Well, I think I’m finally going to take the plunge with an Apple. So, as a lifelong Windows user, what am I likely to find most difficult, and what will I like? If I take to the MacBook, I can see my next desktop being an iMac of some description, with a solid state HD for programs, NAS RAID array for storage.

Main reason for the jump – after playing with a few friends’ MacBooks, I quite like the feel OS, and it does seem there’s very little out there similar to the MacBook Air. As for a desktop, it does seem that Apple do know a thing or two about monitors….

I’ve got a macbook air. Lovely bit of hardware. The OS is pretty cumbersome when you come from windows though.

I wouldn’t want to do any real work on one but for web browsing it’s fine (except the eurosport player which is really very crap on the mac for some reason).

(except the eurosport player which is really very crap on the mac for some reason)

Just watched most of the TdF on it and it was fine.

The OS is pretty cumbersome when you come from windows though.

I wouldn’t want to do any real work on one but for web browsing it’s fine

Joke.

What do you find “cumbersome”. What “real work” were you unable to do?

The OS is pretty cumbersome when you come from windows though.

I wouldn’t want to do any real work on one but for web browsing it’s fine

The perfect troll. Seriously, I take my hat off to you.

Install Parallels and run a copy of Windows as well – best of both worlds.

NB OSX’s finder is no where near as good as Windows Explorer – that’s my biggest gripe with it.

Both my productivity machines (earn me money) are macs – very good for work as you basically never have unexpected downtime. My iMac’s been running for nearly 4 years, never crashed, only turned off for week+ holidays / moving house.

You’re bound to struggle a bit if you’re used to windows but it’s pretty intuitive – you’ll love it.

The new Air looks really strong – good processor now.

I wouldn’t want to do any real work on one but for web browsing it’s fine

This bit worries me – it will be mostly used for work as I travel quite a lot. Possibly also for light photo tweaking / backup duties on holidays too.

Main work would be writing scientific papers and presentations, editing those of others, and maybe some stats / graph drawing if I can get my windows software to work in parallels. However, this I could live without by prior organisation i.e. doing before I travel. Also in teh long run this would be an issue for any windows machine, as work will no doubt upgrade versions of software, and I’m not going to be keeping up with this. (Reason I’m buying my own laptop which I will also use for work is that we’re tied to giant Dell desktop replacement laptops as our only option, and I’m not carrying one of them around!)

EDIT: for clarification, the stats / graph software I use and still have from student days is still just about compatible with current versions at work. As work will no doubt update to later and later versions, my student copies won’t be much use any more anyway…

OSX’s finder is no where near as good as Windows Explorer – that’s my biggest gripe with it.

I don’t find myself unable to do what I want with Finder. On the other hand, using Explorer, I miss the ability to preview files, a la Apple’s QuickLook (or whatever it’s called). Saves ages when searching for something.

I’ve got a macbook air. Lovely bit of hardware. The OS is pretty cumbersome when you come from windows though.

I wouldn’t want to do any real work on one but for web browsing it’s fine (except the eurosport player which is really very crap on the mac for some reason).

And suddenly this thread is a 10 pager in the making.

I was a stick in the mud windows user about 5 years ago. I still find Windows XP ok, but Windows 7 is proper backwards in just about everyway.

I do web design/dev and a bit of programming, writing, graphic design, and commercial photo editing and video on my Macbook Pro, so not ‘real’ work… seems to be alright for emailing and browsing the web too mind!

The perfect troll

I don’t really understand the concept of “trolling”

Person A – [something idiotic]
Person B – “you’re an idiot”
Person A – “ha ha !! got you!! it was a troll”

Yes, very impressive …

Just watched most of the TdF on it and it was fine.

It stutters for me as if it can’t get enough bandwidth, but fine on my windows laptop. Very odd.

It does hang a fair bit too using chrome (which may be the culprit I guess).

This bit worries me – it will be mostly used for work as I travel quite a lot. Possibly also for light photo tweaking / backup duties on holidays too

I’m sure mac-people find it most lovely and find windows cumbersome. But when you know how to do something and it’s subtly different (using the ‘same’ software) it becomes a real pain in the arse.

EDIT: for clarification, the stats / graph software I use and still have from student days is still just about compatible with current versions at work. As work will no doubt update to later and later versions, my student copies won’t be much use any more anyway…

You can rewrite it all in Python, which comes pre-installed with MacOS 🙂

what am I likely to find most difficult

The cost

and what will I like?

List too long to mention

I think pj was referring to the mb air as limited for work applications, not the os

Depends on your work, I guess. My current work pretty much requires twin 30″ screens, so I suppose the MBA would struggle, but if you were, say, a writer of any sort I don’t see a problem.

Switching 101

As for a desktop, it does seem that Apple do know a thing or two about monitors….

Just got a mid-2011 27″ iMac and can concur on that fact. In the interests of balance, Dell also do nice IPS monitors. not sure if they still do a 27″ variety though.

MBAs supposedly struggle at multitasking – i saw some benchmarking stats somewhere.

The cost

Nah, can afford that, and it’s actually cheaper here in Oz than W7 based ultralights by Sony and Samsung.

But when you know how to do something and it’s subtly different (using the ‘same’ software) it becomes a real pain in the arse.

Yeah, this is what will grate I suspect, but I do have an old laptop I occasionally use that’s only got OpenOffice on it, and seem to adapt well enough to it from Excel and back again.

Depends on your work, I guess.

Well, albeit slowly, I could just about manage most things on my now deceased EeePC; so I suspect the new MBA won’t struggle – it’s higher powered that the ‘new’ XP box that’s just been plonked on my desk at work….

Nah, can afford that

Job done, switch.

On the other hand, using Explorer, I miss the ability to preview files, a la Apple’s QuickLook (or whatever it’s called)

Like this?

It stutters for me as if it can’t get enough bandwidth, but fine on my windows laptop. Very odd.
It does hang a fair bit too using chrome (which may be the culprit I guess).

I would recommend completely removing and then reinstalling whatever browser plugin it is that Sky Player uses (Google tells me that it is Silverlight).

As for a desktop, it does seem that Apple do know a thing or two about monitors….

Their separate monitors (ie – not iMac) certainly used to be made by Dell.

I’m a Mac user (and designer/photographer) and run one – I didn’t see the point of spunking out another 50% on the price of a monitor to have an Apple logo on it.

Things may have changed in the last few years, but there were certainly separate monitors out there on a par with Apple’s for substantially less money.

I had a Mac for two weeks once.

I had a Mac for two weeks once.

Good for you. Anything else you’d care to add?

The Air is all but useless it’s a nice little toy, but it really isn’t a machine for work.

I work using a Mac Pro Desktop and two 22″ Apple display only using a Macbook Pro to take work to pitch at clients.

Finder not as good as Explorer…You’re using it wrong!

Like this?

@molgrips.
Yes. Is that part of W7? Or an add-on? I use XP at work and I never found that 🙁 (but maybe I just looked in the wrong place!!)

….certainly used to be made by Dell.

I think that should be, both had panels from the same factory, rather than Dell was making the panel for Apple.

….only using a Macbook Pro to take work to pitch at clients.

How old is the MBP? As the new MBA has the same, if not better, bench results as a 2010 MBP.

http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2011/07/20/2011-macbook-air-benchmarks-are-amazing-outperforms-all-2010-macbook-pros/

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/07/macbook-air-benchmarks/

The Air is all but useless it’s a nice little toy, but it really isn’t a machine for MY work.
I work using a Mac Pro Desktop and two 22″ Apple display only using a Macbook Pro to take work to pitch at clients.

FTFY

The Air is all but useless it’s a nice little toy, but it really isn’t a machine for work.

Really? It’s a dual core i7 Sandybridge with 4GB RAM and a SSD. It would be the most powerful laptop I’ve worked off, and I seem to be doing OK.

As said above, whilst less than ideal, I scraped by on a little EeePC with a few compromises until it died

I’m not sure if you’re right on that one the Dell bit…

I only know this as I have an Apple Cinema display open in the studio needing a new inverter and the screen came out of the LG Factory! 🙂

@molgrips.
Yes. Is that part of W7?

Yep – not in XP. Windows 7 is honestly in a different league to XP. If you have’t used it you can’t compare Apple/MS fairly.

There’s a series of icons above the top right of the right hand panel that allow you to choose the view you want – icon sizes and stuff, and the preview option is there too.

Zokes. Read the links just above to see Master William is a bit off in his statement.

Yep – not in XP. Windows 7 is honestly in a different league to XP. If you have’t used it you can’t compare Apple/MS fairly.

I use both, and the Quick Look function IMHO is better implemented in Lion. For one, you can preview all files, including preview live websites from links, it does not take up any screen real estate when not in use and you can live previews from spotlight searches,

…both do what the user wants though.

Macbook air has no ethernet, tiny screen, paltry drive and If I remember correctly only one USB port no firewire…Ok so it’s got number and the Solid State Drive means it’ll boot in seconds but the overall usability and upgrade potential suck.

What on earth does FTFY mean in English?

If I remember correctly only one USB port

It’s two.

Jamie sweety, I’m not off in my statement it’s real world functionality not just the numbers quoted on the box you need to consider love.

Yep – not in XP. Windows 7 is honestly in a different league to XP.

Cool. Hope my employer upgrades some time before the heat death of the Universe

@William.

The Macbook Pro is/was considered robust enough for many work environments, including your own apparently. So if the MBA is, and not just on paper, more powerful than the 2010 MBP, then it is a bit ‘off’ to say it is a little toy.

Macbook air has no ethernet

Have wireless-N, never use my laptops on wet string

tiny screen

As I spend a lot of the time I’ll be using it in the back of a Qantas plane, this is its main selling point

paltry drive

256GB is fine for s/w and immediate files I need, and 1TB usb disks cost about $100 if I need more portable space

and If I remember correctly only one USB port no firewire…

I had a firewire scanner once….. And I think that’s about it! The 2 USB ports should be fine for my purposes.

Ok so it’s got number and the Solid State Drive means it’ll boot in seconds but the overall usability and upgrade potential suck.

Why would the usability suck? And apart from throwing in extra TB blocks in my desktop, I never seem to get round to upgrading any PC before it’s absolutely obsolete anyway.

Zokes. Read the links just above to see Master William is a bit off in his statement.

Sorry – seem to have got involved in a stupid argument on my own thread this time. Looks like I have no need to worry then, just need to get it, then re-learn how to use a computer for a week or two….

Did someone just call my Jimmers “sweety”? Eh?