Well it's been one month since I purchased a new Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
I purchased this computer with the intent to learn the Apple Operating System (OS) so that I could help my students in my Photoshop and Lightroom classes while they navigated their computers while taking class. Here's my observations so far:
1. I like how lightweight the new computer is compared to my heavy 17" Dell XPS laptop.
2. I like that it is whisper quiet. No loud fans blowing while working with it!
3. I like that the computer has a solid-state flash drive to store my programs and data.
4. I never turn off the computer! Because of this, it's always immediately ready to use. No start up time!
5. I like how fast my emails come in!
6. Surfing the web is really nice and fast.
7. NO POP-UPS! Great!
8. No viruses! Well, at least that's what they tell me. But so far, nothing.
9. I don't like how the operating system deals with working with Microsoft Excel and Word. Simple "Cut and Paste" or "Copy and Paste" is very slow on the computer! I have to wait a couple of seconds after copying before I can even paste. Not good!
(4-8-15 Edit Update: Found out that this slow cut and paste or copy and paste issue is not the Apple Computer... it is the Microsoft Office! Seems it is the software that is not reacting quickly. When doing cut and paste or copy and paste with Apple's "Numbers" spreadsheet, it moves very fast.)
10. I don't like that there is no Backspace key, only a delete key! You have to line up your cursor perfectly before you can start deleting. That's SLOW and often inaccurate. (Edit: I was told that if you hold the Fn key while depressing the "delete" key, that becomes your backspace. Why couldn't they just put a backspace key on the keyboard??)
11. I don't like that Apple seems to purposely want to do everything 180 degrees opposite of how it is done in the PC world! Of course you can say that Microsoft tries to do everything opposite of Apple... it depends on your perspective. But just like camera companies, it seems these two big companies purposely make it hard for the user to transition from one operating system to the next. NOT COOL!
12. Apple IS NOT the cure all for all problems with a computer!
13. I still do not understand why everyone says you need a Mac if you do graphics or photography. To me, working on the PC or Mac is the same in terms of using Photography programs. I don't see much difference.
While many people who buy a new Apple are totally excited with their purchase, I was not. I only purchased it because I had to in order to help my classes move along faster. Because of this, I'm not swayed by the hype often associated with a new Apple purchase. I wanted to see if Apple lives up to the hype and so far, I'd say it doesn't.
It has a lot of great things going for it as I've outlined above. But it also has its own quirks that makes me wonder why there is so much hype about it. It's almost like a cult! But I'm here to say, I'm not convinced it's the cure-all for everyone. If you want style (it's a beautiful design), lightweight, fast turn-on times (I never turn it off), long battery life and no viruses, it's the best out there! But if you need to manipulate files by easily moving them around quickly, I'd say the PC has it beat.
Perhaps I still need more time to see if I move quicker with the Apple OS. I will say I'm a lot faster than I was when I first got the machine. Only time will tell if I become a full Apple convert. But so far, indications say I won't be fully converted. I still like the PC better for many things.
To be fair, here's what I don't like about a PC...
1. Use the computer long enough, you will get viruses unless you have an anti-virus protection program. Even that doesn't guarantee you won't end up with a virus.
2. Use the computer long enough and you'll notice it will start slowing down to a crawl. The registry gets mucked up in time and that's a major problem. Often you might need to wipe the hard drive and totally do a clean install of all programs to get the computer back to the speed it was when you first bought it!
3. Blue screen crashes can happen and that can spell disaster!
Here's what I like about PC's...
1. You can build your own PC if you know a little about computers. Buying mother boards, RAM, power supplies, chassis'... it's easy to make your own or upgrade your own computer.
2. You have lots of manufacturers who make parts for your computer! You aren't stuck with just one brand of parts.
3. They cost a LOT less than an Apple computer! Apple often is a lot more money for most everything they make.
4.You can usually find someone who can help you if you don't know something about the computer or the program you are working with. Why? There are likely more PC users in the business world than Apple users (although Apple is starting to gain a lot more devoted users now).
