Either way, I think this user will be better off switching to a Mac OS and using the "Time Machine" feature so that he is not in this situation again. Also, any personal data should be backed up in the Cloud. I recommend cloud-based backup with a major well-known service (i.e. Carbonite; Mozy; iDrive) because this offers much redundancy and you can access your backups anywhere.
As a bonus, if one is an Apple user, for $25 a year, you can back up your entire music collection to the Cloud and can download your music to multiple devices.
Now many often point to the fact that Macs are more expensive then PCs. And if you are only looking at the point of sale, you would be correct. But if you were to look at the "utility" of the Mac vs PC, I think you would find that in the long run, Macs are cheaper.
For example, I have an early 2011 edition of MacBook Pro. More than four years later, it still looks brand new and operates flawlessly, despite using it for hours upon hours every single day. It will probably be another four years before I replace it. So divide the $2,600 I paid for it by 8 and you get a cost of $325 a year.
Now take the PC equivalent of what I bought, which would roughly retail for $1799 at the time. However, PC laptops rarely last four years before they need to be replaced. So that is $450 a year.
A few months ago, I started running into video issues with my MacBook Pro. The screen would freeze, turn different colors, and I'd have to reboot. Then it would happen eventually again. I figured this was going to be an expensive repair, especially as I did not have it under AppleCare or any other kind of warranty.
I took it into the Apple store and they ran some diagnostics on it and told me it was a known issue and that it needed a new video board. They said that they would take care of it for no charge. Now they didn't have to do that. It was a four year old computer.I would have gladly paid to have it fixed. But that is the difference between the Mac world and the PC world in a nutshell. The people at the Apple stores are passionate about their products and they stand behind them.
I don't understand the "control freak mentality" you speak of. It doesn't bother me that I can't take the case apart and make my own modifications. I think it's a good business model as it keeps issues to a minimum and increases customer satisfaction. I have no need or desire to "tinker" around with a computer and I think I speak for 99% of all users. I just want the computer to turn on and do what I need it to do. If it needs more RAM or a bigger hard drive, I'm happy to let the experts take care of it and do it right.
Also I don't understand your comment about iPhones. I've been using my iPhone as my primary phone for several years now. It makes phone calls perfectly well and I get a clean, clear connection almost all the time.
Well, I did not want to get into it, but it's easy for me to explain.
I use a Samsung Galaxy today, but I have used Motorola's, and Blackberry as well...All these phones, certainly made calls and received them, but when it comes to most Apple phones, I can tell when someone is using one and calling me because I have great difficulty understanding what they are saying. The quality is tinny and they sound as if they are in a trashcan.
In terms of signal ability, the Apples are also slightly inferior as I have noted many times that I can make and receive calls when they cannot and on the same provider....and I have not even got to the battery issues..
So there ya go...that's my observations..
By the way Sam...windows has a cloud backup system as well.
Yeah, that's a video card issue or driver malfunction...nothing unusual for any device. I have a preference for Geforce video cards which thankfully I can install or modify at my own discretion. However, many computers these days come with integrate video in the mother board which if I happen to get one, I promptly disable and buy a separate card. Overall, I am very comfortable with the MS OS, and frankly the hardware issues are mostly a general thing spread across multiple manufacturers, but when you own a apple, you have no options but to go back to Apple. I have literally hundreds of options on a desktop, and less so on a laptop..Phones and pads are far to integrated to fool with so you just buy a new one which is really the best option due to constant improvements. But for the desktop, which I use a lot....I design mine to suit me. I prefer it that way and would not have it any other way.