Windows, Your Phone and IOS

<p>I switched to an M1 MacMini in March and have never looked back. I was always a Windows user before that, never touched a Mac, except once in 2008 and walked away in less than a minute. I switch my wife and me to iPhones in 2017 because one of our kids was old enough and needed a phone because of after school activities. Apple’s ScreenTime really impressed me and I was entering that stage where our kids were going to need phones. Having been an Android user before this I didn’t like the idea of buying new phones every 3 years just for security updates for myself, my wife, and the kids. So we switched! Everyone still has their iPhone 8s, except Dad because…well I pay the bills (and my wife) so I’m rocking a 12 now. I loved how easy iMessage worked with all of us. FindMy is great when the kids lost their phone in the house and then their AirPods. Apple’s ScreenTime is HANDS DOWN the best! Totally blows Android’s out of the water and other third-party ones, that scrape all the user’s personal data. ScreenTime is easy enough for my wife to use who is not a techie and so much so that she hates updating her phone because of the chance of something new appearing lol.</p><p><br></p><p>Some of us got iPads and that added another element to the ecosystem and being able to have everything on our phones available on the iPads. And once I got my MacMini I was able to fully use all the Apple apps I was using on my phone since 2017. And it’s been great!</p><p><br></p><p>I know people love to throw shade at the Apple ecosystem and I get it, especially from the geek point of view. But from the normie point of view of yeah I’m paying more but IT JUST WORKS and I don’t have to worry about upgrading it in 2 or 3 years and I have myself and teenagers to worry about that extra cost is worth it, and whatever happened to just being good with just liking what you use.</p><p><br></p><p>Apple Maps has come a long way lol. We used to use Google Maps when we first got our iPhones but the only Google app on my phone is YouTube now. I love Apple Notes! Now that I have a Mac I can use it there. Don’t have to pay for similar features for a 3rd party app. I love Apple Photos having come from Windows which had nada! I know Google Photos is probably better search-wise and some features but again. Coming from Windows and being a normal, Dad with a wife and kids user, Apple Photos is awesome! I’m also a bit of a privacy enthusiast. So I trust Apple more than Microsoft and Microsoft more than Google. I use Apple Pay all the time! I was skeptical at first but during the peak of the pandemic and ordering food and groceries with it is great!</p><p><br></p><p>It’s hard to resist the pull of the Apple ecosystem once you get an iPhone. And I know this sounds fanboy but it’s the truth, their stuff just works! Sure Apple stuff has the same vulnerabilities and weakness that Windows computers and Android phones do because they’re all computers. But because of that closes system they’ve been able to keep janky stuff out and have years and years to develop the same hardware and features. I don’t hate Windows or Google either. I use Windows daily for work and like things about it over Mac. Like I wish the Windows Explorer UI/system was the same in Mac. Mac’s still confuses me. And I wish I could customize my iPhone icons to show a picture of my kids on the home screen…without using Siri Shortcuts and extra apps. But those aren’t deal breakers nor make me frown on Apple. Ok, long reply sorry. But your post really got me going. Looking forward to what others think.</p>