People tend to think that I am just some smug Apple fanboy who thinks that Apple is great at everything and the only reason I would think that would be because I have never used anything else in life, therefore I know nothing different.

What some may not know is that even though I come off as a huge Apple fan, I used Windows for the first 18 years of my life. This meant that I used Windows operating systems like Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

It was not until 2014 when I was going into my first year of college that I switched to the Mac after many years of wanting to. In return, I got a laptop, the MacBook Pro that I still use to this very day and on which I am currently writing this.With it, I got the full experience of macOS (previously called OS X) that has allowed me to do what I want and then some.

One of the things that I like about the Mac is that the OS is designed for the laptop. With Windows, I feel like each computer has to have its own special version of it since all of the laptops are different and have varieties of brands, parts and other components, which makes some laptops already bad out of the box. Of course, it all depends on what you want. However, if I’m buying a new laptop that I want for years to come, I don’t want it to be “average” right out of the box.

Another thing that I like about Macs more than Windows computers is that the design of a Mac is so much more thought out. The Mac has a luxury look to it. To me, a PC looks more like a PT Cruzer and the Mac is more of a Tesla car. They have such style, elegance and beauty to them that you don’t see on every laptop or computer out there today.

But probably the most important thing about the Mac to me is that it is reliable. When I got my MacBook Pro in 2014, it came with the Apple version of Microsoft Office called “iWork,” which I think is a lot better than Office since it is more simplistic. On top of that, when I upgrade my operating system each year, it’s a free upgrade. With Windows, if you’re not a college student, you have to pay for the newest version of Windows and fork over another $150 for Microsoft Office Home and Student 2016, which does not even include Outlook on it. Worst of all, that version of Office is only usable for one computer. On the Mac it’s no big deal (when it comes to iWork) since they are free apps in the Mac App Store.

I also don’t have to worry about my Mac’s operating system crashing because it is so reliable. It’s like an appliance; it just works the way a computer should.

People can say that Macs are “too expensive,” but I’m looking at what Microsoft is pushing out these days in terms of computers and tablets and I think it is the other way around (excluding brands like HP and Dell). A good version of the Surface Pro computer tablet is going to cost you $1299 and the Surface Book 2 is going to cost $1199. Last I checked, you can get a good MacBook Air for much cheaper and it will still be able to do what you want it to do and then some.

Apple is not perfect by any stretch, but has a better system and more adequate pricing on its products than what its biggest competitor has out right now. And it is that and other little items that keep me loyal to the Apple and Mac brand. As the popular quote goes, “Once you go Mac, you don’t go back.”