Guest Post :: The Mac Switch: One Law Student's Switch from PC to a Mac

The following guest post is from Benson Varghese from the Res Ipsa Blog:

During my first two years in law school, I used a Windows-based laptop. The problem that I've had with Windows in the past is that after about a year the system tends to slow to a crawl. My usual solution to this is to do a clean installation of Windows every summer.  Combined with a regular backup schedule, this has ensured that I’ve never had any devastating problems with my PC setup. Unfortunately, several of my colleagues who were running their original Windows installations were not so fortunate and lost documents and even entire systems to Windows crashes.

This summer, instead of reinstalling Windows as I usually do, I decided to switch to a Mac. I did this for several different reasons.  First, both law schools and law firms are embracing Macs as a viable alternative to PCs. Second, as someone who pays particular attention to trial techniques, I've found that PowerPoint is overused and often ineffective in holding the interest of audiences. Keynote for Mac OS X, on the other hand, creates smooth presentations using fresh templates that don't overwhelm audiences with bullet points or screens full of text. Finally, I'm a firm believer in the investing adage made popular by Peter Lynch: "Invest in what you know."

As an investor in AAPL, I've purchased every generation of the iPod as I watched the Apple raise the bar time and time again in the portable media player market. With more people turning to Apple everyday based on their favorable experiences using an iPod or iPhone and the excitement created by innovative products like the MacBook Air and the iMac, I decided it was time to buy a Mac for myself to determine whether Apple is ready for continued growth in market share.

Below are the specs for my original Window-based laptop and my new MacBook. For comparison purposes, I ran 1.5 GB of RAM in each laptop during testing.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Manufacturer:	Dell	Apple
Model:	Inspiron E1705	MacBook Black
Screen Size:	17 inch	13.3 inch
RAM:	1.5 GB	2.5 GB
HDD:	120 GB @ 7200 rpm	160 GB @ 5400 rpm
Oper. System:	Vista Ultimate	OS X 10.5
Processor:	Intel Core Duo @ 1.67 Ghz	Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.4 Ghz

Things that I like about Mac and OS X:

1. Speed :: The Mac boots up much quicker than even a fresh installation of Windows. Since the Mac does have a faster processor, this was to be expected despite the faster hard drive in the Dell. In addition to the improved bootup speed, other programs like Adobe Acrobat and Photoshop run smoother on my Mac than they did in Windows.
2. Programs :: Macs have always had exceptional presentation software. Whether it is making music, designing art, or creating presentations, Macs have consistently outperformed Windows. Today, the excellence of the Mac goes beyond the world of multimedia. Whether you are using Office for Mac or Adobe Acrobat, Mac OS X runs programs that you are familiar with smoothly and stably.
3. Better security management :: While Vista attempted to rid Windows of the security issues that plagued Windows XP, the security restrictions in Vista were annoying. Vista asks for permission to run third-party software every time a program is launched. As a result, most users disable this security feature in Vista. Apple’s approach to security is far simpler. Instead of prompting you for a password every time a program is run, OS X only asks you for authorization when you first install the program. This ensures that programs are not installed without your knowledge.
4. It works out of the box :: With a new installation of Windows, I usually have to spend the better part a day installing all the programs I need to get things running smoothly. With Mac OS X, you start with a solid assortment of programs that are actually useful. Macs come with iLife which includes iPhoto for photo management, iMovie for video editing, GarageBand for editing music, and iDVD for creating DVDs with professional menus and transitions. Macs also have great built in features like a dictionary and Time Machine, which is Mac’s backup utility.
5. Ease of use :: While there is a learning curve to any new operating system, learning to use OS X is straightforward. One of the best things about using a Mac is the number of shortcuts that are available. For example, I regularly take screenshots for my blog so that I have a picture or thumbnail image to go with a story. On the Mac, by simply hitting “Command + Shift + 4” I can select any portion of the screen to automatically save as an image. To make a screenshot in Windows, without the help of third-party software requires going through the following steps: hit printscreen, paste the image into Paint, crop the image, and finally, save the crop image as a new file.

Things that could be better:

1. The single-button trackpad :: While I've gotten used to having to hold two fingers on the track pad and then clicking in order to "right click," it would be nice to see a trackpad that functions along the lines of Apple’s Mighty Mouse, where the mouse detects right and left clicks based on finger placement even though there are no distinct right and left click buttons.
2. The lack of good alternatives to certain Windows programs :: While most of the programs available for OS X strengthen the case for Macs, there are a couple of programs for which I have not been able to find good Mac alternatives. For instance, I've tried every piece of Mac blogging software that I've come across, and I've yet to find one that is as easy to use and complete in its features as Microsoft's Livewriter. While I’ll concede that blogging software might be a niche market, a bigger concern is the lack of a suitable alternative to Quicken 2008. The Mac version of Quicken (Quicken Mac 2007) lacks many key features of the Windows version. Neither Quicken Online nor any of the other Mac offerings (iBank, Moneydance) for financial management provide the depth that Quicken 2008 for Windows does. Luckily, using Parallels, Mac users can run Windows within Mac OS X, so switching to a Mac does not mean you’ll have to give up your favorite Windows programs. An alternative to Parallels is BootCamp which allows Mac users to boot directly into a Windows installation on their Macs.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my switch to a Mac. Because Apple makes both the operating system as well as its own hardware, everything runs smoothly and efficiently. This, coupled with the array of excellent third-party programs, makes Apple’s OS X the operating system to beat. From an investor’s point of view, I believe Apple has revolutionized the media industry with its offerings for artists and designers, and is now poised to revolutionize the business world. As a law student and future attorney, I echo what many others have already concluded: Apple has all the features necessary to run a successful practice and it can do so better than Windows.

My sincere thanks to Benson Varghese of the Res Ipsa Blog for this guest post.  Benson is a third-year law student at the Texas Tech University School of Law, and he is a law clerk at the United States Attorney’s Office.  He serves as an editor for both the Texas Bank Lawyer and the Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal.

Comments

[michael webster]

One good tip for managing the move from XP to OSX is to keep the old XP box running the programs you cannot find on OSX, and use remote desktop to access them from OSX.

Works better than using a VM solution, as long as you have the old box.

[Monopaul]

Did you try Marsedit or Ecto as blogging software?

[Nick Smith]

MACS RULE!

[Steve]

Turn on "Tap to Click" in the Trackpad part of the Keyboard and Mouse System Pref and you are able to right click or Secondary Click with two fingers by tapping them on the Trackpad at the same time.

[Liz Wilson]

I'm not a MAC hater, but I do dislike it when MAC users make blanket declarations about Windows. I've used Windows since I was 12 (I'm 23) and I've NEVER had it crash on me. You have to know how to use it and treat your computer well. Also, I've had 1 virus during those years.

Frankly, if you're spending your whole day installing programs for Windows, then I hate to say it, but I don't think it's the computer's fault.

Honestly, I may try a Mac in the future, like I said, I'm not against them. But please stop this Mac-obsessed love that is on the verge of disgusting. I think people just need more PC education because, it's true, the interface is made for more serious computer users.