I’m Using a MacBook Pro Now

I previously wrote that I was considering purchasing a Mac computer, and in mid-November I finally ordered one--an Apple MacBook Pro. Having used it for about one and a half months now, I'm quite happy with the experience.

One of the first things I've come to notice is that, at work, I don't really "use a Mac." I use Adobe InDesign. There's enough Mac use to get a taste for what it does and how it works, but I'm not getting any real experience there. On the MacBook Pro, with a variety of applications and tasks, I'm really using the Mac.

Leopard is a fantastic operating system. It's quick, works well, and doesn't really get in the way. So many useful tools--that really work well--are included: QuickLook, Spotlight, Time Machine, and iCal, to name just a few.

I need to point out that I'm mildly disappointed in Time Machine. It works well and is an easy way to backup (and help you back up regularly)--in that way, it works fantastic. (I have a USB-connected drive that it works with.) However, it doesn't play well with network-attached storage like my ReadyNAS because it will use all available space for backups; I can't specify a limit. My other real complaint is how long it saves files for. For example, I'd love to save hourly backups for, say, a week, rather than only one day. Hopefully Apple (or another developer) will take care of some of these shortcomings.

I find the Dock to be a much more capable tool than the Windows Start Bar. The iLife suite is definitely a more refined package than the comparable Windows apps. The Dashboard is leaps and bounds better than the Vista Sidebar (which, I suppose, isn't saying much, because I haven't found anything I really need with either system).

Overall, moving from Windows XP to Leopard on the MacBook Pro has been a positive experience with some nice advantages. Sherree's Windows Vista laptop has shown me that it manages memory terribly and offers no substantial benefits over XP, so moving from Vista to Leopard is an even better experience.

In fact, had I known how happy I would be with the Mac, I would have bought a MacBook for Sherree rather than the Vista laptop.