Snow Leopard
Apple control or Microsoft freedom?
Over the last few weeks I have been running what some would consider to be a bit of an experiment, I have been using my Laptop at work but then using a MacBook at home. The idea being initially to get used to the Mac OS as we have a couple of Mac users at work, one of whom sometimes needs a bit of assistance. I can assist with most problems that are PC based, but Mac’s have been a bit of a mystery to me until now!
Now I don’t usually like to ‘over egg’ things but in this instance I have to admit that the Apple experience has been somewhat of a revelation! I am used to my colleague Tim Garratt championing the Apple cause, and have always had him down as a bit of an ‘apple fanboy’ – this is probably true as he loves his Mac and all his other Apple kit. The difference now is that I completely understand where he is coming from!
I will admit to being an iPhone fan having been won over by its ease of use as it has developed since appearing 3 years ago (and by default i now want an iPad). But I have always been sceptical about Mac’s. But no longer…
As an example if I want to update my blog at home I have been using my iPhone as it is already on and gives me quick easy (if small) access to WordPress. Getting my laptop out takes ages – especially the boot up! Now however I can get out the Mac and it boots from cold in around 30 seconds (assuming it’s not just sleeping in which case it’s instant).
Also everything just works on the Mac, no ‘little glitches’, just use something and it works every time – no freezes of the whole machine like on a PC – use it and it’s done!
More telling to me has been both my wife and my son Sam, both have used the Mac and once they got use to things like the two fingers on the track pad for left click they absolutely love it, and neither of them had used this OS before.
PC fans always make a big thing about how ‘controlling’ Apple are and how they stop any third-party app development. Fair point, but as with iPhone this makes sure it works every time straight out of the box. So s far as I am concerned I am all for Apples approach.
Then of course we have the cost of Apple products – always a major argument, and yes, they are costly. But, I am typing this on a MacBook purchased in late 2007, and still running perfectly and fast, would a 5-year-old laptop be as good – I seriously doubt it! Yes £1000 is a lot, but I think in that time span probably 2 laptops would be purchased to one Mac – doesn’t look such a poor purchase decision now does it!
So there you have it, I am a convert!
The better OS?
I have always been a PC user, both at home and at work. We have a few Macs at work but historically they have been poor in the enterprise environment (and are expensive) so have not made any further in roads into our work environment.
In recent years we have slowly been moving over to Windows 7, we managed to avoid Vista as this was in my opinion one of Microsoft’s ‘pups’. At the same time the iPhone has arrived in work starting a slow transition to Apple products generally?
I currently run a Windows 7 laptop and find it stable and fairly quick and user-friendly. However I have always had an urge to try out the Mac OS. This week my chance has come – one of my colleagues has updated his old MacBook to a MacBook pro, this has provided me with the chance to set up a new Mac and then take on the old MacBook to try out the OS properly.
My thoughts? Well setting up the new machine was very quick and easy. Minimal input is required by the user (and if I was a real Mac fan and had a timeport it would be totally automated). First point to OS Lion then.
I also found as a Mac virgin that the OS was pretty intuitive – not as much as the iPhone iOS but not bad – certainly better than Windows 7 in this regard – two nil to Apple.
Also one of my dislikes of Windows is how long it takes to boot up – from cold is an age and from ‘sleep’ is still far longer than a Mac takes even to boot from cold!
The big test however in my opinion is whether the ‘old Mac’ running Snow Leopard could fit into my home system happily and work for my day-to-day use? The answer I have found is mainly yes. The only potential problem appears to be compatibility with my windows machines and access to the networked printer. I am sure I will solve this, but it somehow grates with the fact that it does everything else so easily.
Mac fans have always told me that a Mac ‘just works’ and that appears to be true, as a stand alone machine or in a fully Mac environment it would be unbeatable.
Am I tempted to change? Definitely. Will it happen soon? Unlikely purely on cost grounds, but when my work laptop dies a MacBook pro would be nice! Also I have a strong urge to have a MacBook air – now there is a machine so close in concept to my beloved Psion Netbook that it has to be the machine for me – I have a big Birthday coming up………
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