I've changed my methods and views. I no longer want to sympathize or understand my clients who make bad decisions, use bad product or are hampered by troublesome tech. I've done both. I've been oblivious to their plight because all my stuff just worked. I've been in the trenches with them. And, that just means I do my work slower while my stuff creeps along at a rate of crummy. So, I don't buy nor tolerate shoddy anymore.

Do I already sound like an Apple fan boy? I'm not. But, there are a few facts about Apple products you cant' escape. Most important, their stuff works together fairly flawless and trouble free. So, if you buy an iPod, a Mac and use Time Machine, you're stuff is going to effortlessly sync up, your computer will likely just run and your backups are as reliable as anything you can buy for pretty much any price. The backup software is free, as part of the Apple OS and you can use USB, firewire or a network storage device to store your Mac backup. If you screw something up, you just open Time Machine, watch its silly but enjoyable space and time trip, drag the date you want to restore, the software item you want to restore (or the whole computer) and poof - it restores it. Part, all, most or very specific. It just works. Mac folks are not tech nerds for the most part. They're creative types (the ones that drive the company's product development) and that means they don't have the skill or willingness to hack on their devices like Windows folks are forced to do.

Their products are more pricey, but they're actually sleek and more portable. Your $20 mp3 player dies when its lithium ion battery croaks. How long does that take? My $55 Shuffle plays up to 10 hours without a charge and mindlessly syncs my unplayed podcasts and selected music without intervention.

Bottle line, I've developed an appreciation for my time that justifies the extra investment. And, I can still run Windows apps on my Mac. So, there's just no downside but the extra cost. Adjusted for time saved, I'm still ahead.