My unbiased review after 5 months of my Mac Pro

For all of you switchers like me, (not a full switcher- I still have two PC's) here is my evaluation after using my Mac pretty solid for 5 months.
Did not break down the differences between hardware and OS X

Likes /Goods
1> LOVE the fact that it starts so fast and really has the "sleep" thing down- so many PCs start out OK but lock up after a few months of usage. I never shut my Mac off unless it updates and it has worked flawlessly.

2> Most everything has plugged and played very well- i was concerned about this but so far no problems.

3> Have gotten used to the fact that "closing" a program doesn't really close it- makes opening it again faster.

4> Personal thing- My Favorite Sony Wireless PC keybaord plugs and plays perfectly with it!!

5> Yes i do like the OS X interface better than Vista but later have one big caveat.

6> And I even like the MS Office for Mac better than office 2007 for Windows (that's another subject!) I also like MS Live IM

7> As a matter of fact i don't feel "software deprived" at all as most everything a PC has Mac now does- even my favorite desktop note taking app- Evernote (GET this if you havent used it yet!)

8> not a feature but I got over the fact that MS Clear Type is "clearer" than the algorithm that Macs use for on screen font rendering. MS is crisper and superior but have gotten used the the "softness" of viewing Mac fonts

9> LOVE the fact you can color code file names in the Finder (where have you been all my life!!) This is something MS should have done a LONG time ago

9> Maybe the best thing that I can say is that for the most part my transformation has been fairly simple and not that traumatic. I still have some Mac things to learn but mostly it is pretty straightforward and simple with ONE major exception....

BADS/DISLIKES

1> I really like the "Right click" centric interface of Windows vs the "drag and drop" centric interface of the Mac. For instance it is SIMPLY EASIER and BETTER to right click on a file and have an option to email that document without having to DRAG it to the dock to email it. On a 30" screen chances are you lose the icon on the way- just put in the right click and be done with it- MS is not all crap and their right click is just a better way to go.
This also makes you have to go to the top menu more than you should when many of those commands should be in the right click menu.

2> I had to use Steermouse a third party app to make the mouse more responsive- Windows just has a better mouse interface than OS X it is more direct and faster- Mac fan boys have argued with me but I know three people with Macs- all noobs and they are all Windows db guys and developers they totally agree.

3> I like the viewing of LARGER thumbnails in Windows better than on the mac- especially for pictures. While cover flow is cool seeing larger snapshots in Windows is just better.

4> (Just mine I am sure) Safari locks up after it views 5-10 pages and I have reloaded and it just hasn't fixed it- I dont care I use Firefox anyway.

5> On the Mac Pro (don't know about the other ones) I don't have a hard drive light - you simply must have a hard drive light as it is a diagnostic tool if you see the HD spinning all the time for no reason then you know something may be wrong.

6. Gaming- With the extreme horsepower of this Mac pro Call of Duty only plays OK- it should SMOKE that game- much lesser PCs play it much better.

Thats about it- still some different things I am getting used to but the more I use it the more I like it. I think if they fix the right mouse click thing i will love my Mac and have no reason to "switch back"

Just my .02

great review....

Z4MC said:

3> I like the viewing of LARGER thumbnails in Windows better than on the mac- especially for pictures. While cover flow is cool seeing larger snapshots in Windows is just better.

Click to expand...

128x128 isn't big enough for you?

Great review... a comment:

3) You know Command+Q quits apps entirely right? (Or "Appname > Quit" from the menu bar).

I like my Macbook so much I blogged it
Burgess Blog


LL

not a feature but I got over the fact that MS Clear Type is "clearer" than the algorithm that Macs use for on screen font rendering. MS is crisper and superior but have gotten used the the "softness" of viewing Mac fonts

Click to expand...

I find MS fonts pull your eyeballs out of your head. OS X font rendering is based on how the fonts appear in print - which is important for mac designers.

Gaming- With the extreme horsepower of this Mac pro Call of Duty only plays OK- it should SMOKE that game- much lesser PCs play it much better.

Click to expand...

On Windows or OS X? OS X just isn't geared up for gaming - you'll get much better results in XP.

I like the viewing of LARGER thumbnails in Windows better than on the mac- especially for pictures. While cover flow is cool seeing larger snapshots in Windows is just better.

Click to expand...

Press command-J to change icon size settings.

When I switched I was amazed at how quickly iTunes opened up the second time after I THOUGHT I closed it. Now I know you need to quit the app, but like you I never do.

Totally agree with you about the mouse/steermouse issue. When I connected the BT mighty mouse I thought it was bust - just about had to drag 2 mouse mats wide to get from side to side. I had issues with steermouse though and found a better way to do it here. I typed 7.0 and it runs at normal XP/Vista speed.

If your hatin on that os x then check it out, Dell Laptops, Desktop Computers, Monitors, Printers & PC Accessories.

Great review, very balanced. Having switched almost twelve months ago I can echo almost everything you say, except for the last as I am not much of a gamer. I would add:

PROs
- No need for virus/spyware checker
- Better software update implementation

CONs
- MBP keyboard is terrible. Too mushy and very often doesn't recognize keystroke.
- I don't understand why there aren't dedicated backspace and delete keys, seems like a no-brainer
- I miss being able to auto-tile two or more apps, or maximize to fill screen

Overall, I am content but a bit disappointed. I had high expectations from all those that insisted "it just works". My experience has been it's just not that different from XP systems. We'll see how W7 works out before I decide on next laptop.

swedevb said:

- I don't understand why there aren't dedicated backspace and delete keys, seems like a no-brainer

Click to expand...

You might not agree with their logic but I think I know why Mac keyboards are designed the way they are. The location of the keys on all of their keyboards is almost identical for the MB, MB Pro, MB Air, wired keyboard, and wireless keyboard. Including a dedicated del key on the laptop and wireless keyboard would have required moving some other keys around.

That was a pretty good review. Also, I might add the built in microphone is really good too.

Nice review

Can't agree with the mouse opinion though. The mouse on Windows is twitchy in comparison I find.

Z4MC said:

1> I really like the "Right click" centric interface of Windows vs the "drag and drop" centric interface of the Mac. For instance it is SIMPLY EASIER and BETTER to right click on a file and have an option to email that document without having to DRAG it to the dock to email it. On a 30" screen chances are you lose the icon on the way- just put in the right click and be done with it- MS is not all crap and their right click is just a better way to go.
This also makes you have to go to the top menu more than you should when many of those commands should be in the right click menu.

Click to expand...

I have an Apple Script that I can send you that will add the ability to e-mail a document right to the right-click menu.

Z4MC said:

5> On the Mac Pro (don't know about the other ones) I don't have a hard drive light - you simply must have a hard drive light as it is a diagnostic tool if you see the HD spinning all the time for no reason then you know something may be wrong.

Click to expand...

There are several free Apps that will add the "Drive Light" to your task bar. I use one called "DiscSpy".

I agree with the mushy keyboard comment. I tried hard to convince myself that the Keyboard on Mac is better, but it seems that my Dell had a better keyboard. Other than that I love the Mac so far and am happy that I switched. There are a few small things such as

1. No right click to "Copy" a file from finder. You can only copy the name, but have to press Command+C to copy.
If someone knows a solution, please let me know.

2. No default "font color" in Mail.

I think people listing their peeves is a great idea, because in some cases it could be just due to a lack of knowledge, in which case others will point out the solution.

curiouslearn said:

1. No right click to "Copy" a file from finder. You can only copy the name, but have to press Command+C to copy.
If someone knows a solution, please let me know.

Click to expand...

Have to disagree.

Solutions? i dunno, it has been there all the way since i first got it ;P

Santino said:

Have to disagree.

Solutions? i dunno, it has been there all the way since i first got it ;P

Click to expand...

Yeah, here's also a little program I use called "FileCutter", which adds an additional context menu that allows you to do Cut, Copy and Paste for any file. It's like a $5 donationware.

You Can!

swedevb said:

PROs
- No need for virus/spyware checker
- Better software update implementation

CONs
- MBP keyboard is terrible. Too mushy and very often doesn't recognize keystroke.
- I don't understand why there aren't dedicated backspace and delete keys, seems like a no-brainer
- I miss being able to auto-tile two or more apps, or maximize to fill screen

Click to expand...

You can maximize it to fill the screen. Just go to System Preferences- Dock- Automatically hide and show the dock. The dock will be gone until you move your cursor over where the dock is(n't) it will then appear. This allows more screen space, which is "what you miss". Hope that helps!