Four years ago this month, I switched from Windows to Apple at home and at the office. I love the way all three devices (iMac at work, Macbook Air at home, and an iPhone wherever I may be) worked together. Life was good.

I’m still happy with my iPhone. When I switched wireless providers (that half-price Sprint deal was too good to pass up), upgrading to a new phone — thanks to the iCloud — was easier than ever. The handy little device is rarely more than an arm’s length away.

The giant iMac at the office continues to serve me well too. In truth, it’s more than a little under-employed with far more capability than I’ll ever need.  I’ll probably retire (four more years — fingers-crossed) before it needs to be replaced.

Earlier this year I had to replace the MacBook Air. Even after moving as much as possible to the Cloud and my Google drive, I ran out of room. To make matters worse, most of what I moved disappeared. No doubt, it’s somewhere in the Cloud, but damned if I can find it.

To be fair, unlike the iMac at work, the MacBook Air barely met my needs. I should have bought a laptop, but the MacBook Air cost twice as much as I wanted to spend. Call me cheap if you want — it won’t hurt my feelings.

Apple products play well with one another, but getting them to cooperate with other brands is impossible — at least for someone with my technological skills. When I switched to Apple, my music collection was an immediate casualty. I had to buy Apple versions of various software packages I use too. Oh well.

Over time, I encountered other issues that didn’t sit well with me. Apple automatically does all kinds of things I’d rather it didn’t do — like saving multiple copies of photos in several different places. Managing files was a huge challenge. No doubt, someone at the Apple Store might have been able to help me, but who has time for that?

The hard drive on my MacBook Air filled up so much I couldn’t even update software. Getting rid of files I didn’t need bought me a little time. Eventually, I hit a wall. Time for a new computer.

Buying another MacBook Air made no sense. My declining vision impacts my computer needs, and an Apple laptop with everything I wanted was outrageously expensive.  I decided to check out other options.

I ended up buying a Dell laptop. It has an over-sized monitor. I opted for the touchscreen which, with my vision issues, has been tremendously helpful. The capacity of the hard drive far exceeds what I’ll ever need too. Best of all, I paid less than $500 — a fraction of what a similar Apple would cost.

I’m back to Windows now. Adjusting has been easier than I expected. I hear my new Dell won’t last as long as an Apple, but that’s okay. Buying a new laptop every two or three years is still cheaper than buying the Apple, and with OneDrive and the Cloud, I’m not likely to lose any files.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. At least for now. I’ll keep you posted.