Sucker for a Better Brand

Well, after much resistance, I've finally broken down and purchased Microsoft Office for Mac.  But hey - at least I didn't break down and buy it before the new 2008 edition came out!  So, I'm now the semi-proud owner of some brand new Word, PowerPoint, and Excel bits.  The Entourage and Messenger that came with the package I won't be using.  I say semi-proud because, in a way, I feel like I've cheated myself out of some nobler cause (using TextEdit, which the MacBook came loaded with).  But having these programs will make life a lot easier when trying to peruse a campus that has been brainwashed by Microsoft.  And, I can't complain.  In my industry (tech writing), appearance is everything - and these programs definitely have the appearance.  Yet I couldn't help thinking of the song "Fad of the Land" by Newsboys, particularly the lyrics that go "all you suckers for a better brand".  Yes, I am now officially a sucker for a better brand.  But mark my words ladies and gentlemen - I will NEVER go back to using Microsoft as my operating system.  Never.  It is beyond my capacity as a human being to do so.  Apple is by no means perfect - I make no qualms about it.  However, they do tend to strive closer towards that perfection line than does Microsoft.

A couple programs I'm particularly happy about though, will be the new additions of Adobe's Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.  I'm particularly excited about the Photoshop right now, as I just started taking a course over it.  I've wanted to learn Photoshop for years - and now is my chance at last!  And if I'm not mistaken, Adobe is native to Mac to begin with.  So that's very cool.  Now I can Photoshop anywhere and everywhere the lovely MacBook dares to explore.  I'm only sad that the package won't arrive until this coming Wednesday.  But until then, I can just dream about how much fun I'll have.

It's kind of interesting though.  After just one week of classes, I'm already beginning to see how my semester is going to go.  I've critiqued my teachers, my fellow peers, even the desks and chairs I'll be sitting at.  Every classroom save for Anatomy & Physiology is a computer lab.  I already feel like I've been attending this campus for several years, instead of just one semester.  It's a good feeling.  Oh, and I've been able to meet some more fellow tech commies.  Always a happy thought.