Toady a ran across an article on ComputerWorld from a week ago about a Windows guru that had to use a Mac for 2 weeks as part of an assignment. Preston Gralla has used and written about PC’s since the 80′s, but he’s never spent any significant time with a Mac. This article chronicles his time with the new MacBook Air as well as his first impressions with Mac OS X and various other software programs.
This is a great read because it shows exactly the frustrations and joys a person would have with using a Mac for the first time after using PC’s for decades. It’s interesting to see the small things he struggled with as well as the many great features of the MacBook Air. For instance, before he discovered the Expose shortcut in Mac OS X, he struggled with figuring out which of his programs were actually running. However, once he used Expose, he found it superior to any alternative ever offered in Windows.
In the end, Preston reluctantly states that Mac OS X is a superior operating suystem to any version of Windows. He is probably one of the last people you would expect to come to that conclusion, but it shows just how innovative and user-friendly Apple products can be.
He also comments on the high price of the MacBook Air compared to similar PC’s, but he ultimately buys a MacBook Air for himself! This is in addition to three PC’s that run Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. He states, “This isn’t about productivity or getting work done; it’s pure machine lust.” I think that pretty much sums up any Apple product.
Check out his entire article; it’s a great read if you ever thought about switching from a PC to a Mac.
