Ok, I made the switch!

I just finished the first week on the road with my new laptop (MacBook Pro 15" with dual core procs). Yup, that is correct: Mac.

1) I have been very public on my opinions about open-source. Tough to show up at conferences with a wintel machine.

2) Mac does everything I want; I am running a Mac version of the Lotus Notes client, Open office, Thunderbird, and Firefox. I have no Microsoft products installed and I have not missed them in the first month on the new system.

3) Products such as "Journaler" and MindManager are better. It is easier to organize and find my information on this system than any of the windows based tools I have used in the past. Both support links; not only to websites, but to other documents on my laptop. I reference a document in my work journal notes and drag and drop a link back to the full document.

4) Security -- I have set up this laptop with encryption, VPN, and other measures and I am confident my data is much more secure than with my previous Windows based machine.

Mac users have a different life. There are no known spyware applications for the Mac. Or, viruses. Or, trojan horses. In fact, the Mac is arguably considered the most secure desktop operating system around.

Link

Or, as the Mac website says:

Freedom’s not just another word for nothing left to lose. Strong security ensures your ability to conduct your business unhampered. Mac OS X delivers the highest level of security through the adoption of industry standards, open software development and wise architectural decisions. Combined, this intelligent design prevents the swarms of viruses and spyware that plague PCs these days.

Link

Secure file deletion, File Vault, Keychain management, firewall, and disk encryption are just a few of the tools available. It is my job to know how this stuff works; it is my judgment that the Mac is the best tool for me to accomplish this.


Another link on this topic.



5) Expose with hot corners. I have set up hot corners to trigger expose functions. Basically, I move my cursor to the upper left corner (or press F9) and I get a screen of small windows showing everything I have open. I can "mouse-over" any window and get a pop up box that tells me the application and filename of what is in the window. Click on one to jump to that application. Upper right (F11) moves all windows off the desktop so I can get to icons on the desktop.

6) Spotlight -- The built in search functions are fantastic. Supports searching within documents for keywords, phrases, etc. No more lost files.

7) Alias -- "Shortcuts" in windows are 'OK' until you start organizing and archiving; then you have a bunch of broken links. Alias are self-repairing as they update when you move the original objects. Just think about how cool it is to be able to drop "alias" into my journal and mindmaps and then 3 years later use spotlight to find the original notes, click on the Alias, and find the original document in its new archive folder!

8) iCal -- Another example where Apple has embraced an open standard and delivered a great product. I use iCal to integrate the calendars from my day job, my photography business, my running/training plans, and family into one view. If iCal says the time is available; it is. It gives me one view into all parts of my life that let me plan my work schedule better.