Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I knew that there would be some penalty to pay for switching from Windows.

However, I didn’t realize just how quickly the penalty would arrive.

Slinging heavy boxes around is hot work, and the air was getting stuffy. I resolved to open a window for some fresh air so that we might more fully enjoy the Mac unboxing experience.

There are blinds on the living room window of the heavy-duty metal variety; they have to be raised in order to get at the window latch. As I was in the process of raising them, they detached from the wall and struck my forehead. I stood there stunned for a moment thinking, wow, that’s gonna leave a mark.

I turned back toward Patrick, whose countenance immediately became somewhat pale; he dashed off muttering something about towels. I tentatively touched the impact area, and immediately pondered that the feeling of a lot of blood running down your arm is something you don’t experience very often, but something you immediately recognize when it happens.

It was evident that Mac geekery would have to be postponed; immediate medical attention was required. We mopped up the worst of it, left a note for my Lovely Wife, and headed out.

In San Jose on a Sunday, one visits the nearest Emergency Room to have large holes in one’s person plugged. It’s not a bad place per se, but it’s filled with sick and injured people; this detracts somewhat from the overall atmosphere.

For example, Horfing Man. This poor guy was hurling like it was his job. Deep, guttural, gravelly bass; profound volume.

And he did this every four minutes, for two solid hours. You had to feel for him.

Eventually, if you’re bleeding enough, they do triage and repair you. Five stitches and a tetanus shot later, we were ready to return to the new Mac.

In retrospect, this is the first time I’ve been physically assaulted by a window treatment.

I suppose I can say for certain that switching to the Mac has scarred me for life.

I’d been informed that people routinely captured photos and video of their ‘unboxings’.

I had, frankly, written this off to some type of collective insanity. I mean, seriously, how interesting could this be? I’ve unboxed countless systems, and the experience is quite predictable — idiotic packaging, styrofoam so ill-fitting that a team of oxen are required to extract the device, industrial staples engineered to inflict gruesome injuries. All in all, something that you detail someone else to do if at all possible.

However, I wanted to be in the spirit of the thing, and so I asked Patrick, who’d started me on this path in the first place, to join me. He said he was glad I’d asked, so that he could witness this transcendent moment in my life.

I swear, this is like joining a cult or something. I’m expecting to be taught the secret handshake at any moment.

It was immediately obvious that the two hours I’d booked for this task would be unnecessary. Try five minutes. The care and concern that Apple puts into their packaging is just incredible. Everything opens easily, removes easily, and there’s not an industrial staple to be found. Heck, the styrofoam inserts are bevelled for easy access.

As for build quality, I’d expect the system unit to withstand naval gunfire. Heavy-gauge aluminum throughout; opens easily with a single latch. Easy access to the drive bays and slots, no cables flopping around, obvious airflow paths. Connectors slide home with a satisfying pop into detents; peripheral connections are nicely spaced and clearly labeled.

I work with systems costing in the millions; the design and build quality here are superior to anything I’ve seen.

So in the end, yes, I now understand the unboxing hype. My journey to the Dark Side continues.

Yes, the purchase. I am not known for half measures.

We left the store with a Mac Pro Quad 3.0, complete with 4GB of RAM, an extra 500GB drive for Boot Camp, an ATI X1900 XT video card, a 23″ HD Cinema Display, the enhanced Bluetooth and 802.11n wireless options, and an AppleCare service contract.

I passed on the .Mac option for the moment, figuring that I already had a Google domain and an online backup service provider; might as well see how those fared in the new world before potentially duplicating functionality.

Even with the employee discount available through my employer, a supplier of parts to Apple, this was some serious outlay. However, given that my previous machine had lasted for 6 years, the expected amortization isn’t that bad, and I do this stuff for a living. Further, once spousal approval for this type of thing is obtained, one may as well go for the gusto.

Our home PC was old, tired, and long overdue for replacement. However, the thought of spending money on a new one wasn’t very appealing. Sure, faster and newer hardware would have been a welcome change, but having to deal with the same old problems wouldn’t have been fun at all.

Running Windows is like a job now. The malware situation is just completely out of control; staying on top of it requires constant vigilance. Perhaps Vista might have improved this for me, but what I’ve seen there so far looks like the same old story with new police state overtones. Pity, since the Aero UI is gorgeous.

A good and very persistent friend had been proselytizing the Way of Mac for years; he’d occasionally show up at the door offering a subscription to Macworld, that kind of thing. A True Believer. Secure in the knowledge that he used a superior solution.

You get the idea.

Apple’s conversion to Intel processors and introduction of Boot Camp removed any serious barrier to conversion; my defenses were weakened. Pouncing on the opportunity to win a convert, he demoed his new Mac Pro Quad to me.

My memory of the next few hours is spotty, but it concluded with a trip to the local Apple Store.

This journal will chronicle my switching experience. Hopefully, it can be of some benefit to others making the jump.