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Thursday, January 13, 2005
Mac Questions
This has been an intense week for meetings, so I have not had time to pursue much outside of work. Nevertheless, I have continued to contemplate the switch from Windows to Mac. I still have a lot of unanswered questions. I’m not ready to make the switch yet, but I am moving closer.
My daughter, Mary, is the lone Mac user in my family. She’s going to visit a friend for the weekend, so I asked if I could borrow her PowerBook G4 while she’s gone. She agreed, so I’m looking forward to spending a couple of days putting it through it’s paces. By the end of the weekend, I should have a pretty good feel for what I can and can’t do.
Here’s my laundry list of unanswered Mac questions:
- Is the user-interface as intuitive as the Mac zealots claim?
- Are there plenty of keyboard shortcuts? (I don’t like using a mouse more than I absolutely have to.)
- Does the Mac have the equivalent of a “context menu” (right mouse button)?
- How can I implement GTD on a Mac? (Yes, I know about 43 Folders.)
- Is the mind mapping software on the Mac as cool as MindManager? (I’m spoiled. I hardly write an article or give a speech any more without first mapping it. NovaMind looks promising, but I know there are others.)
- Can I get the VPN to work with our corporate server?
- Can I use my Word templates on the Mac?
- If I use a Mac at Work, and my assistant uses a PC, can she still access my e-mail, calendar, and contacts from Outlook? (I will be using Microsoft Entourage.) This is probably a deal-breaker.
- How well does Virtual PC work on the Mac? I have heard conflicting reports. Some users say it is very slow. Others say that with enough RAM this is a non-issue.
If you know the answers to the above questions or can point me in the right direction, I’d be grateful for the assistance. In the meantime, I plan to blog on my experiences over the weekend. Stay tuned.
January 13, 2005 at 09:04 PM in Mac | Permalink
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» On switching from PC to Mac from Lifehacker
Publishing company president and weblogger Michael Hyatt recently replaced his PC with a Mac, and he's got some interesting insights into the process. Hyatt's experience isn't an Apple "switch" ad, it's a real person making a huge workflow transition. ... [Read More]
Tracked on Feb 25, 2005 12:40:27 PM
Comments
I'm no techy, but I can answer this one:
Yes, you can use a mouse with a right click. Any USB mouse fits. As a previous PC user, I also like the right click and still use it all the time on my Mac.
Yes on keyboard shortcuts.
To me the user interface is more intuitive than Windows.
If you want to use Virtual PC, RAM is critical. I thought about that, but then decided I really didn't want to run virtual PC.
Mac Mail is better than Entourage - you might think about switching to Mail. I hated Entourage. I used it when I first switched, but then went over to Mail and love it.
Posted by: Lisa Haneberg | Jan 13, 2005 10:26:26 PM
On the downside, Macs sometimes don't fit ubergeeks. Check out this blog post "I'm Joining the Majority by Putting the Mac Aside in 2005" by the famous hacker Jeremy Zawodny: http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/003868.html
Posted by: Jonathan Aquino | Jan 13, 2005 11:05:40 PM
I'm speaking as a Windows user who sometimes uses Mac OS X, and is seriously thinking of getting a Mac now that the Mac Mini is out:
* The interface is fairly intuitive, but can take some getting used to when you've been using Windows so long. It was particularly noticeable to me when I tried to set user groups and file access permissions. This may not be an issue for you though, and you'll know for yourself after using it over the weekend.
* Virtual PC can be slow on the PC too (yep, you can get Virtual PC for PC). RAM is definitely important. It also depends what kind of app you're using - if it's a business app or graphics app, you'll be fine. Audio programs will sort've work. I'd forget about games.
* As Lisa said, you can use a 2-button USB mouse. You can also hold down the Apple key (or is it the Ctrl key?) when clicking with a single button mouse to do the same thing.
I wish I could answer your other questions. I feel optimistic about Word and Entourage compatibility, but I just don't know about the others.
Posted by: Kohan Ikin | Jan 14, 2005 12:30:37 AM
I am sure there will be many others to answer your questions but just thought of taking this opportunity to acknowledge your brilliant blog. Great clarity & focus..in everything you write.
Coming to the mac..i have been using a 12 inch G-4 for the last one year. Here are its strengths :
Greatest upside yet ...No virus problems. Keyboard shortcuts available. My favourite is keyboard maestro for creating shortcuts and creating great macros . I use concept draw for mindmapping and it is good enough for the 'thinking' i use it for. I have never used mind manager so can't compare. ( Have also pro-actively written to them to check out result manager and come up with something comparable for the growing mac gtd community).
No viruses have ever gotten through my unprotected system. You somehow get the feel that XP interface is always trying to catch up..never quite it. Mac is truly the aristorcrat as far as interface goes and something you can spend the whole day with..
you could programme most of
Downsides : Yes, mac is slow compared to say the vaio my wife uses, acrobat professional is slow (something you mentioned somewhere to be using quite a bit)...but then I live on 256 mb ram. try a 1gb plus ram and you should be home.
By the way, I write from New Delhi, India.
Posted by: Vijay Raman | Jan 14, 2005 3:49:11 AM
Hi, will try to answer you with my complete objectivism of a mac developper and consultant ;)
* Is the user-interface as intuitive as the Mac zealots claim?
> Yes. But to be more precise: Apple issues specific guidelines for designing comforming UI, and most applications stick to them. You have what we usually calls a "no surprise pattern". If application A GUI works this way and application B has the same GUI, then both works the same way (ie same shortcuts, same buttons for similar actions etc.)
* Are there plenty of keyboard shortcuts? (I don’t like using a mouse more than I absolutely have to.)
> That's the weakest point in most mac interfaces, a continuous mix of keyboard then mouse then keyboard. One of the most frustrating issues found on all apps is that you can't easily tab between GUI element, nor you can execute every menu commands with the keyboard (As you can in Windows and Linux with Alt-). You can, as others pointed, build your own shortcuts, but it's tedious to do that for every app.
* Does the Mac have the equivalent of a “context menu” (right mouse button)?
> Yes.
* How can I implement GTD on a Mac? (Yes, I know about 43 Folders.)
> It depends on your actual implementation. To be honest, you won't be able to import your current outlook data easily, and there are no "official" gtd tool. But, if you want a pure manilla system (just lists) you'll find great outliners.
* Is the mind mapping software on the Mac as cool as MindManager?
> No. Novamind is really really slow and cumbersome and buggy (no cut & paste or undo for exemple !). And there are no "decent" alternatives currently... I often turn on my pc box to use mind manager.
* Can I use my Word templates on the Mac?
>Yes.
*If I use a Mac at Work, and my assistant uses a PC, can she still access my e-mail, calendar, and contacts from Outlook? (I will be using Microsoft Entourage.) This is probably a deal-breaker.
> It's possible, but with lots of issues and you'll need to setup exchange. Here is a faq covering most issues:http://www.entourage.mvps.org/exchange/faqs.html
* How well does Virtual PC work on the Mac?
>Badly. On my BI 1Ghz G4 with 1Gb of ram, I don't find any office app usable (esp. onenote), nor is mindmanager. It's ok if you just have to transfer / convert docs.
To be honest, I wouldn't recommend you to switch your workflow from Pc to mac, as it's strongly tied to the applications you uses. But, if you want another always working computer for your "other than pure work" activities, the mac (and the mini mac) can be great choices.
There are plenty of excellents applications on every systems, without any counterparts on other systems, so your choice should really be applications & features based.
On the other hand, if you like programming & scripting for everyday use, then mac os x is a dream platform...
Posted by: Hayssam | Jan 14, 2005 6:06:08 AM
Actually you can usually tab between GUI elements, you just need to enable "Turn full keyboard access on or off" in Keyboard Shortcuts from Mouse and Keyboard under System Prefs. Most apps then allow this to work properly.
Other than that, I agree with pretty much everything Hayssam says. Your exchange config will dictate how compatible your entourage and outlook can be.
Posted by: Matthew Machczynski | Jan 14, 2005 6:40:37 AM
Michael, because you're essentially a "power user" of your PC, I wouldn't recommend a full switch. Not to begin with, at least. I'm definitely a hard-core Mac user, but I can't recommend a full switch primarily because it sounds like your office and your GTD systems are tied intimately with Outlook. Entourage is quite a powerful little application, but in my experience, it interfaces only moderately well with an Exchange server. This may have changed since I last tried it (and I hope I never have to try it again) but it was rough going, for sure.
But I think you should definitely spend some time playing with your daughter's Mac, and I also think you should seriously consider purchasing that 12" Powerbook, which you can use for presentations, music, photos, and video.
Don't worry about transferring files (you outlined a scenario where you left files on one machine and forgot them on the machine you've got with you). Just bring a USB key with you, and you'll always have a simple and easy way to move files between machines.
Posted by: jeremy | Jan 14, 2005 8:42:55 AM
The 'Outlook Issue' will be one of your main concerns, unfortunately Microsoft haven't, and nor do they plan to, bring Outlook to OS X (they had a usable version for Mac OS 9, which does still work in Classic mode on OS X.)
Entourage claims to work with Exchange, but only superficially -- I've not gotten it to work with anything other than mail, but nor have I tried terribly hard -- for simplicity, I have ended up using Citrix Metaframe, or Microsoft's Remote Desktop Client for Outlook, and IE-dependent Intranet pages; the real sticking point for Macs 'in the enterprise'. There are moves afoot in that area, with PeopleSoft, SAP, Oracle and others certifying Safari, and hopefully some flow on effect from spreading Firefox use, but it's a real issue at the moment.
In terms of trying to integrate the Mac, there's Groupcal from Snerdware, which claims to offer seamless 2-way syncronisation of events and tasks from your Exchange server, within iCal, including invite and accept meetings, book resources, free/busy, etc. iCal is very different to Outlook, and lots of applications interface with it, to aide in viewing or sharing your schedules, events can be used in other applications, as part of a workflow, sync to Phone/Palm/PPC/iPod/online/another Mac, time billing programs, menu utilities, etc. etc.
There's also ADmitMac and DAVE from Thursby for Active Directory, NTLMv2, better SMB than the builtin (very usable) version. As noted by others Nortel and Cisco offer Mac clients for their VPNs, and there's builtin IPSec VPN support.
...and the upcoming Tiger will add Spotlight's very comprehensive search, across mail, documents, events/tasks and people. The concept of 'Smart Folders', whose contents is dynamic, dependent upon criterion you set, will spread throughout the OS, starting in the Finder, Mail, and Address Book… my hope is that we'll also get 'Smart Calendars', but I haven't seen evidence yet.
The next version of Entourage, while not supporting MAPI, claims further Exchange compatibility (they claim to have heard the requests), and will also support Spotlight, as will the rest of the Office suite, so the Mac looks like it could be about it take quite a jump in fundamental productivity, although there is still room for improvement.
Also, I think you mentioned Groove previously, while not compatible with Groove, a similar app, Near-Time Flow could be worth a look.
Other collaboration tools like SubEthaEdit, for live multi-user text editing/annotation, or iStorm are examples of the growing use of Zero-conf auto-networking on the Mac (e.g. automatic iTunes/iPhoto sharing), for quite interesting uses.
There is also a great deal of activity on OS X in note/scrap books, note taking, outlining, and mindmapping and Ted Goranson has very extensive coverage, that is well worth a look -- you'll find info on very interesting apps like OmniOutliner, MacJournal, NoteBook, NoteTaker, Tinderbox and Curio (and many more) applications similar, in concept, to OneNote, esp. when coupled with the OS' builtin hand writting recognition, and free form sketching (via Wacom tablets.) For web research there's Webstractor.
Again, coupled with Spotlight, some rather interesting combinations and ways of working start to emerge, and I'm pretty excited, at least by the possibilities for good new ideas to flourish amongst the excellent Mac dev community, where it is quality over quantity, in a very tangible sense.
Integration between Mac applications is very good -- not only with Apple-to-Apple programs, but interapplication, with AppleScript, common file formats and System Services (functions that applications can share with others, such as thesauri, text conversion and twiddling commands, search functions, snippets, and much more, so the tendacy among Mac users tends to be using several applications in concert, whereas IMHO Windows applications tend to be more isolated, and inward looking (to generalise a sense of the relative foci of the interfaces.)
As someone who thinks about interfaces a lot (good and bad) I tend to find the Mac interface not only more intuitive (read approachable, and 'learnable'), but also to be logical, and conducive, or even 'assistive', in the sense that you can notice the many small ways that someone has thought about how you might use what is in front of you, and what you might want to achieve… values that lead to the quite personal, emotional response you get from the users… they empathise with their machine, because in some small subconscious way, they feel that their machine empathises with them.'
Anyway, sorry for the long post, I just wanted to share a few things that might help if you're to seriously consider trying Mac OS X. : )
Posted by: Marc Nothrop | Jan 14, 2005 9:46:16 AM
I think the best person to answer you all that is Paul Thurrott. You shoud read his bolg at http://www.internet-nexus.com/ where he looks quite objectively about Mac - he uses both Mac and PC. Paul is the opinion that Windows user interface is more intuitive than Mac's, but read it yourself.
Posted by: Ari Suominen | Jan 14, 2005 11:48:15 AM
There are two other mind mapping programs that will run under OS X. "Freemind" which is an opensource Java implementation and Inspiration which leans toward the education market.
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
http://www.inspiration.com
Posted by: Gregg Dippold | Jan 14, 2005 12:17:13 PM
I use Entourage 2004 with Exchange 2003 and it works with little problem for me. I also access the same Exchange account from Outlook 2003 and my Pocket PC.
Posted by: Frank McPherson | Jan 14, 2005 1:11:11 PM
Michael:
There's a tremendous amount of excellent, well-considered advice here. As a lifelong Mac user who is spending most of his time these days using a Tablet PC (I accept responsibility for your Tablet use BTW), I can confirm what most of these folks have been telling you.
Given the highly evolved workflow and the GTD emphasis you have, switching is going to be fraught with issues. The very best advice I've heard is to consider a PowerBook as a second machine for certain creative pursuits.
You'll find it an immensely satisfying experience and gain a real appreciation for the passion Mac users have for their sytems. OS X is unmatched for sheer beauty and thoughtful little UI features that can take months to fully appreciate. But it is not an equal in a PC-centric network environment like yours.
Also, in all candor, there is nothing remotely like MindManager available for the Mac. The tools mentioned here are clumsy by comparison and offer none of the cross-application integration Mindjet has designed into their product.
My $.25 worth ('cause I love you man)!
Posted by: Marc Orchant | Jan 14, 2005 7:58:55 PM
I see you have already got so many helpful and honest advices, which is something the Mac community is particularly good at.
Here are a few random thoughts that might be useful for you:
(1) PowerBook is a great laptop, but iBook G4 is a better deal, particularly when used as a secondary computer. Both have very good battery life and performance, as long as you add at least 256MB or 512MB RAM to the stock configuration. The best place to buy is Amazon.com, with tax-free and free shipping. Here is a link for iBook G4 12" (1.2 GHz, 256MB, 30GB, DVD/CD-RW, AirPort Extreme, $999.99 - $100 rebate), and PowerBook G4 12" (1.33 GHz, 256MB, 60GB, DVD/CD-RW, AirPort Extreme, $1599.99 - $150 rebate).
(2) Ctrl-click for context menu, or right click if you have a 2-button mouse. You can also turn the trackpad into a multi-button scrolling mouse with mouse driver likeSideTrack.
(3) Mac OS X has great keyboard navigation, you can access all menu items without the mouse with Ctrl-F1 and arrow keys, and even make your own KB shortcuts for every single app - not possible with Windows. Just make sure to turn on full keyboard access under the "Keyboard & Mouse" in System Pref.
(4) Windows GUI has been getting closer to Mac over the years, but there are a few major differences that generally favor Mac (IMHO). Keep an open mind and don't reject them just because they are new to you.
(5) Mac menu bar is always at the top of screen rather than comes with each window, which makes it easier to access (due to constant location) and save screen space (because only the front app can receive menu command).
(5) Unlike Windows, Mac apps normally continue function without open windows, unless the app has a single window interface. This is actually a great feature that makes context switch instantaneous.
(4) Dynamic realtime search, spelling check as you type and word completion (Alt-Esc) are built into every Cocoa apps.
(5) Make use Exposé, Spring-Loaded Folder and Column View, Doc, FontBook, Service, etc.
(6) Download Desktop Manager if you like virtual desktops. It's free and incredibly cool.
(7) Get tons of freeware and shareware from VersionTracker or Apple software download.
(8) Buy some cool software from Omni Group.
(9) Get SubEthaEdit or Big Band Chess and see how cool an well designed Cocoa app can be.
(10) Watch Steve Jobs Keynote for a preview of Tiger and other Apple technologies.
Posted by: Robert Lee | Jan 15, 2005 1:56:34 AM
Sorry for messing up the list. But what a great way to avoid number 13!
Oh, 2 more things:
(1) OS X has a solid VM system and can handle lots of processes running in the background with little performance hit, so no need to keep quitting apps. Hide the front app (Cmd-H) or others (Alt-Cmd-H) rather than closing or minimizing windows, or use virtual desktops.
(2) Waking up is much faster than booting up, so don't shutdown unless you have to, just close the lid or sleep.
Posted by: Robert Lee | Jan 15, 2005 2:24:24 AM
Regarding Outlook and Entourage, I forgot to mention Microsoft's .PST Import Tool Beta, this of course, has also been an obstacle in moving to Entourage.
Re Paul Thurrott, I'm not sure that I'd agree that's he's particularly objective, but then there are many so-called objective Mac pundits, who can be pretty biased. He does at least seem open to the Mac as an option, and what I read as harsh, or 'misguided' criticism, others might read as home truths.
Depending on your attitude to making do without, or finding alternatives to, tools that you may rely on now, there could be viable options on the Mac, for you... but in particular, I'm not familiar with the Outlook GTD Plugin you mention.
You note 43Folders, so may have seen Merlin and Fraser talking about a new productivity app, and their both GTD aficionados. Fraser in particular, offers tips and info on using the excellent new OmniOutliner Pro 3.0 to manage a GTD workflow.
Tinderbox is a fascinating application that offers a very interesting way of storing, and working with information... alot of people are using it for GTD -- there's a Windows version on the way. Life Balance is another app that gets a bit of attention from the GTD crowd, and could be worth a look -- it started on the Newton, and there are Mac/Win/Palm versions, with PPC not yet on the drawing board.
Finally, just as a little perspective on this whole switching phenomenon, I work in a software R&D lab, and in the last couple of years, Mac usage has gone from ~9% to ~32%, with one of the most Pro-Windows guys I know, apparently considering a PowerBook... come salary packaging time at the end of the year, there'll be a stampede for PowerBook G5s.
Posted by: Marc Nothrop | Jan 15, 2005 3:39:17 AM
Paul Thurrott is a Windows apologist, and the laughing stock on the Web as far as Mac is concerned. I would trust the O'Reilly guys 10x more than Paul.
By the way, use Cmd - Tab to switch apps and Apple Sherloc for Web services such as Dictionary / Translation / Movies / Stocks / eBay / Flights / etc. Enable tab browsing in Safari, install Apple Developer Tools. Most importantly, spend time to explore all menu options and apps in /Application that might be remotely interesting as if you know nothing about computers, and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Posted by: Robert Lee | Jan 15, 2005 9:33:52 AM
A correction: Ctrl-F1 is to toggle full KB access on or off, Ctrl-F2 to access the menu bar.
Posted by: Robert Lee | Jan 15, 2005 9:39:17 AM
If you are planning to use KeyNote then a PowerBook is highly recommended as the iBooks do not support extended desktops, just video mirroring, so you won't get to use the presenter tools.
Posted by: Ian Wood | Jan 18, 2005 8:35:52 PM
I've been a Mac user since OSX came out and have recently had to go WinXP-Outlook due to moving from grad school into the corporate world. I was actually looking forward to this switch, thinking that I'd have so many more software to choose from to fuel my creativity. What I've found, however, is that the Mac software universe, while smaller, seems much better. Maybe the dominance of Microsoft PC tools in so many areas (not just Word-Excel-PP, but Outlook, Visio, Access, Project) has squelched innovation, but I really miss OmniGraffle and OmniOutliner (http://www.omnigroup.com) and a number of tools mentioned in this terrific ongoing series of outlining program reviews: http://www.atpm.com/11.01/atpo.shtml.
Posted by: Raj | Jan 24, 2005 10:04:42 AM
Does installing Windows XP operating system in order to use Virtual PC for Mac, make your Mac more susceptible to viruses (since PC's tend to be more virus-prone compared to the Mac?)
Posted by: Susanna Rojas | Jan 26, 2005 4:58:25 PM
I can't find a voice recognition program for mac I have found ten for the pc, but none for the mac. I need the software program to convert recordings from a Olympus DM-20 into text files and I have had no luck. Macs are starting to drive me crazy.
Posted by: Jeff | Jan 26, 2005 5:06:29 PM
Susanna: No, the virtual PC runs everything in a quarantined environment. The worst that happens is that you have to wipe it clean and reinstall. It is not too painful.
Posted by: | Jan 30, 2005 12:22:18 AM
Thought I'd add my 2 cents as a power user and relatively recent switcher:
I shared every one of the concerns you list, and have found them one by one to be non-issues.
>Is the user-interface as intuitive as the Mac
>zealots claim?
Not intuitive so much as remarkably consistent.
One of the major factors in my switch was how much less I had to think about the interface -- I just seemed to think more quickly and clearly on the Powerbook than on the workstation.
>Are there plenty of keyboard shortcuts?
I actually use hotkeys *more* on the powerbook. There are a variety of independent projects that make keyboard navigation more useful than I could have imagined a year ago. (Quicksilver by Blacktree.org being my personal favorite, and free of charge.)
>How can I implement GTD on a Mac? (Yes, I
>know about 43 Folders.)
I echo the suggestion that you explore a bit to find what tools work best for you, and that you don't try to force a premature migration. I just naturally found myself using my powerbook for more and more of my workflow. I *strongly* recommend that you find a local user group and mine their experience. Also, find someone who is willing and able to write simple scripts to automate repetitive parts of your workflow.
>How well does Virtual PC work on the Mac? I
>have heard conflicting reports. Some users say it
>is very slow. Others say that with enough RAM
>this is a non-issue.
I'm not a huge fan of Virtual PC. Unless there's an urgent need to consolidate, it's a lot easier to use Go2MyPC or similar software to access the PC remotely. This has the additional advantage that your secretary will never notice as you gradually migrate steps from your workflow.
Posted by: lmb | Jan 30, 2005 1:44:43 AM
I'd use VPC as the back-up to Windows Remote Desktop, which is quite snappy. That way, if you have a decent connection you can operate quickly and when you don't you can use VPC.
The biggest issue with Entourage v. Outlook is the delegation feature which AFAIK is absent in Entourage.
Posted by: Lorin Rivers | Feb 8, 2005 5:28:21 PM
Mindmanager Mac 6 has just been released. I was a beta tester and it's a great product. Now I can work on my mind maps I create on my PC at work when I'm home, using my Mac. Good job Mindjet!
Posted by: Dan Hamilton | Jun 2, 2006 7:07:34 AM
