The TED Talks are always awesome. Everytime I have watched one of them I've come away with some insight that I lacked before. This talk by Jill Bolte Taylor is no exception. Jill is a neuroanatomist that had the opportunity to observe a stroke from the inside out. She describes her experience here. I highly recommend taking the 20 minutes to watch this one.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Surfing the Web on a Mac
One of the big things that I struggled with as I started using the Mac was what web browser should I use. Safari is the default and it isn't a bad browser, but I have been a huge fan of Firefox since with was called Firebird. This left me in something of a dilemma.
The thing about Macs that I'm discovering is that a Mac is not just a piece of hardware and associated software. A Mac is a package deal. An experience. All the applications just fit together with Jobsian perfection and predictably. Picking a non-standard application to do something basic like surfing the web makes you fear that you might through the planets out of alignment.
I was being open-minded about trying new things so I gave Safari a chance. Safari is a sound browser. It is fast has a basic interface that works well. By far the coolest feature of Safari is the three-finger swipe to go back in the browsing history is incredibly useful and intuitive. Other than that, Safari is a decent browser but unremarkable otherwise.
One issue that I would like to point is that the built in RSS reader is a little odd.
It works fine, but it's a stand alone application. My use of RSS has evolved into a means of sharing information with other people rather than just keeping it to myself. Safari did not provide any means of sharing the RSS posts that I have grown accustomed to while using Google Reader.
The other thing that I didn't like about Safari was its lack of extensibility. Having used Firefox for the last several years, I have grown to expect my browser to plug into the latest information sharing widgets. Safari just doesn't do this. I looked all over for some type of hook into del.icio.us and StumbleUpon and couldn't find anything. I thought that I could work around that but as I surfed without the ability to share the cool stuff, I found that I really missed that part of web browsing. In short, that ability to share what I found with others was more important that the three finger swipe to move forward and backward in my web browser.
Suffice it to say, I'm back with Firefox and I am happy with the decision. I actually think that it enhances my experience with the Mac. I would recommend anyone switching to a Mac to try Safari, but seriously consider using Firefox as their primary browser.
The thing about Macs that I'm discovering is that a Mac is not just a piece of hardware and associated software. A Mac is a package deal. An experience. All the applications just fit together with Jobsian perfection and predictably. Picking a non-standard application to do something basic like surfing the web makes you fear that you might through the planets out of alignment.
I was being open-minded about trying new things so I gave Safari a chance. Safari is a sound browser. It is fast has a basic interface that works well. By far the coolest feature of Safari is the three-finger swipe to go back in the browsing history is incredibly useful and intuitive. Other than that, Safari is a decent browser but unremarkable otherwise.
One issue that I would like to point is that the built in RSS reader is a little odd.
It works fine, but it's a stand alone application. My use of RSS has evolved into a means of sharing information with other people rather than just keeping it to myself. Safari did not provide any means of sharing the RSS posts that I have grown accustomed to while using Google Reader.
The other thing that I didn't like about Safari was its lack of extensibility. Having used Firefox for the last several years, I have grown to expect my browser to plug into the latest information sharing widgets. Safari just doesn't do this. I looked all over for some type of hook into del.icio.us and StumbleUpon and couldn't find anything. I thought that I could work around that but as I surfed without the ability to share the cool stuff, I found that I really missed that part of web browsing. In short, that ability to share what I found with others was more important that the three finger swipe to move forward and backward in my web browser.
Suffice it to say, I'm back with Firefox and I am happy with the decision. I actually think that it enhances my experience with the Mac. I would recommend anyone switching to a Mac to try Safari, but seriously consider using Firefox as their primary browser.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I Have Switched
I've made the jump and switched to a Mac. Last Friday I purchase last Friday at the Columbus Apple Store. I purchased a 15" MacBook Pro with the Multitouch pad. Overall I think that the hardware is awesome. The fit and finish is great and everything just flows together.
One think that I noticed right off the bat was that Apple's old tag line "Think Different" is an incredibly accurate warning for switchers. Apple has a definite way of approaching the computer and computing tasks. It took me about three days of playing with the Mac to get a feel for the philosophy. Now that I grasp the basic concept Apple uses getting things done is a little easier.
One of the biggest things that I had to get used to was how easy it is to install software. I was completely confused when I tried to install Firefox. There was no installer, no questions about where I wanted to install the program. I just double-clicked the .dmg file and dragged the icon to the Applications folder. Tada. Done. It was that easy. It was so easy that I was confused.
One other thing that I noticed was that Google seems to be working on an Apple-like experience for non-Apple users. I made extensive use of Google applications while I was useing a Windows machine. All the Google services are designed to work together and the users are subtly herded into using Google services almost exclusively. Apple does the same thing, but maybe not so subtly.
I knew what I was getting myself into though. Buying a Mac is like buying a SLR camera. When you buy the camera, you're not just buying a camera, you're buying into a system. For example, I bought a Canon Digital Rebel XT and I am a member of the Canon club now. Had I purchased a Nikon D70, I would have been a member of the Nikon club. Moving from one club to another requires you not to just sell off your camera body but all the lenses you purchased along the way. Apple and PCs are kinda the same thing except instead of lenses, you have to buy all new software.
I'll post more observations as I make them.
One think that I noticed right off the bat was that Apple's old tag line "Think Different" is an incredibly accurate warning for switchers. Apple has a definite way of approaching the computer and computing tasks. It took me about three days of playing with the Mac to get a feel for the philosophy. Now that I grasp the basic concept Apple uses getting things done is a little easier.
One of the biggest things that I had to get used to was how easy it is to install software. I was completely confused when I tried to install Firefox. There was no installer, no questions about where I wanted to install the program. I just double-clicked the .dmg file and dragged the icon to the Applications folder. Tada. Done. It was that easy. It was so easy that I was confused.
One other thing that I noticed was that Google seems to be working on an Apple-like experience for non-Apple users. I made extensive use of Google applications while I was useing a Windows machine. All the Google services are designed to work together and the users are subtly herded into using Google services almost exclusively. Apple does the same thing, but maybe not so subtly.
I knew what I was getting myself into though. Buying a Mac is like buying a SLR camera. When you buy the camera, you're not just buying a camera, you're buying into a system. For example, I bought a Canon Digital Rebel XT and I am a member of the Canon club now. Had I purchased a Nikon D70, I would have been a member of the Nikon club. Moving from one club to another requires you not to just sell off your camera body but all the lenses you purchased along the way. Apple and PCs are kinda the same thing except instead of lenses, you have to buy all new software.
I'll post more observations as I make them.
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