designed to embrace the digital lifestyle. MacBooks and iMacs come with iLife, a wonderful array of applications that let you effortlessly share photo albums, record podcasts and songs, and even create and edit movies. You can even publish your creations on the Web with a single click. How cool is that?

4. Bug-free. If you've been wrestling with Vista the past few months (or any other Windows operating system, for that matter), you don't know the meaning of freedom. Macintosh computers' operating systems are bug-free, and as for upgrades, you get to choose when to receive software update notifications, and always have the choice of updating now or in the future. Mac simply isn't intrusive; you get to control technology, instead of having technology control you.

5. Workhorse. Macintosh computers are more than a way to frolic in your spare time. They're also workhorses. For years, graphic artists and publishers have almost exclusively used Macs for work. With the Mac Pro, you can get Adobe Creative Suite 3, a suite of tools specifically designed for creative professionals. Whether you're a web designer, a graphic artist, an art director, or a video professional, Adobe Creative Suite 3 will make your work easier, better, and more fun.

There are those who say that Macintosh computers are limited in that much of the available software is only compatible with PCs. My experience is that my Mac can do anything a PC can do - and do it better. But for those diehards who insist that they can't live without Windows, the next version of Mac OSX, Leopard, will allow you to install Windows XP on the Mac. Right now, you can run Windows in emulation mode...although for the life of me, I don't understand why you would want to!