atw: Re: STraw poll
- From: "Lewington, Warren" <Warren.Lewington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:46:46 +1000
"detect windows" should be "detect displays". Sorry all.
________________________________
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lewington, Warren
Sent: Wednesday, 20 July 2011 16:40
To: 'austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: atw: Re: STraw poll
I am using a Mac now. I started in April and when I worked out a few bits (like
how in God's name to turn off "F9" which does funny things to the desktop and
nothing to do with fields in Word - show stopper for me at the time) and
explored the (very different) interface for Word compared to that which Windows
users experience, I have to say I am pretty happy.
Word for Mac is designed for academic writers, so you have bibliography and
style information (including CMoS or APA options), footnote stuff more
available and so on. Haven't used this much yet but the UI slant is definitely
towards real writers - not word processing people.
Toolbars can be made and customised - although buttons can't be changed. No
matter, I just used a logical system and it works - unlike Word 2007.
To really road test it, I started using the Mac at a client site one morning,
the day after I had started using and creating some ".dotx" and ".dot" files in
Word for Windows. I wanted to break the documents, I tried really hard. I
created a number of templates, saved documents, several with lots of styles,
styleref fields, fields of various types and non-standard layouts and so on.
I really did try to prove it wouldn't work between Win-doze and the Mac.
Nothing broke. I literally could send one of my Mac made documents to the
manager, he could open it, we could make changes together (track changes even
worked seamlessly!), save it as the original name, send it back to me, where I
could re-attach the original Mac based template, and continue. Linking the
latterly saved network template to the documents was easy as well.
Oh, I tried to connect to their network. I plugged in. It didn't work. So I
rang their network IT man and he said "dunno, but try a restart?" Be damned.
The restart allowed my Mac's network internals switch from wireless to
Ethernet; recognise the IP addresses, sort internet access, and presented a
window for configuring network drive access - which we didn't go with.
Dumbfounding simplicity.
I did try to break it. It didn't. I am impressed.
Outlook however, is nowhere near compatible. I will have to either, run the
Office 365 option (hesitant about the cloud data location) or run Outlook on my
VMWare emulator (most likely). The blurb from MS about Outlook for the Mac is
totally inaccurate - it borders on misleading and deceptive under Australian
Trade Law - so be warned. I could not get it to work to send emails without an
Exchange Server - no matter what I did. Just doesn't work, isn't cross
compatible (no pst files for back-ups either). R-U-B-B-I-S-H-.
So for Outlook. Now this is where I have blown my mind. VMWare and "Parallels"
allow you to run Windows on the Mac. Wow it works. The amazing thing is you can
literally drag and drop between the Windows emulator and your Mac desktop. So
email attachments and so on is or should be straightforward.
What's more, when they say Mac works with multimedia stuff like DVDs and the
like, it works. Every DVD I have tried (and I have tried a massive number in
the recent months) work. When I tried to use them with Windows - the majority
fail. It is really incredible, REALLY. That MS can get it so wrong, so much and
so often, and yet Apple stuff just works. I like the fact that iMovie comes
grunt standard, and is pretty fun to use. Plug in a data projector or second
monitor, and sometimes you have to go into the Settings/Preferences window to
detect windows. Easily done. I am using Adobe Soundbooth so audio editing is
kind of done using that by me - but Mac users recommend "Audacity" (a Mac
version is available). I have used the Windoze version of that and it is very
good. Set up a slide show of photos (or jpeg slides) and include music files
from your iTunes library. It just does things that you don't realise or should
have been that easy in windows in the first place.
There are some interesting differences with the "Apple" way of doing things,
and idiosyncratic is I think a polite way of putting it, but I am getting the
hang of it. I am not yet ready to give up my Windows machinery yet - but I will
be heading to a Linux server system.
The Linux server is because the biggest problem I am having is file
synchronisation. I have finally found a workaround which is, I have to admit, a
more rigorous and SAFER process, but it does take longer. And I have three
copies of everything rather than my old two. So well; okay.
I must put on some antivirus software - slack I realise. Mainly because I don't
want to become a vector for Windows viruses, which is a higher risk. Mac
viruses are out there - I know that so don't write in and tell me there aren't;
which would incidentally prove your own ignorance.
My suggestion is that if you're in the market for a new computer then think
seriously about a Mac; go and road test one for a while at dick smith or JB
Hi-Fi or see me with a couple of beers to keep me quiet while you play. What's
more, if you decide to purchase, I'll put you in touch with a wonderful company
(who upon mentioning my name) will really bend over backwards to help you.
It is well worth the effort to do an evaluation these days between Mac and
Windows. I am very happy with my Mac, and it looks really cool, the power
supplies are lighter than any other laptop PS I have ever had, and the lot
travels really well together.
Warren.
Other related posts:
