Comments on: A dedicated follower of fashion

By: Ian Chamberlain

Ian Chamberlain — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:53:56 +0000

I understand the gollum like “we wants it” all too well Paul. I have been a certified Microsoft type since there have been such things and working with Messrs Gates and co since the 1980s. But guess what; I WANT a new Mac book pro, and other than my Ipod have never owned an Apple.
Is it some cunning virus shipped over the global inter web or a drug in the paint on the Ipod Touch.
The truth is I need a power portable, trying to go freelance without portability is a tad limiting, but to a get a high spec machine does mean spending near the price of a Mac Book so should I spend that little extra for all that class and cool.
Any guidance from others who have moved from windows to Mac, choices for web tools etc gratefully accepted.
For examples is there a list of things I will lose if I move from windows; tis hard to find facts.

By: Clare

Clare — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:23:47 +0000

Ironic really – I remember back to the early podcast days when a certain Mr Boag was vehemently anti-mac !!!
Cracking debate, speaking as a technology addict,
Clare

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:24:54 +0000

Paul, you make a very good point…
I remember the day (around three years ago) that I bought my new computer desk and first flatscreen monitor. These two things really made no difference to the capability of my machine, or indeed myself… yet I know that they improved the way that I felt about my work, and therefore the work that I produced.
Workspace is important, and so, I guess, are the tools you use…
This argument is pushing me yet more towards migrating from pc to mac…
Although I still think you probably have an awesome macbook that’s got a lot of life left in it.

By: cnc137

cnc137 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:11:02 +0000

I would really like a Mac or MacBook, but it is hard for me to justify the expense, since I can get a Windows laptop cheaper that can do all the same things as a Mac. Sony has some elegant looking laptops that I think are cheaper than Macs.
I also have a newer Windows Vista machine I built last year that has an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6GHz processor overclocked to 3.0GHz, 2GB of RAM, an NVIDIA 8800 GPU with 512MB of RAM, 400GB Hard Drive, etc., so I am fine with it.
But, I feel like I should learn how to use a Mac as well as I can my Windows XP or Vista machines because I am a web designer/developer. It seems like a lot of designers and agencies use Macs and it would probably be good to have on my resume that I know how to use a Mac. I have played around with them at the Apple Store and they seem pretty easy to use and I could probably figure it out in a day or two, but I currently can’t honestly say I know how to use a Mac, since I don’t own one and really can’t afford to buy one right now.
Our local Target store had an Apple TV on clearance for $160 last week and I was half tempted to buy it and hack it to run OS X using the info on the Apple TV Hacks website. I talked myself out of it since the Apple TV only has 256MB of RAM and limited. Plus, you need another Mac computer to install the OS on the Apple TV hard drive, which I don’t have.
My friend is also playing around with getting OS X working on his IBM laptop using the Hackintosh information, but I can’t go that route, since my PC mentioned above is built on an NVIDIA motherboard. I wish I could somehow get access to a cheap Mac to test and mess around with, but for now I will be sticking with Windows XP and Vista.
But, I will admit that I would like to buy a MacBook for my next laptop if I can afford it so that I can learn the ins and outs of OS X and also use Bootcamp to run Windows Vista on it. I think have a Mac computer and the knowledge of how they work is good for my resume, but I am not sure it would help me be anymore innovative or confident.
Paul,
I am most suprised that you are huge fan on Macs even though you use .NET and all Microsoft products for Headscape development. You would think that since your company is a big proponent of Microsoft’s development environment that you would want the latest and great Windows Vista PC instead of the enemy (Apple).

By: Justin Viger

Justin Viger — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:19:29 +0000

I know I will be getting one of the new MacBook Pros as soon as I can afford. I bought a MacBook because I preferred the keyboard. I no longer have to worry about that. I will also be getting the Cinema Display. I don't need FireWire and I will be able to keep the look of my desk even cleaner. For me the "shiny" clean design is worth it.

By: Pjtr

Pjtr — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:53:12 +0000

I have often argued to people, like you did, that the design of the computer I work with, and even more importantly the look and feel of the operating system, matters. For some people that is total nonsense: what matters for them is that a computer ‘works’ and that it is fast.
What is strange is that those people will talk endlessly about the design of their car (or dream car) and how they wouldn’t want to be seen dead in this or that car model because it’s just plain ugly.
Seeing that they spend about an hour a day in their car and a minimum of 8 hours in front of their computer screen, I find that very strange to say the least.

By: James

James — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:30:26 +0000

@Jason Grant, like you I'm a musician as well as a web designer, and there's no doubt that playing a scruffy, out-of-tune instrument can be great fun, but nothing beats playing a beautifully crafted work of art. There's just no comparison.

By: Andy Ford

Andy Ford — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:16:58 +0000

D'oh! My last comment should read "...'but' accounts for so very much"

By: Andy Ford

Andy Ford — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:14:56 +0000

@Paul, I couldn't agree more with your last comment. User experience is difficult to quantify by accounts for so very much

By: Jason Grant

Jason Grant — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:13:22 +0000

HHmmm. I am a musician as well as a web designer and music pleasure for me comes from music itself and not from the instrument. Although I play piano, I can sometimes have fun just by tapping a rhythm for hours on an old shoe box. It's a 'state of mind' that makes the difference IMHO. When it comes to design OR functionality, for me satisfaction comes from having design AND functionality. AND is the 'magical operator' and that simple short word can change your whole life. Always use AND instead of OR is how I think.