Switcher's lament: The case against Mac

Think moving from a Windows PC to a Mac is easy? My experience, and my wife's, may encourage you to think differently. Here's the story:

When my latest Thinkpad began to get unreasonably slow, as Windows laptops often do after a year or so of use, I thought it'd be a good time to jump to the Mac platform for a while to see what the fuss was about. My wife's three-year-old laptop was running out of gas as well, so I thought she and I could make the change together. I was looking forward to an interesting period of learning a new platform, and I thought my wife, a heavy e-mail and Internet user but not someone who enjoys tinkering, would appreciate the fit and finish of products in the Apple ecosystem. I didn't think we'd have to give up much.

I bought a matched pair of MacBooks for us, and, over the holidays, we went cold turkey, leaving the Windows machines at home while we traveled to my wife Jennifer's parents for a 10-day-long holiday stay.

Technologically, it was not the happiest of vacations.

Skin deep?

(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET News)

Before I get into the things that have been driving us batty, let me just say that the Apple hardware we moved to is gorgeous, and has been reliable. I'm enjoying the stability of OS X and the genius of the multitouch trackpad. And I love that fact that after I put the MacBook to sleep by closing the lid I don't have to worry about it not starting again when I open it.

But when it comes to the different applications my wife and I use, and to moving data from the Windows realm to the Mac, and to accessing hardware we already have, the process of switching continues to be rocky. Not all of the issues we have are with Apple products, and that's rather the point: No platform exists in a vacuum. People use other apps, and have their own training and preexisting hardware. Switching means overcoming a lot of technological inertia.

User interface
The first hurdle a switcher must leap is the shift to the Mac OS X interface. The shortcut keys and UI conventions of Windows don't apply on a Mac. Some of the changes are easy to make, but some are not. Other UI differences touted as superior by Mac nuts I am getting used to but still don't appreciate. The Mac menu bar is always on the top of the screen, not the application window, so you can end up with a menu bar for one program showing while your workspace is from another. The oddity vanishes with a click of a mouse, but it makes no sense to me, UI theory notwithstanding. And so on. Nothing major, and the concepts are not radically different. It's like learning a new dialect of your mother tongue.

E-mail
Both Jennifer and I were using Outlook on our PCs before we moved to the Mac. I connect to CNET's Exchange servers, and my wife uses POP e-mail hosted by her small company. I loaded up Entourage on my Mac so I could continue to use our corporate servers. I found it a pale imitation of Outlook. It doesn't do as much (no color-coding by rule, for example) and the interface is quirky. There's a three-pane view as there in Outlook, but you can't customize it, and it's a big waster of space. I may learn to accept it, but I don't think so. I put Jennifer on Mac Mail and it's working ok for her for new e-mail.

The real problem was importing messages from Outlook into a Mac Mail app. There's no graceful way. Neither Entourage nor Mac Mail read Outlook PST archive files. There is a workaround: Use the PC version of Thunderbird as an intermediary. It reads PSTs and writes MBox files, which Mac Mail imports. (There's also a paid app, Outlook2Mail, but it didn't work for us). Unfortunately, Mail on Jennifer's Mac would crash after I imported the MBox files from Thunderbird. A little Google searching led me to rebuild the Mac Mail index file, which seems to have fixed the problem. But I moved us to Macs to avoid this kind of hackery.

By the way, Apple says that stronger support for Exchange servers in Mac Mail will be coming in the Snow Leopard release of OS X this year. We'll learn more about this at the January 6 MacWorld keynote.

Calendar and mobile devices
Jennifer can't stand Apple's iCal. There's no week view that shows as much information as you can get in Outlook, and she's been getting invitations to meetings sent from Outlook users without critical information in them.

Personally, I find the calendar in Entourage just fine.

But Jennifer is also a BlackBerry user. To date, we have not found a workable way to sync her Mac and her company's group Yahoo event calendar to the handheld. PocketMac, distributed by RIM, simply does not work for her as advertised. A popular workaround that uses Google services as an intermediary won't work for her either. It requires Jennifer to upgrade her company's Yahoo calendar to the new version, but doing so will cause her colleagues' installations of Intellisync to fail, leaving them without Outlook sync for their calendars. For these reasons, she's now using her old laptop alongside her new Mac, and keeping a paper calendar as well. This is clearly not a workable strategy for her and is causing some friction in our marriage as well. Thanks a lot, Mac.

Photos
Compared to Picasa, which Jennifer and I had been using on our Windows machines, the Mac's iPhoto product is frustrating. Its need to create its own copies of images on our hard disks makes no sense to us.The fact that I have to manually import images into its library is a big drag on my work flow. Picasa simply adds new images on your hard disk when you fire up the program. This is not just a hiccup caused by apps being different on one platform than the other. In this case, the primary app to accomplish a task on the new platform is inferior to the old one. I'm waiting for a better solution.

Music
I have not even tried to move my iTunes library from my PC over to the Mac. The instructions scare me. And that's ridiculous. It's the same program on both platforms--the data should be easy to move.

Other nits
It seems that every day one of us will find something on the Mac that doesn't work as it is supposed to. CNET's VPN application, Aventail, for example, won't reconnect to the company private network if the laptop wakes from sleep, until after I reboot my Mac. This is a problem only on some LANs (like the one at my house), though. And Skype auto-starts on a Mac, even if you ask it not to. In order to disable this, I had to do a Google search to find the secret to disabling auto-start in an OS X dialog box. There's no way to correct this behavior in Skype itself.

We found it very difficult to print photos on our HP ink-jet printer. Although the device came with support for OS X, which is nice, in order to print to the photo tray from within iPhoto, we have to go three levels into an obscure and sadistically-designed dialog box. Every time we want to print a photo. On the PC, photos printed on the right paper automatically. And in the new Picasa, forget it, there's just no way to print to the photo tray on my HP.

Also, in our house we have an HP Media Smart Server, a solid backup device. Apple's Time Machine backup app won't currently backup over the network to this or any other non-Apple network storage product. Fortunately, an upcoming update to the HP software will allow most Time Machine functionality to run over the network on the HP. But until it arrives, we're backing up to local USB hard drives.

Things don't "just work" the way the Apple ads say they do.

Web apps--the great equalizer
One thing that makes switching easier today than it's been in the past: Web apps and cross-platform products. If you use Google apps like Gmail or Google Docs, the Mac is great. Using my favorite Twitter apps, Twhirl and Tweetdeck, was a snap, since they are AIR apps, and AIR runs on both Mac and Windows. My favorite note-taking app Evernote is cross-platform, too (Mac / PC / Web), and after I installed, it automatically downloaded all my notes from the cloud. Cool. I also like being able to sync my data files across my Mac and my desktop PC using Microsoft's free Live Sync (Apple's competitor, Mobile Me, costs $99 a year).

On the other hand, Office 2008 for the Mac bears little resemblance to Office 2007 for Windows. I've just gotten used to the new Windows version of Word and Excel. Now I have to learn a new suite for the Mac?

Back to Windows
There is one thing I really do like about my new MacBook: It is a good laptop for running Vista (using Boot Camp), even if it is a bit expensive for that purpose considering its specs. But after two weeks of resisting, I am dropping back to Vista on my MacBook, at least during this critical week, when I will be covering both MacWorld and CES and will have no patience for a computer that gets in my way and apps that don't work the way they should. Vista and XP also run inside Mac OS X using virtualization apps like VMWare Fusion, which I have tried and find amazing--but a bit slow for production work. Upgrading my MacBook's memory may help performance, and I plan on giving that a try.

I still want to give myself more time to get comfortable with the Mac, but I don't know how much longer I'll be able to stand apps that don't work (like Aventail or HP's printer drivers) or an e-mail product that makes me less productive than Outlook. If I was starting from scratch and buying my first computer, or if neither I nor my wife worked for companies with entrenched non-Mac-friendly e-mail systems, I might be singing a different song. But we're not high school students, we're grownups with serious amounts of technological baggage. The Mac has not been treating us well as we've tried to switch.

Editors' note: Some weeks after this article was published, Rafe posted a follow-up account. Catch up on his further adventures at "Together in harmony: Mac and PC."

[Perry_Clease]

Rafe, it is time to quit your day job. :)

[Mark_Anderson]

Nope, it's a valid point. Macs do not 'just work'.

[sobishop]

Sounds like he is trying to use his MAC as a productivity PC which it is not marketed as nor is it really designed with that in mind.

[tappy727]

This article is spot-on. The "menu bar for one program showing while your workspace is from another" thing really does make no sense for a company like Apple that prides itself in their UI. It does work really is intended for those that drink the cool-aid and use only Apple software and Apple hardware. Of course there is always blaming the other party too. For the rest of us, switch to a Mac but don't get rid of that PC yet because it can come in pretty useful.

[jjesusfreak01]

Seriously, everyone knows macs are just for messing around, not actually getting work done...

[GeorgeMcBay]

@tappy -- There is actually some UI theory behind the one menu, that being that any UI component that is flush with one of the sides of the screen is much easier to 'hit' because you don't need pixel precision, you just slam the mouse up and you'll always get to the menu bar. Having the flushed fixed menu is an ideal target according to 'Fitts Law'.

Having said that, I personally much prefer the way Windows (and most Linux wm/desktops) does menus, window controls (minimize/maximize/close), etc. It is a shame there isn't a built-in Mac mode where you can just switch to the Windows style of menu/window UI while keeping the MacOS look, it wouldn't be that hard to add to the OS and it would make switching much easier, but it is the sort of thing Apple will never do because of their belief that there is only One True Way to do these sorts of things, user experience of switchers be damned.

[MartyG54]

Door handle or door knob???

They are different approaches, each with pluses and minuses. That's the point!

[Razor Boy]

This is a very honest and heart felt attempt by someone with more than average computer experience. The truth is that it does not matter if it is Apple, Microsoft, Sun, Linux or whatever... THIS IS THE STATE OF COMPUTING!!!

Nothing work right out of the box. Operating systems and programs take hours and hours to get them setup and configured. Apple has priced themselves out of the business environment and Microsoft constantly struggles with hardware manufacturers dumping garbage hardware on the market that needs to run a bloated OS. There is no middle ground in computing. Maybe everyone in the business needs to stop saying how everyone else sux and think about the end user for a change. That would truly be innovative.

[kylebuttermore]

this article is soooo true, macs don't "just work" like the commercial says!

[Wei_Zhu]

I agree with the author. I decided to get MacBook Pro last year when it was time to replace my work laptop because I was attracted by the look of Mac hardware and heard all the great stories about Mac OS. However, two months later I found myself using Vista in bootcamp most of the time because I couldn?t get used to The Mac Way ?. Unfortunately, I also didn?t find running Windows on Mac to be ideal. Running VMWare makes my MacBook too hot because it consumes 30-40% of CPU even on idle. Running BootCamp has frustrating problems with keyboard (missing page down/backspace), mouse pad (right click), and clock differences.
My little experiment with Mac ended three months later when I changed job. At my new company, I got another MacBook Pro laptop on the first day because when HR called me to asked what kind of laptop I want, I wasn?t there and wife told them that I currently use a Mac). So I quickly asked for a ThinkPad instead ?.

[man290663]

The Issue here is not that Macs are bad but that changing fro what you are used to scrares people. changing from Office to lotus would instill the same issues (I know we did that the opposite way round on the same platform and it took us 3 months to get used to it all).

People are scared of change and that will always be the same if you get used to something even if its a bad (office 2007 for example) then use office 2008 on the mac you will feel frustration as things you learnt do not work but had you moved from the office 2003 interface to office 2008 you'd see it flowed smoothly. the culprit here is office 2007 for windows...

People change peripherals regularly and the fact that printer X does not work the same under Mac and Windows is not a mac problem but the printer makes and HP have been notoriously bad in their Mac support. Canon and Epson on the other hand have better offerings in Mac than Windows.

Going from a Ford to a GM offering may bring up as much angst.

as for problems moving music fom windows to itunes its so easy even my grandmother could do it:-

in windows locate the 'My Documents/My Music/Itunes/Itunes music folder copy the entire folder to a flash drive or USB hard drive . then swithc on itunes in the mac.. plug in the USB drive - drag it onto the library Icon in itunes and it transfers all your music in one go.. if yuo have games and ipod touch/iphone apps as well then you do the same with the 'games and apps folders'


the problem is that because the Mac OS can support dual booting into windows many people are not prepared to put the effort into making the transitiuon a full one and learn accordingly (bit like giving up smoking) when they can sneak in a crafty cigarette (Boot into windows) has the dual boot option not been there I am sure that the author would have been prepared to comit fully to learning how to do things.

[TastyEwok]

It sounds like you're approaching your Mac like a PC. Of course you're going to be frustrated.

[supoman]

Agreed. That's like wanting a BMER to be a Chevy. You'll have to get use to your computer not just being a tool but more of an assistant or an extension of your creativity. It's not a huge jump. You can do it!!

[loose_screw]

Apple marketing and fanboys make it sound like it's easy as pie switching from Windows to OS X, and that's the whole point of this article--it's not.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both Windows PCs and Macs, like with anything there's no "perfect" product for everyone.

[Mark_Anderson]

And what should he approach it like? The purpose of a personal computer is to run applications, not to be an advert for an operating system. If Macs 'just work' you should be able to approach them from any point of view.

[dhs92]

Think about this, if one is used to seeing things done a certain way, obviously you get used to that method. So when you see a mac equivalent and don't see those things you were used to seeing whether it looks like, acts like a pc version then one will probably get frustrated with it. Nobody from Apple says that switching won't take some time, but we Apple users that were pc users before will probably never go back. And all the frustrations you're wife is going thru are not things that Apple hasn't thought of. I mean she isn't the first one to react to a mac like this, especially a business oriented pc user, which sounds like she is. I bet that any of your frustrations and questions can be all taken care of at any Mac Genius bar, thats what they are there for. 100% customer satisfaction guaranteed. And if you visit with them and tell them all your troubles and you still can't adapt, then I suggest another new pc laptop. good luck.

[Maresian]

You can't say that all PC users who switched to mac don't regret it. I have worked with PC's for 15 years, siwtched to mac last year, and have been using my mac since then in OSX. That said, I still don't like it. There are some things that do work better, and some things that don't. However, I do not like the "Let me hold your hand and walk you through the steps" point of view that seems to be the method of choice for Macs. For a normal home user that does internet, Office and email, this might work fine, but I much prefer having all the options available.

I think other people have been very good in their analysis. Macs work for some people and don't work for others. There is no perfect operating system. Blaming it on the person who is trying to switch is not a good way to solve things. It does take time to switch, which is partly apple's fault, and partly the third party programs fault (Office, Palm, Skype). Overall, It's just a different set of problems that appears.

[sweaty_taco]

lol at supoman. did you type that with a straight face? lol classic.

[Jkirk3279]

Re: "tappy727,

It's impossible for the menu bar for one program to show while another program is your workspace, because the menu bar automatically matches whatever you have in focus."

Technically, it can happen. Windows users are accustomed to quitting apps just by closing the main window. But mainstream Mac Apps don't work that way.

To confuse matters, Apple apps like Calculator DO quit when you close the window: that's a legacy from OS 9.

Listen folks, on the Mac you quit an app by going to File:Quit, or pressing Apple-Q.

No matter how many times I explain this, I often find that my nephew or my Mother has just closed the main window in Safari, and then can't figure out what happened.


If you simply close the main window, the app will keep running. So you might "see" OS X Mail running, while the menu bar for Safari is still up and running.

[MaggieRed]

I like how you blame Apple for application developers own application issues, specially Microsoft. Why are you not on Microsoft's case for making its office products identical on both platforms or their stupid interface?

You are definitely one of a few select individuals who have these bizarre issues, as I have not heard but only minor issues from hardcore Windows users who switch to OS X platforms.

I've never had any issue printing to any HP printer, nor any other printer as a matter of fact it is usually Windows that has all the issues of configuring printers.

All of your nitpicking is too much to respond to, have you ever considered it might be you trying to make OS X and the applications behave like Microsoft? Probably not.

I'd suggest you ask for some help for someone more experienced to guide you a bit and give you better advice before you sit down to write a trash piece on CNET.

I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that would love to have your MacBooks should you consider giving them away so you can return to Windows and PC hardware. Good luck.

Why did you choose to use Entourage and not just set up Mac mail on the Exchange server? I've been using it for years on our company's Exchange servers with no issues. It integrates seamlessly with iCal, which by the way there is a selection at the top that you choose to view the calendar in either day, week or month mode.

[sharmajunior]

What he is simply stating is that even after reading the instructions for both OSX and Windows O/Ses & apps, he still has problems let alone long processes/boxes to go through to get his work done and sometimes he finds it to be incompatible completely. Hence, the process is not as simple as stated by both companies in their various ads.

The switch over even for a business person is not easy from Windows to OSX and Vice-Versa.

[fokkwp]

Er, I've worked both platforms for years - as user and support person - and there are definite parts of the Windows interface that I greatly prefer over Mac. One is the simple ability to resize a window from any edge - compared to only being able to resize from the lower right corner on a Mac. I can go into any number of hardware issues - starting with the need to get a set of suction cups to start accessing an iMac innards, followed by the need to remover the entire flat screen component, in order to replace a bad hard drive - and I've seen more than one of these destroyed by the operation of the software update/"optimizing" operation - any user interruption can fry the data on the drive beyond simple recovery.

All computers have problems, all have limitations. One could go on for a very long time about the problems unique to any platform. One thing Apple and MS have done over the years is borrow the interface elements from one another and greatly improve both interfaces. They are far closer to each other than they were ten or even five years ago.

All that said, my best wishes to Steve Jobs for a full recovery from his current health challenges.

[loose_screw]

Why do you to call this a "trash piece?" I see no trashing of anything here, just a factual account of his experience. I'm sure you would have complaints about Windows if you were switching from Apple to Microsoft, and if you wrote about it I wouldn't be so quick as to call it a "trash piece" just because you had issues.

[The Noble Robot]

Wow. Take a rage dump, mon. The article specifically acknowledges that as a PC user, it takes some time to get used to Mac, and that it probably colored his commentary. It's you who is biased, judgmental, and frankly, rude.

As someone who used Macs at school for over a decade, currently uses Macs at work where I am a video editor and motion graphics designer, and uses a PC at home, I can totally sympathize with this article. Mac's user interface is a strange hodgepodge of brilliant widgets that cleverly solve problems that Windows users simply don't have.

It's odd, because Mac users are so sheltered that when Apple introduces a brand new feature or product, they act as if no one had ever thought of it before, when in fact, PCs have had it for years.

Apple's lauded Dock is a poor substitute for Win's quick launch and task bars, since it's doesn't have it's own dedicated screen space (In Final Cut Pro, I always accidentally bring up the Dock when I'm trying to click a button at the bottom of the screen, ANNOYING!), and it clumsily combines a "program launching menu" with a "list of open programs."

And Take "Spaces" for example. It was heralded as a amazing new innovation (and for Macs it was), but it's a joke when you consider that you can stack dozens of maximized (that's right, maximized) Windows programs and access them instantly using the taskbar, with no goofy animation or glossy UI.

Of course, Apple's entirely closed ecosystem is the reason it's so stable, and in many ways it's fantastic, that is, until you decide to use a non-Apple product. Compatibility is not a simple, and Apple does not properly test for non-standard situations or setups. Plus, it's usually Apple who decides when to do something about it, since developers don't have as much flexibility when developing for OSX. WIth Windows, you have a democratic and open developer culture (not as open as Linux, of course, but still), which allows independent programmers to patch Windows features and third-party products themselves.

Listen, I do love Macs, but I have some perspective, for cryin' out loud...

[JonB.]

He probably needed to have one of the kids explain it to him.

[hlywd217]

wow.....

[CDubber]

"It's odd, because Mac users are so sheltered that when Apple introduces a brand new feature or product, they act as if no one had ever thought of it before, when in fact, PCs have had it for years." - The Noble Robot

The fact is, the vast majority of us Mac users aren't "sheltered" at all, but are forced to use Windows in various capacities. Rarely do we think Apple comes up with these pre-existing features "first" - but we often think that Apple were the first ones to get it right.

And your comparison of Spaces to the Windows task bar is ludicrous. Good luck "instantly" accessing on of those documents via those compressed buttons in the task bar that don't tell you what the document is (you do have more than 4 things open at once sometimes, no?). I work in Windows 40+ hours a week. The task bar sucks. Period.

I also prefer the alt-tab functionality of OS X that lets me mouse point to the app I want while alt-tabbing rather than cycling through the whole range of apps, like you have to do in XP.

[sobishop]

The problem with switching from Win to Mac is the @$$ r@ping that occurs when you purchase an Apple product. Apple needs to come down off its high horse if it wants to ever get more of its share of the market.

[tappy727]

In other words, it just works. But if it doesn't blame someone else or just give away your Mac and go back. These is a price to pay to switch and it might not work anyway because it's the other guys' fault.

[nvanlani]

I disagree. I'm a 44 year-old finance guy that learned my first computer programming language on a mainframe, 30 years ago. (Tutor was the language, and Plato was the system at the University of Illinois.) I have owned PCs since Radio Shack was a major brand (remember the Tandy 1000?) I eagerly learned each nuance of MS-DOS, Windows versions for DOS, 95, 98, 98SE Millennium and XP. I used Digital Research's GUI. Lotus 123, Wordstar, Word, Wordperfect, Groupwise, Notes, Outlook, Excel - if I were saying all of this, I'd be out of breath. So - about 2 years ago, I bought a Mac laptop. Since then, I bought a big screen iMac. I figured I had transitioned so many times and read so many things about how great the macs were, how tough could transitioning be? Worse than going to Excel from 123? But, truthfully, the process has been unintuitive and the article does an excellent summary. I do not find iTunes to be the most intuitive music software I've ever used. I find features on one Office platform, but not in another to be frustrating. Oh - maybe they're in both places - but it ain't easy to find. I found the idiosyncrasies and limitations on my HP color laserjet (a reasonably high-end printer for home use or small office) on the Mac, including the less useful version of the scanning / imaging software to be annoying. I have never been happy with almost any mail / personal productivity package when compared to Outlook. (and that's not an endorsement of outlook!) I find the mail compatibility issues maddening.

I own a blackberry and so hadn't yet discovered the issues mentioned on it.

Don't get me wrong - I actually am pretty happy with my Mac purchases. But, when replacing my wife's main computer, I went with an HP and Vista. I've had similar issues as with the mac - but the worst of them, I could solve simply by buying the "new version" of Office, or outlook, etc. Part of me just thinks "Don't be so lazy, read that Mac book from cover to cover, just like the old days." But - truthfully - I'm too old and tired and too busy to choose to climb all of those little inconsistencies, annoyances and compatibility issues.

I do love that my Macs can run for what seems months without rebooting and my Vista - even after updating all of the drivers, hardware ,etc., can still lock on my wife - causing me - the tech guy marital issues - just as described in the article!

Maybe I just wasn't mean to have computing happiness...

Nathan

[chabig83]

That was a sad story. Transferring music from Windows iTunes to Mac iTunes is as simple as connecting the computers and copying the files over--and you couldn't even figure that out! At lot of the rest of the story was aimed at Office for Mac, and that's not an Apple problem.

"It seems that every day one of us will find something on the Mac that doesn't work as it is supposed to." Perhaps the problem is you, Rafe?

[Josh.Lowensohn]

Sure you can copy over the files, but your playlists, counts, ratings and other application specific metadata get lost in translation. Hence the process of having to do a find and replace in the iTunes XML file to map it to the Windows version of iTunes XML coding.

[Khurt]

I have one Macs and one Windows XP PC connected to the same iTunes library at home. My media is stored externally and iTunes for Windows connects to it as a network share.

[Renegade Knight]

Media files should work exactly like you point out. That they don't is a problem with both windows and os x.

[3rdalbum]

Here's something for you to try:

1. Buy a song from the iTunes Music Store on Windows. Anything as long as it's not an "iTunes Plus" track.
2. Copy the file to iTunes for the Mac.
3. Try to play it.
4. Try buying the song from iTunes for the Mac and transferring it to another Mac, to a non-Apple MP3 player, or a Windows machine. Or try putting the song into a Windows Movie Maker project.

I'm not saying Linux is perfect, but last time I checked it was a simple drag 'n' drop affair to transfer music files between Linux and Windows/Mac. And yes I realise that you can "deauthorise" a computer and then authorise the second computer, but this doesn't solve the non-Apple MP3 player problem or the "fair use of the songs I bought by putting them into my home movies" problem.

[davidsmi]

Funny people buy macs then run windows on them under vmware - then complain it is slow. Maybe Windows 7 will screem on your Mac.

What Mac excel at are really fantastic cases. Smooth - nice too touch!

Actually, Windows under VMware runs faster than on an equivalent PC. I run AutoCAD and Office daily with no issues at all.

[AllenWright]

"Actually, Windows under VMware runs faster than on an equivalent PC. I run AutoCAD and Office daily with no issues at all."

You're full of it. Do you really think anyone is going to believe what you just said? That somehow, with magical elf powers, OS X manages to run a Windows OS in VMWare faster than Windows itself can run with the exact same hardware? People like you all seem to think that the Mac somehow "unlocks the true power of your hardware" and enables it to do something that no other operating system can, which must justify in your mind the choice to pay hundreds of dollars more for the exact same hardware as you can find in a Windows-configured PC.

Anyone who's used both side by side (hint: me) can tell you that VMWare does only a mediocre job of running an OS inside an OS. You either have no clue what you're talking about, or you're lying.

[jpg27]

"for the exact same hardware you can find on a windows configured PC"
You are correct about one thing Allen.. that VMWare in OSX may not run Windows faster than a Windows configured PC......in the short term. However give the PC six months to a year and lets see the performance data with the same hardware specs. I'm sure Windows and its applications will be faster. I've experienced it. So i guess in the long run it pays to dish out a couple hundreds of dollars more. Its economical too...

[gitsfan]

I agree, but I really think the *crunch* sound macs make when you sit on them is better.
Very Satisfying of course, I just like breaking things. ;)

[chabig83]

"The shortcut keys and UI conventions of Windows don't apply on a Mac."

This is the problem, as others have pointed out. You expect a Mac to work just like Windows. The Mac isn't Windows. Open your mind and you will see the light.

[rapier1]

Learning a new UI is difficult and annoying. Its a valid complaint and it can be difficult to overcome the muscle memory that's built up to handle common tasks. While it is something that people need to adapt to there is no doubt that it takes some getting used to. I don't think this is a matter of having closed minds as much as this is a guy who is honestly reporting on some of the downsides he's encountered in switching over. Its not going to be sweetness and light for everyone. I had a particularly rough time myself (it wasn't quite windows like, it wasn't quite unix like, it was different enough from System 9 to be odd) made more difficult by a flakey disk controller no one could diagnose.

[Khurt]

I use Windows XP and Linux at work and Macs at home. Each GUI is different. But when I sit to work on a particular machine the "muscle memory" kicks in and there are no issues. It's like going from my manual transmission Honda Accord to my wife Honda Odyssey.

[rapier1]

You need to build up that muscle memory though. This is a new user and hasn't had the time to do that. I use a mac at work and vista at home (os x for development, vista for my life) and I have to say it can take a moment for the switch to happen. Its really just the control vs command key difference on the keyboards more than anything else.

[OlsonBW]

rapier1 - Are you referring to all of Microsoft's file format changes for their interface change from Office 2003 and before to Office 2007?

If you use Windows and want something that increases in power but doesn't change the interface you should be using WordPerfect. It's a better product anyway.

I know you don't remember all the interface changes that Microsoft has used over the years. You have been conditioned from Microsoft to think that their changes are simple things and looking at anything else is difficult.

I use four different operating systems including Windows, Mac, OS/2 and Linux. I manage just fine. They really aren't all that different once you realize the "way" the each of them works. Everything pretty much falls into place after that.

[badasscat]

I use a Mac at work and a PC at home and have been using both for years. It still boggles my mind the hoops I have to go through to do something simple like renaming a file on Mac. What's the hotkey for that? Oh, there isn't one. You need to click and hold the mouse button down on the file name for what feels like a random amount of time (and if you get it wrong and "miss", the file opens instead... which means whatever app it's associated with also opens).

Don't even get me started on stuff like network shares.

I think it's time for Mac people to admit that OSX does have some legitimate nits to pick. No, they aren't usually major and all can be worked around, but add them all up and OSX is just about as annoying to use as Windows (XP, at least).

[paulopmx]

badasscat - rename a file hotkey is the return key. while opening it is command + o. weird i know when you gotten used to how windows work.

[RideMan]

I have lost count of the number of times I've typed "ls" in a DOS box when I meant "dir". (Or for that matter, "CATALOG" when I meant "ls" but there I'm really showing my history...).

The fact is, Apple's most important GUI elements came from the Xerox Star and the Apple Lisa, and they include some important conventions that were really carefully thought out once upon a time. Gluing the menu bar to the top of the screen, for example, is brilliant for the same reason that the Windows Start button has to be stuck to the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Although Windows has been around longer than OS-X, OS-X inherited quite a lot from the older MacOS, which ultimately pre-dates Windows by a considerable length of time. So why did Windows not adopt Apple's keyboard short-cuts? (It's a rhetorical question; there are good reasons that Windows uses the short cuts that it does, many of them having to do with Word Perfect...)

[BenzTech]

You still have 0S/2? Man, I've been wanting to play around with that for a while. More to see if it's anything like I remember than anything else...

[JumpinJappold]

Actually the shortcut keys do ? many the exact same ? match, minus of course the wrist-twisting reach for that ever-waiting 'alt' key. Anchored by the command keys (one for each) thumb, one's finger extend a poetry unseen. A good keyboardist on the mac makes the pc user look like a fumbling fool.

[mrcqm]

There are terrific online forums that help with the transition. I'm not sure this is the proper place to list specific ones but try googling "mac users" and check out the top 2-3 that show up.

Yes, there is a learning curve. Once you get past the initial learning curve and no longer try to apply "PC" concepts to your Macs, I am sure you will be far happier overall than you were before and certainly better off than you are now.

One example: I also used Picasa on Windows prior to switching platforms. Picasa is terrific but I absolutely love iPhoto. It is every bit as functional as Picasa and has the added advantage of being integrated into everything you do on a Mac ? when making movies for instance you can view your iPhoto library and grab photos for inclusion in a movie. On a Mac there really is no need to ever view movies, photos, songs, etc., as "files". Just drag your photos directly from your camera into iPhoto. Skip any intermediate steps that place your photos somewhere on a hard drive. Rather than dragging photos into a Finder (Mac's "Explorer") folder structure, drag your photos to your Dock on top of the iPhoto icon. Done.

[thfcme2]

I really hated iPhoto when I first switched over to using a Mac two years ago. But, I did the unthinkable and read the online help, and it actually is quite elegant in how it works. I REALLY like the interaction with iMovie - and creating thumbnails - makes it a snap to make home video.

It IS a learning curve, and it was difficult for me, I think it took me about 3 months to adjust fully, and I am still learning new things. I do have a VMWare session with WinXP when I have to APN in into work- simply because the company does not support Macs. But thats no biggie, and the XP I have runs fast in the virtual session. I am very pleased with my Mac. But you have to give it time. It took my wife 1 year!! to convert fully, and now she can't stop using it.

[badasscat]

mrcqm:

I'm not sure which version of Picasa you last used, but Picasa 3 does all of the things you mentioned as well. Picasa 2 does most of them too (except for the movie stuff).

And this stuff about not viewing things as "files"? Please. I use a Mac, everybody I know uses a Mac, and every single one of those people looks at things on their Mac as files. It's impossible not to if you're doing anything serious like professional level video editing or graphic design. Object-based operating systems just don't work - people don't think that way. And OSX is not really object-based anyway, it's file-based just like Windows.

[FriskyDingo33]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but iPhoto doesn't have to copy photos into it's library (just like iTunes doesn't have to copy songs). If you go to the advanced tab under preferences, you can choose whether or not iPhoto makes it's own copy when importing photos.

[kcotham]

I agree with TastyEwok, it seems the author is so entrenched into the Windows way of thinking that he is projecting prejudices onto the Mac OS platform and not even realising it. And the things he's having problems with, sounds like most of them are very specific problems that most users will never encounter. It's just that he seems to prefer one way of doing something instead of another. He obviously prefers the Windows/Windows applications way of doing it. For example, his gripe about iPhoto vs. Picasa. I personally would not want an application to automatically import photos. I'd like to have the control of what gets imported and when!

It's obvious that he is a new Mac user if he is "dropping back to Vista". I'd really like to sit down with this gentleman and SHOW him how to use his Macintosh.

[loose_screw]

The whole point is that the way Apple marketing makes it sound like you shouldn't have to do any work to switch from Windows to Macs, which is simply not true.

[gp2792]

if macs just work...you shouldn't have to show him anything. This article is dead on for me and catalogs many of the frustrations I have encountered with the mac mini. The best thing about it is the footprint. the mighty mouse and wireless keyboard are 2 of the worst functioning devices I have ever purchased...but they do look cool. In fact, that's how I would categorize the majority of my experience with leopard. Looks somewhat cool, but doesn't really do what I need it to do. office 2008 stinks primarily because it seems to want to look like a mac interface. The only thing I'll say for it is that it is much better than iWork.

There are many other frustrations that could be discussed, some apple's fault, and some the fault of another vendor. But the point of this article is that regardless of where you lay the blame, switching to a mac after years of using windows is anything but smooth or easy. Apple is guilty of false advertising.

[SMB-IL]

When I switched to Mac in 2004, I never expected it to be "just like Windows" or that there wouldn't be a learning curve. I don't really believe that "it just works" refers to the computer running itself or being intuitive enough to KNOW what you want to do -- how ridiculous. After enduring Windows for many years at home, it was a month before I was comfortable with the Mac. There were many frustrations over that time, but I didn't expect it to be like Windows and I learned it and got over it. Now that I've used the Mac for 4+ years at home, I would NEVER go back to Windows.

I think "it just works" refers to the fact that no matter what I've thrown at the Mac (cameras, video recorders, printers, scanners), it knows what they are and after driver installation, WORK. Wireless networking just works -- unlike my work related laptop Vista that loses the wireless network it has supposedly memorized over and over and over. I've had a few programs crash, but never to the extent that Windows does. And don't even get me started on the damned security updates -- I think there may have been 2 or 3 security updates on the Mac in all of 2008 -- Windows? Who knows, I lost count. It seems every Tuesday, I get to work and there's another security update for something else that Microsoft let slip through the cracks.

So yes, "it just works" means just that. Apple is not guilty of any false advertising and their marketing makes no such claim. Oh and that Apple computer I purchased in 2004 is still the same one I use today and will probably continue to use for many years to come; with the higher price of Apple hardware comes the longevity that you won't get with anything Windows based. How many of you still have the same computer you had in 2004 and are perfectly happy with it still?

[kcotham]

It does work, and it works well., gp2792. Do you believe every piece of advertising literally?! loose_screw, do you? If so, you should be furious with Microsoft then!

[kcotham]

@SMB-IL, THANK YOU! You said it very, very well, and saved me some time and typing.

[firi]

Transfer your iTunes library with Senuti...

[Romriech]

I have transfered four or five iTunes libraries from Mac to PC and even the other way. It's easy.

And I agree with the other commenters: when in Rome, do like the Romans do. You weren't using a Mac as a Mac, you were trying to use as much M$ software as possible.

I use Mac, Windows, and Linux, and I must say, you have to treat them differently.

By the way, I'm 19, but I also have Business, School and two personal emails, and I've never had any problems with Mail or iCal. And my HP printer has never missed a beat.

[LinuxRules]

That is a shame that apple does not connect to blackberry, what is wrong with them? Did you try...http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/desktop/mac.jsp ?

I do not bring email onto the desktop so I can not comment. I just use a browser. But the integration to a calender would be nice, but there are too many calenders out there to sync to.

No problems with printers, for me.

[bonesbautista]

@LR - that link is to the PocketMac application the blogger's wife laments about.... Ahem.

@ the author - try MissingSync. I tried the PocketMac apps for WinMo and BB - a buggy piece of crapware. If you do try MissingSync - READ THE DIRECTIONS, as installing the MissingSync application over the PocketMac application has it's own issues. Also, fire up your System disk and install the Developer applications - you'll want to use the Syncrospector application installed as part of the Developer package to delete all of the PocketMac sync conduits. Just sayin'.

[the Otter]

I can totally understand why you?re annoyed, but there were two things in your article that really confused me.

1) The Mac menu bar shows options for whatever application is currently active; have you seen a different behavior than this?

2) I think your criticism of iPhoto is really flawed. You?re trying to inflict a Ms Windows paradigm onto Mac OS X, and that?s never going to work any more than the converse would. In my experience, Ms Windows is designed around the concept that users are too stupid to be able to interact with their own files. That?s why when I create a Visual Basic application in Vista, I can?t just switch to Explorer and grab the file; I have to go back into Visual Studio to figure out where the heck it decided to save it, this time. I can?t even navigate to the applications folder without a warning, since Heaven forbid a user might want to access an application that way.

Contrast this to Mac OS, which *invites* the user to do what s/he wants with his or her stuff. The reason iPhoto doesn?t go scouring the hard drive for every photo is probably because I can?t imagine any sane person actually *wanting* every graphics file on his or her hard drive in iPhoto. You import the ones you want and use the other ones the way you normally would. Pretty simple, really.

I?m really not saying that either way is wrong, but saying that iPhoto is an ?inferior? product is a *highly* subjective statement. I find its methodology to be *highly* superior to the ridiculous behavior you describe, but to each his own, y?know?

Good luck with your Macs! :-)

[rapier1]

So I've been using OS X since early in the 10.2 cycle. I really can't stand iPhoto. I don't really care about where it stores images as long as I can get at them. The problem that I've had with it is that its slow, limited in functionality, and a memory hog. There are much better photo library management products out there on both platforms.

[pithenumber]

1) I've seen different behavior than what you said too, is it a bug/new mac virus?
2) iPhoto sucks, there are much better photo manager software out there

[Renegade Knight]

On 1) What's active may not be what you are looking at. I've had this problem as well. Poking around the menu trying to find a function to do something wiht the program on screen then realizing that the active program isnt' what I'm looking at. Maybe it's a noob thing, but there you go.

[gp2792]

so, let's say you have a pictures in iphoto you want to attach to an email and you are using entourage and mac mail due to multiple accounts. tell me how to attach pictures to emails in both systems. in windows, the old copy paste option is a pretty simple method of doing this. With the mac, i have to either save the picture out of iphoto's db, creating a duplicate on the filesystem, and then attach it, or I have to re-configure iphoto to attach pictures to each email product depending on which account I am sending from. Just one reason why iphoto is inferior.

[tundraboy]

@gp2792:

Problem attaching pics from iphoto to an email? Have you tried drag and drop? Works on Apple Mail. Does it work on Entourage?

[teh_chrizzle]

<i>Ms Windows is designed around the concept that users are too stupid to be able to interact with their own files. That?s why when I create a Visual Basic application in Vista, I can?t just switch to Explorer and grab the file; I have to go back into Visual Studio to figure out where the heck it decided to save it, this time.</i>

i have the same complaint about mac os, garage band, and final cut.

[gp2792]

I can't seem to repro the issue I was having a few months back....my apologies, please disregard.

[gdieter1]

I think the next to last sentence of your article says it all - "we're grownups with serious amounts of technological baggage."

The baggage is the Windows "experience" you're dragging with you. I switched to Mac last year, and yes, there are still things that I haven't gotten used to. As far as missing windows functionality/programs, I found that using virtualization software (VMware Fusion, in my case) works great for those apps I still have to use.

The mac is my primary machine at home now for the same reason I switched my 70+ year old father over 4 years ago - significantly decreased time doing OS management (or in his case, 95% reduced tech support required from me).

[Khurt]

I agree. It's like trying to get my 67 year old mother to use a digital camera. She still buys disposable film camera because she can take it to CVS and get prints. She does not understand that I do the same thing to get prints from my digital camera or that most of us prefer to display our photos online.

[itsaspork]

Apple is its own ecosystem and some of these items, like iPhoto, you just have to get used to - actually the integration of camera or phonecam through the desktop editor to the Web is smooth and fast - but you have to learn it just like learning a PC program. When a computer asks me how I'm doing, it'll be "user friendly" - until then it's still an uphill climb no matter what Apple's propaganda people say. Mail is Apple's weakest app and has long been neglected - it's main benefit is its starkly reactionary simplicity, but you get the feeling with Mail vs. Outlook that Apple is still fighting old battles against Windows.

[andymerrett]

Wow! Where on earth to begin with this!

Firstly, you gave up on a Windows laptop after a year, which shows how much you're prepared to try to make things work. No computer system requires no work at all, just as if you don't maintain your car (or get someone else to do it) it will fall apart. "But I just wanted to drive it" you say? Sorry, no car exists that is 100% maintenance free yet - same with a computer.

I realise you mention that not all of the issues are Apple's fault, but you sure seem to continue to blame APPLE for them. Try blaming the individual companies for shoddy implementation.

"The shortcut keys and UI conventions of Windows don't apply on a Mac." Obviously.

" loaded up Entourage on my Mac so I could continue to use our corporate servers. I found it a pale imitation of Outlook"

Blame Microsoft, please.

The fact that Mail doesn't import Outlook files may be an issue, but it's a one-time issue. I have friends who moved quite painlessly from Outlook on a PC to Mail on the Mac, and they're near technophobes (well, at least, not technophiles) so it can't be that awful.

"she's been getting invitations to meetings sent from Outlook users without critical information in them."

Again, that's not really the Mac's fault. There's no complete Outlook equivalent on the Mac and that's Microsoft's fault. People should perhaps try using more open-source methods rather than relying on Microsoft's de facto "standards" that they assume everyone can use. That's an education issue as much as anything else. This would be just the same for any PC users who don't use Microsoft software (and yes there are some), so again isn't a Mac issue.

PocketMac *distributed by RIM*. Yes, again, so blame RIM. And if you're using a Yahoo calendar then I think you're beyond help.

"This is clearly not a workable strategy for her and is causing some friction in our marriage as well. Thanks a lot, Mac."

I hope this is a bad joke. Your marriage at peril because of a Mac? Get real, drama queen.

Don't like iPhoto? No, I don't much, either, so I don't use it.

The iTunes data IS easy to move between platforms - I've done it - twice. Not sure which instructions you're using?

LOL. Your final statements are priceless. Running Vista as your primary operating system on the Mac? You, sir, obviously have a LOT more money than sense.

[ChaosEvoker]

"You, sir, obviously have a LOT more money than sense."

Well, obviously. He bought a Mac. ;)

[jeffromiller]

Andy, your comments, and especially the tone of your comments get to the heart of the Apple/PC debate - which is ultimately more a debate on "marketing" than anything technical or realted to usability in nature.

Here is the Bottom Line with this particular article: the author of this blog switched from a PC to a Mac and has experienced some frustration with the switch. He's not looking to BLAME anyone - he's just stating his "experience", and this experience may be valuable to others.

You seemed to take his frustrations personally which is a testament to the great marketing department that Apple and their brand has. At the end of the day, any piece of hardware or software or car or stereo or cell phone or whatever you buy is going to have pros and cons and some people are going to like it better than others, etc., etc. In fact, your incredibly insightful comment regarding Entourage being a pale imitation of Outlook ("Blame Microssoft, please.") just reinforces the blogger's point, does it not? Your comment seems to profess agreement with the blogger while looking to assign blame for Entourage's shortcomings?? The only thing that is obvious to me is that you are not in an IT support role - or if you were, hopefully you don't make personal attacks when someone has a problem with their computer at work (PC or Mac)...

I am a Mac and PC user and as an IT Manager we have both in my mid-size company. Again, they each have pros and cons and they happily co-exist quite well - or just as well as any other piece of hardware or software. I just find it laughable that "fanboys" take any expressed frustration with an Apple product personally and they feel the need to lash out against the person that makes them.

[superblue32]

Don't be so sensitive ! Read the article again - its not a rant against Apple. Rather it details some of the difficulties & frustrations a switcher is likely to face.

Having made the switch myself 3 years ago, I concur with the article - there are many hiccups along the road. Yes some are simply a matter of breaking old habits, but others are trickier.

I also moved from Outlook to entourage, before making the final jump to mail / ical. And the truth is it was damn messy, and that ical isn't as neatly integrated with mail as Outlook is.

Despite the propaganda, the MAC doesn't always 'just work' and there are some things that are a bit rubbish. When will they come up with a decent Finder ???

Some of us just want to be productive, we're not all interested in being initiated into the sect ;)

[pithenumber]

no system just works

don't be so sensitive, he's not blaming apple, he is just saying switching ain't painless as apple wants you to believe

[scooterorbrokenwagon]

You saved me from saying the exact same thing. When he mentioned that after one year his PC had slowed (as all PC's do) and he was ready to get a new one - he lost any credibility to me. I prefer a Mac - but I have PC's running Windows too - and mine are well maintained and tuned to keep the speed up. If he'd rather toss out good hardware and start over - he's not very swift.

Zero credibility= bad article, not a bad Apple.

[gp2792]

You, sir, obviously missed the point. This isn't about laying blame. It's about refuting Apple's claim that Mac's just work. They don't, for a lot of reasons. The author's reasons are his own, and are valid for him. I have experienced many of my own frustrations. Macs don't work flawlessly as you alluded to in your opening paragraph. It doesn't matter if the fault lies with MS, or HP, or any other vendor. The reality is that moving between platforms causes a lot of heartburn. The amount of heartburn is directly proportional to the amount of time spent using another system and your reliance on 3rd party software. If all you use are products that begin with 'i' then you will probably be fine. But branch out a bit, and things get hairy, to say the least. Like it or not, the breadth of products that run on windows is ms' greatest competitive strength.

[cmeskii]

I used Outlook exclusively...until I used Mac Mail and Mac's Calendar. Now, I find outlook very cumbersome. Whereas the Mac has one calendar and summarizes the others, Outlook created 4 DIFFERENT calendars, so if you have an appointment that is business, in order to get in the correct calendar you have to PICK the correct calendar..No so with the Mac. Like the 42 year old finance guy, well, I'm a 61 year old finance guy who went through the same steps he did. With the Mac, I am more productive in a much less amount of time

[gsmiller88]

Wait till you have the joy of contacting AppleCare.

I had to call them last week as my iMac's SuperDrive stopped functioning. Immediately the only thing they told me on the phone was I had to take it to an AppleStore or Apple certified retailer.

Normally not a problem, but the nearest Apple retailer is 80 miles away. I asked if there was anyway i could mail the iMac to them as I done with my HP Pavilion in the past, but the answer was no they only allowed laptops to be mailed back to them.

I must say this is unacceptable when Dell and HP allow much more support options.

After I get my iMac fixed I'm auctioning it off on eBay and buying a HP. I can't drive two hours both ways everytime my computer has a hiccup.

[jeffthegeek]

This is simply not true. I deal with Apple Support often and have mailed many many machines from iMacs to mini's to Pros. I generally use the local retailer, but like you there are some places I deal with that simply don't have an Apple certified retailer, and in those cases we ship them.

[joesam33]

Absolutely not true. I own multiple iMacs, and I've had to mail one back for service. They sent DHL to my place to pick it up. Get your facts straight.

[senorjerome]

so jeffthegeek and joesam33, are you telling me gsmiller88 wasn't told by AppleCare they only allowed laptops to be mailed backed to them? Oh that's right, you were on the phone with gsmiller88 the whole time right? "Get your facts straight,"? You're an ass joesame33.

[JumpinJappold]

Really? You can't drive two hours each way to support the best (by far) machine on EARTH.
Really? The best machine on earth- the machine in itself is more important and facinating than ANY OTHER DEVICE EVER CREATED/CONCIEVED by humanity.

Two hours.

Two. Hours.

[iertry]

You make it sound like this is Apple's problem. Entourage is a Microsoft application. If they wanted they could create Outlook for Mac but instead they created Entourage. Not Apple's fault. Secondly, iPhoto in my opinion is far superior to Picasa. It creates copies of your photos and stores them in it's library. Simple solution, delete all your copies. iPhoto does this so it can integrate better with other applications using the media manager. Blackberry offers an application to get your blackberry working on mac. (And why not just get an iPhone.)

Finally, if you can't manage to port your Windows iTunes library to the Mac that scares me. It is simple. You just copy the iTunes folder over and iTunes will pick up the library file, it worked for me.

I am a switcher and all your problems didn't happen to me. It's like anything new, a few weeks and you;ll see the benefit of some of the 'quirks'.

[pithenumber]

I don't see the benefits of many quirks
some examples:
the menu bar on the top of the screen is still pointless
only one resize handle is still a pain (this might be b/c I use Linux and Windows still though)
the all button touchpad is still giving me pains (all touchpads give me pain, I love the trackpoint)

[iertry]

the menu bar at the top makes all apps conform to a similar ui making it easier for a user to understand how an app works. The one resize handle doesn't really bother me I dont think it is beneficial or a problem really. On the touchpad just turn on the sensors so instead of clicking just tap the pad. Two finger tap to right click. Drag two fingers to scroll, easy.

[jdreyer02]

Interesting. My wife and I switched about a year ago. I was a long time Windows stalwart, and held out forever. We finally gave in and I was surprised at how easy the change was. I don't miss Windows at all. The shortcuts and stuff do take some time to get used to, but it wasn't bad. At this point, I'd never go back.

Good luck!

[joesam33]

Same here. All I know is that I haven't run a virus or spyware scan since I switched three years ago. My machine runs as fast as the day I bought it. I do use Parallels for the rare times when I have to run a Windows app. (exchange, e.g., if I'm working for a company using it). I don't know what Rafe's reason for switching was - other than just to experiment. But personally, I was tired of having to constantly tweak and tinker with my PC just to get something done. Now, I turn it on and work. That's all.

[smilin:)]

You're right dude. Vista on a Good PC really does rock. People are so brainwashed by the Mac ads that they really think the grass is greener.

Good luck getting the Mac Fanboys off of you. You've commited heresy by forming your own opinion.

[protagonistic]

Actually, switching from XP to Vista was more problematic in my experience than was switching from XP to OS X. And I can say from personal experience that in this case the grass really is greener. :-)

[jdukvoac]

I suppose the same can be said about Windows "fanboys" such as smillin here. Zealots are zealots, and unfortunately they will never open their mind to new experiences. If you honestly believe that Vista "rocks" then please give me some of what you're on. I've been a MS user for many many years, and have switched to Mac about 2 1/2 years ago, with no complaints what so ever. There is a learning curve, but overall, would not switch back to Windows for anything. I really like my experience, and the stability that Mac offers. At least I'm not troubleshooting DLL errors, or some other cryptic errors spending hours trying to find solutions.

Ah well, there are two sides to every story, you just have to choose for yourself which is better.

[pithenumber]

XP to Vista was no problem
adding a second stick of RAM made it painless

[Renegade Knight]

Vista does do some things better than OS X. Better in my book is anything that makes what I'm trying to do easier.I think Vista shows less of it's non GUI roots than OS X.

[longtermsolutions]

Vista... rocks? To someone who's used to Windows 95 maybe. Almost everyone I know who is a knowledgeable PC user tells me that he won't use Vista.

Vista was a disaster, and that's why MS is touting Windows 7 and not Vista 2 or anything remotely sounding like a Vista update.

There will always be lemmings who prefer to stick to technology that doesn't quite work right. With videotape it was VHS; with cars (unfortunately) it's been most American-made cars; with the computer OS it's Windows and now Vista.

I have 30 servers running in my server room--all Macs. No anti-virus software. NONE. Try that on Windows boxes sometime.

[JumpinJappold]

It's not that Vista can't rock - it can just like any other windows - it's just that it's _ _ TT UGLY.

[Mark_Anderson]

@longtermsolutions

If you have 30 servers running without AV protection then I hope to God you don't connect with the outside world or you're going to have a lot of pissed of customers who run Windows.

The very idea of anyone running an open network without securityware is actually so mind boggolingly stupid that I can't believe this is the case.

[Goodbye Helicopter]

Wow. So far, everything is "why isn't my chevy like my ford"?
Things do work like they are supposed to.
They don't work like you apparently assume they do.
You really should get one of those books on switching to the Mac OS.
clearly you have a lot to learn/adjust to.

Being tied to Exchange will bring you down though.
One thing that's unlikely: the Mac OS getting slower after a year.
The only way that happens is the user filling up the HD almost entirely or installing crap that runs in the background.

[lazy-bum]

"One thing that's unlikely: the Mac OS getting slower after a year.
The only way that happens is the user filling up the HD almost entirely or installing crap that runs in the background."

hahahha, you think that could be the same reason windows machines get slower?

[rapier1]

No, it couldn't possibly be!

[Penguinisto]

"hahahha, you think that could be the same reason windows machines get slower?"

That, and the registry's habit of self-corrupting over time. Even when one doesn't install anything to a machine, CCleaner happily shows new and spurious registry entries that pop up every other day or so (and no folks, that's not XP, we're talking Vista here).

[pithenumber]

All OS get slower if you put crap on them

[drfrost]

Yes, one reason the machines get slower is because of all the "crap" people install on them. Another reason, unfortunately, is that every new OS release from MS runs slower as well. I'm sure Mac owners have the former issue and I suspect they also have the latter as well, though possibly to a lesser degree.

Regardless, I switched to Mac's in.... '94 I think it was... whenever the first power macs were released. I stuck with it for a year until switching back to PC's... The main reason I own a computer at home is for games and the Mac simply wasn't seeing nearly as many games released on their platform.

The point I'd like to make, however, is that I had similar issues to Rafe. I'd been using PC's for years and I knew how to do pretty much everything I needed to. Starting over with Mac's I had to learn the "Mac" way to do everything. Some things were easier and more elegant once I learned them. Other things were more difficult. Much of my hardware (joysticks, zip drive, PC monitor, etc.) didn't work with the Mac. Overall, I gave Mac OS a higher score than Windows, but access to gaming applications was more important to me in the long run.

[tappy727]

Last time I checked, I didn't have to buy a book to figure out how to drive when switching from a Chevy to a Ford. It's cool to use the car comparison though.

[fhinner]

Yep, but your car comparison is flawed too. It is like switching from a Ford Bronco to a Lexus 350h Hybrid. Sure have to learn a couple of new tricks...and you might not want to go deep dirt offroading...

[Renegade Knight]

Um... No.
I flat out can't do things yet. Maybe I'll find the way, but for now it's annoying things like "where the heck is the delete function?" I can get used to the delete working like backspace. However delete and backspace are two things that help productivity.

I may need to find that "Switch to the Mac OS book" I'm sure a lot of frustrations will be answered. Thus far a lot of the frustrations were solved by programmers who had the same problems. Just install their fix and you are ready to go.

[JumpinJappold]

CCLEANER
YASU

Windows
Mac

Free
Done

[rosnow]

@Renegade Knight
fn + delete = forward delete