I switched... some pains and gains

Yes, I confess: I switched.

I am have now been using an Apple iBook G4 12" since October 2005. At least for all my private needs.

The switch wasn't easy, since I have been using Windows since version 1.0* and personally owned an IBM compatible PC since 1994. And loved working with an IBM Thinkpad T42 at work.

But still, I risked a switch. And I have to say, it didn't hurt. Not much anyway. The following may sound like I don't like the Mac - which is not true. I try not to be biased. I like my iBook very much, but at the moment I can't say for sure if I will stay with Apple & Mac OSX forever.

At first I was intrigued by the sleek design of Hardware and OS, the simple method of installing software (seemingly drag & drop) and pre-installed software. And I love sites like Macupdate or Versiontracker.
And just go anywhere, people will look at the notebook and at least smile. Or even ask, what this nice thing is. But I soon stopped explaining differences of MacOS and Windows to people who do not know hat a different hardware platform or operating system is...

Some of my pains (in loose order):

• Of course I knew that a second mouse button is missing (can be solved with free 3rd party software but still not as good as real "hardware" button) - but I never thought how much it is actually used in daily life. A second mouse button wasn't invented by Microsoft, so Apple please give us one on the notebooks.
• But why is maintenance such a hidden pain (runs theoretically automatically, but only during night hours my iBook is definitely not turned on)? And why aren't the permissions not always fixed? Now I use applejack, works like a charm. But has to be started manually.
• And why is the firewall not turned on by default?
• And what did Apple think of not printing special characters on the keyboard? It's one thing that I have to use a slightly different layout at work and at home but it really is such a pain remembering essential key combinations to get a backslash on the screen. I do not want to drag a cheat card with me - I want the letters printed directly on my keyboard! Although that may not even help - ask anyone who pressed Apple-Q a few too many times while trying to type an @.
• But the BIGGEST PAIN, something I only discovered after four months of Mac usage: OSX does NOT merge folders but replaces them!!! If I did not have backups of a lot of personal things on my office notebook I would have been lost. Apple, please, I understand that both options (Merge or Replace) may be valid and correct, but why choose an option which lets to file loss? And is different than 90% computer users on the other side are used to? Isn't that dangerous?

Anyway, I will continue using my iBook - and may well switch to a new intel iBook when it's out. Because I don't give up that easily... Not on something that good looking and working!

take care, Kashif -



* long time ago, on a Siemens 286 with 16MHz and Hercules b/w graphics, circa 1987 - without a mouse