Well, after about a year of stubborn procrastination I've finally taken the leap and purchased my first Apple computer. It's a 20" iMac that I've got for the office, but I'm currently enjoying it at home, kinda to overcome that inevitable transition period from Windows to Mac OS X. I'll be blunt; it's about the most impressive piece of hardware I think I've perhaps ever bought. And I have to say it's worth every penny of the one-thousand 'n odd quid I paid for it.
My new iMac!
[click to enlarge]
Mac OS X is running like a dream and I'm getting used to it very quickly. I gotta admin that working on a computer with more style sense than George Clooney has filled me with inspiration. Even the most mundane tasks seem now more fun that they were with Windows.
I'm still in that obsessive phase of blowing every dust particle from the monitor and keyboard and generally treating it like a deity, but I'm sure this'll pass.
Of course there have been a few little quirks along the way, as I knew there would be. I'm still getting used to some of the keyboard adjustments, such as the shortcuts and the position of the @ symbol. However it's something and nothing. Also iTunes is a million miles away from Windows Media Player, and whereas I can see the great potential of iTunes I still prefer Media Player a little more at the moment. Again though, something and nothing.
My old Dell's now just gathering dust in the corner and looks pretty poor in retrospect. No plans to use it any time soon, or probably ever again. I might throw it out of the window for good measure :).
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- On 20th May 2007 gamon said:
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Macs are ace
I wouldnt go back to PCs now.
Generally the keyboard shortcuts are the same on mac as win, only use the apple key instead of control :-) - On 20th May 2007 Owen Mc Gauley said:
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I'm going to take the plunge at some stage in the future also. I used to work on Macs and found them great. I've just got to start saving. fair play mate.
Oh, I hope that DeLorean has it's handbrake on ;) - On 20th May 2007 Lorissa said:
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Yayness! Excellent stuff. Yes, Macs are wonderful pieces of design genius.
- On 21st May 2007 P.J. Onori said:
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Glad to see you made the move - I think you'll really end up enjoying it. I switch a while back and haven't looked back sense.
- On 21st May 2007 J Phill said:
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You just made my morning Steve! I'm glad you finally made that jump. Shoot me an email if you need any recommendations on some cool apps to use. I've found lots.
- On 21st May 2007 kitsimons said:
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The months of posting photos in your face got to you then, mate?
Enjoy. It'll repay you 10-fold! Nice choice with the iMac 20" as well - the camera that fits sexily above your screen is all that's missing from my setup (dammit Apple - get the new iSight released!) - On 22nd May 2007 Dustin said:
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Congrats on the mac! I would love to get one, but my budget just can't afford it.
Have you used bootcamp yet? The best of both worlds ;) - On 22nd May 2007 J Phill said:
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Actually, Parallels might be better to use, then you don't have to reboot when you want to use windows!
- On 22nd May 2007 kitsimons said:
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I agree - Parallels all the way. Nothing beats having IE6 and IE7 side by side in two VM windows... and a big red close button at the top ;-)
- On 22nd May 2007 Dustin said:
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What is this Parallels you two speak of?
- On 22nd May 2007 J Phill said:
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It basically allows you to run a virtual setup of [almost] any other operating system. You can start up any OS without having to reboot either.
Just do a Google search for "parallels osx" and you will find out more info. It's an extremely nice application, maybe one of the best I've come across for developers who need multiple os's and browsers. - On 23rd May 2007 Steve Tucker said:
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So, is there no way of just getting IE6 and 7 working on Mac OS X then? I mean, it seems a little extreme to install a whole operating system just for the purpose of running a couple of browsers!
Thanks for all the great feedback guys :) - On 23rd May 2007 kitsimons said:
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No other way I'm afraid. The native Mac version of IE (version 5.2) was abandoned long ago.
You'll have to install Windows to run IE6 and 7 for testing. Through Parallels (http://www.parallels.com/) is the best way to do it IMO as you only have to install Windows on one virtual machine, then you can clone it and update the second virtual machine to IE7.
Integration with OS X is seamless - you basically have your Parallels VM window running XP floating around your OS X desktop with your other windows. You can drag and drop between OS X and Windows which is nice. - On 26th May 2007 Damien said:
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Looking great man! Really want to get an iMac, just need the dinero...
- On 26th May 2007 Damien said:
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Oh yes, and post the pictures of the Dell after it's been thrown out the window.
- On 1st June 2007 Richard Kimber said:
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Nice one, just brought my first mac too! A 17" iMac and I'm very happy with it.
Still have to use a PC or some of my work, but windows will never power my main machine again.
Windows is more of an infrequently reoccurring nightmare now. - On 4th June 2007 Pascal Renet said:
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Nice choice Steve. Did you get a chance to take the iApps for a spin yet. Using it to make a DVD with some music whipped in Garageband is child's play! Enjoy it.
- On 5th June 2007 Steve Tucker said:
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@Richard: I know what you mean. Windows will always be in the background. For one we need it to use IE6 for error checking! Shame.
@Pascal: Yep, I used pretty much all of them but enjoyed iMovie the most; made a movie in less than an hour with the iSight camera, transition effects, music and everything. Brilliant! - Leave your comment...