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Three years ago, I was working for a cellular retailer and I was watching something that told me times were changing.  Major outside players, in the form of Apple and Google, were beginning to shape and direct an industry of which neither of them had been a part.  Long-standing, powerful companies – and even the FCC – were being driven and influenced by these players.  AT&T made never-before-heard-of concessions just to carry the first generation iPhone, Verizon pulled out what stops it could to play catch up and the FCC agreed to Google’s terms to open up the coveted 700-MHz spectrum to open-source handsets.

Three years later, Google and Apple dominate the mobile world (at least in the US) through Android and iOS, respectively.  Palm, the once dominant mobile OS has been purchased by HP and is languishing on virtually every front.  Microsoft’s, “long-time on the launchpad” Windows Phone 7 is just coming to market and it looks like Microsoft may finally be getting in the groove, but it’s going to have to play catch-up.

Through simple, industrial design and an interface that even your grandma can figure out, Apple has propelled the smartphone – once reserved for geeks and business folks – into the realm of the artist, musician and soccer mom.  The App Store, first introduced by the iPhone set the standard for getting applications onto your device.  No more going out to third-party sights or doing Google searches to find the app your looking for.  Every major phone OS has followed suit: Android – Market, WebOS – App Catalog, Windows – Marketplace, Nokia – Ovi Store.

Apple introduced OS 10.7 – Lion – due for launch in 2011.  One of the biggest changes is an app store for the desktop.  The already simple installation and removal of applications in OS X just got even simpler and I think will set the bar for Microsoft to follow suit.  There’s already talk about an app store for Windows 8 (due in 2012).  Linux has already had the equivalent of an app store (in the form of repositories) since its inception and is one of the most fantastic things about Linux.

The way we interact with our phones has changed radically in the past three years and the same revolution is about to hit our desktops and laptops.  The way we use and interact with our computers and the information on them is about to be redefined and the desktop app store is just the beginning.

Let me just preface this post by saying that The I.T. Ranger services both PCs and Macs equally (and Linux too on the rare occasion).

When I walk into a new client’s office for the first time and pull out my Mac, I invariably get, “Oh, you use a Mac?  Why?”  It is a two part answer and neither has anything to do with viruses or anti-virus software.  First, I’ve lost count of the times that I’m sitting in front of a Windows machine thinking, “If they had a Mac, I wouldn’t have to do this,” or “If they had a Mac, I would be done by now.”  The fact is that, for most computer users out there, a Mac just works better.  Period.  Is there a learning curve?  Sure.  Is it difficult to learn?  Not so much.  If you’re heavily entrenched in PC usage and somewhat tech savvy, I’d give the switch from PC to Mac about six months to set in.  Once it does, I’ll bet you don’t switch back.

The second reason is more personal than professional and I’ve boiled it down to a fairly straightforward analogy: You can buy a Lexus or a Chevy.  Both of them will get you where you want to go, contain all the same parts and require the same basic maintenance.  But in a Lexus, you’ll really enjoy the ride and it will probably last a lot longer.  For me, that’s the big difference – quality.

Apple makes the hardware and the operating system that runs on it and that provides a seamless and robust experience on the Mac.  It doesn’t matter how good Windows ever gets (and I think Windows 7 is fantastic), it will never be able to beat a Mac in terms of user experience.  Windows has to run on Dells, HPs, Lenovos, Acers, Fujitsus, Gateways, Toshibas, some no-name PC built by a guy in his garage, etc.  That is a feat to be applauded, for sure.  OS X has to run on…a Mac.  When you control the hardware and the software, you get the experience for which Apple is famous.  And, in large part, that’s just it – from marketing to usage, Apple has created an experience.  Microsoft has created a tool -  a means to an end.

At the end of a day, does it make a difference what you use?  If you got done what was needed and didn’t have to stress over computer problems, probably not.  But if you enjoyed the doing, you were probably on a Mac.