I’ve been a Windows person for decades and finally purchased my first Mac. It’s funny, I feel like that guy who is caught scraping the “I’d rather be pushing my Ford that driving a Chevy” bumper sticker off his old car after purchasing a new Corvette. Since I have lots of friends getting a good chuckle out of my recent purchase I thought it appropriate to answer a few questions and tell folks about my experiences.
Why did I purchase a Mac?
Three Reasons.
1) Vista has been a big letdown and even though I am impressed with the Windows 7 beta I just needed to gain some perspective on why others love the Mac. Also, I just need a problem-free performance computer and there is lots of hype about that being a Mac.
2) I am typically the guy that solves computer problems for everyone I know. This allows me to a) help the people I care about, b) earn a few extra favors, and at times, c) make some extra cash for my gadget addiction. Since lots of folks are now using Macs and I’ve been getting the calls for help. It’s time for me to learn how to solve Mac problems. Yes, Mac problems do exist.
3) Technology geeks have been migrating to Macs for some time. Yes, the geeks are typically the first to test and discover great technology. They push the limits of capabilities and are candid and honest about shortcomings. Several of the geeks I know use Macs – some just use the hardware and run Linux on top and others really like OSX. I trust their opinions and want to experience that.
What is so great about a Mac?
Short answer is lots of things and I could probably spend hours evaluating the line by items that are impressive. However, that is not the goal of this post so I will focus on top level items.
Here are my top three
1) Sleek, Easy-To-Use, and Well Integrated… it just works. The entire experience beginning with pulling the computer out of the box and turning it on is nice. It is impressive and well thought out. Thanks to all the hardware and software being made by the same company, the experience is delightful. None of the cheesy bundled software or issues lots of Windows users complain about.
2) The Software Experience is Impressive. The suite of applications that come out-of-the-box are very good. From the core OSX and its robust capabilities to iLife – very notable. I especially like Spotlight Search, the universal top navigation, and the System Preferences tool set. Most important to note about Mac software is the excellent user experience, which in many cases, is the most difficult to master. Minimizing the number of clicks user have to take to accomplish tasks – very key.
3) Quick Boot Times and No-Hassle Peripherals. You turn the Mac on and it quickly boots with all your printers and other connected devices (assuming name brands) working. A nice thing.
There is a But, well, several of them.
I recognize the learning curve going from Windows to Mac, yet I am a quick study and have come across a list of frustrations where I miss my PC. Below are three of them.
1) User Centric vs. Network Centric. I am a true believer in open systems, cloud computing, and open source as the future. In my humble opinion Mac is a closed system with a current user-centric focus. Yes, I do understand the benefits of this strategy, they are real and most of the time the challenges PC users have complained about since I can remember (software compatibility, etc.) I am also familiar with Apple’s Mobile Me cloud strategy – all good. However, many of the popular applications (iPhoto, iTunes, and Time Machine) are all natively built to support individual users on Mac-only hardware, rather than a more sophisticated open network approach.
Simple question I have – What happens when you have a wife and three kids, all with their own computers and looking to manage pictures from a central network file server in the house? Centrally managing photos across multiple computers is not a capability of iPhoto. This just blows my mind as networking is a staple everywhere. I was forced to use a beta version of Google’s Picasa to manage photos on my Mac. These issues compound themselves when you are managing music in iTunes or when trying to back-up your data across a network in Time Machine, which only allows for Mac equipment.
PCs and Windows have lots of issues I know all too well, yet an open architecture that capitalizes on hardware-agnostic networking across a LAN or WAN is a true strength.
2) PC’s are Less Expensive, Have More Software, And More Peripherals. Everyone talks about these items when comparing MACs and PCs, yet it is true and meaningful. Yes, more stuff can sometimes mean more problems.
3) Vista’s file management capabilities are more sophisticated. Possibly my file management needs don’t fall in the better half of the 80/20 rule for Apple and therefore they mitigated sophistication to meet the needs of a different typical user. Either way, the Finder toolset is not as good to me as Windows Explorer. A simple example – why can’t I cut/paste files from one Finder window to another?
