Switching to Mac OS X - Blog
Andy Clayton writes
In order to document my successful switch to OS X, I kept a blog which shows my frustrations and successes in equal measure. Please e-mail comments to switchfeedback at claytonfamily dot org dot uk. You are also welcome to read my normal blog.
Entries are shown in reverse order with the most recent first. Please note that the machine names shown on my network page were altered in April 2007 and may not now reflect those used in the earlier entries below.
8 April 2007
A rare entry in this blog, and definately the last one. I've now ordered an Apple Mac Pro computer. I've also bought the Mac version of the Adobe Creative Suite 2.3 with a free upgrade to the Intel optimised CS3 when it launches later this month. If there was any way of proving that I'll never go back to Windows then major purchases such as these has got to be it! I also look forward to Leopard (the next version of OS X) due out any week now.
Although I will keep these pages on here for furture reference, with Windows Vista now out, and soon Leopard, their relevance will gradually lessen as the months go on. However, it does make an interesting read of a significant shift for me and one I don't regret for a minute! Check out the network page for full details of my current hardware and software line up.
I intend on revamping the computer section of the site once Leopard is out as things will have moved on a bit since I made my decision to switch and this blog will probably get a bit hidden at that point!
8 July 2006
I closed this blog last December but thought I'd add a quick note today as I've finally ditched Windows properly! Today I disconnected my Windows PC's and they're sat behind me ready to go up in the loft! I now run a Mac Mini and a MacBook laptop. I still have access to Windows having purchased a Parallels virtual PC licence. This lets me run a virtual Windows on my MacBook. Before you suggest that this is a cop out, I have bought this licence with 3 specific tasks in mind. I need Windows for Microsoft Money (until I can find something equal on the Mac platform), Microsoft Publisher (for some voluntary work I do supporting a local magazine who use that software) and out of hours support for work. Other than that I use the Mac all the time, and am very pleased about it.
More details in my regular blog.
22 December 2005
My switch to OS X is as complete as it can be. I can't migrate fully as I don't want to spend out on replacement software for the PowerPC platform as I plan to move to an Intel based Mac within 18 months. It would just be a waste of money. For this reason I need to fire up Windows to do some DTP and video editing. This gives me a split of around 95%+ on the Mac and the rest on Windows or Linux. This will become more like 99.9% once I can upgrade to Intel Mac. Mel continues to use Windows but I have started giving her Mac lessons. It's so easy thought that I don't think it'll take very long!
I will bring this blog to a close now but may add further items if they particularly relate to switching. This is a proud moment! Goodbye Windows... I am now an Apple convert! :-) You can read more news, updated regularly, in my normal blog.
23 November 2005
Just a quick blog entry to say that I've taken the plunge and upgraded from Panther to Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. It arrived on Monday (21 November) and installed in under 20 minutes. It really is as excellent as they say! There are a number of features that won't even be in Windows Vista, by which time the NEXT version of OS X (10.5 Leopard) will be out. Needless to say, Windows just isn't getting a look-in thesedays! :-)
12 November 2005
My Windows PC isn't getting much of a look in now. My wife, Mel, is still using it but only because we do our finances on Microsoft Money which is Windows based software. I've moved the data file for that across to my fileserver and have also installed all the applications that I still need to access from Windows. This means that I can now use the Mac version of Microsoft's Remote Desktop application to get to them from within OS X without having to boot up my dedicated Windows box (Blackadder) for the purpose. As the fileserver (Bob) is always on anyway this seems the best way to organise myself.
While I'm on about Windows, I must make a comment about Vista, the next version of the OS due out late 2006 or early 2007 (around the same time as Apple's OS X 10.5 Leopard). Microsoft appear to have been taking a long look at OS X, as the screen shot above prooves (click on it for a larger view). The round buttons to the top left of the window and the transparent "frosted glass" background owe much to Apple's way of doing things.
I also note that the new iTunes (6.0) has left the brushed metal look behind in favour of a dull grey. I am starting to think that Microsoft's next OS could be visually more appealing than Leopard... which sounds mad, I know. Apple OS X has always been streets ahead of Windows in every visual way. Of course it's early days and both Vista and Leopard are a long way off; and it's often actually using OS X rather than seeing screen shots of it that makes someone want to switch. You can't see the cool transitions and animations from a static screen shot and I doubt Windows will have any of that eye-candy, whatever the window borders look like.
Other than just waffling about the "unknown future" here, I'm continuing to enjoy OS X very much. The ability to drop into a shell for writing scripts is fantastic. For example, I've written a shutdown script (activated by the click on an icon on my desktop) which closes down my Windows based fileserver, uploads an "I am off-line" picture for the webcam page of this web site before shutting down the Mac itself. Cool or what? Try doing that under Windows without stressing out big time!
7 November 2005
Not much to report since my last post. I've been using OS X almost exclusively only going back to Windows when I've got no choice! At a guess I'd say my computer use between OS X and Windows is roughly 80%/20% in favour of Apple's OS. It would be more, however I do some voluntary work for a local Parish magazine and need to use Windows software to work on that.
I was without my Mac for four days this last week as my wife and I redecorated my computer room. To be honest I didn't miss computing too much as I was right in the middle of a good book and was too knackered in the evenings anyway! Good to get back to work today for a rest ;-)
I've installed Konfabulator on my Mac and also played around with creating some widgets. While the software looks good, from what I can gather Apple's implementation (called Dashboard in Tiger) seems a little more polished. I'm still resisting the urge to buy Tiger as it would be money wasted... after all if I eventually upgrade to a big box Mac it will come with Tiger (or Leopard depending on when I upgrade).
Just sat here now using my Mac, listening to The Eagles on iTunes in my newly decorated room and I have to say that using a Mac is just getting better and better. Having to use Windows at work today was a real let down. I'm beginning to wonder why people put up with it.
28 October 2005
It's been over a week since my last blog entry, so how have things been going in OS X land? Firstly, I have copied my data off my Windows box onto a separate fileserver. This means that Blackadder (my Windows XP PC) is not being booted up at all unless I find I need an application on that platfrom - which is occurring less and less frequently. In case you're wondering why I didn't move the data straight on to my Mac Mini, this is because the Mini has a small hard drive (you can get an 80GB version, I've got the 40GB one) and with programs and the OS on there, there is a limited amount of space remaining for data.
I've brought my iTunes database up to date and also loaded all my photographs (5,299 of them!) through iPhoto. This took ages as I carried out the iPhoto import from Blackadder (Windows data drive) through iPhoto on my Mac to Bob (the fileserver) all over my 100 BaseT home network. I had to leave it going overnight. Zzzzz.
I thought that I wouldn't be able to synchronise my Windows powered Smartphone or Windows based PDA with OS X and although I wasn't too concerned about that, I have stumbled across a piece of shareware that claims to do just that. Called PocketMac it's under £20 and is synchronises all the usual suspects including Calendar (with iCal), contacts and e-mails. I've downloaded a demo version and plan to test it this coming week. The demo only works with Calendar appointments into iCal (and vice versa), however it will allow me to check that it works with my particular phone (a Motorola MPx200) and my PDA (Cassiopedia E-115). According to the PocketMac website, the former is compatible, although the oldest Cassiopedia they list is the E-125 which replaced the E-115. Good job I can test it to see if it all works! If it does I'll be doing better than I do on Windows which gave up synchronising with both of my portable Windows devices months ago!
20 October 2005
Tried to use my on-line banking with The Woolwich on Monday evening but was disappointed to discover that it isn't Mac compatible. In actual fact, The Woolwich site only works with Internet Explorer under Windows XP and doesn't like Firefox or Opera on either Windows or Mac OS. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Safari is also in the reject list!
I sent an e-mail to The Woolwich to complain and they replied saying that Mac users account for only 1.74% of accesses to their home page and that isn't enough for them to support the platform. I think that they're seriously missing the point here, after all 1.74% doesn't sound like many but when you multiply that across many thousands of customers (not to mention those users who will be accessing with screen readers or other tools requiring W3C compliance) I feel that their excuses run a little thin.
I'm seriously considering putting together a list elsewhere on this site to name and shame businesses who do not support the Mac. More on this when (or should that be if) I do it...
17 October 2005
I have just spent my first few sessions using the Mac Mini as my main desktop computer. I can safely say that I now know without any doubt that I'm doing the right thing by switching. It will take time to get used to using the option key rather than the control key but these are minor things that I will get used to. I can see that I will have problems going from work (Windows) to home (Mac) in this respect, but I'm sure I can cope!
I have had to switch over to Windows a few times over the weekend in order to get a font, or check an e-mail address or something. This switching back and forth will become less and less necessary as I set up everything under OS X. I already feel that using the Mac is "home" and Windows is becoming alien - it was certainly the other way around before this weekend. It's amazing how quickly the "OS X way" feels like the right way to do things.
I've added a "Made on a Mac" logo to this website as I am now maintaining these pages under OS X.
Still thinking about data storage as I'm having to boot up my Windows box all the time and use a network share to it to get access to my documents from OS X. Not a big deal, but the Windows PC is so noisy that it would be nice to keep it switched off and bask in the silence that is my Mac Mini.
13 October 2005
More monitor news... it's here! My Dell 2005FPW widescreen monitor arrived this afternoon just 2 days after ordering it online. They arranged to deliver it between 5pm and 9pm but turned up between 1pm and half past while my wife was out picking me up from the railway station! I phoned their office and they came straight back and delivered it at 2 o'clock. So no harm done...
Anyway, on to the crucial bit: does it work OK with the Mac Mini? (Pauses for dramatic effect.) The answer is a resounding "Yes"! The display is crisp and clear and every bit as good as the one I get on Windows XP. OS X detected the display on boot and changed the resolution to the optimum 1680x1050 pixels automatically. Windows XP required a manual change. The inclusion on the side of the monitor of 2 USB ports is a real bonus for Mac Mini owners (there are a further 2 tucked away underneath by the video inputs). The machine only comes with 2 of its own, and you need to use at least one of these (and possibly both) for your keyboard and mouse. Much easier to use the two on the display for every day use.
I've read on the net that some people don't like the Dell display because it's got a black edge and doesn't fit with the Mac's white exterior. Fair point, but to pay out another £200 for an Apple Cinema Display for this alone is a little extreme in my opinion! It's the quality of the display that counts, and I'm quite happy with it (as you can probably tell by now!!). Suddenly my Mac is a viable, useable machine. Yippee!
It's early days for widescreen, but I can already see what a great benefit it's going to be for DTP and especially coding.
I can now move things forward! I intend to dump Outlook on Windows today and move to Apple Mail. It'll probably take a bit of sorting out as my in box on XP is a little... er... full, but I will take the initial step of checking all new messages on OS X from this moment on.
I have to say I'm now very excited about finally moving to OS X. This either means I've been bitten by the Apple bug or I need to get out more... I leave you to make your own mind up!
11 October 2005
Update on the monitor front. Yesterday I went to another PC World branch (this one is close to where I work) to see if they had the ProLite in stock. I compared it to other displays with better contrast and brightness and was put right off the unit. Back to square one. My original option (the ViewSonic) is considerably more expensive and I would be gaining nothing - a 19" for another 19". Flat or not, it's still not much to cheer about.
Later on I stumbled across the Dell web site and was astonished to discover that their 20" widescreen TFT (the same as the one used in the Apple Cinema display of the same size) currently has a huge discount applied to it. And I mean massive! Did a serious amount of surfing last night reading reviews and seeing what people thought of it, especially those with Mac Minis. All good. So today I've ordered one! Cool! Only problem is that I will now have to get rid of my nice 19" Samsung CRT to recoup some of the cost and also my 17" Sony CRT I keep for backup purposes. They'll both have to go!
Hopefully the new monitor should be here next week at which point I'll update my migration hardware page with more details and reports of how it fairs with Mac Mini. Watch this space! Hopefully then I can get back on track with my switch to OS X and move on to my data issues discussed previously.
10 October 2005
Went into PC World over the weekend and tested the Mac Mini on a Iiyama ProLite E483S 19" monitor. I spent about 15 minutes playing around with OS X, and although this was on their workbench under their horrible lights it certainly proved to be a better display than the quality I get from my Samsung CRT. The Iiyama has only got a 500:1 contrast ratio and a 250cm/d brightness so I know I could do better - but a DVI-D monitor for under 200 quid shouldn't be sneezed at. They haven't got any in stock but I've asked them to ring me when they have.
This weekend has reminded me of one of the reasons I want to ditch Windows. My nephew had decided to build his own PC, something I have done myself on more than one occasion in the past so when he had a few problems (it wouldn't boot up) he asked me to take a look. I'm pleased to help out, of course, however it took up the lion's share of the weekend getting it going. I won't go into the ins and outs of what was wrong with it as this is a switching blog and it's very slightly off-topic but needless to say that there were not only hardware issues, but also problems with Windows itself and third party drivers.
Of course the whole point of Windows (and one, if not it's only major selling point) is that it works on a whole host of different architectures. With the infinite possible combinations of kit around there's bound to be problems from time to time. On the other hand, however, if Windows is sold to work on multiple architectures, then it should without having to tear what little hair you have out to get there!
I got it going in the end, but not before I'd had to ask my nephew to purchase a SDRAM DIMM to replace an incompatible one - not a Windows problem that one, a Motherboard/BIOS issue. (Although flashing the BIOS didn't fix the problem and broke several other things instead so I had to flash it again back a couple of versions; but I'll stop there...)
6 October 2005
Been thinking this week about the two main areas holding me up when it comes to the move to OS X. Firstly, and most importantly, the "dim video" issue with OS X and the Mac Mini. The more I think about this the more cross I get. While it would be great to have a shiny new monitor it would also be a flipping waste of money seeing as I don't really need one! For this reason I'm now discounting the ViewSonic monitor I'd been dribbling over which at £340 is well over a realistic budget for a periperhal I don't need - however nice it may be. Chatting to someone at work today, he pointed out that I got the Mac Mini for nothing so spending £200 or so on a monitor (and therefore by definition having a Mac for £200) is still pretty good going. Fair point, I suppose, although having a Mac for bugger all is even better! I need to be able to test my Mini on the real thing to check for "dim video" problems; there's a cheap 19" DVI TFT at a local computer store and although this isn't the best spec and also isn't a manufacturer I normally purchase from it has to be worth considering. Buying cheaply on-line is not an option for obvious reasons. If time permits, I'll go to the shop sometime between now and the beginning of next week and ask them if I can test my kit on their cheapy monitor...
The other issue is that of data and where to store it with maximum data redundancy - ie. I don't want to lose anything! This would be something I'd be thinking about even if I were staying on Windows. The Buffalo Terastation looks fantastic but is massively expensive so no chance of that. The other option is to build my own RAID array and install a software RAID solution under Linux. I'm worried about heat and power with having four or five hard drives in a box not built for RAID; although this is the cheapest option overall. I thought I'd found a compromise mid-priced solution in the Netgear SC101 which is a RAID1 device. But I now discover that this hardware is Windows only (shame on you Netgear). Fair play to NickKnows.com, the salesman there has pointed out to his purchasers that they don't have a similarly priced RAID option for Mac users.
The other mid-priced option is to buy one of the many NAS (networked attached storage) devices on the market. Lacie do one which has Mac users in mind and isn't badly priced. It includes a freeware OS X backup utility and has an FTP server built in. This would give me access to data on my network without having to leave a computer on all the time (assuming I want to stream things out at some stage to a media server or access things remotely), but would stuff me up on the RAID front... so back to square one there then. Perhaps with a MacTel box (eventually) I could backup to the hard drive in the machine (rather than the other way around which would seem more obvious) and in the meantime use Bob as a dedicated backup server by shuffling a hard drive or two across from Blackadder.
I can't help thinking that I'm making this a lot more complicated than I need to ;-)
1 October 2005
Wanted to set up some computer based accounts for my business today. Typical situation with a "switcher" as I fired up my Mac but found I didn't have the software I needed to do the job - but already had something under Windows. Always a difficult one as I wanted to do it there and then so, understandably, I set up the accounts using Microsoft Money on my PC. Felt bad about it, as I really want to do anything "new" on the Mac.
Busy setting up these "switching" web pages still today. They're not live yet. Finding the monitor under OS X / Mac Mini blurry while keying in all this type (see my hardware issues page for more details about this problem). I'm using a 30-day trial of Dreamweaver 8 at the moment. I want to buy it once my trial runs out, but what OS will I install it on??? (The retail version comes with the Windows and OS X versions on the same CD and you can choose which version to install). If I really AM going to "go Mac" I'll need to carefully consider my options here. I can't put up with this blurry display for too long in one session. White's look decidedly grey! Yuk! If I could sell my CRT monitor it'd help, but I'd still end up spending out money I haven't got unnecessarily. Damn you Apple for putting me in this position! I so wanted to be a "happy switcher" now I'm wondering whether to bother at all? (moan, groan).
The outcome of all this will have an effect on my storage issue. If I have to spend out on a monitor then I will need to go with the cheap DIY RAID option for my data storage.
29 September 2005
Have planned out my migration and have started to put together a web site (this pages) to list all my "switching" activities. Hopefully have it live some time in October. My main issue at the moment is data. I have plenty of space on my Windows PC but not much on my Mac Mini. One day, hopefully, I'll have a Big Mac (sic) but in the meantime I need to seriously consider my data and where I'm going to put it. I don't want to share a drive to my Windows box as this is against the spirit of moving to OS X in the first place! I'm thinking outside of the box (to coin a horrible management phrase) and am thinking that maybe I should have some sort of central repository for my data in the form of a network storgage device. This would eventually make it possible to stream music and videos over the home network to receiving devices elsewhere in the house. It would also give me data redundancy which is something that is increasingly important in this age of digital photo and music collections and, of course, business data for my web design business, TripleW.
To achieve this I see two options. One (the cheapest, and therefore the most likely) is to re-build one of my PC's under Linux, buy three or four cheap hard drives and use a software RAID solution. I've read up on it and it doesn't seem that difficult to do. The other option is to buy an off-the-shelf NAS (networked attached storage) server which ironically is the Linux option but all pre-configured. The TeraStation is an option here. Will post my decision when I get round to making it.
6 September 2005
Original note about migration in my General Blog (re-written here for the record:)
I'm pleased to say that since it's launch in July, work for my new web design and hosting business (TripleW) has been pretty constant. I haven't made any money yet but hopefully some should start trickling in before very long...
Elsewhere on the computer front, I've now started to make plans to migrate away from Windows XP to Apple Mac OS X. It's not just a question of hardware but more a question of software: finding replacements for the programs I use under XP and finding out if I can either upgrade versions while also moving platform or alternatively transfer software licences.
Most of my software for business use is Adobe based (Photoshop and InDesign) and I have Windows licences (as well as old versions). I've contacted Adobe to see if I can upgrade and at the same time transfer to Apple, however their web site stipulates otherwise so I'm not too hopeful. I'll keep you posted!
As well as the move to Apple I am also considering data backup and contingency. All of this is very important for business related data but also gives me the opportunity to have a central storage point for personal items such as music and video. Ideally this will be on my wireless network and enable me to access these items from any point in the house - a true "Media Hub" to use the buzz word. I'm presently working out the most cost effective way of achieving this goal and whether re-building one of my PC's as a dedicated RAID Server is a good move or alternatively purchasing a pre-built box to do a similar thing. I need to be careful with the money side of things. 40% can be put down as a capital allowance on my next tax return with 25% for each subsequent year, although I need to reduce these figures to take account of the amount of actual business use these items will receive. This will help a bit, but all of this will mean that TripleW won't be in profit for a while yet!
There will be three delaying factors with all this. Firstly, the finance for this project which I can't talk about just yet. Secondly the end of the useful life of my PC "Blackadder". I built that unit in December 2002 and originally figured it would have a useful life of about 4 years. If I was sticking with Windows this would work out about right to coincide with the release of Vista (Windows XP's replacement) at which point it would be re-build time again. There's no doubt that making "the switch" is going to cost me more money than sticking with Windows, however I feel it is money well worth spending! Finally, the last delaying factor is Apple's move to Intel.
In June 2005, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that Apple would be ditching IBM's PowerPC microchips and moving to Intel chips in its entire line. There's little doubt in my mind that Apple's range of laptops will be the first to be upgraded and this could be as early as next Spring, however I am interested in a Dual Processor Power Mac and these may not surface until Summer 2006.
If you're interested in why I'm dumping Windows for Mac OS X then read my dedicated Switching pages for an explanation.