iSaw The Light...
I now know what it's like to be in the minority.
Last week, I made the switch -- the switch I've been wanting to make for quite a while now. I bought a Mac: the new Intel based MacBook.
You must know, if you're in the market for a new computer, before you buy, give the Mac's a try. This computer has been far superior to any of my previous computers in many areas, while still having a few drawbacks of being "the little guy."
The creativity Apple uses is very modern. For example, when you receive an instant message with a program like AIM, Windows blinks the program along the bottom taskbar. Mac's, on the other hand, hop like it's trying to get your attention. Transitions are more elegant when switching from one file to the other with Expose.
A webcam is built into the computer and sits just above the display. There's nothing to connect, and no software to install.
One of my favorite features is the Dashboard. By simply pushing F12, the screen elegantly brings into view a group of small programs that organize many simple tasks that I use quite often, while minimizing the keystrokes to get to it. My Dashboard contains a five-day forecast, world clock (so I can keep up with the time in Budapest for Amber), a dictionary/thesaurus, calculator, stock quotes, phonebook, a language translator, and a program that finds me the lowest gas price within a radius I specify. By simply pressing F12, they're at my fingertips, with no need to click Start + Programs + Accessories.
The programs are called Widgets, and others on the Mac that I don't use are an iTunes plugin that gives me the lyrics to a song I'm playing automatically (since with Apple, everything is integrated, it knows what track I'm playing), a unit converter, ski report (which I will use when we get to Colorado), flight tracker, and lots more!
Of course wireless-ready comes standard. Anytime you're near a wireless connection, simply turn your computer on, and your connected to the network. But then again, most new computers have this feature. We're just waiting on our government to give us city-wide Wi-Fi.
I could go on an on about some of the cool features I get, but I'll stop.
There are drawbacks, and this is where it's tough to be in the minority.
The browser is called Safari. While it's a great browser, some websites (I've found two) aren't as compatible with it as they should be. Microsoft used to make a version of Internet Explorer for Mac, but have since stopped. There are other browsers available, and I'll soon be looking into a supplement.
Getting my files from my old PC have been a bit difficult at times. MP3's, videos, pictures, etc. all work fine, and since I have an external hard drive, they're stored there, but e-mail and the address book are in a different format. I had to use a Microsoft version of a similar program pre-installed on my Mac to convert them, and then transfer them into my new program. But Apple has done their best to make the transition smoother, I just haven't taken advantage of them.
All-in-all, as long as Rebecca's happy with the Mac, I don't expect I'll ever buy a PC again. People complain about software compatibility, but unless you use industry-specific software, there's typically a program available. Compatibility is not the issue it used to be.
People say Mac users are for people who are into photo & video editing, graphic design, etc. That's not completely true. Because you've never had the ease of use on a PC, it's not as readily available. With the new Mac's, we'll all soon be creating multimedia.
Last week, I made the switch -- the switch I've been wanting to make for quite a while now. I bought a Mac: the new Intel based MacBook.
You must know, if you're in the market for a new computer, before you buy, give the Mac's a try. This computer has been far superior to any of my previous computers in many areas, while still having a few drawbacks of being "the little guy."
The creativity Apple uses is very modern. For example, when you receive an instant message with a program like AIM, Windows blinks the program along the bottom taskbar. Mac's, on the other hand, hop like it's trying to get your attention. Transitions are more elegant when switching from one file to the other with Expose.
A webcam is built into the computer and sits just above the display. There's nothing to connect, and no software to install.
One of my favorite features is the Dashboard. By simply pushing F12, the screen elegantly brings into view a group of small programs that organize many simple tasks that I use quite often, while minimizing the keystrokes to get to it. My Dashboard contains a five-day forecast, world clock (so I can keep up with the time in Budapest for Amber), a dictionary/thesaurus, calculator, stock quotes, phonebook, a language translator, and a program that finds me the lowest gas price within a radius I specify. By simply pressing F12, they're at my fingertips, with no need to click Start + Programs + Accessories.
The programs are called Widgets, and others on the Mac that I don't use are an iTunes plugin that gives me the lyrics to a song I'm playing automatically (since with Apple, everything is integrated, it knows what track I'm playing), a unit converter, ski report (which I will use when we get to Colorado), flight tracker, and lots more!
Of course wireless-ready comes standard. Anytime you're near a wireless connection, simply turn your computer on, and your connected to the network. But then again, most new computers have this feature. We're just waiting on our government to give us city-wide Wi-Fi.
I could go on an on about some of the cool features I get, but I'll stop.
There are drawbacks, and this is where it's tough to be in the minority.
The browser is called Safari. While it's a great browser, some websites (I've found two) aren't as compatible with it as they should be. Microsoft used to make a version of Internet Explorer for Mac, but have since stopped. There are other browsers available, and I'll soon be looking into a supplement.
Getting my files from my old PC have been a bit difficult at times. MP3's, videos, pictures, etc. all work fine, and since I have an external hard drive, they're stored there, but e-mail and the address book are in a different format. I had to use a Microsoft version of a similar program pre-installed on my Mac to convert them, and then transfer them into my new program. But Apple has done their best to make the transition smoother, I just haven't taken advantage of them.
All-in-all, as long as Rebecca's happy with the Mac, I don't expect I'll ever buy a PC again. People complain about software compatibility, but unless you use industry-specific software, there's typically a program available. Compatibility is not the issue it used to be.
People say Mac users are for people who are into photo & video editing, graphic design, etc. That's not completely true. Because you've never had the ease of use on a PC, it's not as readily available. With the new Mac's, we'll all soon be creating multimedia.
Labels: Apple, Technology
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