MINI owners like Macs

Posted on by Ian C.

I cut my computer teeth on microprocessors – specifically, building my own 6502 based 1KB computer back in the late 1970s! I can still read 6502 Hex code 😉
My school back then had no computers at all, and at University we worked on terminals to a semi-mainframe. I’d seen a few “desktop” machines, but my first real experience with them was after I graduated, when I joined a company developing 6502-based products on CP/M systems. The first computer I worked on had a 8MB hard drive (yes, MB not GB), divided in to 2 x 4MB partitions because that was as much as CP/M could handle (of course with less than 64K RAM, programs weren’t big so that was ample storage for all I was doing).

Moving from CP/M to DOS was easy, and after resisting Windows and mice for a long time, I eventually grew to like them (converted by PCB layout programs) … but after more than 15 years of Windows & mice, I still use keyboard shortcuts in preference to mouse clicks.

I’ve looked at Apple computers a few times, but always been put off by (a) the lack of a right-mouse-click and (b) by the lack of compatibility with all the software I know & use. But my recent purchase of an Apple iPhone made me review Apple computers once more …
So I visited our local Apple store (before the huge new one opened), and had a VERY frustrating few hours dealing with sales folks there – but impressed with the products.

Initially, I looked at the Airbook; I saw the same attention to detail that the iPhone offers – those “tricks” that make you wonder “why don’t all computers work like this” … scrubbing the mouse over an iPhoto event to see all the pictures inside, click-dragging to easily select a video clip in iMovie, that sort of thing.
However the Airbook seemed sluggish, and it was pointed out to me that with no Firewire connection, video editing is discouraged.
In the end, I splashed big time and walked out with the portable with the most amazing display (the 17″ hi-res Macbook Pro).

Re-learning everything my fingers know is taking a long time, but already when I return to a Windows PC portable, things are difficult … why can’t I slide my fingers on the trackpad to scroll, for example.
At work, all our PCs are PCs – many still run DOS-based programs developed back in the 1990’s, although we’ve been forced to rewrite a few to run under the quite incompatible DOS simulation in Windows XP (and let’s not mention Vista!).

Like many MINI owners (it seems), Josh has been complaining about the PCs at work and arguing that Macs could do just as well; last Tuesday prior to my work trip to California, he set up Parallels on my Mac and installed Windows XP (easier than installing it on a real PC apparently); then he installed one of our companies RS232 based communications programs, plugged in a USB RS232 cable and installed the Windows drivers – and almost magically, the program was running and communicating with our products!

Windows on MacBook

I took both my Mac and the twice as bulky HP portable to California, and worked with both. Parallels proved itself reasonably capable of mimicking a PC, and the Apple clearly exceeded the HP (running hours instead of minutes on batteries, being lighter/easier to transport, and offering the higher resolution clearer display). I’m hoping that by my next work trip, I might be able to take just the light machine!

So, since there seems to be a strong synergy between MINI owners and Mac owners, let’s hear what else I’m missing … 😉

[By the way, there’s a whole negative side to this Macbook that I’ve skipped here, like the fact that the machine I have is #3 from the store! We’ll save that for a chat at the bar]

22 thoughts on “MINI owners like Macs”

  1. I have been a Mac user since my IIe back in 1984. Currently have 5 of them in my house, 3 of which I use regularly, and one Dell. I’m sorry to hear your on #3, I’ve never had to have one of mine worked on.

  2. Wow! Ian Cull using a Mac. Whooda thunk it?

    I’ve been running Windows on my MacBook almost since I got it last June and it’s been one of the best machines I’ve used so far. There are somethings that are frustrating, but after a while, you’ll wonder why you can’t do it in Windows, because it’s better on the Mac.

    I know I know. Crazy talk you say. I said the same thing! I’ve been a windows guy since my CP/M days too, and it was a very painful switch for me. But I’m glad I did it and wouldn’t think of switching back.

    I keep track of my progress to an extent here. Mostly about apps I’m using, things on the mac that bug me and new tricks I have learned. Hopefully you mind find it helpful as well. Be sure to check comments too.

  3. Funny I’ve been a Mac guy sense 1986 (Floppy Mac box). Just bought a HP laptop for $650.00. I needed it just for the car stuff and so I couldn’t justify or want the credit card debt. Running Vista (LIPSTICK on a PIG). Still a mac guy. There is no comparison. It will help my cred at work though, we are windoze only shop (They know I’m a Mac guy). I still run a Mac MINI at home. Enjoy, I envy you… Once we get a new contract I’ll get a Macbook Pro and run Parrallels too!

  5. I started on a 2SI.

    Love my G4, iMac, iPod and iPhone. Can’t say I’m entralled with all changes to the mac system, ie… PC-ish stuff but all in all a much quicker and stable system.

    Still in Nederlands until Wednesday and could have sold all the iPhone’s I could have smuggled in! They aren’t for sale here yet but there is a huge market.

    Cracks me up “IC” on a mac. ;-)….. RB

    Cracks me up “IC” on a mac. ;-)…. RB

  6. No problem at all Ian.

    BTW, if Parallels starts not working to well for you, VMWare also has Fusion for the Mac. I’ve been very happy with it.

  7. Sorry but I’ve owned five MINI’s now and I wouldn’t touch a Mac with a 10′ poll. To each his/her own I guess.

  8. Sounds like sour grapes to me. I can at least say I worked on a PC while working at FOX Studios for one year and know the difference but there’s always the “I Hate Macs” clubbers..? DB weren’t you 1 one of those at 1 time?

    Well it’s off to drink some Dutch beer and have some Thai food!

  9. My first computer programming was with the stacks of punch cards and my first PC didn’t even have a hard drive. Duel 5 1/4″ floppy drives were all that very expensive machine had. I was a bit of an Apple hater mostly because the company I worked for used IBM mainframes and desktops and I didn’t know any better. When Apple went to the Unix kernel I tried them again and bought two. I haven’t looked back, love it. I’m curious about the issues you had with the sales guys, I know that sometimes they’re not tech guys but how could they be more frustrating than your average sales person.

  10. My sales person issues were (a) waiting for one to be available (apparently it was break time), (b) losing the smart one I first got and (c) having a verbal-diarrhoea replacement …
    I had quick questions, I got never-ending answers!
    After 2-1/2 hours, my wife (who’d been shopping TWICE already) walked out and suggested I do the same – or else. I still spent 15 minutes more closing the sale (and why can’t they use a cash register, like normal stores?)

  11. Yep, that sounds about right for sales people. 😉
    I agree about the cash register deal, did they do that just to be different, or is there some benefit to the customer.

  12. Welcome to the fold Ian…. It was a little bit of an unlearning curve I am sure, but you will NEVER go back. I use Parallels as well for the infrequent Windows need and on all our IBM ThinkPads at the office, we now are running the open source operating system Ubuntu and Open Office.

  13. Congrats on taking the Mac/Apple plunge. My dad has always gotten Macs, so I grew up on them and that is all I have had. (Currently running a 14″ iBook G4).

    Two things: 1. Your mention about the scrolling, are you not happy you can’t scroll on the Mac? Or that you CAN scroll easily on the Mac laptop? Because you can scroll on the track pad… use two fingers together and move up/down on the pad. 🙂 2. I agree about the problems with the sales team at the Apple Stores. Some actually know what they are talking about, but they are very long winded. I think they are just wired to explain everything thoroughly to convince people on the edge of switching…

    And what Murmini said – you can put Linux on a Mac if you wanted to. Armen had won a MacBook in a raffle and is still a fan of Linux over everything else, but he likes how the Mac OS runs a lot also.

  14. Thanks, Sheena.
    My scrolling comment was that I’d very quickly got used to two finger scrolling on the Mac, then found it frustrating on the PC that it didn’t do it!

  15. Looks like the school will be converting me to a Mac Book Pro…can’t wait. My first Mac was a Macintosh…not even a Mac Plus! I’ve still got 2 or 3 of them in the basement.

    The corporate world forced me into the PC world with which a got reasonably comfortable. Now, after retiring and taking-up teaching, I know I will have a few issues going back. I suppose the OS is now a bit different from the “System 6.0.1” MacOS… 😉

    Anyone run MS Flight Simulator in the VM of Parallels or Fusion?

    Theo

  16. I spent some time in the Apple Store in Salem, NH last night. My iPhone had died, so I made an appointment at the Genius Bar and popped in around 7:30. Well, actually, my *appointment* was for 7:30, but due to some poor planning and light traffic (how often does _that_ happen?) I got there at 6:40 and obviously had some time to kill, and I’m not really the mall-shopping type. I did feel slightly swarmed by all the store employees (now in multi-colored shirts!) but they were all very nice and helpful. One guy even gave me some advice on cleaning the coffee out of my MacBook… At one point, I was futzing with a MacBook Air and literally heard “anything I can help you with?” from *two separate people at one*, in stereo. It was freaky, and they swear they didn’t plan it. 🙂

    I’ve got a couple of things I want to pay off and then I’m going to either get a 20″ iMac or a 15″ MacBook Pro and an external display…

  19. I can’t wait for the new macbooks with the multitouch pad (that will work like the iPhone), not that I could ever justify ditching my current macbook pro for a new one.

    I do agree about the synergy with Macs and MINIs – whenever I go to Brecht, you can usually spot the Mini owners by the fact they are using a macbook rather than a PC.

    Oh, and I use a Mac Mini at home which truly is a fusion of the two 🙂

  20. Very few times have I had trouble with the service at an Apple store or any of the Apple products.

    I thought my iPhone died also. I just had to do a special restart and it turned out the SIM chip was loose and all has been well since.

    I used my daughters Mac laptop while in Holland for the last 3 weeks… hated it! Love being back on my iMac.

  22. DB weren’t you 1 one of those at 1 time?

    I was. But that was on an old laptop (power book I think) running OS 9. It was quite a painful experience. Those of you that went through the System */OS9 days are to be commended to be sure.

    And Ian, if you get frustrated that you can’t do the 2 finger scroll on a PC, wait until you get used to using Expose with hot corners. When I’m in windows I’m always pointing my mouse to the upper right corner and wondering why I can’t see all of my open windows!

Comments are closed.