Software buying habits, before and after switching to a Mac

I started my serious computer use on a Commodore Amiga back in 1989, and over the years purchased a fair number of programs for it, mostly development tools (the assembler DevPac 2, and Lattice C) and word-processing tools (ProText and some other whose name escapes me). I also bought AREXX and a text editor or two, and a bunch of games of course.

I was introduced to UNIX at college, but I don't think I've ever spent a cent on a UNIX program, despite using it heavily - it's all been either free software or provided with the system.

After graduation, working for a mainly Microsoft software house (Sophos) made me a Windows user by default, as it were. I spent money on Windows software only very rarely. Things were either employer-bought or ripped off. I spent money on some games and one or two shareware utilities and that was it.

After switching to a Mac two and a half years ago, I've bought software package after software package. Let's see:

• MarsEdit, in which I'm writing this
  
• Yojimbo
  
• OmniFocus
  
• Aperture
  
• TextMate
  
• OmniGraffle Pro
  
• SuperDuper
  
• Scrivener
  
• Acrobat 8 Professional
  

… and possibly a few more. A couple of these have been with my employer's money, but most have been out of my own pocket.

What this says to me is that I feel at home in this environment as I did on the Amiga way-back-when, and that the Macintosh and Mac developers are producing products that I am pleased to pay for and support. Programs I actually enjoy using, not just tolerate.

I have a feeling a lot of us are doing the same.