More To OS X Than Looks?
In a mail from Ian O'Rourke he says:
Now, cool looks and cool Mac OS X aside, what's been your experiences? Okay, it has Domino for it so I can do a lot there. It comes with the Mac equivalent of MS Works, etc?
Basically, [sell] me the Mac, warts and all!
Well Volker has already picked up the baton. As he says: the applications are easy to use and just work as you expect them to. This doesn't just apply to the OS X bundled software (which includes the MS Works equivalent, AppleWorks) but also all the shareware I've seen so far is equally as good. Both in terms of reliability and performance.
But, applications aside, if you are going to choose one OS over another it has to be purely about the overall usability. Now I know I will get shot down in flames for this but I still think Windows has the edge as far as I am concerned. However, this is probably down to nothing more than familiarity and, given a few years with an Apple, I will no doubt change my mind.
I've said before that I've found the Apple very "mouse intensive" work. With Windows I can do almost everything without the mouse. Just using Alt, Tab, Ctrl, Shft and Space most of the time.
Overall I like the Apple and have no regrets in buying it. It tends to get used mainly for reading the online news and writing emails while I sit and watch telly. If I have any real work to do, I'll be on the XP box.
If you're like my dad all you want a computer for is to write emails. Looking back I wish I had never given him a Windows machine as he doesn't really get on with it that well. However, if you're like me and rely on a whole host of different applications, constantly copying and pasting between them, you need to give it some more thought. Sorry Ian, I can't say whether or not your next laptop should be an Apple. You need to use one and decide for yourself.
PS: One complaint I do have is that my iBook has an American keyboard. The only difference being that the @ and " characters are the wrong way round. I've found no way of changing it. Very annoying.
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Interesting, and one always has to put things like this in the context of how you would use the Apple. A few stream of consciousness things:
(1) I'm naturally mouse intensive, I tend not to use the Windows short-cuts. So this is probably fine.
(2) It will mostly be a glorified word processor. I do a lot of writing: sites, articles, rpg stuff, etc, etc and it'll be used for that. Does the WP with Appleworks do grammer and spell checking in place, or is it a function you run?
(3) Browsing the Internet (hopefully downstaires with an airport card).
This is why I am considering an iBook, as I'm probably not particularly stretching it. I'm also not sure I'm that familiar with Windows (in a power user sense) to feel out of my depth.
Just thoughts, still thinking it through. Heck, the cool factor might be enough, I don't really need the machine, so its as good a reason as any. Let's face it, it's a big boys toy. A bit like when I used to by Star Trek merchandise, but more expensive, and cooler :)
Sounds like you need a mac to me.
Apple's spell checking is one of its cooler feature. It's system-wide so the same dictionary for all apps (as I understand it) and you can even check spelling in forms submitted by Safari. However, having a quick look at AppleWorks I can't see check spelling in place. The Mail.app does though. Strange.
You could try OpenOffice's new port to the mac {Link} or I saw an offer to get MS Office with a new mac for ~£140
I am also a user that uses both Mac OS and Microsoft... the biggest usability floor for Mac OS (and it has always been there) is... I just installed that App... now how do I get to it.
There's no automatic creation of an applications list. If the user has selected the wrong buttons and installed the application outside of the applications folder and they are new to the system you've gotta feel sorry for them trying to find it.
I find that most users deal with Windows XP a lot better than they take to OS X.
Just my thoughts... for Ian... given that computers are still a rather large investment. You should feel free going into a store and having a play one a system. See what you feel more comfortable with.
I use a nice little app called LaunchBar {Link} that acts like a replacement for the Dock. Can't imagine how I would manage apps without it.
I intend to have a good play in a shop. When I'm in the US I may visit an Apple store. Ooooh :)
Re: the shortcut keys Jake.
Have a look for a little app called QuicKeys. Personally I havent used it, but Ive meaning to have a play with it for ages.
{Link}
here's an interesting link i got in my inbox {Link}
My UMIST mentor Malcolm S. Powell actually owned a very early Mac that was signed inside the case by all the original Apple gang, including Jef Raskin, who Malcolm put me in touch with. Jef was one of the original Mac team. I think he actually came up with the name.
I was lucky enough to exchange emails about interface design with Jef, who had long left Apple at this point. Jef has some very thought-provoking ideas on design in general, and is well worth a read. Just google "Jef Raskin".
Very talented chap, also a keen baloonist and orchestral conductor as I recall.
American keyboard - hmm, no. Macs also have American keyboard settings, but rightly decided not to adopt the strange convention of putting the by far less used @ on a single handed key combination. I personally have to seek out American keyboards whenever I get a PC, cos the Apple layout (American or British) is far more sensible.
Too bad I can't get Domino on my A 1200...
My Dad wants an 'easy' email machine. If someone is non-computer literate, do any of you think a Mac ibook or imac would be user-kind enough to induce an older gent' to learn the ways of the web?
I'm looking at one of those kitchen-appliance type email machines for him (per request) but think he would really get into once he wrapped his mind around the 'window' concept. He's an engineer after all, hardly dumb.
My first machine way back in 86 was an Apple IIc. When I went off to college I upgraded to my first mac. I didn't even know about DOS or Windows. I was forced to learn windows and I hated it. 13 years later my sister buys the new 17" iMac on my recommendation. What a mistake... Thank God it wasn't my money!
XP is stable, fast, and user friendly.
Apple is a decent machine, to be sure, but what about open architecture? Until that happens, I can't see myself shelling out for a machine that I have to re-purchase to upgrade. Granted I use an older version of Windows at the moment, but I'm starting the process of customizing my Linux box.
What part of the machine do you need to be open? You can upgrade ram, hard drives, video card - even the processor and motherboard if you really wanted to!
Apple uses standard components in everything these days - bar the CPU and motherboard - but they can be upgraded via 3rd party options - just like a PC is!
With respect to upgrading:
I thought, like Mat, most things can be upgraded. Also, in my experience, not many people significantly upgrade their laptop during its lifetime.
But everyone differs.
Jake, I agree with you that LaunchBar makes life on the Mac very easy. I can't imagine ever having to work without it, in fact I think it should be part of the OS. On my PC, I recently upgraded to XP, and the cluttered Start menu, which has always been an annoyance to me, has gotten even worse. This made me long for LaunchBar-like functionality on the PC ... and I found it. Check out SnapLaunch at {Link} For just under $12 it's a real bang for the buck.
Ian, you are right - not many people do upgrade their laptops - bar putting more ram or a larger hard drive inside.
That said, the desktop machines all use industry standard equipment. All you need is the correct drivers for Mac (or linux even in most cases) and youre away. Im yet to run into a USB device that my Mac cant handle out of the box (no drivers required!)
Mat
What about speed? Obviously we build up a 'track record' of assessing speed when it comes to Pentium computers, but these G3 things are totally new to me?
Is it possible to set markers, like its about the same as a Pentium such and such - or do all the factors make that pointless?
Malcolm Powell was my hero too! A true star!