Saturday
A True Classic Commercial: Apple
I'm using my MacBook Pro daily for writing, and find it easy to use, quick to start, and aside from a few quirky glitches compared to my Win7 laptop, a breeze to learn. And with OS Lion in July, I will be using the iCloud to sync my iPod and my iPad to the Macbook for the ultimate traveling setup. Appreciate the efforts of Mr Jobs.
I bought it to use Scrivener, the much touted writing software. Although there is a new, very buggy version of Scrivener for Windows, I can see that there's at least a year or more until the parent company gets it even close to the updated v2.0 of the long-honed Mac version. With only one laptop Win 7 that I own (with all my photos, iTunes, the works), I thought I'd check out the Apple store. With over $200 in discounts for academia (my U of Illinois clinical instructor ID card), I took the leap. After a week, it's a superb machine, with plenty of horsepower for what I need. I did not get the MacBook Air (which will be updated yet this summer--the MacBook Pro was updated in March) because its increased portability (2.3 lbs) comes at too great an expense (high price, only 128GB SSD, no backlighted keyboard, shorter battery life than MacBook Pro, no DVD CD slot, etc.).
So far so good on the Macbook Pro (Intel i5 2.4mHz chip, 320 HD, 4.1 lbs, 13.3 all glass screen, aluminum body, DVD slot (no tray), Magsafe AC cord, and silent as a titmouse (no HD or fan noise, at all), and I especially love the longest battery life I've ever had on a laptop at 7-8 hours (I tested it yesterday, it's about 7.65 hours). Some quirks of the main software are unlikeable (expanding window does not fill the page, no inherent way to delete/uninstall programs -- have to buy a third party program to do so, no right click button), but those might be fixed with the Lion OS, a new operating system that comes out in July, which I will get for free since I bought the Macbook after the announcement of it.
Having all information on the free iCloud will be a help. My writings will be available on all my Apple devices, which will allow me to better use my time. For instance, I can write on my Macbook, and edit on my iPad or iPod Touch in any wi-fi hotspot. All photos, all music, all everything is on all devices all the time, instantly. No more syncing cables.
I'll review Scrivener software after using it longer, but so far so good. Very organized for writers, and lets me manipulate portions of my longer work much better than MS Word 2010.
The MacBook Pro does come with software (no bloatware), and a user who knows how to use it (I likely never will, fully) made this video on youtube using only the video editing program that is standard on MacBook Pro. Enjoy!
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2 comments:
Macbook Pro sounds like a nice machine and a good tool for you to use for your writing. Still expensive, but hey, writing is your hobby. Have to say though, after several new computers and other gizmos, I am still awaiting the release of the first novel :)
Maybe I am and slowing becoming the "old dude" that can't seem to grasp new technology, but I am still skeptical about cloud computing. I believe that I get the concept, however, I think that internet speed is still too slow and files too large (and getting larger) for it to work smoothly. I have a hard time waiting for my USB drive to move a file.
Also, wouldn't it be a shame if your first novel either (A) disappeared - lost in the cloud 'atmosphere' or (B) ended up in the evil hands of an author struggling with their own writer's block.
Nah, not for me just yet...
The Apple Match service will put all my tunes on iTunes in minutes, not hours, so I will likely pay the small premium for that service, esp since I have three Apple devices in 2012.
The MacBook Pro, from what I've seen, is worth the premium for build quality alone. It is so much fatser and glitch free than a WIndows PC--I'm liking it ore daily.
I already use the Microsoft Office 2010 Cloud and the Google Docs cloud, and they both work flawlessly. You should give them a try, WFF>
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