I’m a PC guy from
way back.  I’ve always scoffed at the Mac cult, with their conviction that their
computers turn them into Leonardo and are immune from software problems. 
Everything a Mac can do I have had a windows application I can get the same
results from (don’t email me to argue this — seriously, don’t).  I was brand
loyal to Dell until I had enough experience and nerve to build my own machine
from parts.  I am a PC Guy.

However, I have
always admitted that Windows has faults.  Last week I got fed up with having to
rebuild my system from scratch again because some piece of grrrr software (OK,
it was Norton Systemworks 2006 upgrade) messed with the registry and K.O.’d the
whole O.S.  So in an intemperate fit I bought an iMac.  Once I pressed Submit on
the order, I started getting the shakes.  Would moving to Mac feel like pitching
left handed, as a helpful colleague suggested?  Would I wind up spending more
time in virtual Windows than in OS X, meaning I had bought a really expensive
PC?

Well, that remains
to be seen.  But today Apple made me very happy.  They announced a new, next
generation iMac and sent me the following email:

To Our Valued Apple Customer:

 
Apple is pleased to announce the new iMac with Intel Core 2 Duo processor.
 
Because your order has not yet shipped, we will automatically send you a
new
  iMac at no additional charge.

Awesome.  All it
cost was a few extra days waiting for shipment, but what it saved Apple from was
my finding out that I’d been sold an outmoded machine and putting them in the
microsoft circle of customer service hell (I like to think I have that power). 
The move to Mac still scares me, but now at least I’m scared of a more advanced
computer.  And Apple turned me from a buyer to a customer with one gesture.

Considering the
customer’s feelings = Exceptional Experience.

Matt Rosenberg