Tuesday
05Jan2010

Loving my New 13" MacBook Pro

DateTuesday, January 5, 2010 at 8:37PM

Honestly, I really am loving my Mac.  I've had my 13" MacBook Pro for less than a month but it's just such a joy to work with.  The design of the computer is simply perfect and it is extremely responsive.  The one downside at this moment is that I like it so much I dread going back to my PC to actually do my job!  I can't wait to get home and play on my Mac.  And I daydream about how much more productive I could be if I had a nice 27" iMac sitting at my desk at work!  Alas, I don't think I'll be able to convince my boss to let me expense it.

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Monday
28Dec2009

Lost my [Windows] keys

DateMonday, December 28, 2009 at 6:36PM

Ok, not those keys... I mean my back space, home, and delete keys.  I didn't realize that I would miss them.  I didn't even realize how much I used them.  But wow, now that I've posted my first blog-post using my Mac it is apparent that I am a heavy delete(r).  I had to google "backspace on mac" just to make it through the actual post!  

All is well though, I am adjusting.  I knew it would take a little getting used to and (gulp) I'm sure I can be just fine using "fn+delete" instead of "delete."  Here's what I came across during my search:

Blog by David Alison: "Where did my backspace key go?"

David Alison's Blog

Blog Post about Apple vs Windows Keyboard Logo Keys (interesting stuff)

Apple: Create your own keyboard shortcuts (again interesting stuff, I may use this in the future)

 

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Monday
28Dec2009

Starting out Mac

DateMonday, December 28, 2009 at 3:18PM

Well, it's been some time...  actually, it's been a long time since I've blogged about my efforts to go from PC to Mac.  I have to admit, it was a bit disconcerting for a while there.  Since last I blogged, I had made the personal decision to go Mac, but with my work and other obligations I knew financially IF I was going to do it, then it would have to be around the end of the year.  So I had a hard time finding the motivation to blog.  It was a little frustrating talking about something that I didn't own...  

The truth of the matter, simply put, was that my Mac had to be MY Mac and a gift to myself from myself.  Although I toyed with the idea of replacing my home PC it wasn't really an option.  My wife wasn't ready to make the switch and with her college assignments she was afraid she would get frustrated if something went wrong.  So, last week upon receiving a bonus from my employer - thank heavens that not every industry is in the dumps - I did it.  I bought a shiny new 13" MacBook Pro.  I almost talked myself out of it.  But thankfully, I did it.  And now I can say, I have my first very own Mac.  :-) 

As far as the home PC, it needed upgrading too and with my spouses concerns I thought it best to stick with Windows.  I snapped up a nice little Dell with Windows 7 and it's on the way.  Although I'm not as excited about it as I am my Mac, I am curious to see how my wife handles the transition from Windows XP to Windows 7.  It will be a bit different but she was willing to make some small changes and having played with the release candidate myself I felt comfortable helping her along the way.

Well here goes nothing! I'll start out 2010 as a Mac in a PC world.  At work it is all PC and at home I will be a Mac on my own time.  I have decided to keep this blog and I may change the format, post less formally, and perhaps I'll write a little about the transition to Windows 7.  Either way, as a newbie to blogging, and a newbie to the Mac, I do like the idea of having a place of my own to share a little about my journey from PC to Mac.

 

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Monday
06Jul2009

Surprise! A shiny new Mac

DateMonday, July 6, 2009 at 8:02PM

A happy Mac user shares her story...

iBook G4I always thought macs looked like they might be fun (and easy!) but I was married at the time to a computer scientist (Ph.D.!) so I wasn't really in any position to give my opinions on the computer situation in our household. Frankly, I was thankful that was at least one thing I knew I never had to worry about.

Then, one day, out of the blue, someone gave me a white iBook G4 as a gift. Ooooohhhh it was so pretty. I put it in my office and didn't open the box for a few weeks. It was so perfect and so shiny, I didn't want to ruin it.
I finally did open it, and for someone like me who has always had all their computer needs taken care of, it literally took 5 minutes for me to set it up and be using it. It was so much fun, it felt like playing. It almost felt like a toy.
My biggest issue with the mac was finding all the software I wanted. Microsoft Office for Mac (which I had to buy) wasn't as powerful or sophisticated (or so it seemed), the mac version of the tax software I wanted was about 3 generations behind, the eBay software I needed to run my business at the time didn't work on macs so I had to scour the web for an alternative that wasn't as good, etc. Also, it would happen that often times websites looked funny or didn't work at all on my mac. This was a few years ago, and it seems there has been vast improvements, especially since the recent popularity of the iPhone.
The pros definitely include ease of use and the virtual non-existence of viruses, spam and spyware.
I use a PC for work and a Mac at home, and I like both. I'm not sure I would say I'm definitely one or the other, but I do love my mac. If I were to buy another computer today, and money wasn't an option, I would get another mac laptop.
... anonymous
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Sunday
28Jun2009

Macafarian Ramblings

DateSunday, June 28, 2009 at 7:14PM

I've found another great resource for Mac newbie's and users.  The author of "Macafarian Ramblings" shares his story:

Did You Grow up Mac?

Nope. I don't even remember what my first computer was.

What Was Your First Mac?

I first went Mac back in 2000, with the old colored iMacs. I haven’t gone back since.

What Are Some Of Your Thoughts On What Makes The Mac Unique?

The Mac combines simplicity and power with a slick design. The Mac's designmakes you want one.  I don't know about you, but the PC's bland, plastic-ness is a major turn off.
Apple's marketing and promotion department is genius. They have managed to create a borderline-obsessed community around a multi-billion dollar company. Whenever there's a Keynote announced, they can count on the community to built up huge amounts of tension and speculation. The media picks this up, and before we know it, everyone is talking about Apple's latest product.
Just look at the iPhone 3g S. People are lining the streets just to get their hands on one, and when it was announced, blogs, online news sites, and newspapers flocked to cover it.

Have I Ever Tried To Convert A PC User?

Of course! All my friends are using Macs now. In fact, I just turned over last two. They should be lining up to get their 13" MacBook Pros anytime now. It was easy to convince them, after a couple of demonstrations of OS X.


Wess' WebsiteJustin\\ I Like Technology
Online Profiles: Macafarian Ramblings \\ Twitter \\ Squidoo \\ Associated Content

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