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iMac Part 2 – From Windows to Mac: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

By Technology3 Comments

The first thing I noticed is the size of the 27″ screen, as well as the stunning design of the machine. The first boot-up was really quick compared to windows. The beautiful HD display is fantastic and got me thinking that I could have paid the price I did just for a monitor in the Windows world.

I got used to the basics first: the Finder being equivalent to Windows Explorer, the launchpad (which makes finding apps really easy and is similar to the iPhone), the wireless keyboard (which you quickly get used too) and the magic mouse (including gestures).

Then it was time to use my files. I decided to connect to my Iomega StorCenter Network Storage and run fies off that like I did on my Windows laptop. I have a lot of Music, Movies, Boxsets and Documents and I stored them on the Iomega StorCenter Network Storage so they didn’t take up too much space on my laptop, plus it’s a dual hard drive mirroring so it backs them up. Now this is were I hit my first difficulty.

According to Iomega the Iomega StorCenter Network Storage is compatible with Apple machines, but this wasn’t the case. When I properly looked in to it, since Apple released OS X (their latest operating system) Iomega haven’t released a firmware update to make it work with OS X. This is disappointing of Iomega and ment that I had to copy the files over on to the iMac, the problem being that the iMac would loose connection to Iomega StorCenter Network Storage. In the end, I had to copy the files on to my Windows laptop, share the laptop and the iMac and then copy them over, taking several days with both computers on.

Once my files were copied over, it was time to start using the software on OS X to organise and use them. Here’s the apps I used and what I’ve managed to do with them:

  • System Preferences – Is the equivalent to the Control Panel on Windows, apart from it’s so much more advanced. It has inbult parental controls, auto switch on and switch off, and the rest of the stuff you’d expect: Personal Preferences, Hardware, Internet & Wireless (including sharing options), System and Others.
  • Preview – Select any file and press space bar to preview the file, works great on Photos, Videos, Music, PDF’s and every other file I’ve tried it on. The great thing about preview is that it doesn’t open the app associated with the file, so if your looking for something you don’t have a load of different apps open.
  • iTunes – Works so much better on Mac than Windows. Added my entire music collection quickly and without freezing (iTunes for Windows used to love freezing). The sound from the inbuilt speakers is fantastic and actually quite load on full volume. I would also recommend buying the remote control.
  • Mail – Setting up email addresses was quick and easy enough. Love the ease of Mail but did have problems transferring my .eml email exports from Windows. It’s really difficult to do, you have to get them transfered in to .mbox files and then import them. I’ve managed to get the format changed but am still having some difficulties getting them imported. I like having access to my old emails and in some cases need them. I also haven’t found a way to set up signatures like in Windows.
  • Address Book – is more than just-for-email in Mac OS X. It keeps phone numbers and addresses too, I transfered my contacts over from my iPhone via iTunes.
  • Safari & Google Chrome – Both are easy enough to use. I tend to use Google Chrome rather than Safari and it was easy to download. However I had to manually add all of my Bookmarks as couldn’t find a way to export them on my Windows laptop.
  • iPhoto – A brilliant way to organise photos. Organise them by places, events or faces of people. Takes some time to go through the photos and assign people’s faces, but it will ask you if a face is someone you’ve already added. It’s a brilliant way to organise photos and is also used to import photos of your iPhone.
  • Quicktime – The equivalent to Windows Media Player. It’s easy to use and brilliant on full screen. Seems to play any file Windows Media Player would, but I have downloaded a WMV Player that works with Quicktime to play windows media files. The gestures on the magic mouse alter the speed of the playback which can get frustrating if you accidentally touch the mouse after you’ve clicked play.
  • Office – Now you’ll need to buy Microsoft Office again and it’s not cheap. An alternative is to use Open Office, which is what I’m using until I get round to buying a copy of Microsoft Office.
  • App Store – It’s for the OS X and is a bit like the Store for iPhone apps. It’s a bit of a disappointment to be honest. There isn’t many great apps on there and the one game I downloaded and paid £13.99 for would have been cheaper to buy on Windows with a disk. But perhaps it will develop with time.

In terms of input I really miss my number keypad that I had on my Windows laptop (that the iMac wireless keyboard doesn’t have) but on the other hand the wireless-ness makes it all so tidy. Just one power lead going from the iMac to the socket in the wall. The magic mouse has made the move from Windows to Mac easier by enabling the right-click for options. The gestures are useful, say if you want to browse between web pages, but it is extremely sensitive. It gets annoying when your trying to watch a boxset in Quicktime and you accidentally touch the mouse causing it to change the playback speed.

Overall in Mac OS X it hasn’t seemed to slow down at all after putting on my files, downloading system updates, etc. and hasn’t crashed (both of which Windows would have done). So considering the good, bad and the ugly it’s thumbs up for iMac and OS X. Definitely worth the money, now I really need to focus on giving up the cigs to pay for it!

Write soon (on my lovely new iMac),

Antony



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Tuesday 24 January 2012

The Death of Steve Jobs

By Technology, ThinkingNo Comments

The death of Steve Jobs has been widely reported in the Media. A quick visit to the Apple website confirmed it (see screenshot above). Steve died of pancreatic cancer and has received worldwide tributes from the great and the good.

I don’t mean to speak ill of the dead, but was he really that much of a visionary as he’s been made out to be in the media? In recent years he’s most famous for the Iphone and the Ipad. So let’s look at them both.

First the Iphone:
(Image Copyright Tech Radar, 2011.)

I love the Iphone, indeed I’ve blogged about it (see Will an Iphone 4 change my life? & Iphone Essentials: Accessories & Apps). However how original was the concept of creating a phone that’s a mini-computer? In my opinion it was already being done and Apple simply moved into the phone market.

Next the Ipad. Looking at Steve Jobs he looks like he was Star Trek geek. And anyone who watches Star Trek will have seen these:
(Image Copyright Muktware, 2011.)

Looks remarkably similar don’t you think? Plus anyone who uses a laptop to check the net knows that often they’re not as mobile as they could be. So in my opinion not that much of an original idea.

What will be interesting will be to see how Apple will develop without Steve Jobs. Will they continue to have the stronghold over the tablet market or will the likes of Amazon and others seize the opportunity to get a foothold in the tablet market?

Steve Jobs undoubtedly brought Apple back from the brink of death, but I think he was more of a technology risk taker than a visionary. Since his return to Apple in 1997 he made devices that he liked and that luckily (for him and Apple) people in the majority also liked and enjoyed using.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Thursday 6 October 2011

Another Windows Update

By Technology4 Comments

A screen I see far too often these days!

I’m frustrated.

It seems that everyday when I shut down my laptop I see the screen above. “Installing an Update” it says, more like “Installing Another Update.” I’m a windows user by default, it’s what I’ve been brought up with. But I’m getting fed up of Windows installing updates with nothing changing or improving for me as a user. All that seems to happen is that my laptop gets slower and slower. If I was cynical, I could be thinking that Windows deliberately release updates that slow down computers, forcing users to upgrade.

What I’ve discovered with my iphone is that Apple only update their software occasionally. When Apple do update you see the changes and understand why they’ve made them. An added bonus with Apple is that the new updates don’t slow down the performance of the machine. In fact if Apple were clever and reduced their prices (Apple laptops, PC’s, etc. are very VERY expensive), I’d be a full fledged Apple user. In fact I think a large number of people would as well.

Just sharing my frustrations,

Antony

(Image Copyright of justlooking @ Flickr.)

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Monday 12 September 2011

Ebooks

By Amazon, Books & Authors, TechnologyOne Comment

Amazon has recently reported it’s selling two ebooks on it’s kindle to one of every paper book sold. This got me thinking, why can’t I embrace my love of literature through the medium of technology. I have an Iphone, with the kindle app. on it, yet don’t use it. So let’s look at the advantages of ebooks versus paper based:

Ebooks Paper Based Books
  • Access to your entire purchased library at any time.
  • Technology smaller and easier to carry than a paper based book.
  • Take up less space, no over filled bookshelf.
  • Usally some what water proof. * Not that I’d recommend you put it to the test.
  • Book mark doesn’t fall out of the book.
  • It will recommend other books you might like based on what others who’ve purchased the book have also read.
  • No postage and packing costs, as they are delivered via download over the Internet.
  • No waiting for delivery, purchase of the book is instant as is delivery via download.
  • Environmentally friendly – no trees are required along with the process of making paper, the process it’s self can also be damaging to the environment.
  • Fonts can be resized for those who have poor eye sight.
  • Often cheaper than paper based books.
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  • Presented as the author intended.
  • Doesn’t require battery power.
  • Reliable information – publishers check information and the authors credability, whereas anyone can publish an ebook apparently.
  • Editorial – good level of grammar and spelling, ebooks might not have that level of editorial if self-published.
  • Many publishers now use recycled paper or participate in schemes such as for every one tree used, we plant two.
  • A paper book has soul.
    		•

    Clearly the ebook has many more advantages than paper books. But to me paper books have soul. It’s a bit of a difficult concept to explain. I can walk over to my bookshelf and run my finger along the titles looking for some information I’ve previously read. I find one that I think might have in the information I’m looking for, and I pick it up. It feels like the book were I’ve previously read the information. I just know it is. The glossy cover encourages me to open it up and inside the paper has that new book smell. I run my finger down the contents scanning for what I’m looking for and then get distracted by another section in the book. I eventually sit back satisfied, I’ve not only found the information I’m looking for but also reread several other chapters that I’d completely forgotten about, generating new ideas and concepts for me to explore later.

    You don’t get any of that with ebooks. You click your app, and use the search to find what your looking for in your purchased library. Results come up, done. You don’t go through the journey of finding the information and therefore don’t find any of those other chapters that generate new ideas and concepts. Remember it’s not the destination that’s important, but how you get there.

    So the reason I love paper books versus ebooks is because they have soul. Not the most factual based reason, but it’s how I feel. And remember, no one can ever tell you what you feel is wrong. Even if kids do look at you as if you’ve got two heads when you pull out a paper back in Costa Coffee.

    Write soon,

    Antony



    I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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    Monday 1 August 2011
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