Vista was the last straw!

Switch to: MacOS X

Date: October 11, 2008

As a switch to MacOS X also means switching to new hardware, the story goes beyond operating system user experience.

Background

I actually started out with Apple computers. My first computer was an Apple ][ back in 1979 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_II_series). Using the “Red Book” that came with the computer, I taught myself BASIC and 6502 Assembly language. It wasn’t long after, that I got my first job using the Apple // computer to program Educational Software. I went through to the Apple IIgs and finally the original Macintosh (128K).

I later got a job with a local teaching hospital helping the doctors there with their research, so I started using IBM compatible computers starting with the 80386 and MS-DOS. I saw Windows 1.0, but never really used it. I didn’t start working with Windows until 3.1

On the Windows side, I owned and used Windows 3.1, 3.11, 95, 98, ME, NT3.1, NT 4.0, 2000, and finally XP. As far as stability in Windows, I would say it was a toss-up between Windows 2000 and Windows XP. However, since Windows XP is the more modern of the two, I have used XP the longest.

When Microsoft announced that they were opening up Windows Vista for a limited open beta, I jumped at the chance to download a copy and check it out. This was April or May of 2006. I created a dual-boot on my Dell Dimension 8400 between Windows XP and Windows Vista.

It didn’t take very long before I realised that Vista was going to be a big problem. Especially for my parents who were at that time running Windows XP themselves. (I act as a System Administrator for my parents to keep their computer up and running.) I have spent several man days over at my parents, removing viruses, adware/spyware, malware, and other nasty stuff trying to keep their system running happily. Needless to say, I was getting pretty frustrated with Windows.

With all the promise of Vista and its better security model, I was hoping that I would finally have a break as a SysAdmin. After spending about 1 day with the Vista Beta, I realised that I would only be in for all kinds of trouble if I had to upgrade my parents computer to Vista. Between the speed issues I was seeing with Vista and all the annoying User Access Control dialogs that were popping up on my installation of Vista, I saw that if I were to upgrade the Windows based computers here to Vista, I would be pulling my hair out in a matter of days.

So I started researching alternatives again. I needed something that was stable, easy to use for my parents and myself, cheap (Did I mention that if I were to upgrade my 5 Windows boxes that I would have had to pay over $1,000! For upgrade versions mind you!), and most importantly easy to maintain.

Well, with those parameters, my choices were limited to just one choice. Macintosh and OS X. Now, after my experience with the Macintosh (Mac 128K), I owned a Mac G3 tower dual processor system (I forgot the specs now). It had OS 9 installed and I had the opportunity to play with OS X beta and OS X 10.0. I didn’t keep that system for very long since I managed to all but kill it in less than a month. I like installing software to look at it and see what it is. If an OS can’t handle that kind of use, it’s just not for me.

Well, I was nervous to go “whole hog” into Macintosh and OS X. Fortunately, we have a Windows notebook computer that was getting a little long in the tooth. So I decided I would start with a MacBook to see if I would be happy with Mac’s and OS X. The company I was working for at the time had a couple of Mac Mini’s and I did spend a little time experimenting with OS X Tiger there to see what Tiger was like. Considering the fact that they were Mac Mini’s, I was pretty impressed with their speed. I had been hearing about the performance boost Mac’s were getting thanks to the Intel change over, so seeing one in action and a very low end one at that, really impressed me.

So in early June 2006, I went to our local Apple store and picked up a stock MacBook 1.83GHz system (the $1099 version). I pretty much fell in love the moment I turned it on. After about 2 weeks, I was using it as my main computer instead of my Dell Dimension 8400. I even hooked up one of my Dell monitors to it so that I could have dual monitors with the MacBook.

I was convinced and converted. When Steve Jobs announced the Mac Pro at WWDC in early Aug. 2006 I hit the Apple store website the minute it reopened and bought a Mac Pro as my new desktop computer.

Oh, I also switched my parents to a Mac Mini. Since then I have only had to deal with small issues dealing with windows getting to big for the screen and toolbars “magically” disappearing, Mail showing too much header information. Basically accidental preference changes. Much easier to deal with than fixing Windows problems.

With my parents, the final straw was a nearly 7 hour repair due to some nasty malware getting on their Windows system that was causing browser windows to pop up about every 5 seconds. I tried to remove it manually, but finally had to wipe out Windows and re-install. What really kicked it for me was having to “prove” that the Dell Re-install version of Windows was a Genuine copy of Windows. To be told I was a pirate just because I was re-installing Windows due to the lack of security that Microsoft has in Windows was pretty much the final straw. I told my parents I was buying them a Mac Mini and that was that.

Impressions

It’s been nearly two years since the switch to OS X and Macintosh. I find myself using my Windows boxes less and less. I haven’t been playing games that much lately, though I think that is just because I have pretty specific tastes in games. Just wait till either Spore or GTA IV comes out for Windows, I’ll be back playing those pretty exclusively. Although, I am considering getting Spore for the Mac instead of Windows.

I find myself reading material on Cocoa and programming the Mac more, experimenting with that knowledge. I have been working on my website more and more recently using the Mac. All my daily activities are done on the Mac.

After I got the Mac Pro, I didn’t use the MacBook as much, but when we bought a decent Home Entertainment system at Christmas of 2007, I wound up hooking up the MacBook to it so that I could watch movies and TV shows that I acquired. The MacBook is very capable of displaying 1920x1080 (HD 1080p resolution) just fine, so thanks to Front Row, I use my MacBook almost exclusively as an Apple TV clone. I’m disappointed that Apple doesn’t allow me to rent HD content using the MacBook. I’m not sure what they are afraid of. It’s pretty easy to hack an Apple TV in order to gain access to the files downloaded from Apple. So if renting HD content on an Apple TV only is for IP protection, it’s a poor decision. Plus, I can’t play rented movies using Front Row. I sure wish DRM would go away.

My impression of OS X both Tiger and now Leopard is one of pure joy. It may be a programmers nightmare, but Apple’s insistence at software designed using the Human Interface Guidelines makes using Mac software just heavenly. From program to program, if there is a search field, I always know how to get the cursor to it. There are exceptions, right Mozilla! However, the software I use, no matter who writes it, is just gorgeous, well designed, and thanks to Core Animation, sometimes quite fun to see in action.

Actually, it’s the Core modules that really impressed me with Tiger and now Leopard. These libraries are pretty much behind the scenes and as users, we don’t really see them, but we see there affects in the programs we use. All the sliding panels, smooth transitions between preference panes, etc. What is really interesting is that for the programmers, to make all those animations happen, it’s usually just a single line of code and instead of a panel just appearing, it slides open.

Having an Address Book as a program is quite nice. Having it built-in to the system in such a way that every program can have access to it is just pure genius. The same goes for Core Image and image effects that can be used by any program. The Mac is just a programmers dream to work with. I can’t wait till I have enough knowledge to actually be able to write a real program. (I have some ideas for a couple of programs that I haven’t found so far...)

Stability

In the 2 years I have had both Macs. I have only seen one, count them, one Gray Screen Of Death or Kernel Panic. That happened after I installed a VPN program by Cisco that wasn’t the correct version for the OS I was using. It started GSOD’ing on me for what appeared to be no reason. I spent a couple of hours trying to track down the problem, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. I had only had the Mac for a couple of months so I wasn’t really familiar with troubleshooting OS X. So, I finally decided to call Apple and take advantage of the AppleCare protection plan I bought with the computer.

While I was on the phone waiting for a technician, I kept digging, and finally found the problem. I had the problem fixed before the technician answered the phone (I was on hold for about 20 minutes). So since I had the guy on the phone, I made sure that the process I had taken to locate the problem was correct. He told me that he would have pretty much walked me though the same steps, so I felt relieved that I pretty much figured it out on my own. That was it.

Now, I’m not saying I haven’t had other problems. I have had some weird pauses that was causing even iTunes to pause while playing music. That turned out to be some software checking the S.M.A.R.T. drive for errors with the hard drives. I stopped using that software and the pausing stopped. I see odd issues with performance occasionally that make me reboot the system. I probably don’t have to reboot, but sometimes it’s just easier.

Final Thoughts

Two years after my switch to Macintosh and I’m still loving OS X and the hardware. I still keep up on Windows news and have been chuckling at all the negative stories that have been coming out for Windows Vista since it’s release. My favourite quote has been from CEO of Microsoft himself, Steve Ballmer stating that Windows Vista is “A work in progress”. With the word that Vista SP1 having a multitude of problems itself, it’s clear that I made the correct choice in switching to Macintosh and OS X. Thanks to Mr. Ballmer and Microsoft, more and more people are starting to make the same decision.

Switch Satisfaction

Author

Switcher: Dave Metzener/VesperDEM
Website: http://www.metzener.com/switch
erblog/
Profession: Software Test Engineer
Location: USA/Missouri/St. Louis

Switch

Category: Operating Systems
From: Windows XP
To: MacOS X
Switch Date: June 2006

Usage type: Home
Used for: media center - home entertainment system; general use - word processing, web suring; development, gaming

Computer configuration:
MacBook (1st Gen White)
- 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
- 1280x800 - 1920x1080 (Sharp Aquos HD Television)
- 2GB RAM from NewEgg.com
- 160GB HDD (Upgraded from Western Digital Passport external drive)
- 24x slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
- Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor

Mac Pro (1st Gen)
- 2 2.66GHz Dual Core Intel XEON processors
- 1600x1200 - 1280x1024 (Dell monitors)
- 6GB RAM - 4GB from MemoryToGo.com
- 500GB / 750GB HDD's
- 1TB FireWire-800 External Drive
- DVD-RW/CD-RW Drive
- NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics card (256MB Video RAM)


Previous computer:
Dell Dimension 8400
- Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz
- 1600x1200 - 1280x1024 (Use second monitor inputs and Chicken of the VNC to access)
- 1GB RAM
- 250GB / 300GB HDD's
- DVD-RW/CD-RW - CD-R/RW drives
- ATI RADEON X800 XT (256MB Video RAM)

Dell Dimension 8100
- Intel Pentium 4 1.4Ghz
- 1600x1200 (Use Chicken of the VNC to access)
- 512MB RAM
- 125GB / 150GB HDD's
- DVD-ROM/CD-ROM - CD-R/RW drives
- NVIDIA GeForce2 MX (32MB Video RAM)