Robin was stunned. "You? Looking at a Mac? You can’t get a Mac. Who would help me with my computer?"
I need a laptop. My beloved Fujitsu is three years old, but it is far too sluggish and slow for my needs now. I need to upgrade before my fall busy season starts.
I bought a new Fujitsu Lifebook, but they’ve wrecked the design. The keyboard feels mushy and awful, and configured so that I could never hit the spacebar. The more writing I did on it, the more I hated it. I didn’t adapt—I only got more frustrated. The screen resolution was 1440 pixels, which at 14 inches makes it impossible with anyone with less than 10/20 vision and over 30 years old to read anything on screen. I threw it back (great return policy, no questions, full refund. Good on you Fujitsu).
I visited the Apple store this morning. "I’m the type of prey you dream of getting, " I said to the hip looking sales woman (oh, they call them something trendy there, like gurus, don’t they?). "I’m a long time PC user."
"I used a PC for 15 years myself," she said soothingly. I did the math in my head and figured she must have started at 3. I picked up the MacBook Pro. God, it’s heavy. 5.5 lbs. I got a lesson on file navigation (always opaque to me on a Mac), and found a mode that sorta resembled a hierarchical file structure. "That row of icons sure takes up a lot of real estate, I said. "You can totally customize that, don’t worry." I kept trying to tap on the skating rink to open things, to no effect. "Oh, you can customize that too." My ring finger was lost, hanging useless with the absence of a right mouse button. "You can get right click menus by holding this key and clicking." I tapped outside of the program I was in, and it vanished, without a trace. I always hate that about Macs. Where’d my program go? "See, there’s a little arrow underneath the program icon on the bottom? That shows you what’s open." Well, that’s obscure.
Where’s the PC card slot? How can a laptop not have a PC card slot? "You can get an accessory for your card reader." Well, that might be a deal killer right there. I love having my CF card reader right in the computer.
The display quality, now, that is a huge, compelling advantage. It looks fantastic. She showed a nifty keyboard shortcut to scroll the screen resolution up and down, and by golly, type looked sharp no matter what. That's huge.
I next went to the Sony store, and played with a SZ series Vaio. Weight: under 4 lbs—that’s more like it. Display: LED, 1280 pixels wide, on a 13 inch screen. It’s slightly widescreen format though. Type is totally readable. Keyboard, well, not a lot of travel in the keystroke, and the Shift key is tiny. But it’s light. And bright. And it has a 200gb hard drive. But it’s got Vista on it, Gaaah. I tried using my usual shortcuts to settings, which didn’t work, and everything’s in dumb mode, or hidden away. And it’s a way expensive computer.
Here are my issues with each. MacBook. PRO: display, keyboard action. CON: weight, no PC slot, OS learning curve, new software expense, data sharing with my PCs. Vaio: PRO: weight, compatibility, familiarity, large HD, display, have software. CON: keyboard action, OS learning curve (though not as traumatic), price.
IF now, I can get informative comments, and NOT get a string of PC bashing, I would love to get some perspective and suggestions.
You can still get new laptops loaded with Windows XP, and until the kinks are worked out of Vista, that's what I'd recommend. Just go to froogle.com and search for
new laptop intitle:"windows xp" -"sold out"
and then refine your search down at the bottom by price range (say $1000-2000) to weed out all the cheap accessories and software, etc.
I'm not won over by the Mac UI. It's probably true that everything I really need to do I could do on either system, but then why switch if you're familiar with one? I have a huge investment (both in time and money) in all the extra fun things I know how to do and can do with third-party software on my Windows machine. A Mac hides the inner workings from the user. "So what?" say the Mac afficionados, "you don't need to see under the hood to fix things, because it doesn't break down like a PC does." But I like being able to see what processes are running and which ones are hogging the most memory, etc. So for the geek factor, I still think Windows is the better choice. But if you're sick of that aspect of it, maybe it's time to jump ship, as the critical mass of Mac users is starting to become reasonable enough to consider it.
Either way, the computing landscape will probably look very different 5 to 10 years from now, so whatever you decide now might not end up determining your technological life for very long. So it might not be worth spending much time over the decision. Just go with your gut.
Posted by: Rosie Perera | June 23, 2007 at 03:07 PM
As to the data-sharing, it is entirely possible to run WinXP on your Mac, and all of your familiar trust apps.
I'm pretty sure if you spend any more time looking at a Mac display the rest of your issues will fade.
Another photographer (friend of mine) was, still is, a longtime PC user. That said, he gave his old Toshiba laptop to his daughter (university, she was stoked) and got himself one of those smallish white MacBooks with the Core 2 and a gig of ram and loves it. Light weight, no performance hit. Sure the screen is small, but the traveling weight is more than an equal trade off. Better screen fonts, all his software on a single system, can log into the company network and run all of the native Windows stuff. Runs Photoshop CS3 like it's on jet fuel.
He plugs in in to his KVM at home and uses a favorite Windows keyboard and mouse (you can map the Mac keys to your liking) and a 26 inch Acer display).
He's not switching back. Not ever. (Yes he still has a PC network at home, that'll never end, but as far as portable computing goes, he's found his nirvana).
I'm watching his progress, but I am pretty certain my next computer will be a MacBook. And likely not a Pro, I don't need it. Go see your Apple Genius and test drive one of those smaller units.
They're not without their gotchas. Make sure you shut it off if you're not going to use it for more than a day or you'll roast your battery.
Posted by: Ray | June 23, 2007 at 03:13 PM
And, as a comment to Rosie's assertion that Windows boxes are better suited to geeks, this friend of mine is in the business, is as hard core a geek as I've ever known, and had those same prejudices towards PCs (still has some) but you know, he's still wide-eyed with enthusiasm.
And I made a boo-boo in my first comment. I meant TRUSTY apps...
Posted by: Ray | June 23, 2007 at 03:17 PM
I used Windows for ... oooh, long time. Since Windows 3.0 or something. 2 years ago I decided that life is too short to spend hours fixing obscure OS issues, so switched to Mac. Never looked back. So for me, the number one pro is: Computer with no hassle, always working. I still use WinXP every day at work, and every day I am reminded of why I don't want that at home. The only thing that that makes it bearable at work is that I don't have to fix things myself, I just call the IT department.
To address your concerns.
Getting used to a new OS shouldn't be too hard. I think most people manage that if they just don't resist it. Both Windows and OsX are easy and intuitive to use, and not that different from a user standpoint. My girlfriend, who hate computers, learned how to navigate a Mac in only a couple of hours.
Software cost is an issue. You'll obviously have to buy some new software, and some of the stuff you like to use isn't available any longer. You'll find photoshop and Ms Office, but you'll have to navigate a different jungle of small applications.
By the way, is the CS3 license cross platform like LR? I don't remember, but if it is, you don't have an extra cost there.
Data sharing isn't an issue anymore. I have never encountered a file that won't open on both Mac and PC.
You may encounter some hardware issues. If you plan on using a scanner on your Mac, you should make sure it is supported. And there are still some peripheral manufacturers that don't support Mac. Just something to be aware of.
If you like a two button mouse, just buy one and plug it in. Or use your old one. It'll work just like you expect it to. Even the Mac mouse that looks like a single button has in fact two. The mouse senses whether you're pressing on the right or left side. A little awkward, and not as good as a real two button mouse.
Well, that's it, hope it helps.
Posted by: Kjell H A | June 23, 2007 at 03:27 PM
Rosie:
Just a small comment about peeking under the hood. Both Windows and Mac hides that for the ordinary user, and that is all good, but it is not a problem on either of them to look what's happening behind the scene. Mac is after all a Unix type of system, and if you're comfortable with it, it'll give all the under-the-hood control you ever need. Just because you don't know it, and the wast majority of Mac users don't either, doesn't mean it isn't there. I suppose you know how it works on Windows.
Posted by: Kjell H A | June 23, 2007 at 03:39 PM
Back in the days when I used to sell cameras, I'd regularly meet people who swore up and down that Brand Q was a far superior brand to all others. In the course of a day, I could count on meeting at least one diehard fan of each brand (well, O.K., nobody was ever crazy enough to stand up for Zenit). Now, you know as well as I do that it's not the camera, it's the photographer that determines picture quality. A photographer's favourite camera is the one he/she finds easiest to use, that he/she is most comfortable with. Same with computers. People love what they own and use.
Every Mac I ever tried to use crashed on me with great regularity. I've never had that kind of problem with a PC. I could never figure out what was going on with a Mac. PCs I have no problem with. So, do these two statements mean that I think Macs are crummy and PCs are wonderful? No. The first statement means I've had bad luck with Macs. The second means I'm not willing to invest the time needed to learn a new OS. This last factor is the one probably most applicable to you. Do you want to learn a whole new way of doing things? If you don't mind, buy a Mac. If you do, buy a PC. They'll both do exactly the same things in the end.
Posted by: stephen connor | June 23, 2007 at 04:39 PM
This is great to see a non ideological thread on my dilemma. If for no better reason, buying a Mac would mean I'd have no shortage of things to write about in my blog for the duration. Keep it up, I'm learning a lot.
Posted by: Doug Plummer | June 23, 2007 at 06:09 PM
Doug - I've been enjoying your blog for >1 year, and aside from the photography, I'm a displaced Seattle-ite, so I enjoy the local references.
I'm a longtime Mac user, but also use XP at work. An example to me of how the Mac is better thought out is how a Mac laptop handles multiple monitors, and how it switches modes (e.g., laptop alone, or docked, using built-in display & external monitor, and back-and-forth). My experience is that it just works (no rebooting, BTW). If you want to get fancy and switch which monitor is the main monitor, you just open the display control panel, which shows you a miniature representation of your display setup, and you simply drag the menubar from one mini-monitor representation to the other).
Compare with my XP laptop at work when I dock & undock it... sometimes the display configuration automatically adjusts without intervention, but more often I need to drill three levels or so into the control panel to reconfigure it. Sometimes I have to enter the control panel, change one thing, exit the control panel, then reopen to finish the reconfiguration. Once I was using the laptop alone when I realized that the computer thought there was another monitor attached, and that it was trying to show me something on the (non-existent) other monitor.
Another question is how often do you reboot your XP machines? My Macs can go for weeks or months (being put to sleep and re-woken many, many times) without problems, and I very, very rarely feel that I *need* to reboot it... I just reboot it occasionally for the heck of it, because it seems like a good idea.
As for the lack of a PC Card slot, it *is* too bad that the ExpressCard (?) slot doesn't accomodate a CF reader that will reside entirely w/in the computer. Even so, on my old Mac laptop that does have a PC card slot, I have taken to carrying the card reader externally in the bag anyway, though I used to do it your way.
Good luck w/your decision.
Posted by: Paul Feng | June 23, 2007 at 07:39 PM
Wow, this is the most civil discussion I've ever seen about brand differences for any kind of consumer electronics product!
I was a life-long Windows user (and DOS before that!) who decided to switch to a MacBook back in January. My previous notebook was just too slow to handle processing RAW files very well. As you know, just like with cameras, no computer is perfect. And don't believe the myth that Macs never crash, they do on occasion, though in my experience it's been less so than with Windows machines.
I agree that you might consider the smaller 13" MacBook (non Pro). It would not solve your card slot problem, but is a little bit more compact and a little bit lighter (around 5 lbs.) The only significant difference is that it doesn't have dedicated video memory. Unless you're doing 3D graphics work or playing graphics intensive games, my impression is that you won't notice much difference in the performance.
Also, just to clarify the MacBook Pros do come with an expresscard slot, for which you can buy a Delkin compact flash card reader. Unfortunately it does stick out of the computer a bit, though.
Another factor to consider is that Apple will probably be releasing an ultrathin Macbook with a 13" screen sometime in the next 6-8 months (check the AppleInsider post from May 11th for rumored details).
If you end up buying a Mac, purchasing it from the refurbished section of Apple's website can save quite a bit of money. It will still have the usual 1 year warranty and you can extend it with Applecare if you want. Just make sure you check that the configuration is what you want (processor, hard drive size, ram, etc.), it may be slightly different than the most recent model, as they update them every few months. And I really recommend maxing out the RAM on whatever notebook you buy.
My personal experience switching to a Mac has been very positive. I spend a lot less time fidgeting with OS settings and quirks, the filesystem seems to be more stable (no registry or dlls to fiddle with) and the applications tend to have better user interfaces. I won't be going back anytime soon.
I doubt file sharing will be much of an issue switching to a Macbook. For any Windows computers you still have, the MacDrive program should solve almost any issues, allowing Windows machines to read and write to a Mac filesystem. The only thing that might be a problem is if you have NTFS formatted drives that you need to write to with a Macintosh computer. Reading them is not a problem, but writing to NTFS is just now possible with the very new MacFUSE. As I understand, it's not yet very easy to implement.
Hope this is helpful!
Posted by: Grant | June 23, 2007 at 08:33 PM
Just for the record, my Mac do crash some times. Surly not often, but it has happened. I think it is caused by some bad behaving USB device. So, you aren't immune to crashes on a Mac, but I still find it more stable in the sense that I spend far less time maintaining the system.
Posted by: Kjell H A | June 24, 2007 at 10:56 AM
Ray: Not sure what you mean about Mac battery life; I get 3-5 hours out of my MacBook Pro and don't need to shut it down overnight. Could just be a faulty battery in your case.
I've always used Macs, and although I do use Windows XP on occasion, it still feels alien to me; that's just due to familiarity. I bought an ExpressCard reader that reads my SD memory cards from my Nikon D80. As someone else mentioned, you can get a reader that handles CF, though it would stick out (you don't need to always have it in, though). But that's still easier than toting a separate USB card reader, in my opinion.
One of the big advantages of a Mac these days is that you can buy Parallels Desktop and run Windows XP in a separate window within the Mac OS. So if there's something you need under Windows, it's right there. You probably wouldn't want to run Photoshop, just because you're a serious user and would want the most speed possible, but everything else (Word, etc.) could be run there without buying all new software.
Plus, don't forget that if you do encounter a problem with the machine, you can make an appointment at the Apple Store's Genius Bar for FREE tech support.
I write about this stuff for a living (I'm one of the Practical Mac columnists for the Seattle Times, and Managing Editor of TidBITS www.tidbits.com), so I'm happy to answer any questions you have.
Posted by: Jeff Carlson | June 24, 2007 at 12:28 PM
To make your transition easier, you can also run Windows (and Windows applications) natively on the Intel processor in new Macs, and without any performance hit.
Apple's own Boot Camp software lets you choose either OS at startup time and the highly regarded third party Parallels program lets both OS's be resident at the same time so that you can switch between them at will.
I'm a faculty member at a SF Bay Area college where we have discussed using Macs for both our Windows and Mac OS users.
Fortunately, these days file compatibility issues are pretty much a non-issue. I live in a dual platform world and there is hardly ever a problem due to files only being readable on one or the other platform.
Good luck.
Dan
Posted by: Dan Mitchell | June 24, 2007 at 12:58 PM
Kjell,
I was referring to this. I TinyURL'd the link, it's too long for this form...
http://tinyurl.com/27k537
The problem is known to Apple and has apparently been addressed.
http://tinyurl.com/2hjqkm
Sorry Doug, didn't mean to turn this into a Mac troubleshooting thread.
I like my PC, I like my Mac. They're good tools to have in the toolbox. But I'm brand agnostic.
Posted by: Ray van der Woning | June 24, 2007 at 01:40 PM
I used a PC for around 12 years, occasionally using a mac if I had to (at uni for example). I never liked the macs, in the limited experience I had I was put off by things like the one-button mouse and lack of little apps to change around the interface, make funny noises etc. 3 years ago I started work at a studio that used only macs, while still using a PC at home. After a while being forced to work on macs (and being responsible for their running/upkeep) I realised something wonderful, which especially important for anyone who runs a business around their computer. Macs just work. You turn it on and it goes- there's no mucking about. I used to install and run anti-spyware and anti-virus, troubleshoot obscure problems and scour the web for solutions. It could take hours. Now I can use all that time to work. The main thing I've found is that I spend far less time at a mac than I do at a PC. For me, thats the biggest advantage of these computers.
Posted by: Dave | June 24, 2007 at 03:56 PM
My above comment about reboots notwithstanding, I *was* forced to reboot recently. But it was Adobe's fault, an auto-updater.
Posted by: Paul Feng | June 24, 2007 at 05:30 PM
I'm not sure I know my husband anymore. He hasn't used his dark room in 6 months. He just sold the last of his color film on ebay. Tomorrow he's buying a Mac. Could he still be the same person? Should I worry?
R
Posted by: Robin Shapiro | June 24, 2007 at 11:46 PM
A couple of people have commented on what a civil discussion this has been. I credit you, Doug, for setting up the parameters of the discussion well. You came at it already having done your homework, with a balanced pro/con summary of what you'd learned about both platforms, in a good-humored post, with a request that people keep their comments informative and not just bash each other. Guess what? It worked! Glad you've been able to make a decision so quickly. I'm sure you'll be happy with it.
Posted by: Rosie Perera | June 25, 2007 at 12:15 AM