The large majority of people get IBM clones which run a Microsoft OS, and PC's do occupy the large majoirty of computer stations on the planet. I myself have used them and I build them in our family business when I'm not in school.

However, it should be noted that when compared with humans, the sheer numbers of ticks, lice, cockroaches and maggots on earth can in no way be interpreted as meaning that they represent higher forms of life. By the way... just as these numerous lower forms of life carry disease, so also do PCs commonly get infected with computer viruses - after all, what computer do you think the people who write viruses use?

Me, personally - I use an Apple.

"Why?!" you may ask, "do you buy an Apple if you can build your own PC and know it inside and out?" That IS why. You see, I know better.

Most creative and educational institutes (especially those involved in research) use Apple technology becuase their survival depends upon producing something worthwhile. As a student, university life is easier as an Apple user.

As for me, my Macintosh is my telephone, my television, my CD player, my fax machine, my answering machine, my portal to the internet, my typewriter, my English dictionary, my Medical dictionary, my internal medicine textbook, and my quickly searchable electronic file collection of my typed notes from school.

Let's just imagine a typical moment during one of my nightly study sessions and how I cope with the chaos of a medical education. For instance...say I'm sitting here trying to master the signs, symptoms, laboratory findings and diagnosis of white blood cell disorders by scanning through my electronic internal medicine text. I recognize certain aspects addressed in class and noted by the professor as being fertile Board question material. I search my typed notes using BBEdit Lite (which I got for free off the internet) for the "#" that I put next to such choice tid-bits of information and in less than a second have the vital testable points of the day's lectures. Unfortunately, I don't understand all of the words, so with ease I cut and paste a couple cryptic words into my medical dictionary and add a couple greek and latin words to my personal database of common prefixes and suffixes. Then I zip off an e-mail question to my teacher to get clarifications. After that, I place a brief phone call to an upper classman concerning whether or not I should even be studying this at all. I then switch the phone into "Do Not Disturb" mode and proceed without annoying interruptions - I'll play my messages later. A few adjustments in my typed notes and they are ready to transfer to my Newton, where they await my perusal during spare moments throughout the day or a fast search in preparation for tests which must be passed to minimze heart-ache, maylaise, and greif (not to mention a larger loan payment after repeating course work).

All this without getting up from my chair! And since I've spent the better part of my existance sitting down listening to other people talk about what they think is important for me to know, I click play on my CD remote control and listen to Schumann's piano Concerto in A Minor as I get up to go to the kitchen for a refreshing beverage. Upon returning with a cool tropical fruit drink in hand, I see automatic notification of incomming e-mail. Perhaps it is an answer to yesterday's microbiology question I sent to Dr. Lau...maybe it's a letter from home. Maybe it's my free e-news service that gives me US front page headlines as well as current developments in science, medicine, technology and world wide political developments. Ahhhhhhh, school is so much fun!