Well, I’m either a traitor, a defector, or a progressive smart kind of guy (subtitled: I bought a mac)
I’m typing this post on my new MacBook with Intel Core Duo 2.0 GHz processor, 80 gig HD, super drive, and 1 gig of ram. I’ve been thinking about this purchase for a long time and for a lot of reasons, but two of the main ones are the new ability to dual boot Windows XP and the application DevonThink. I’ve been doing a lot of reading online about varous tools for research for writers and tried a whole bunch of the ones for Windows XP and none were what I was looking for. The tool I need, or least one of the tools I need, from all the reviews and individual testimonies I have read, is DevonThink, and it is only available for the Mac.
Also, I do a good deal of web development and graphics work using mostly Adobe apps. Earlier this year during my teaching internship helping Dr. Ann Richards with her graduate Document Design class, I spent a lot of time in a Mac lab and was amazed at how much smoother and faster the apps worked on the Macs. And those weren’t even the Intel core duo machines. So I made up my mind when I heard about the new machines that my next PC was not going to be a PC after all.
So here I am, a new Mac user trying to find my way into this new world. I brought my MacBook home today from the Apple store, fired it up, and all has been pretty swell since. I have had Firefox crash on me twice and don’t know why, but I’m not worried about it yet, at least not until I get more oriented. I did use Macs a good bit between 1988 and 1992 for various publishing work, like when I helped with an independent newspaper for a while, and I’ve played around on a few since, but basically I’m having to unlearn a lot of ingrained behavior. For instance, I have memorized keystrokes from Windows 2.x that are no longer documented but which still work that allow me to cut and paste with one-handed keystroke combos. I have a LOOONNNGGG way to go to get up to speed as the power Mac user I intend to be. So anyone with suggestions, feel free to post them and help a fella out.
Technorati Tags: Mac, MacBook, Online Life
A few software recommendations:
A good text editor: TextMate
IM: Adium
Launcher: I prefer LaunchBar over the more powerful (and free) Quicksilver because it’s more unobtrusive. Both are a good amendment for what Spotlight does, not a replacement.
RSS reader: I brought NewNewsWire back when there were little or no alternatives and I’m still very happy with it. But coming to the Mac these days I’d probably choose Vienna.
Word processor: If you don’t need M$ Office, take a look at Nisus Writer Express and Mellel. Apple’s Pages isn’t too bad either. All of them have their strengths and weaknesses though, but then so does everything out of Redmond …
OmniGraffle is a superb flow chart app.
If need a (pure breed) outliner (on top of DEVONthink), that’s a complex topic and there isn’t a clear recommendation I feel I could make. I quite like Circurs Ponies NoteBook and OminiOutliner. In case you need something like that at all, dig into Ted Goranson’s outliner column at ATPO:
http://www.atpm.com/Back/atpo.shtml
GraphicConverter may be no Photoshop but if don’t need the latter it’s worth a look for image manipulation.
The most common software site are MacUpdate.com and Versiontracker. I prefer the first, but that’s a matter of personal taste I guess …
HTH!
You got a Mac! How sweet. ;>)