On Tuesday we took one step closer to officially joining the Cult of Mac by adding 2 iPhones to our roster of household Apple products.  We had planned on getting the phones by year’s end but our hand was forced due to an application that we had trouble loading onto Megan’s Blackberry Pearl for work.  Since it is an essential piece of software for her work (ePocrates) and even T-Mobile and Blackberry phone support couldn’t resolve the issue, we had to make the switch ASAP since we knew it worked on the iPhone.

Sure enough, after hours of futility on the Pearl, the application was installed flawlessly on her iPhone in less than 3 minutes and runs like a charm.  As much as we both loved our Crackberries, the iPhone is simply a game-changer in the cell phone world.  I know quite a few people now who own one (first and/or second generation) and not only has everyone liked their phone, every single person has RAVED about them.  No one is neutral towards theirs or negative, which is a heckuva feat for any kind of software or phone.

In the 48 short hours I’ve had this phone, I must admit it is hands-down the coolest electronic device I have ever had.  And it’s not just barely higher than some other cool things I have had, it’s head and shoulders above anything although the Wii does come in a solid second place in the Kirkpatrick household.  Let’s say you have 3 voicemails and the third call is actually the one you want to hear first.  Not a problem, just click on that name on your screen and you’re immediately taken to that voice message.  Now I have a device that allows me to listen to all my music, takes my phone calls, displays video for me (great for plane trips), holds all my contact and calendar information, and still has tons of room left over for me to put cool applications and games on it?!  Taking the cost out of the equation, who WOULDN’T want that?  Oh, and I have a fully functional internet browser, GPS and Google Maps to boot.

I was reminded last night of why I’m so glad we became a Mac family last year as I was reinstalling Windows XP on a work laptop.  An hour and a half later and I still hadn’t even gotten to putting Service Pack 3 on it, which is another 30+ minutes of installation. 

To hell with that.  Apple “gets it” in terms of the user experience.  From the time I push my power button on the Macbook, it is fully booted and online in 30 seconds.  The same functionality takes 3-4 minutes minimum on a Windows PC.  With the exception of gaming and certain developer tools, anything Windows does Apple can do better.  From the easier interfaces to the faster processing to the ninja-like quietness of my Macbook compared to a Windows-based laptop, there is nothing from Windows that I have missed since I made The Switch.

For those of you who like the comfort of the familiar and boring, then Windows is for you.  But if you want to have a taste of what the much-more-fun world of Apple is like, treat yourself and get a Macbook or an iPhone.  Go ahead, I dare you.