tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post6840625908460039939..comments2024-03-19T13:29:04.853-04:00Comments on David Alison's Blog: Switching from Windows to Mac - One Year LaterDavid Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-11570338005178286882010-06-05T15:41:50.626-04:002010-06-05T15:41:50.626-04:00Everybody I know who bought Macs say their compute...Everybody I know who bought Macs say their computer problems stopped the day they bought their Mac. <br /><br />I wish I could say the same of my Windows Vista laptop, but that would be a lie. <br /><br />I believe there is a bit of a learning curve when you buy a Mac, but I am sure it can be overcome.<br /><br />My next purchase will be a Mac. I have heard the same story from too many different sources now to ignore it any longer.Chris Boshoffhttp://www.ergonomicchairadvice.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-29486642646567021362009-09-01T02:47:26.369-04:002009-09-01T02:47:26.369-04:00I switched 3 weeks ago to a Mac Pro Dual Quad core...I switched 3 weeks ago to a Mac Pro Dual Quad core for video editing. I am using Bootcamp for my windows apps that I cannot easily replace with mac, specifically Bible study software, I am a minister but also the IT guy at the church.<br /><br />I got sick of Adobe Premier crashing trying to make this small 50 minute video I was trying to make. I have made longer ones before with no problem. I was using Vista but had no other problems other than Adobe Premiere. I reinstalled Vista. I added more RAM. On reinstall I only put Premiere and the video clips on the system - still would not work.<br />I gave up and bought my Mac.<br /><br />Apple is the only real computer store left in our area - funny I live 45 minutes from Silicon Valley in Northern California and no major computer retailer is left - Circuit City and CompUsa are closed. Best Buy and Costco only sell entry to mid-level machines. Dell is okay if you can wait a week or two for a custom build and shipping. But there are no more helpful local retail stores here but Apple.<br /><br />I am a heavy user as well - especially video and graphics. My Mac Pro kicked out that 50 minute video in iMovie and iDVD without blinking once I converted the MPEG2 files over to .dv files.<br /><br />I love all the new apps that came with my Mac also. I am still a Windows guy at work; but Mac guy at home; and I would not go back.<br /><br />Brian, Daly City, CaliforniaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-89523813326687089242009-04-10T16:50:00.000-04:002009-04-10T16:50:00.000-04:00@Digispeak: That's great to hear! There are a coup...@Digispeak: That's great to hear! There are a couple of things that will probably be irritating at first, though they are relatively minor. If you go back through to the start of my blogging you'll see that I document quite a few of the missteps I have. Good luck and enjoy that new Mac!David Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-42208958799375443432009-04-10T16:35:00.000-04:002009-04-10T16:35:00.000-04:00I just had my new iMac delivered today. I am a fir...I just had my new iMac delivered today. I am a first time Mac user after having spent 20 years as a PC user. My PC laptop crashed two weeks ago and I felt this was a good time to make the transition. I really didn't want to experience Vista at all and as good as XP has been, paying for a "professional downgrade" seemed counter productive. Also I bought my first Apple product last fall, the iPhone, which I love. Making the iPhone available to the mass market was a genius marketing move for helping people find their way to a Mac. So here I am with my 24 inch iMac and I am psyched!Digispeakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00525792941907652413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-38593283107484852962009-03-16T03:54:00.000-04:002009-03-16T03:54:00.000-04:00Happy birthday !I've been starting reading your bl...Happy birthday !<BR/><BR/>I've been starting reading your blog soon after you started it<BR/><BR/>Its always very pleasant, and I've been learning many things even if I started working with Macs since ... 1985<BR/><BR/>All the best and thank youFredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12106736081578514445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-25829610342009276112009-03-15T23:05:00.000-04:002009-03-15T23:05:00.000-04:00Great blog. I've read passed it on to quite a few ...Great blog. I've read passed it on to quite a few Windows Sufferers I know.<BR/><BR/>My first Mac was a 512K back in January 1985. Never HAD to switch! I'd switch to cuneiform before going to Windows!<BR/><BR/>If you use multiple monitors, get a trackball. Trying to traverse that much real estate with a mouse is inefficient and just plain torture! Trackball = fast, efficient, accurate and no hand strain.<BR/><BR/>Seriously. Once you take a few hours to get used to it, you'll never go back to a mouse full-time.<BR/><BR/>Get the Kensington Expert Mouse.<BR/>http://us.kensington.com/html/2200.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-76895593126615106702009-03-15T19:14:00.000-04:002009-03-15T19:14:00.000-04:00@Defeat Globalism said: "Consider using Ubuntu. It...@Defeat Globalism said: "Consider using Ubuntu. It just works"<BR/><BR/>LOL. I've found Ubuntu a chore to use.<BR/><BR/>It might work and be reliable, but that's not the same as "it just works". <BR/><BR/>You can't really explain "It just works". It's a realization you get after some time using a Mac. Usually triggered by encountering a Windows user complaining about something, and you think back over your Mac experience and realise ""it just works". You look back and feel like you've been on cruise control.<BR/><BR/>Even with 20 years working in IT support, I've always found Linux challenging. Even Ubuntu, which is one of the more friendly Linuxes around.<BR/><BR/>"It just works" is about the whole experience, not just whether apps work or crash. It's also about how much work the user has to do with their grey matter to use the system.<BR/><BR/>"It just works" is the whole experience.Chris Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00146068799711174632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-89891963525649564132009-03-15T08:32:00.000-04:002009-03-15T08:32:00.000-04:00Macs come with a fairly complete development envir...Macs come with a fairly complete development environment. Using the Aaron Hillegass book, I wrote an application the first week I owned my mini. (Small app that allowed drives to be renamed. It had a GUI w/ a volume picker, and buttons with icons on them. I didn't know that "Get Info" allowed one to do that yet!)<BR/>I found developing GUI programs that ran on Windows or X11 much more difficult.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08418532330203946313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-31813763932307710642009-03-15T00:24:00.000-04:002009-03-15T00:24:00.000-04:00I was 100% windows desktop in the 90's and up to a...I was 100% windows desktop in the 90's and up to about 2002. Then used Mandrake linux (before it became that terrible Mandriva) as a desktop at work for several years. Switched to Ubuntu for several years on a laptop here at home up until about 2005. Switched to a mac and will never look back.<BR/><BR/>Don't get me wrong, Ubuntu was awesome. But I always used the idea of "Could my grandmother use it.". I've had several problems getting lots of things working on this laptop. Upgrading Ubuntu to each version was also usually problematic. I got through it cause I know what I'm doing and loved to hack things. My grandmother, not so much and she shouldn't have to.<BR/><BR/>Opinions will vary, but Macs seem to be mucher easier to work with that windows/linux ever was. I am trying to get my family to switch to macs in the next few years. I am so sick of spending hours upon hours supporting things like virus's, trojans, spyware. 3 family members have re-installed their Windows OS at least twice this year. ughhh<BR/><BR/>Speaking of pomposity, there are pompous people on every OS. I've had Planet Ubuntu on my RSS reader for a longgg time. Believe me, there are some pompous people there also. BUT you certainly wouldn't see me coming to a knee-jerk conclusion that running Ubuntu requires any kind of pomposity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-3001374390559170532009-03-15T00:19:00.000-04:002009-03-15T00:19:00.000-04:00Exactly the reasons why I switched to a Macbook re...Exactly the reasons why I switched to a Macbook recently. I was tired of being "scared" of coming back from work to find my home PC unusable due to some malware. Tired of watching the processes to see what is taking 100% CPU or memory on my home PC with a decent 1 GB ram. <BR/>My Macbook is an entry level white macbook. It has only been a month since I got one. But so far it has been the most amazing experience. Especially after being a windows user for the past 13+ years. I have been a developer on the Windows 3.1 days.<BR/>I bumped into your blog while searching for the keyboard shortcuts for pageup pagedown. Thanks for the simple to-the-point information. I am sure to visit again for tips.Anil Nairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14212929431488758822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-60544979834505048262009-03-14T23:47:00.000-04:002009-03-14T23:47:00.000-04:00@Defeat Globalism: I do use Ubuntu; it's the OS I ...@Defeat Globalism: I do use Ubuntu; it's the OS I install on older PCs that I keep around. Owning a Mac doesn't require pomposity. As Khumpty points out, anyone can be pompous. Even people that like Ubuntu.David Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-68917787820170152132009-03-14T20:08:00.000-04:002009-03-14T20:08:00.000-04:00The pomposity isn't required. It comes from actual...The pomposity isn't required. It comes from actually using the hardware and software. Anytime you know you've made a good decision there's an innate sense of pomposity. Just like you seem to have for Linux.Kylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771486416697206325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-40125740546541598172009-03-14T20:02:00.000-04:002009-03-14T20:02:00.000-04:00Consider using Ubuntu. It just works, and costs no...Consider using Ubuntu. It just works, and costs nothing, and doesn't require the pomposity that owning a Mac seems to require.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-79883997502126604182009-03-14T19:47:00.000-04:002009-03-14T19:47:00.000-04:00David, if you want to get a kernel panic, just do ...David, if you want to get a kernel panic, just do an important demo to a client. That's how I got my first one. :)<BR/><BR/>In comments you said "I was really shocked to see how little 'technical support' I've had to provide"<BR/><BR/>My brother bought a Mac a few years back. He would ring every month or so with a prob on his PC, so decided to switch to a Mac.<BR/><BR/>It was Feb. For the next 7 months I didn't hear from him. I thought he must hate it and thrown it in a corner somewhere, I mean, I had even had calls about how to use it. I was afraid to call and ask what had happened, and I would avoid asking him when I saw him.<BR/><BR/>In Sept he finally rang again. Loved his Mac, just hadn't had any problems. :)Chris Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00146068799711174632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-19928629282455926392009-03-14T13:54:00.000-04:002009-03-14T13:54:00.000-04:00I was very much in the same boat. Growing tired o...I was very much in the same boat. Growing tired of spending more time babysitting windows so that it performed normally. Updating AV, Patches, fixing the registry, we've all been there....but 2 years ago I said enough and got a iMac to do video editing and never looked back. I use a mini as a primary machine and iMac for video editing and photoshop....hope to get a mac pro this year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-45409911992261607672009-03-14T13:30:00.000-04:002009-03-14T13:30:00.000-04:00in relation to the iPhoto part:you can set iPhoto ...in relation to the iPhoto part:<BR/>you can set iPhoto to share your library with other people running iPhoto (it shows up on the left side), so you don't need to have the folder structure available. You can set a password on this so only authorized users can access it.<BR/><BR/>another option is Aperture or Lightroom which both will use your existing folder structure, although some people find it too complex.<BR/><BR/>Personally I have grown to love iPhoto, I pretty much forget about how its organized, I add comments, keywords, which allows instant search for specific people/places (now with '09 this has gotten a bit easier even) and by using Smart Albums I have general categories made to find certain types of pictures rather than of specific people or places.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-54817567867627501442009-03-14T12:05:00.000-04:002009-03-14T12:05:00.000-04:00Good idea. A friend just bought her two kids MacBo...Good idea. A friend just bought her two kids MacBooks. Nice machines with the new graphics card. And easy to swap out the hard drive. Amazing engineering.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-55688068920517747232009-03-14T09:15:00.000-04:002009-03-14T09:15:00.000-04:00@Neil Anderson: Thanks man; I'm actually going to ...@Neil Anderson: Thanks man; I'm actually going to hit up the Apple store and pick up a Mac Mini for him. He's a junior in High School so I figure I'll be buying him a new MacBook in about a year and half and then reposes the Mini and turn it into a media center machine.David Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-85900773880895582972009-03-14T07:07:00.000-04:002009-03-14T07:07:00.000-04:00Try Windows Server 2008 - great OS! It's windows b...Try Windows Server 2008 - great OS! It's windows but stable. I recommend it over OS X as a desktop OS. <BR/><BR/>OS X definitely wins on the laptop. And Linux rules but not for personal computing.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10533654070169337239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-80911821817337764192009-03-14T02:23:00.000-04:002009-03-14T02:23:00.000-04:00Happy Anniversary!ps A 24-inch iMac would be great...Happy Anniversary!<BR/><BR/>ps A 24-inch iMac would be great for your son. My iMac makes me smile even when it's not on. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-83063420497757571292009-03-14T02:19:00.000-04:002009-03-14T02:19:00.000-04:00Agreed... I was just pointing out the fact that di...Agreed... I was just pointing out the fact that difference is because Microsoft is targeting a wider range of audience, where as Apple the high-end quality conscious subset. Though they are solving the same purpose, their targets are different. My point is not against a healthy comparison, but about “why the crap” kind of comparison. Remember, sometimes “time” matters more than the “perfect” quality.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-22266513785145865082009-03-14T01:00:00.000-04:002009-03-14T01:00:00.000-04:00@WinMac: Can't compare them because they have a di...@WinMac: Can't compare them because they have a different approach? Each company has chosen to provide people with solutions to personal computing. Apple has done it in a completely closed and controlled way, from the hardware and software right through the sales and service experience. Microsoft has done it through the partnership model, with many companies providing the various parts and services.<BR/><BR/>It's a bit of a cop-out to say you can't compare the two because they try to solve the same problem (personal computing) in different ways. I think it's very important to compare and contrast them; that's how companies are pushed to improve.David Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-81291942824464986332009-03-14T00:48:00.000-04:002009-03-14T00:48:00.000-04:00@MaxPug: Thanks for the kind words, I do appreciat...@MaxPug: Thanks for the kind words, I do appreciate it. MS has bundled a basic backup solution in Windows for many, many years but Apple changed the game a bit with Time Machine. Instead of "doing backup" like it's always been done, Apple understood the hassles associated with it and created a solution that addresses the problem from a user's standpoint. I'm pretty confident that MS will "embrace and extend" the Time Machine concept in the next release of Windows. My personal hope is that Apple and Microsoft continue to push each other in an effort to win over users.<BR/><BR/>@Sesh: If we've all learned anything with the economic crisis lately it's that people shouldn't buy things they cannot afford, whether it's a new car, a house or even a Mac. <BR/><BR/>The issue is if you ARE going to buy a new computer switching from PCs to Macs will be more expensive but if you reduce the experience of running a computer down to purely one of dollars then it's unlikely ANY argument could be made—even one showing that Macs have a lower TCO—that would convince you to consider a Mac.<BR/><BR/>Whichever operating system makes you happy and productive is the one you should choose, whether it's Mac, Windows or Linux.David Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-31374526111046618992009-03-14T00:41:00.000-04:002009-03-14T00:41:00.000-04:00Hi,I accept that the "Mac" is a superb platform. B...Hi,<BR/><BR/>I accept that the "Mac" is a superb platform. But you can't compare it with Windows since, since it is a generic operating system that targets a lot of different hardware (I mean PCs). Here the challenge is much higher than what Apple has. Apple builds software only for their predefined hardware configurations and can come up with high quality software. But on the other hand Microsoft has to test on various hardware combinations and still they are doing a wonderful job. If you want to test the Mac OS, then they should make it open to any hardware, and should just sell it as an OS. But they won’t do that, since the supporting will be tough. And apple won't make it much into the market since they like to have a monopoly. Moreover the stability and performance of Mac OS comes from its UNIX ancestryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-30951158969476333702009-03-13T23:41:00.000-04:002009-03-13T23:41:00.000-04:00Congrats on making it to Hacker news. You almost i...Congrats on making it to Hacker news. <BR/><BR/>You almost inspire one to switch to Macs. As good they are, the overall cost of owning a Mac is prohibitive for me:<BR/><BR/>From backups to upgrades everything has to be brought from Apple only. <BR/><BR/>Sometimes I think Mac software is stable because they STRICTLY control what hardware it runs on.<BR/><BR/>Also one can never build their own Mac.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com