I have always wanted a laptop. Now through the generosity of a productive son-in-law I am the proud owner of a well cared for, optimized, and updated iBook complete with brand new battery, power pack and wireless networking.

My last exposure to Apple was decades ago when I became the not-so-proud owner of an Apple II. Back then the only serious personal computer was an IBM. Even though the IBM PC was not really more capable than the Apple II, there was lots more business software available for it. Apple II was considered more of a toy or games machine.

Over the many years between then and now Apple did some major growing up. Apple grew up nearly as much as IBM PCs aged ungracefully.

When you consider that the iBook is over five years old and still offers features only found on the priciest of laptops offered by ‘the other guys’, you have to admit that Apple is serious about being in the computer business.

My five year old iBook runs the new OS X operating system without ANY changes to the hardware. No hardware upgrades at all. That is something unheard of in the competitions products. Sometimes even minor upgrades in hardware require accompanying upgrades in software at extra cost. Also, there has never been an operating system upgrade made available by the competition that did not also require pricey new hardware. Not upgrades but entirely different hardware.

I have to admit that Apple has certainly evolved into a technology leader from the ‘me too’ position it held with the Apple II. Its lead includes software as well as hardware. The newer Apple products are a complete computer solution. They also appear to be designed with the user in mind. Any flashiness is on the screen or in the capabilities, not in fadish physical design features that later become outdated eyesores.

There is something just intuitively right about having one outfit manage both hardware and software development to a specific set of goals and specifications. You put the hardware and software people together in one room and don’t let them out until they have a solution. No blame game, no finger pointing, no conflicts of interest or playing one against the other for undeserved profit.

The end result is a loyal satisfied customer base who knows that their interests are better served by a complete solution. Customers who do not mind paying a premium up front because they know it will pay dividends in the long run with planned obsolecence less of a factor. No wonder Apple stock has had a consistently upward growth trend which will probably continue.

My first impresssion of the iBook is ‘Wow, now I see what it is like to work with a real computer!’

The iBook is the first machine that I would trust to work for me instead of the other way around.

Those commercials touting Apples’ ‘ready-out-of-the-box’ feature are not an overly optimistic view of the product. When I think of all the hours wasted over the years playing games with device drivers for bleeding edge hardware, resolving undocumented incompatibilities, and enduring seemingly endless security hole plugging updates, I really regret not having given Apple a second chance until now.

I dont work for Apple or have any relationship to the company. Besides, you don’t know me from Adam, so my endorsement would be meaningless. However, if you are ready to stop rendering aid to a needy collection of sometimes poorly documented computer hardware and software, try an Apple product. They work for me. I bet they would work for you too.