Comments on: Together in harmony: Mac and PC
Rafe Needleman loves his Mac but can't give up his PC. Here's how he stays productive using two different operating systems at the same time.
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I have no intention of turning this into one of those tedious Mac versus Windows (with the inevitable Linux addition) comments, but I do have one observation. I use both Vista and Windows 7 and, while Windows 7 definitely has some nice features, it really isn't all that much different from Vista. And, I don't have the problems (real or imagined) with Vista that I read about. So, what is it about Windows 7 that makes you "miss" the Windows environment while so disliking Vista?
What? ... and now for a complete non sequitur ...
I'm sure I don't know, anymore than I can explain Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle to you in any depth. If you go to Apple's web site and research a little, I'm sure it can tell you. I hope this helps with your confusion on how to construct a response.
It's not that I hate Vista for many of the reasons people claim. Of the people I know who use Vista full-time, they don't have many problems either. But the thing I like about W7 over Vista is that Windows 7 has a good speed bump. At least it does for me. Even though I'm sure it'll get slower over time like all OS's, it started out faster than Vista for me.... or maybe I'm just imagining it.
I don't like XP, though, simply because it's so antiquated. I have to do a ton of research and searching for files, so I'd choose Vista over XP for the search feature alone. Hope that answers your questions.
Thanks for the thoughtful response. I think that's perfectly understandable. I've only ever used Vista on PCs that were designed for it, so I guess I've missed some of the performance issues. For me, it's incredibly responsive.
I couldn't agree with you more about XP, BTW. While I use it every day at work, I'm getting tired of its quirks. For example, it is the only operating system I currently use where I have to routinely start the Task Manager and cancel rogue processes when they act up. The "end program" notification, while not a show-stopper, is something I could live without and rarely - if ever - get with either Vista or Windows 7.
Of course, there's also the memory releasing issues inherent in XP that I don't see in either Vista or 7. In the latter cases, I can keep the PC running indefinitely without rebooting, simply hibernating the machines at night.
OS 10 also handles devices like memory card readers using hardware interrupts, therefore the machine doesn't stop working while transferring files from the card to the hard disk, which is the case with windows.
As for 1gb of ram on a Mac... Final Cut Pro HD does like the ram. On a first gen Intel iMac, we don't dare open up something else while Final Cut is rendering. Perhaps like your bad Windows install, we have a bad iMac, but in my experience, with 1gb of ram, you can't efficiently edit HD video in Final Cut, while playing in photoshop, checking your mail, surfing the web and doing the upteen other things you mentioned.
At my previous position, I had something similar: I used a Linux desktop for all my primary stuff, but had to keep a ThinkPad with XP around for a few IE-only internal company sites and the odd tool that refused to get replaced by the powers-that-be. The developers had a similar situation, in that they did all their programming and testing on Linux, but kept a Windows laptop around.
The solution I found was a bit easier, and only involved one native tool: I rigged the Linux desktop with dual monitors, and used rdesktop (a drop-in open source replacement for Windows' Remote Desktop Connection) to access the Windows laptop. This way, if I had to do anything in Windows, it sat there in a 1440x1024 window on my Linux desktop. I could cut+paste all day long between them, and didn't have to bother with any third-party solutions.
For hardware, I only needed a small switch to expand the network port from the one in the cube.
Having a Mac here @ home, I can use VNC or Microsoft's RDC for Macs to do the same thing.
" I used a Linux desktop for all my primary stuff, but had to keep a ThinkPad with XP around for a few IE-only internal company sites and the odd tool that refused to get replaced by the powers-that-be. "
Interesting information you have given there. Especially in light of the fact that you have publically stated many times on CNET that you did not own, use, or support any Microsoft products including Windows, Xbox or any MSFT online services. Then in December you revealed that you had a laptop you were messing with Vista on.
Tell us, did all this happen since the end of December when you admitted to having a Windows laptop, or were you lying about not having, using, or supporting any Microsoft products previously? Your reputation does depend on your answer given here. Answer honestly one way or another, if you would please.
"Do guys wake up in the morning and intentionally have flame wars? "
Nah, I just police Penguinisto's postings for truth and accuracy. It's nearly a full time job in and of itself. I suppose I shouldn't bother though. It's just when someone is blatantly lying as he does frequently that it really gets my goat. I would probably better off just letting him flounder around like the foolish person he is. Anyone who has read more than three posts of his can clearly see for themselves what sort of person he is.
So in that light, I think I'll just drop it. He simply isn't worth the effort anymore of trying to keep him honest.
Your reputation is one that you earned by your actions. Nobody but you can make make any other claim to that. I'm sorry that you have chosen to be dishonest, but that is indeed your choice.
End of subject.
I don't like Office Mac 2008 and quit using PowerPoint in favor of Keynote. The native Apple applications while sufficient for doing low in work on Office documents cannot handle the more complex needs in the Corporate environment especially one that requires working with Windows coworkers.
@ Penguinisto, I have always thought of Remote Desktop as Remote Exploit. I must say, I have no problem with SSHing into a server. I guess this could be an aspect of my total hatred of adding unnecessary complexity.
Note: While I have no problem with opening an SSH connection to any of my servers, I keep them open for as short of a time as I can. Do you keep the Remote Desktop connection open all the time?
Otherwise, I agree perfectly ab't NeoOffice.
/P
(If you're wondering why I need this setup, I am a programmer, and work on all three platforms, as well as iPhone. OK, make that two of those platform, plus iPhone. Needed the Mac to do iPhone development...)
One problem: Synergy is essentially abandonware. I can't fault the author - he's made this handy software available as open-source free software, and I'm sure he's moved on to other things years ago. I'm disappointed in the open-source community in that nobody has picked-up the ball (and, of course, that includes lazy me...). The current "latest" version has serious problems on most Linux platforms - at this point, unless you have a fairly old kernel, it's going to suck-up CPU and constantly disconnect and reconnect. There are some patches to fix this, but you have to hunt for them and build the software yourself. It's rather surprising that there is no alternatives and/or there's been no effort to bring Synergy up to the latest Linux kernels and Windows Vista/7. Synergy is "good enough" for 10's of thousands, just the way it is, but at some point it's state is going to become critical.
Biggest plus of this setup: being able to type on my Mac using a Model M (Unicomp, not antique) keyboard!
Where did you get your Model M? Man, I miss those.
http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/
Beware that the "pointing stick" on the models that have them is not the same as that on IBM notebooks. It's handy to have, but doesn't have the smooth operation one would expect. The keyboard, though, acts like an original Model M, as near as I can remember.
I have two, a Customizer and a SpaceSaver. I use one at home, and have one that I take with me any time I have to work in CubicleLand.
BTW, contrary to popular belief the Model M doesNOT use "mechanical" contacts. Very early (pre-AT) models used capacitive keys, but most use the same dome mechanism used for all cheap keyboards today. The difference is the "buckling spring" action which is there strictly for user feedback. When you hear the click, you know the character has been entered, because the click is beyond the point of contact. There's a very precise and well-researched "profile" to the keystroke, and when used properly, the keys don't actually bottom-out, so it's easier on your fingers than you might imagine. Electrical contact -> click -> mechanical bottom. Contrast this to the mush feel of today's keyboards. If Steve Jobs could only be as concerned about our fingers than he is about our aesthetic sensibilities...
There's also a popular source of "vintage" Model M keyboards. Never dealt with them myself, other than to purchase a set of clear re-legendable keycaps.
http://www.clickykeyboards.com/
I haven't used Synergy in quite a while due to this and have been waiting on a release that introduced an encrypted channel. Does anyone know if this has chanaged?
Thats true, however windows runs really great on the macbooks through bootcamp.
Thanks for the great article!!
It may not be the most efficient way of doing it, but any text I have needed to copy, I've just went in and created a text file on the mapped network drive, pasted the text in there, then switch to the other machine and copy from the text document. So while it may be more convoluted than what's detailed here... it does work and it doesn't take that much time.
Why stick with a pricey bug-ridden virus-prone and bloated OS unless you absolutely have to?
I would not recommend the dualie life for most people. But if you gotta, it can work.
Thank you for your opinion. It would appear the author disagrees with you, however.
I was just tweaking wildscribe a little, since it read more like thinly disguised ad copy than as any analysis... :)
@Dan - pipe down, kid.
Thank you for your comments. I will treat them with as much credit and value as your reputation and honesty has earned.
Thanks for trying to integrate the Mac into a PC world! I too have the impression that Mac users seem downright happy about having a Mac. My issue is that I work at client sites that are always running on Windows networks and sometimes require IE for App I work on.
I was considering switching and just having a dual boot set-up with Mac and XP, but after determining it would be possible I figured out that the cost for this would be staggering.
Again, great article!
The Mac "iWork" suite does everything those MS applications do and are a pleasure to work with. And YES I do work regularly in an MS work flow. I have just learned a few steps within iWork to import and export files for the MS guys. EVERY time you save a file in the iWork suite it gives you the option to save as PDF, or to export for MS. I generally save my local files in the native format and export to others whatever they need.
The only downfall to this is Outlook which is not replicated well for the Mac. But I don't want or need the exchange services of Outlook, so this is not an issue for me. But my understanding is that the upcoming "Snow Leopard" release of OS X should solve many of those MS Exchange issues and bring Exchange functionality to Apple Mail. (I personally think Apple should then offer a version of Mail for the PC users like they did with iTunes and Safari).
One last comment.. the price difference between iWork and MS Office is DRASTIC! MS Office runs in the $400 range (depending on vendor), while iWork is $79. The 5 license pack for iWork is only $99! Installing MS Office (legally) on just the computers my wife and I own would break the bank.
I banished the Microsoft monkey.... he is NOT welcome here anymore!
--- Karl Lingenfelder
www.viewr.com
It would be a very bad decision for Apple to sell OS/X for any computer. Apple makes very little money selling software. They make their development cost back but not much more (Excluding music). One thing that most people don't take into account is bin sorting. Some batches of hardware have very high reliability, others very low. Companies like Tiger Direct, New Egg and Dell buy from the bottom bin. Apple buys from the middle bins for most parts and the top bin for RAM.
If you are running mission critical applications and you can't afford enterprise class hardware (Multiply redundant hot swappable components), Apple is a good choice.
Apple sales hardware that just happens to have an OS and software on it. The reason for the OS and software is to sell the hardware.
Keep repeating that until you get it. If they start letting people run the OS and software on any computer, they wouldn't be selling as much hardware. That isn't what they are interested in.
Whether you think this is right not is moot. You don't own the company and you are not the CEO. So your opinion, and mine, do not matter. I would change some things too but I wouldn't let the OS out onto the world though.
I got an AMD to Hackintosh to Mac OS, its slightly harder than getting an Intel to do so and OS X is Intel optimized anyways
Newegg=bottom of the bin NO WAY, I like my RAM from Newegg. I don't care if Apple pays more for their parts, I/My customers get the same for less. I've paid for cheap RAM that isn't crap. These Mushkin sticks of DDR3 is what I'm using for time being.
<http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146740> $74, that's less than what Apple charges to put one extra 1 gb stick of DDR2 into an iMac. I have yet to have ANY Mushkin RAM from Newegg fail on me.
Leopard brings new Finder features such as Cover Flow, Quick Look (browse, play, view, page through files without opening a file), Time Machine, Updated Mail with notes, to-do's and personalized stationary, iChat updates, Spaces, updated Safari, updated Parental Controls and Boot Camp. Those are the major new features of Leopard, although there were some 300 total changes. Leopard brought full 64-bit support.
Tiger brought to OS X, Spotlight (find routine), dashboard, updated Safari with RSS, iChat support for up to 3 videos same time or 9 audios, Finder allows for smart folders for burning CD/DVD, Mail got an update to use Spotlight technology, rolled Address Book, iCal, Keychain passwords, and Mail all use the same database, Quicktime got H.264 encoding, a Automator script tool, and voice over technology from UNIX.
Hope that helps.
Command-Space brings it up.
Start to type anything in, like "airp" and you'll instantly get a list of things with "airp" in it, including Airport Utility as the "Top Hit" and you hit return and it launches the app.
Start to type in someone's name who is in your address book, and it brings up their card and hit return and it opens Address Book to their card.
Type a word and it will bring up a link to the dictionary definition.
Start to type the name of a song you have in your iTunes library, and it will open iTunes and start to play it!
It's far, far more powerful than a "find routine" a this point.
- by ggirton February 12, 2009 9:01 AM PST
- Rafe, thanks for the follow-up on your Mac adventure. Since I'm probably one of the people that lambasted you on the original story (being a flame warrior is both a privilege and a duty) I commend your continued attention to "mind the gap" issues between the PC and the Mac. It's good to know there's a witchin' app that will reproduce the Windows task switching behaviour, although I consider the mac's 'ignore' of the minimized windows a good feature in task switching. And as an iPhone (iPod Touch actually) aficionado, Evernote seems like it will be killer. Thanks for that one! I do have one cavil, though, with your assertion of decreased productivity on two platforms. From where I sit, your productivity has INCREASED, simply because you are able to bring me news of how to make my own dual-platform (or trio-platform if I include Vista) work life easier. But hey, if you still labor under the illusion that you're the best judge of your own productivity, then more power to you! Cheers!
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