Profiles In Discouragement.

(Note: This is a personal rant because it's my birthday and this is my site. It involves computers and evil. Skip if you want. -ed.)

Today is my birthday and I had something profound to post, but I forgot what is was. The reason? Windows.

Well, more specifically, Microsoft Windows. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, HATE Microsoft Windows.

No matter how hard the Windows/PC crowd tries, no matter how hard they infuse their products with Mac-like user-friendliness, they will never be Apple and Macs. Never, ever, ever. Microsoft should change their name to 'Sirius Cybernetics Corporation'. Yes, I'm reigniting a worn, useless-but-to-nerds fight, but I have good reason: I had to get a new computer.

Well I didn't have to. I just wanted my iTunes back and working

About a month ago we had someone hack our network at work. Nothing disastrous, but it messed with the servers and caused a couple of our computers to crash - including mine, which was in the middle of an iTunes update. When I restarted, my iTunes library - music, videos, images, etc., was gone. I needed it back. Bad.

For those who do not know, I live by my iPhone. I keep my memos on my iPhone. I use it to take jobsite photos and videos, and I keep many on there for future reference. I keep all my business contacts in my iPhone. No iTunes, no syncing the iPhone; and yours truly is not a happy camper.

Things then went from bad to Microsoft. First, the office "expert" tried to help - something about "changing my profile to administrator", whatever the hell that is. I created a new "profile" so I could fix the first per his advice, but now everything on my machine was "owned" by the new "administrator profile" - including, apparently, my iTunes data (it still existed, but iTunes couldn't see it). The expert's conclusion: "That's weird..." Our local geek (a friend of my partner) who was over fixing the server, also took a look (for a few more hours) and diagnosed a puny and badly defragmented hard drive. Nothing to be done about it. He prescribed "getting another laptop", and told me to call him when it came in.

Remember, all I wanted was my iTunes back and working.

So I went to the Apple store just before Christmas and priced a MacBook Pro, but my partner was not keen on the idea (too expensive, too much incompatibility...). I ended up with a small, Windows-based HP. It arrived last Wednesday. I called our geek and... nothing. No email, no phone call, zip. Swell. So I set about getting the new HP set up myself (hopefully getting my iTunes back). I've set up all my home computers (including the odd PC), so this shouldn't be rocket science. Worked on it Wednesday night until the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

I was wrong.

My partner finally got hold of his friend the geek, and he agreed to remotely set up my computer with me on the phone. It did not go well. First thing geek says over the phone is I need a "network profile", not a "local profile", and most all of the data - including all of my iTunes data I spent hours getting off backups - would not be recognized by the "network profile" as that profile did not "own" it. "That's not the way Windows wants you to work", I was told. Swell. So I had to - again - dump my iTunes data and reinstall it (and other programs, too), this time logged in under the "network profile".

It has been more than three weeks since my old laptop had its hiccup; more than three days since my new computer showed up, and more than 20 hours of my time wasted on setting up again and again. (Several hours of that time was trying to figure out what button, buried on what setting window, stopped the icons on the screen from enlarging if your fingers hit the trackpad in the wrong way.) Remember, all I wanted was my iTunes back and working.

My wife and I have owned five Macs at home in the last 23 years. The last time we bought a new Mac was last year when our old one crapped out unexpectedly. After the geeks at the Apple Store determined our old one was toast (but the hard drive was intact), they plugged a cable between our old one and the new one we bought, and "migrated" one to the other. When we got the new one home it was just like the one that died - including our home iTunes data. We were sans computer at home for maybe two days.

The major reason my partner was against me getting a Mac laptop for the office is how "expensive" Macs are. (I also suspect his geek buddy doesn't like to fool with them.) If you count up my lost work hours, and what we will pay his geek buddy in all of this, that MacBook Pro is looking pretty damn cost effective.

Remember, all I wanted was my iTunes back and working - and I'm just getting to that point. So, Steve Jobs, I am sorry. I will not make this mistake again.