- Joined
- Feb 25, 2015
- Messages
- 166
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 16
- Location
- Budapest, Hungary
- Your Mac's Specs
- Late 2014 Mac Mini (Base Model, High Sierra); iPad 2018 (Latest iOS); iPhone 7 (Latest iOS)
... since I got my Mac Mini 2014. In the interim, I also got a "free" iPhone 4s, to replace my aging Samsung Galaxy S Advance. I add these two devices to my lovely iPad Mini.
So where am I after a full month?
1. Sincerely and deeply digging the integration between Apple devices. This happened a bit with my iPad and Mac, but once I got the iPhone, this kicked into overdrive. It's just...so...cool. Like, for example, I've got all my Safari stuff on all three devices. And, quick, easy updates of documents between my Mac and iPad (which I use at work to the exclusion of even office machines, but I'm rarely in my office anyway). Having one "Contacts" book for all my stuff, finally meshing email addresses and phone numbers (I realize I could do this on my Android phone, but Samsung's desktop interface (especially Kies) should be burned in every fire there is, and then burned again, just in case).
2. Notes and Reminders. Sorta links to the above, but it's nice having a note app to use on my computer, and then have said note appear on my phone and iPad. Same for Reminders - didn't use this at all when I had just the iPad, and didn't really click for the Mac, but coupled with the iPhone, this just rocks. I can type a reminder on the Mac or iPad, and have it appear on the iPhone, which is where I'd actually end up looking at it on the run (which means I might actually be reminded to do the thing it says).
3. Free "Office" software. I quite like Numbers and Pages. I realize that I'm not a power user like some folks, and so they need certain features from doing spreadsheets or word processing that I don't, so, there isn't anything I've found missing. Also, certain things I used to do in Office I find easier to do with the Mac iWorks.
4. No need for lots of 3rd party stuff. For example, when I first set up the computer, started hunting for my usual load of programs (Adobe Reader, anti-virus and anti-malware, something to handle photo retouches and such), and then realized that I didn't need to. The Mac, more or less, already had it or didn't require it.
5. Bunches of little things. Mission control - really love this. The way Finder works, coupled with Spotlight. The extra functions in Spotlight like unit conversion and the like. The App Launcher and Dock - I have NOTHING on my desktop now; there's no need to stick a zillion icons in my workspace now. The most used stuff is in the Dock, the rest in the App Launcher. And again, there isn't that much there, anyway, because it isn't necessary. A desktop calendar access that isn't Google (I didn't have one in Windows and it's so nice to be able to call up a calendar and look).
So, one month on, I'm really, really pleased. The Mac (and by extension, the Apple ecosystem I've been drawn into) really appeals to me. I'm not saying everything the Mac does is 100% super-awesome, but in general, Apple gets it mostly right. Like, it understands I'm just trying to do stuff, and doesn't make me jump through a ton of hoops to do it.
So where am I after a full month?
1. Sincerely and deeply digging the integration between Apple devices. This happened a bit with my iPad and Mac, but once I got the iPhone, this kicked into overdrive. It's just...so...cool. Like, for example, I've got all my Safari stuff on all three devices. And, quick, easy updates of documents between my Mac and iPad (which I use at work to the exclusion of even office machines, but I'm rarely in my office anyway). Having one "Contacts" book for all my stuff, finally meshing email addresses and phone numbers (I realize I could do this on my Android phone, but Samsung's desktop interface (especially Kies) should be burned in every fire there is, and then burned again, just in case).
2. Notes and Reminders. Sorta links to the above, but it's nice having a note app to use on my computer, and then have said note appear on my phone and iPad. Same for Reminders - didn't use this at all when I had just the iPad, and didn't really click for the Mac, but coupled with the iPhone, this just rocks. I can type a reminder on the Mac or iPad, and have it appear on the iPhone, which is where I'd actually end up looking at it on the run (which means I might actually be reminded to do the thing it says).
3. Free "Office" software. I quite like Numbers and Pages. I realize that I'm not a power user like some folks, and so they need certain features from doing spreadsheets or word processing that I don't, so, there isn't anything I've found missing. Also, certain things I used to do in Office I find easier to do with the Mac iWorks.
4. No need for lots of 3rd party stuff. For example, when I first set up the computer, started hunting for my usual load of programs (Adobe Reader, anti-virus and anti-malware, something to handle photo retouches and such), and then realized that I didn't need to. The Mac, more or less, already had it or didn't require it.
5. Bunches of little things. Mission control - really love this. The way Finder works, coupled with Spotlight. The extra functions in Spotlight like unit conversion and the like. The App Launcher and Dock - I have NOTHING on my desktop now; there's no need to stick a zillion icons in my workspace now. The most used stuff is in the Dock, the rest in the App Launcher. And again, there isn't that much there, anyway, because it isn't necessary. A desktop calendar access that isn't Google (I didn't have one in Windows and it's so nice to be able to call up a calendar and look).
So, one month on, I'm really, really pleased. The Mac (and by extension, the Apple ecosystem I've been drawn into) really appeals to me. I'm not saying everything the Mac does is 100% super-awesome, but in general, Apple gets it mostly right. Like, it understands I'm just trying to do stuff, and doesn't make me jump through a ton of hoops to do it.
