How Much Time Do You Waste?

Did you ever stop and consider if the computer you are using is affecting your success and business productivity.

Most people don’t realize how much time they actually spend at the keyboard and how much time they are wasting because the technology they use isn’t up to the job.

When I first got started online my computer was a mid range PC it had a built in web cam and was running windows vista. It cost me around $1000 and I was initially very happy with my purchase.

An Expensive Chunk Of Aluminum?

One thing I did notice was that practically all the successful “Marketing Gurus” I was following used Mac’s and not PC’s. Did they know something that I didn’t? What was so special about those expensive chunks of aluminum?

I had originally considered buying a Mac, but at that time they weren’t so popular as they are today and I couldn’t logically justify the price. It seemed like I was only paying for looks and design not for the amount of memory or processing power.

I reasoned that all those millionaire marketers just had them to show off. I kept telling myself that my PC was perfectly fine and that when I became successful I would get one too.

A Catch 22 Situation

I didn’t realize that I was caught in a catch 22 situation and  that my PC was actually slowing me down and hampering my ability to succeed.

I was ignoring the fact that I had to restart my computer around 2 or 3 times a day. This meant waiting for around 15 minutes for it to shutdown and restart. (That’s 45 minutes every day just sitting around doing nothing) or the fact that every few months I would pick up a virus and spend the next 48 hours frantically trying to resolve the issue. (this happened 3 times)

Over a whole year I was losing around 34 days because my computer had crashed.

It wasn’t until I started to make videos that the frustration increased. Not only did I have a big psychological block to video I also faced a technological one.

My first attempt at making a video was extremely painful. I tried using the built in webcam but the quality was too poor. I then went out and purchased a high quality external web cam which seemed to do the Job better but I still had audio issues and software conflicts. It kept crashing all the time. Another $150 wasted

I then wanted to edit the video clips but didn’t have the right software. I spent ages researching how to do this and discovered that I would need to spend several hundred dollars on video editing software and then have to learn how to use it.

As my frustration built up I realized that it was going to cost me an arm and a leg to do what all these gurus kept telling me was vital to my online success.

Problems Solved…

The penny finally dropped when I was watching Ed Dale show off his latest purchase. He was making a quick video for his subscribers putting his new Macbook pro through its paces. He was using the built in webcam and microphone and what struck me was the quality of the recording that was produced. It was crystal clear as if he was sitting in the room right next to me.

No fuzzy video jumping frames or audio that didn’t sync up to his lips and no need to wear headphones to prevent audio feedback.

At that moment I decided that I needed to make the switch and to be honest it was probably one of the most profitable decisions I have ever made.

I threw caution to the wind and took the plunge investing in a top of the range 15inch Macbook pro.

Mac’s Totally Rock For Making Video

Video editing became really simple and intuitive. Imovie, the built in video editing software met pretty much all of my needs at the time. I could record a powerpoint video in no time and add background music and titles and could also pull in clips from my flip video camera without having to convert them to a new format.

The thing I noticed the most was a lot less crashes since software on the Mac seemed to be much more stable. Instead of restarting 3 times a day it was now happening once or twice a week. I also didn’t need any antivirus software or have to perform weekly scans and cleanups as I did on my old PC

My skype conversations took on a whole new dimension. I could speak from anywhere in my office as the internal microphone was so sensitive. I was no longer chained to the desk via my headphones and my old desktop microphone.

If I was to estimate what percentage my productivity increased it would be around the 30% mark. Imagine what a 30% productivity increase could mean to you.

Is your current technology actually up for the Job?

If you have a PC have you considered making the switch to a Mac

If money is the only issue have you calculated how much time and money you might be wasting by still clinging to your PC?

Now I know I must sound like an Apple fanboy and to be perfectly honest I am.

To be fair you can make good quality video using a PC if you know how to do it. It has excellent programs like camtasia, and sony vegas studio but they all come at a price. Plus you may need an external microphone or professional web cam. (all this adds up)

It’s official – People Who Use Macs Are Richer And More Productive

The thing is, its not just me who thinks that Macs are better than PC’s a recent study carried out by Forrester Research shows that People Who Use Macs Are Richer And More Productive

“Mac users the “heavy hitters” and “heroes” in organizations, and said that they hate windows PCs because they slow them down and look cheap.”

So what’s the best Mac for You?

This really depends on your needs and budget, I have outlined my own recommendations below.

A 17 inch Macbook Pro if you want a laptop that can also be used as a desktop – You can easily hook it up to a big monitor.

A 13 inch Macbook Air if you want something portable and with a long battery life

A 27inch Quadcore Imac – this is for those who will be doing a lot of video editing and want a big screen and lightning speed rendering.

An Ipad – I couldn’t live without mine

I hope you have enjoyed this article and that it helps some of you make that shift over to the dark side. I can assure you that it will be an important step on your path to online marketing success. I welcome all your comments as I am sure I will have upset some die hard PC lovers out there.

DISCLAIMER : The author does not work for apple computers but is a self confessed Mac Addict.  He currently owns a 2.8 GhZ Quadcore Mac Pro, 15 Inch Macbook Pro, 13 Inch Mac book Air, 64 Gb Ipad. 32Gb Iphone.