BJ Hoff's GRACE NOTES

Why I Switched to a Mac ... and Never Looked Back

In dialogue with other writers and some readers, we often talk about our computers of choice, and I've been asked a number of times why I use a Mac. (I'm a "switcher" from PCs, having made the jump several years ago.) My reasons today haven't changed much from when I first switched. Following are only a few:

1. I grew oh-so-weary and frustrated with the constant downloads, patches, and security updates on Windows. I lost count how many times in the course of a day my work was interrupted for what should be unnecessary "fixes." Windows is one big intruder, whereas Macs are so blessedly unobtrusive. They hum along quietly in the background while I concentrate on my writing and research instead of bludgeoning me with pesky questions or demands every few minutes. I once stated in another blog entry that PCs rattle while Macs purr. So true.

2. You've probably heard this before, but it's worth repeating. Macs just work. If I had the money I once spent over the years in having Windows computers repaired or replaced--well, I can only wish. To the best of my recollection, I've had one Mac repaired (loose wire that cost me $47.49 about five years ago), and I've also added memory to a couple of laptops. Bought the memory off eBay for a song. I've been a Mac user for several years now, with absolutely no major repair bills.

3. Setting up a new Mac is fun and easy. I'm no tech, but I'm not without some computer savvy either, yet it's not exaggeration when I say that setting up a new PC used to take me hours. Not the case with a Mac: remove from box, plug in, turn on, go to work. A Mac also saves me a lot of money on software, because just about everything you need comes with it. No hours of program installation, no online tutorials to wade through. This tends to give the lie to the frequently heard claim that Macs are more expensive than PCs. If you take into consideration the significantly lower software expense and repair expense, that's simply not realistic. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if a case couldn't be made for the Mac being less expensive in the long run.

4. The Mac display is dazzling. The keyboard is a dream, whether you're using a laptop or a desktop. Yes, I know--some PC displays are also very nice, and the keyboards work too. In truth, I even use a Windows laptop now and then. Thing is, for years I was a die-hard WordPerfect user, and Apple doesn't support WP, so I often type my email in WP on the Windows laptop ... just so I don't have to abandon my favorite word processor altogether. There, you see: I'm not above admitting that I travel to the dark side on occasion.

5. The Mac obeys my wishes and my commands. It does not order me around but does what I tell it to do. It acknowledges that I am the human and it is the computer and doesn't try to reverse the natural order of things. I've never seen the first show of hostility from any of my Macs. On the other hand, I've never had a PC that liked me (with the exception of one Sony Vaio laptop which is still with me). My Mac likes me. It really likes me.

6. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: PCs are frogs, Macs are princes. Macs are cool and ultra sleek and seem to invite your touch and every now and then a sigh of admiration. No chugging, no clanging, no blue screen of death. PCs are ... machines.

So--I'll spare you the other reasons. And, yes, there are some. I can sum it all up by repeating what I said above: Macs just work--and make it easier for me to do the same.

BJ

Macs and Email and Stuff

There are two questions I'm asked surprisingly often. One has to do with why I use a Mac instead of a PC--the other, why I "still" use AOL for email.

As to the first--I actually use a Windows laptop on occasion, for certain older software that's incompatible with the Mac. But let me add that I use Windows only when necessary. My reason has everything to do with the constant need for "fixes," anti-virus downloads, the blue screen of death, and other annoying features which seem to have been built into Windows since the first release. It's time consuming, frustrating, irritating, and just a plain nuisance to deal with this on a regular basis. I put up with it as long as I could, and that's when I switched to a Mac.

The reason I've been using Macs for a few years now is very simple: they work. They don't plague me with virus problems. They're not always asking me questions about whether I "really" want to do this or that. They don't shut down or hang up at least half a dozen times in the course of an ordinary day, and they're not always giving me that dreaded blue screen that means--big trouble. They just ... work. And they work well. Without effort. I can write without continual intrusions to remind me how dependent I am on a machine.

Macs work mostly behind the scenes. Quietly and humbly. And they're cool.

I just installed the new Leopard operating system over the weekend, and it also works. No glitches. No problems. No fussing at me or making me feel like a fool for investing in it. While that's not always the case, even with a new Mac OS, it's almost never the case with a new Windows OS. Can you say "Vista?"

Now--about the AOL thing. My first instinct is to ask why anyone cares (I honestly don't care what email program you use as long as your email gets through to me, so it's a bit of a mystery to me why everyone is so quick to gang up on me when they find out what I use.) But for those who care: I don't use AOL as my "primary" email program, and I seldom use it as my browser. But I do have two or three mailboxes set up on it that I use regularly--because I can set them up once on one computer, and what do you know--they're immediately on all my computers, wherever I am, whenever I need them, along with my address books and "favorites"--at home, out of town, at one of my daughter's houses, etc. I don't have to configure a separate email program for whatever computer I happen to be on. Ever. I like that.

Yes, I know, the consensus is that AOL is Internet for Dummies. My webmaster (I hear you snickering, Kelli) says AOL is "evil." Well ... it's also internet for those who don't like to spend an inordinate amount of time making sure all our settings match on whatever computer we happen to be on. And then there's the fact that I almost never get spam on it. Once I set it up to block junk--it actually blocks it. Imagine that. I've used a couple of other  programs for over two years now and "trained"their spam filters ... and I'm still inundated with junk. Every day there's more, no matter how much "training" I've done.

AOL also automatically sets up my folders and address books and everything else I use, with just a couple of clicks. The word is "automatically." And it seldom gives me any problem with sending or receiving attachments. 

To clarify: mostly I use the Mac mail program or my .mac account. For throwaway mail I sometimes use Yahoo or Gmail, but I don't really like either of them, because they're intrusive. Sometimes I use Thunderbird. But I also make use of AOL.

So--the Internet for Dummies thing? If the shoe fits, I'll wear it. It's easy, it saves time, it works for me--and that's enough to justify its existence. So stop picking on me, all you techo-geniuses who actually enjoy a more complicated life.

BJ

Notebook 2.1

Just a heads-up on a Mac program I highly recommend. Some of you Mac folks may already use it, but for those who don't, take heed. (*Note: you need to have Mac OS 10.3.9 or later for this.)

Notebook 2.1 from "Circus Ponies" (yes, that's the company name) is kind of like OneNote on steroids--without the klunk and the bugs, and much easier to use. It has so many features it's difficult to describe what it does--at the least, it's pretty amazing. It's a digital organizer, but more. You can take and record notes, store files, create various to-do lists, clip text from webpages or emails, outline writing projects and much more. You can drag and drop just about anything, including Word docs and photos. On-screen it resembles a spiral notebook in format, complete with tabs, contents, indices, etc. It also does voice annotations, comes with several templates for recipes, research papers, novel writing, etc. You can even save your notebooks and publish them on the web (I'm not sure why anyone would want to, but all the same it's doable.)

You can check it out at http://www.circusponies.com, take a video tour of the program, and also download a 30-day trial version from there. If you want to read a review, there's one here: http://www.maclife.com/article/circus_ponies_notebook_2_1?page=0%2C0

If you buy it, it's $49.95. You can also buy an Academic license if you qualify as a teacher, student, staff member of an academic institution for $29.95.

To give a brief example of its features, when you open the program from its "Starting Point," some of the tasks it offers include organizing your "to-dos," take notes, clip and collect information, write a research paper, manage a project, write a book or novel, organize a tv or film shoot, plan a trip, collect recipes, keep a journal. Those are some of the basic tasks it will manage. Each is divided into numerous sub-tasks. For example, if you choose "write a book or novel," some of the sub-tasks include "ideas and research," "character notes" (for as many characters as you need), outline and draft sections for each chapter, indices, etc.

You can keep a notebook for each book with all the information you collect on the project, including drafts.

Honestly? I think this is one of those programs that in itself makes it worthwhile to use a Mac. Not that I need another reason.

BJ

An Apple Today

So ... the rumor has finally become reality: yes, Virginia, there really is an iPhone. An Apple iPhone, that is. Seen the pictures? Very cool. Very classy. Very pricey. It's been talked about for, what, two or three years now? And, as is usually the case with Steve Jobs' brainchildren, it would appear to be worth waiting for.

I'll have to wait even longer, though, until the price drops--if it does. No way can I justify the launch price for a cell phone, no matter how cool the thing is.

More to my interest is the also-new TV set-top box that will let me send video from my computer to the tv. Although this particular rumor hasn't had quite as much buzz as the iPhone, I've been wanting such a gadget for a long time.

Anyone see the irony in this, that on the same day Apple is unveiling their new ahhh-worthy, long-awaited products, Microsoft announces yet another daily release of security patches for Windows and Office?

That's what made me a "switcher" in the first place--the bugs and endless fixes for Windows. (Well, maybe half a dozen other things as well, all of which fall under the category of quality.) I still keep a Windows laptop at hand, though (a Sony Vaio, which has the closest cousin to a Mac keyboard I could find) for a couple of software programs for which there are no Mac-compatible substitutes.

What I have to decide sooner or later is whether I want to clutter up my MacBook with a version of Windows, now that the new Macs will allow me to run both on the same computer. I'm not sure I like the idea. But on the other hand there's something to be said for going all-Mac and still having a version of Windows around if needed.

You have to love the excitement generated by these Big Events from Apple.  This is a company that defined Buzz with that famous Super Bowl commercial ... and never quit.

BJ

Mac, Ten--PC, Zero: Ten Reasons (Count 'em) for Choosing a Mac Over a PC

Ask any Mac-addict why they chose an Apple over a lemon (PC), and you'll find out more than you ever wanted to know.

I've used both–still do, when need be–but using the PC is eating my veggies, whereas my iBook is the grand dessert. I'm a fairly recent "switcher" (translated, that means years ago instead of decades ago), but I can be just as wild-eyed as any other Mac devotee.

For good reason. Which is my stock reply when I'm asked–and I often am–why I spend most of my writing/computer time on a Mac instead of a PC: "for good reason." Make that good reasons.

For any of the following, you can also read "iMac" (that's a desktop Mac) for "iBook" (the laptop.)

1. My experience with a new iBook was this: Remove from box. Plug in. Turn on. Go to work. My many experiences with new PCs would make a good comic strip (except they weren't funny).

2. My iBook doesn't get viruses. Zilch. None. Never. My PC requires a daily download to keep the bazillion viruses aimed at Microsoft products off-shore (like most of their technicians.)

3. My iBook doesn't require Microsoft updates. The occasional Apple update is to do just that: update the software, not create a wreck in the registry or crash the system. Apple updates are quick, easy, safe, and totally effective.

4. The iBook keyboard is a dream. The PC keyboard works okay. Until it needs replaced.

5. The iBook display is luscious. The PC display is okay, too. There: don't let anyone say I'm biased.

6. The iBook is completely unobtrusive. It allows me to work without reminding me that I'm dependent on a computer; asking me if I want to report the latest error message to Microsoft; interrupting me with the latest update shout; or shoving the blue screen of death in my face to make sure I know who's boss.

7. My iBook is cool and beautiful. It's snowy, shiny, sparkling white and makes a quiet statement about quality and elegance. My PC is black and loud. The Mac is the prince. The PC is the frog.

8. The iBook is well-trained and does whatever I tell it to do with no back-talk. The PC digs in and glares and dares. It usually wins. But, oh, the hostility it builds in the process.

9. The iBook purrs. The PC rattles.

10. The iBook is Bocelli doin' a love song. The PC is Mick Jaggar on a rant.

I could give you more, but you get the point.

BJ

Sure, I Love My Mac, Too--But This Much?

"Witnesses likened it to the running of the bulls."

That's the first sentence in a Columbus Dispatch article about a stampede in Virginia when thousands showed up at the Richmond International Raceway to purchase four-year old Apple iBooks for $50. (The Henrico Co. school system sold one thousand of these to county residents.)

Among the more unbelievable behavior: An elderly man was injured when thrown to the pavement ... a child's stroller was crushed ... someone in a car tried to drive straight through the crowd ... and other lunacy.

I have one of these (maybe I shouldn't announce the fact on a blog? But I'm sure it's safe--no one's going to get it for $50!). Remember the Cabbage Patch Kids wild-and-crazy stampedes? Sounds as if this would have rivaled them for sheer chaos. 

For the complete tale of consumer madness, follow the link above.

And respect the laptop.

BJ

A Whatchit?

Breaking in to interrupt the posts on POV with just a brief heads-up for you Mac addicts. Chuck Nelson at the Columbus Dispatch ran a great article yesterday on Widgets, the cute and clever little distractions for your Mac Dashboard. Truth is, some are actually helpful. If you want to learn more about them, Nelson gives a good explanation and a list of some of his favorites. You may have to register, but it's free.

Columbus Dispatch--Connect--re Widgets

BJ