Switch to a Mac, Part I

The Good Stuff

I like trying out new things every once and a while, especially in technology. One thing that I hadn’t changed in that area for a long time was my Windows PCs, I’d always been a Windows user. Earlier this year; however, I decided to make an investment in a MacBook, because a) There were creative apps I wanted to try that worked better, or were only available on Macs b) I was curious to try it out and experience the difference and c) Windows 8 - actually it was mostly Windows 8.

Anyway, I went with the MacBook Pro 13” with Retina Display. I thought it hit the balance of portability and performance.

When I unboxed it, it made a very good first impression. It looked and felt premium. Overtime, using it as my primary computing device, I got to know it more and I made some thoughts about the Mac environment. There are things that I welcomed and others that I missed, in this first part, I’ll talk about the things I liked.

Design

The very first thing that catches your eye about Macs is their design. They look good. They are so well designed that a MacBook from 2010 looks better than many PCs currently in production (not necessarily thinner, but better built and designed). It is the first thing that tells you you’ve bought a premium product.



The design is not only aesthetically appealing, but it is also smart. Cooling vents are smaller and cleverly placed on the sides so you can put it on your lap (unlike, for example, the Razor Blade - which is designed similarly, only the fans are placed on the bottom of the laptop, making it difficult to work on it on any surface that doesn’t resemble a desk).

Photos source: Apple / Razer

MagSafe is another smart design choice for Apple. Once, or maybe twice, in my time with my MacBook Pro I was so grateful for this feature because it saved my laptop from flying to its death, or maybe severe injury.

You also get glass on your screen, which makes it a lot easier to clean and provides some protection. It is little difficult to work with outdoors but it’s worth it. I just mention that the glass is not available on the MacBook Air.

I should also mention the premium materials. Not only the glass and aluminum, but even the plastic feels premium, the keyboard for example. Even the box the MacBook Pro came in feels premium, and very neat.

A final observation about design, because it doesn’t change as much, manufacturers of accessories are more encouraged to make stuff for Macs than PCs (PC manufacturers may release a new design almost every month).

Accessories:

Before I got my MacBook Pro, I never bought an accessory for any of my PCs (unless you count a USB modem an accessory). While now, I can get accessories for protection, looks and aesthetics, and function. Companies like Incase, Tech21, dbrand, 12South, and many others make exclusive accessories for Macs.

Vintage wood or futuristic carbon fiber, take your pick.

When you have companies that make accessories only for your product, you know you are doing things right.

Performance:

In my use, I found the MacBook quicker than Windows computers with the same specs. That can be partly attributed to the operating system (Mac OS X).

Apple also makes both the hardware and software, which results in a unification of hardware specs for Apple computers. Developers know these specs and they tailor their apps to them, making it possible for apps to run much smoothly on a Mac than a PC of the same specs.

One thing that stands out in my use of Macs is the stability. Whatever the reason is, Macs rarely crash - in fact, mine only crashed once since I bought it eight months ago. It gives you a sense of trust that every time you need your device, it will deliver.

Battery Life:

Battery life is long on MacBooks, I was never able to go on for as much time without plugging on my Windows PCs as on my MacBook.

It can go on for hours unplugged even when doing heavy tasks, but what is more impressive is having a 15” laptop with a Retina display and 2GB graphics’s card go on for 7 hours. Windows laptops are far behind.

Productivity:

There is no denying that Macs do fewer things than Windows, but that also means they do these things better, starting with where you get the apps: the App Store. Apps are organized and easy to access with reviews and ratings (very helpful). You can also share apps you buy with your family (up to 6 accounts - provided they use a Mac).

Apps also look nicer and cleaner on Macs (Evernote, for example, looked much better on my MacBook Pro). I had heard that Macs are more suitable for creative professional (or aspiring in my case), but it went beyond my expectations.

Photo source: Ulysses

Ulysses, the writing app that I use, is a Mac-only app for writing that is better than most, if not all, apps on Windows or any other platform. There are many other creative writing apps in the App Store and many others for photographers and video professionals and many are Mac-only.

In my case, working on both a PC and a Mac, it’s much easier to be productive on a Mac than it is on a PC in the field of creative production. 

You also don’t need as much specs on your Mac to run heavy apps, my laptop can run Final Cut Pro and Adobe Suite on a super-sharp pixel-dense screen without dedicated graphics.

Security:

Apple says that apps on the Mac App Store are “reviewed to ensure they are reliable, perform as expected, and are free of offensive material.” Which means that apps purchased through the store are likely to be bugs-free. Add to that the rarity of viruses on Mac OS X, and it will definitely feel safer, more secure than Windows.

Life Cycle:

Modern technology is notoriously short-lived; there is no denying that. Rest assured that anything you get today will probably be “out of date” within 6 to 12 months depending on how close the next release date is.

This is where Apple gets it right, one release per year, take your time with internal upgrades and keep previous generations alive.

Design is also a factor. Take my own laptop, for example, the MacBook Pro 13” Retina: it is the third generation of its line yet looks identical to the first. So last year’s laptop not only functions properly, but it also maintains the same looks as the new ones, so you don’t feel outdated on design. It is like a timeless classic design in a way.

These new improvement have given me much value, but this is not to say there isn’t anything I miss from my days with Windows; that is Part II coming soon. Watch this space.



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Out with the MacBook Pro 13" Retina 

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