My Mac Transition, IV: The Verdict
I've had the Mac for about four months now and have written three posts about my transition. I'm still not nearly as good on my MacBook Pro as I am on PCs, but the verdict is in: it's a winner.
Perhaps the best thing that I can say about Macs--relative to PCs--is that the former are simply superior as content creation devices. Now, take this with some salt. For example, blogging is blogging. Firefox and Chrome are not appreciably different on Macs and PCs. So, where do Macs really differentiate themselves?
One word: video.
Macs are shipped with iMovie, a video creation application that puts Windows Movie Maker to shame. Sure, you can buy video programs for the PC and some of them come highly reviewed. Still, these are external apps that may have to be configured with external devices, including webcams. While this may not be difficult, you may have to download different drivers and spend time tweaking different settings.
This just isn't necessary for Macs. Everything just works. I'm no iMovie expert yet, but I have been noodling with creating videos. It's really simple to create them, add cool effects, and monkey with pictures. (Again, I'm sure that you can do this with PC-based programs, but I just don't see how it can be much easier. Plus, you have to pay for these programs--or at least you should.)
Simon Says
Look, Macs aren't perfect. Has mine crashed one or twice? Are they pricier than PCs? You bet. But if you create content, I just don't think that there's a comparison.
Note that, since it's so easy to create content, the fact that I love the MacBook Pro so much makes it virtually impossible for me to justify getting an iPad. The latter is, from what I have read and heard, a great content consumption device.
To quote DeNiro in Heat:
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