Text 5469, 108 rader
Skriven 2005-06-28 19:13:20 av Mike '/m' (1:379/45)
Ärende: Switching to Mac Easier Than You Think
==============================================
From: Mike '/m' <mike@barkto.com>

The lead-in to the article on the home page of the site says, "With Longhorn
still at least 18 months -- if not longer -- away from final release, BetaNews'
Ed Oswald decided now was a good time to try out the Mac OS X operating system.
But can this Windows loyalist be turned into a switcher?"


http://www.betanews.com/article/Switching_to_Mac_Easier_Than_You_Think/11196655
75

===
PERSPECTIVE With Longhorn still at least 18 months -- if not longer -- away
from a final release, I decided now was as good a time as ever to try out the
Mac OS X operating system.

I have not had a lot of experience with Macs, other than in elementary and
middle school with old Apple IIc and IIe's (like most people) and on an old G3
running Mac OS 9 at my job while I was in college. Even though Apple may have
sharp looking desktops and a highly regarded operating system, I never had a
reason to leave the world of Windows.

Enter Mac OS X Tiger. The fourth revision of the operating system in as many
years brings features that are still a long ways off for Windows users. It just
works, really.

Right off the bat the operating system impresses. The first time I used the
computer, my wireless network was detected, connected without a problem, and I
could see the shared folders on my Windows desktop.

Anyone with experience trying to set up a Windows XP home network, especially
pre-Service Pack 2, knows how fickle Windows networking is. I cannot tell you
how many hours I wasted trying to keep my network working correctly -- and this
was on computers all running Windows. Such trouble-free wireless on a Mac was
nothing short of impressive.

Immediately upon setup (which works much like Windows XP setup for those
wondering), I went to check out Spotlight, probably the most talked about
feature of Tiger. Unlike MSN and Google Desktop Search, Spotlight goes farther
than just being a nice little search box on your desktop. You can access it
from file open dialogs, within programs such as Mail and Address Book, or
through a Spotlight dialog box in the menu bar. Search has become an integral
part of the UI

One of the neatest features in Spotlight is the capability to create "smart
folders," which are virtual file folders based on a search query. This will
make it extremely easy to find what you are looking for, and turns the
three-decade old concept of hierarchical file folders on its head. No longer
will you have to worry what was put where - smart folders do all the work for
you.

Moving all my files over onto the Mac was not difficult at all. With just the
operating system alone and no installed third-party applications, I could view
my Word documents, PDF files and pictures without a problem.....

iPhoto works without drivers for just about every available camera on the
market. Although, if you like to keep your pictures on your camera it will try
to re-import them again on your next connect, which can be slightly annoying.
Hopefully this is fixed in a future release. Still, I found iPhoto far superior
to Windows XP's measly built-in photo capabilities and even third-party
offerings such as Picasa, now free from Google....

However, Mac OS X does suffer from a lack of software applications. Gaming on
the Macintosh platform is nowhere near that of Windows, and while most
applications do have an Apple counterpart, in some cases -- such as America
Online -- the software is an afterthought and leaves much to be desired.

Despite the lack of choice, I quickly got accustomed to the applications on
Tiger; most Mac software is just as -- if not more -- capable than its Windows
equivalent. But what has really kept me from booting Windows are the little
things in Tiger such as Spotlight and Dashboard.

Dashboard was one of Apple's key selling points in the OS, and I must admit, it
has become an integral part of my everyday computer use. At first, I didn't see
much use for the mini-applications that run in a separate layer above the
desktop, but now as I do my daily work it becomes more and more useful....

As much as it is derided, Apple's one button mouse really is all that is
necessary. I found I could do just about everything I needed two buttons for on
my Windows PC with a single button mouse using Tiger. Think about it -- it is
actually a good idea.

Look at most right-click menus in Windows programs. Instead of figuring out
better ways to incorporate features, some developers just throw these options
into a right-click menu. A one-button mouse forces Mac developers to rethink a
program's interface to make it friendly to users with a standard Apple
mouse....

I walked into this review fully expecting to just try out the platform and
return to my Windows desktop. But due to the Mac's ease of use, no-hassle
operating system, and the productivity boost it has provided, I find myself
using Windows less and less....
===


I like this part,

"...Anyone with experience trying to set up a Windows XP home network,
especially pre-Service Pack 2, knows how fickle Windows networking is. I cannot
tell you how many hours I wasted trying to keep my network working correctly --
and this was on computers all running Windows...."

If certainly echoes my experiences (but at work, not here at home).

 /m

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