The Mac Lawyer : Ben Stevens : Using Macs In The Practice Of Law

My friend, Randy Juip, has written a two-part Guest Post explaining in depth why his firm converted to Macs.  He was also a guest on an upcoming edition of the MILO Weekly podcast discussing this same subject.  I am pleased to present Part One of his Guest Post, "Why We Went Mac, and Have Never Looked Back....":

So many firms are locked into legacy systems -- they have PC’s, and so they continue to buy PC’s, almost without thought or consideration to the alternatives.

But I was lucky. When I opened my firm in July of 2009, I was starting from scratch. This was a totally new firm; the logistics were almost overwhelming. We would need everything, from trash bins to desks, and from staplers to computers. Taking time off from selecting legal pads and chair mats, one of the more interesting questions was also one of the easiest to answer: Mac or PC? Since I’ve always loved Macs, it was easy to go in that direction. We’ve never looked back.

So yes, PC’s are cheaper out of the box. And cost was a factor. We priced a number of different PC systems, from custom-built boxes to ordering the whole lot from Dell. It turns out that the savings -- not counting valuable, billable time -- was measurable but not as compelling as one would expect.

There were a number of considerations that lead us away from PC’s. First was the sheer technological hurdle of setting up and running a PC-based office. Macs are easy easy to set up and easy to network. You don’t have to spend hours adding available printers or copiers with a Mac. With a PC environment, on the other hand, our fear was that we’d spend much of our critical first-month start-up time babysitting fragile network settings. Macs just work, PC’s aren’t really that easy.

Second, we didn’t want to have a PC firm. PC’s are notorious for “gunking up,” for not working as well as they should, for needing constant attention and diligence to make everything work right. My partner and I knew from our own experience that running a firm from Macs would avoid these hassles.

Third, we are a young firm. We’re clever, and technologically savvy. We rely on email, PDF conversions, electronic records, and computers in general much more than our competitors. I had used PowerPoint (and now Keynote) for trials long before other attorneys began utilizing such things. “Going Mac” would fit in with the image we wanted to portray. It just made sense.

So, everyone at the office is now on one of two set-ups:

My partner and I, as well as our office manager, are on MacBook Pros (various models, but a minimum of 4GB RAM). The important consideration for us was making sure that the MBP had enough Video RAM to run an external monitor without choking on it. For docking and/or desk space, I have my MBP nestled in one of twelvesouth’s BookArc stands. They’re really sharp, and help not only display the sharp design, but to cool the MBP while it’s processing. I am waiting eagerly for HengeDock’s new product -- a base that you will slip a MBP into and out of, with all the connections available at all times. I understand that they have availability for 13” MacBooks and MBP’s, but not for the 15” and 17” models (yet).

For the external display, we selected Dell 24” G2410t monitors. They’re beautiful, accept an external arm mount on the back, and are generally well-reviewed (although I understand they’ve been discontinued by Dell -- too bad!).  Also, they are very affordable -- if you don’t mind buying on eBay.

These monitors are mounted using Ergotron’s LX monitor arms, which are not only sleek and stylish, but have support for multiple-monitorconfigurations. You know, in case we want to do that... The Ergotron LX, again, can be found very affordably on eBay.  I have really appreciated the flexibility of this arrangement -- especially on heavy drafting days. Moving the monitor in and out, closer and further from my face is a luxury I don’t know if I could now do without.

Lastly, for input, I use the Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad -- I can’t tolerate the smaller keyboards without the number pad. They just don’t work for me. Being old-school, I also am partial to the original wired Mighty Mouse, which is no longer available from Apple. My partner believes that I’m crazy, as he’s devoted to the Apple Wireless Keyboard and the new-model Apple Magic Mouse. Our office manager likes a generic PC USB Keyboard and a generic PC USB Mouse. I suppose everyone will have their own preferences for input.

With this set-up, there are also the peripherals.... Each MBP needs an adapter (like the Micro-DVI to DVI adapter sold by Apple) to connect the external monitor. I bought a USB extender cable to snake up through the Ergotron arm so I could have my USB keyboard cable not drape across my desk. Each computer, as well, has a 1TB External Drive (I have grown attached to the reliability and aesthetics of Fantom Drives’ GreenDrive) attached (either by USB or by Firewire, depending on the set-up) for use as a Time Machine disk.

The support staff and associates have 24” iMacs. We bought these refurbished from the Apple web site, and purchased an AppleCare package for each of them. We were fortunate that Apple had enough of the refurbished models in stock when we needed them; it’s sometimes hit or miss when buying refurbished from the Apple site.

My office manager and support staff, along with some of the associates, were concerned about the switch from PCs to Macs, and with “relearning” the everyday workflow of a new OS. However, when they saw the difference between the old 15” CRT monitors they were used to, and the beauty and size of the new 24” iMac display, much of this concern was alleviated. We had already transitioned away from Corel’s dreaded Word Perfect word processor to Microsoft Word and the Office suite, so there wasn’t much to learn there. And, once the staff learned to integrate spotlight, quicklook, and the dozens of other helpful Mac shortcuts into their workflow, everyone -- every single employee of mine -- agrees that they are more productive and happier using Macs than using the old PC’s.

There’s not much more to say about these set-ups. They make work easy and employees happy, and what more could one want?

Randall A. Juip is a partner and the founder of The Juip Richtarcik Law Firm, and focuses his practice on professional negligence defense, business litigation, civil rights law, and public relations work (including risk management, crisis management, and public representation). The firm’s web site (www.jrlawdetroit.com) is currently undergoing a much-needed renovation and facelift). He is a Mac.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (4)
• Trackbacks

One of my favorite websites is LifeHacker, because it routinely explains ways that I can make my life easier.  It recently published an article which explained how to make "running one or a handful of must-have Windows applications on a Mac simple and seamless. It makes things much easier for non-expert computer users who just need access to an app that there isn't a Mac version for, and it makes the user experience feel less disjointed and cobbled together. When you're done here, you should be able to run that must-have Windows app on your Mac as though it's just another Mac application."  You can read this article here.  

Source:  "How to Seamlessly Run That One Windows App You Need on a Mac" by Kevin Purdy, published at LifeHacker.com.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The ABA TechShow blog has a series called "The Best of ABA TechShow 2009", which features some of the best presentations given by past speakers to showcase some of the content available to attendees.  I am pleased that "Got Apple Envy? Macs in a PC World", the presentation given by David Sparks and me is one of those featured. The session description is listed below, and you can download a *.pdf version of our materials as well.

It used to be the only apples found in the law office were in lunch bags. No longer: the resurgence of the Apple Macintosh platform has led to many attorneys now practicing law on their Macs. Popular Mac attorneys and bloggers Ben Stevens and David Sparks discussed the Macintosh platform at ABA TECHSHOW 2009 in their session "Got Apple Envy? Practicing Law with a Mac."

David and Ben provided a convincing argument about why using a Mac for the practice of law makes sense, and also shared strategies and recommendations on the best hardware and software solutions for a Mac attorney. Finally, they explained how to successfully drive a Mac in a PC firm with recommendations for networking and file sharing.

The attendees enjoyed an entertaining and educational session. Ben and David will both be back presenting at ABA TECHSHOW 2010.  Click here to read David and Ben's paper!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The following Guest Post is from one of my readers and fellow attorney, Kurt Gibson, in response to the current "anti-Mac" ads being run by Microsoft:

I just saw the Microsoft ad (for the hundredth time) where the announcer states that the buyer gets a budget to purchase a laptop. The buyer looks at the Macs and says they are too much money, or too small, or not enough memory, or she is not cool enough to be a mac person, etc. The buyer purchases the PC with the announcer's money. I am sure you have seen the commercials.

I suppose everyone would purchase a windoze computer if Microsoft gave it to them free. I would do the same thing, but the following day I would put the brand new computer on eBay and use the money toward the purchase of a Mac.

Apple should run a knock-off ad where the buyer takes the announcer's money, adds a few hundred from his or her pocket, and buys the better laptop -- the Mac.

Kurt Gibson opened his practice in Anderson, SC in 1995, and he focuses on bankruptcy and litigation. His law practice uses Macs exclusively, although he must use Parallels and Windows XP for one bankruptcy program that does not have a Mac flavor.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

Microsoft has begun an aggressive "laptop hunters" ad campaign to attempt to convince consumers to buy PCs instead of Macs.  In fact, the latest one actually shows one of their "hunters" standing outside of an Apple Store complaining about the high costs of Macs.

PC advocates claim that there is an "Apple tax" – defined as the supposed premium that Apple computers usually cost over comparably equipped PCs.  Mac advocates counter with the concept of the "Microsoft discount" – the theory that maybe PCs cost less because Windows is worth less.

For instance, PC World compared comparably equipped machines and found the following:

• MacBook Pro vs. Dell XPS 1330 :: When configured with similar features, the MacBook Pro was only $95 more ($1,399 vs. $1,304).  These machines included the following:  13.3" LED backlit screen, 4GB RAM, 320GB Hard disk, Nvidia GE Force 9400M Graphics Card, 802.11n networking, integrated webcam, backlit keyboard, and Bluetooth. The Mac has a 2.26 GHz Intel processor with a 1066 MHz frontside bus, whereas the Dell XPS 1330 comes with 2.4 GHz and 800 MHz, respectively.
  
• MacBook Air vs. Dell Adamo ::  The starting price for the Air is $1,499, whereas the Adamo starts $500 higher at $1,999.  In its $1,799 configuration, the MacBook Air matches the 128GB Solid Stage Drive of the Adamo and bests its 1.2 GHz processor with one that clocks in at 2.13 GHz. Both come with 2GB of RAM and no optical drive. The Air weighs one full pound less than the Adamo at 3 lbs.  As it turns out, the Air is less expensive than the Dell.

When I give presentations on the benefits of using Macs in a law practice, the "cost" question is one of those that almost always comes up.  I have always pointed out that Macs hold their values much better than PCs, as can be easily seen by visiting eBay and looking at the resale prices of each.  Now, I can point to the articles below to help show that Macs don't cost much (if any) more on the front end either.

Sources:  "Reassessing the Apple Tax" by Michael Scalisi, published at PC World, and "The Microsoft Discount" by Dan Miller, published at Macworld.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

This month's The Legal Mac column from Law Practice Today, the ABA Law Practice Management Section's webzine, features an excellent discussion of the options available to those Mac-using attorneys who want or need to use Windows programs. I am pleased to present "Using Windows on Your Mac" by David Sparks:

One of the excuses that attorneys give for their reluctance to switch from PCs to Macs is that they "need" Windows for one reason or another. The good news is that Macs can run other operating systems, including Windows, whenever needed.

As a Mac-using attorney, I often raise eyebrows when people look over my shoulder to see Windows on my screen. They are even more surprised when they found out how easy it is to run Windows on a Mac.

In 2006, Apple moved the entire Macintosh line to Intel processors. This is the same hardware used by most PC manufacturers. While there are some small differences, Macs and PCs are all using compatible hardware. Almost immediately after this transition, Apple and third party software developers found ways to run Windows on Apple hardware. There are currently three primary methods:

Apple Boot Camp - One Operating System at a Time

Boot Camp is Apple's own free virtualization application built into every new Macintosh computer. It allows you to make two separate partitions on your hard drive, one for Windows and one for the Apple OS X operating system. Once you enable Boot Camp, you are presented a choice when you boot up, Windows or OS X? You simply click the desired operating system and away it goes.

If you choose Windows, your installed Windows partition will load no differently than if it were a Dell or Lenovo. You can run any Windows application your hardware will support. If you click the button for Apple OS X, your computer boots into the Macintosh operating system. This, in essence, gives you two computers in one.

One of the biggest advantages of Boot Camp is that it allows you to devote the entire resources of your computer to whichever operating system you choose. If you load Windows, the entire processor, memory, and operating components are driving Windows. People who operate graphics intensive video software often prefer to use Boot Camp for this reason.

The fact that Boot Camp only runs one operating system at a time is also its biggest detriment. A lot of Mac users want to have the benefits of Windows and Mac OS X at the same time. That is not possible with Boot Camp. This leads to the second method, third party virtualization solutions.

Third Party Virtualization - Peaceful Coexistence

While Boot Camp provides a free and easy solution to run Windows on your Mac, some users prefer to run both Windows and OS X at the same time. Using virtualization applications such as Parallels or VMWare Fusion, both of which cost $70, you can install Windows (or Linux) to run as its own OS X application. These applications support any version of Windows from Windows 95 up through the recently released Windows 7 beta.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (3)
• Trackbacks

FREE Webinar! Using Macs in Your Law Firm
Date: Thursday, May 21, 2009
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
Space is limited! Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/458254538

Description:
Until recently, law firms needed PC's to run their practices. No longer. Scanners, software, printers, are now available to practice law on the Mac, and the iPhone is now a powerful business tool.

Ben Stevens, aka The Mac Lawyer, will get us up to speed on how a firm can transition to Macs for legal work. We'll answer audience questions, conduct interactive polls, and discuss the latest gear and software for the Mac platform.

For those of you on Twitter, follow our conversation with the hashtag "#rmwebinar"!

Your host will be The Mac Lawyer himself, Ben Stevens:
Ben Stevens is a practicing attorney located in Spartanburg, SC. After using Windows machines for over a decade, his office has been all Mac-based since August of 2005. Ben has given presentations on both technology and legal topics at continuing education seminars, and he enjoys speaking on those subjects. Ben’s blog, TheMacLawyer.com, is synonymous with the Mac legal movement as is the Google Group he co-created, Macs In Law Offices (MILO). Ben is also a co-host of the MILO podcast.

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements:
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Larry Port from Rocket Matter and I will be conducting a free webinar next Thursday, May 21, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. entitled Using Macs in Your Law Firm.  The webinar description is listed below.  I hope that you can attend, and if you are interested, you can register by clicking HERE.

Until recently, law firms needed PC's to run their practices. No longer. Scanners, software, printers, are now available to practice law on the Mac, and the iPhone is now a powerful business tool.

Ben Stevens, aka The Mac Lawyer, will get us up to speed on how a firm can transition to Macs for legal work. We'll answer audience questions, conduct interactive polls, and discuss the latest gear and software for the Mac platform.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

You are probably familiar with TechnoLawyer and the insightful, helpful information that it provides each week to attorneys.  One of its key components is TechnoFeature, a weekly newsletter containing in-depth articles written by leading legal technology and practice management experts.

This week's TechnoFeature was my article, "Should You Switch to Macs in Your Law Firm?"  You can download a copy of my article in *.pdf format by clicking HERE.  I hope that you find this article helpful, especially if you are considering making the switch from PC to Macs in your law office.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

The March 2009 edition of Mac | Life magazine featured an article explaining 10 Reasons Your Small Business Should Run on Macs, which included a profile of me and my law firm.  This article includes discussions of most of the major advantages Macs offer versus PCs, and it includes profiles of several other businesses as well.  If your firm is not already using Macs, you should consider the following factors and make the switch:

1. Industrial Design
2. iLife's Surprising Business Uses
3. Ability to Run Windows Apps If Necessary
4. Return on Investment
5. Security
6. Time Machine
7. iWork
8. Ability to Run Microsoft Office
9. Cheaper Licensing Fees for Servers
10. Because It's a Mac

This article included the following quotes from me:

• "I got tired of wasting time and money dealing with one problem after another with our PCs and network. It seemed that we were having at least one issue a week that was affecting our ability to most effectively represent our clients, and that was not acceptable."
• "Anything that can be done on a PC can be done on a Mac, and usually faster, better, and more enjoyably."

Source:  "10 Reasons Your Small Business Should Run on Macs" by Jason Whong, published in Mac | Life magazine.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Two weeks ago, I mentioned that I was featured in a Lawyers USA article which discussed "Should you switch to a Mac?"  Part Two of that article has now been published, and you can read it here.  This portion discusses the "pitfalls" of making the move to Macs.

I placed that word in quotation marks, because these "pitfalls" are relatively minor and can easily be accommodated.  The main pitfall mentioned is that "a lot of software is Windows-only."  However, as has been discussed many times on this blog, virtualization software (among other options) allows you to easily run any Windows software on your Mac.

Source:  "Should lawyers switch from their PC to a Mac? Part II: The pitfalls" by Sylvia Hsieh, published in the Wisconsin Law Journal and in Lawyers USA.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

Lawyers USA has begun a series this week on "Should you switch to a Mac?"  In Part One, the article discusses the advantages that Macs offer, and it features interviews with me (The Mac Lawyer), Victor Medina (who publishes Another Thing To Do), and Kevin Morton (who publishes A Mac Lawyer's Notebook).  

Some of the key quotes from this article are:

"Concededly, you can buy a PC for less, but it wouldn't operate the way a Mac does.  If you built a Dell machine equivalent to a Mac machine, the price is not far off at all."  ::  Victor Medina

"You can create your own presentations, beyond simple PowerPoints. We can make really dynamic moving video, moving images that are a powerful marketing tool. I don't outsource marketing to anyone else."  ::  Kevin Morton

"There are a lot of stories of people who have switched from a PC to a Mac, but you don't find anybody that has switched back, other than one or two odd examples. There's a reason for that: life is so much easier with a Mac"  ::  Ben Stevens

Source:  "Should You Switch to a Mac? Part I: The Advantages" by Sylvia Hsieh, published in Lawyers USA.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The following is the premier The Legal Mac monthly column in the ABA Law Practice Management Section's Law Practice Today webzine:

Macs are everywhere these days, including in an ever-growing number of law offices. In recognition of this trend, Law Practice Today is pleased to announce this monthly column, The Legal Mac, which we hope will be helpful to Mac-using attorneys. These articles will be not only from me, but also from other Mac legal experts, and we hope that you enjoy them.

You’ve seen the commercials. “I’m a Mac ... and I’m a PC.” The Mac guy is calm, cool, and in control, whereas the PC guy is bungling, insecure, and in trouble. The commercials are not only humorous, but they offer a good insight into these two types of computers. Consider the following and decide which one you are (or which one you should be):

• Macs are famous for their reliability. As the saying goes, it “just works” whenever you are ready to do so. Virtually all PC users have experienced “freeze-ups” and/or the “blue screen of death.” For some, the infamous control-alt-delete keystroke is almost second nature. With a Mac, you can put those days behind you forever and get more work done with less headaches.
• You can use your existing peripherals. Macs will work with your existing monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, and other peripherals. Therefore, you won’t need to start from scratch when you decide to make the switch. Of course, when you see how beautiful and functional Apple’s peripherals are, you may want to replace your existing peripherals anyway.
• If you want a little help, Apple’s support is second to none. AppleCare provides outstanding warranty protection if you encounter any hardware issues, and it also provides answers to any software questions for Apple’s programs. Help is also available in person at all of the Apple Stores through their Geniuses, workshops, and One to One training.
• Macs are a smart investment. In today’s economy, it is more important than ever to make smart purchases. Whereas many PCs are obsolete after a year or so, the lifespan of most Macs typically runs three or more years. Also, Macs hold their value much better than their PC counterparts. If you want proof, go to eBay and see what used Macs are selling for today. Also, you will save most, if not all, of the money that you have budgeted for your computer support/repair. My firm went from seeing our tech guy in our firm on a monthly basis to occasionally bumping into him at the grocery store.
• Sleep easier because Macs are more secure than PCs. Lawyers keep secrets for a living, and security is always a primary concern. Macs are built on a UNIX foundation that provides rock solid security. Viruses, trojan horses, and other malware that plague PCs are simply not concerns for Mac users because of the security features built in to OS X.
• Macs work the way you do. The Mac operating system, OS X, is very intuitive and easy to learn. In fact, most programs are intuitive and do things the way that users would expect them to, without having to waste time searching through manuals. This is just one of the many reasons that Mac users view their computer as a pleasure to use instead of just another necessary tool.
• Only Macs can run both Windows and OS X. Perhaps there is a program that you need that only runs on Windows or perhaps the rest of your office is still using PCs. No problem, because Macs can run all of the Windows operating systems (including XP and even Vista) using one of the several virtualization options available. Also, Macs can be integrated into Windows networks quickly and seamlessly. You can have the best of both worlds!

Source:  "Why Macs and Why Now?" by Ben Stevens, published in Law Practice Today.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Law Practice Today, the monthly webzine published by the ABA Law Practice Management Section, has undergone a bit of a facelift, starting with the just released November issue.  Among the new monthly columns are Your Practice Management Advisor, Flying Solo, and The Legal Mac.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

Last week, Ross Kodner published an article on the TechnoLawyer Blog which cautioned against using Macs in your law practice.  As you might imagine, Mr. Kodner's post generated a good bit of discussion in the Macs In Law Offices forum, and I am pleased to present the following response from MILO member Brian Sajdak:

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (4)
• Trackbacks (1)

Back in February, I wrote an article explaining how the Obama family were Mac-users. TUAW reported last Friday that on election night, the winning ticket was seen using Apple products. Specifically, Vice President-Elect Joe Biden was pictured looking at information on a MacBook Air while holding a 3G iPhone, while President-Elect looked on.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

After reading last week's Guest Post by Todd Juneau, Paul Meyerson submitted a comment suggesting some additional ways to get the most out of Boot Camp.  I asked him to expand his thoughts into a Guest Post, which I am now pleased to share with you:

As a Mac consultant in New York City for Templeton & Associates, I have a number of clients around the city that occasionally require Mac-PC interactivity.  If at all possible, we try to keep our users on the Mac side, but occasionally there is an application or two that just need Windows.  For those clients, I had been recommending Parallels, as Todd mentioned, although VM Ware's newest offering, Fusion v. 2.0, has me seriously leaning towards that application.  I've found in personal use that VM Ware is MUCH faster to boot, takes less of the Mac's resources (Parallels can slow the Mac to a crawl while it's trying to load up), and is just more compatible than is Parallels on a wide range of Windows applications.  However, ultimately, both are emulation software, and as a result are much slower than even an entry level PC -- even if that PC was running the languid Vista!  

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (3)
• Trackbacks

So let me be sure that I've got this right...  Microsoft decided to sink $300 million into an ad campaign to try to convince people that Vista isn't really the bloated, buggy debacle that everyone knows it to be.  In fact, they have even resorted to calling it by another name (Mojave) to make it seem more palatable.

As if that weren't bad enough, they decided to drag Jerry Seinfeld down with them in this poorly conceived ad campaign.  I will freely acknowledge that I am not a marketing genius, but after viewing their first commercial, even Wile E. Coyote could tell that it stinks.  I have seen it several times, and the only thing that it tells me is that for some reason, Vista makes you want to shop for shoes -- huh?!? 

Wouldn't that $300 million have been better spent on actually making Vista better?  Apple seems to think so, and they released their own ad (Bean Counter) recently to make that very point.  This ad (like almost all of the "I'm a Mac" ads) is cleverly written and right on point.  I imagine that the anxiety level of the folks in Redmond must continue to rise as they see Macs' market share increase with every passing month, but throwing money away on a pointless ad campaign seems to be the wrong approach.

What do you think?

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

The following guest post is from Todd Juneau, a registered patent attorney in Alexandria, Virginia:

I wanted to share a recent experience I had loading Windows on my Mac machines.  In summary, I am very pleased with my Mac/Windows setup.  A few years ago, I switched from Windows to Linux to Mac OS.  After a few years, I wanted to install a law office practice management suite.  Unfortunately, the ones I liked, ran on Windows.  After much research trying to find a "work-around", I tried to load Windows on my various Mac machines.

I used Boot Camp to let me run Windows on my iMac.  It partitions the drive, lets you load Windows XP SP2 (or Vista), and gives you a way to switch OS's by re-booting.  Which (rebooting) by the way is extremely fast.  Apparently, iMac's are very happy running XP; my experience has been the same: fast.  I know that Parallels and other VM software lets you run both OS's at the same time, with fast switching, but I avoided this approach due to concerns I had about having a slow machine.

Once XP SP2 is loaded (you can buy XP SP2 at Best Buy), then you can run all your favorite Windows programs natively.  Of course, you'll need to do all the XP updates (SP3 works well on my iMac) and you'll need to get some antivirus software -- I used ClamWin since it is free and a fast download.  I didn't want my XP exposed to the internet without it - since Windows "announces" itself to networks, viruses can infect exposed machines within minutes, or less.

I'd recommend looking into getting the Mac Mini if you already have a flat screen and keyboard/mouse devices,  Get the bigger one (the bigger Mini), with more memory and better combo-drive.  Then, use your own flat screen, and a wireless keyboard/mouse set up -- check out Logitech EX110 -- it's about $40.  That way, you'll have a "Windows" keyboard, which works well on the Mac OS side, instead of a "Mac" keyboard that is missing some of the special Windows functions -- sound, shortcuts, etc.  It's all so very compact.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

As my readers are aware, I presented two seminars at the ABA TechShow 2008 this past March in Chicago.  One was "How Lawyers Practice Law and Serve Clients with Macs -- Really!" which I co=presented with Jeff Richardson.  Our written materials from that session were recently republished in the September 2008 Law Practice Today webzine, as follows:

While most lawyers are wedded to the PC, these two lawyers enumerate the advantages of the Mac, for work, for home, and for the pure enjoyment of it.

For over a decade, every one of the hundreds of press releases issued by Apple has ended by noting that "Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh." Apple's critical role in the early days of personal computers is beyond debate, but for a period of time in the 1990s, Apple seemed to have lost its way. Its computer lineup was confusing, its market share reached an all time low, the company's stock price fell to $5 a share (in current share prices), and Dell CEO Michael Dell famously quipped that if he owned Apple, "I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders." 

Since then, the company has had a resurgence. Apple's computers and software have received rave reviews, its market share is at the highest point since the Mac was first introduced in 1984, Apple has taken over the digital music market with the ubiquitous iPod, the company is already a formidable presence in the cell phone market with the iPhone introduced just last year, and at the time of this writing (January of 2008) Apple's stock price has risen to over $200 a share.

With a record number of people now switching from PCs to Macs, the question for lawyers is: should you switch too? And if you do, should you maybe just switch for your home computer, or also for your office as well? Most importantly, what do you gain and what do you lose by making the switch?

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (5)
• Trackbacks

The following is a Guest Post from Lianne Gaunt, the System Administrator for Hutchinson, Cox, Coons, DuPriest, Orr & Sherlock, P.C., a law firm in Eugene, Oregon that primarily uses Macs.  Her post explains how her firm has operated using Macs and integrating them with PCs when necessary.  Thanks to Ms. Gaunt for her post.

We are an 11-attorney firm where all attorneys, legal assistants, and other staff (with the exception of our accounting department) use Macs.   But sometimes even in a Mac office, you just need (or want) to use a Windows program.  We have been using Macs since the early 90's.  The first emulator I ever came across was SoftPC.  One of our attorneys brought it in and we played with it.  It worked fairly well, as most programs back then were not too complicated, but we really did not have much use for it.

A few years later we switched our time and billing software to a Windows system that allowed for remote time entry, but only with a proprietary Windows program.  Because the idea of computer time entry was so appealing, we installed VirtualPC with Windows 95 on all Macs used by timekeepers.  This initially worked for us, as the time entry program was simple and Windows 95 was fairly simple as well.  However, as often happens, the time entry program became more complicated and we needed to upgrade our VirtualPC operating systems to Windows 2000 or higher.  Once this happened, things went from bad to worse.  Load times for VirtualPC were ridiculously slow and crashes happened often, sometimes requiring a complete install which of course meant that individual would lose all their timekeeping history.  Frustration increased and many wanted to go back to writing out their time and having it hand entered.

I had been looking into Windows Terminal Server for a while, but the cost was quite high as it includes not only the hardware, but Windows Server, Terminal Server and Terminal Server client access licenses for each user, and at the time the cost just did not seem to be justified.   However, after a while the problems just made it almost impossible to continue on the way we were going, and we went ahead and purchased a new server and installed Microsoft Terminal Server, which was by far one of the best decisions we ever made.  The Remote Desktop software is a small program that loads quickly and can be minimized to the dock when not in use.  The timekeeper (with a few workarounds) works just fine on the Terminal Server, and time entry can be done at the same speed as if sitting directly in front of a PC. 

The other advantage for our firm to the Terminal Server is that we had been using Outlook for Macintosh as a client to our Exchange Server.  With the move to OS X, Microsoft stopped making an Outlook client, and while Entourage is a great product (and is proving quite useful in allowing our iPhone users to sync up with the Exchange server), task sharing is not an option.  We use the task list for our tickle system, and legal assistants need to be able to see and create tasks on their attorney's task lists.  We used Outlook for Macintosh running in classic mode until we implemented the Terminal Sever and began using Outlook for Windows.  As we have been upgrading to the Intel Macs, running classic is no longer an option, and the Terminal Server has enabled us to continue to use Outlook without having to search for an alternate solution.

Our Mac users also have access to a few additional Windows programs that were originally only used by our accounting department, including direct access to the time and billing system.  Our PC users can access our Mac created documents as well, so it does not matter which computer you are sitting in front of, whether it be Mac or PC, as long as you have user permissions there is no document or application that is unavailable.  People always ask me how come we continue to use Macs when everyone else uses PC's.  I always tell them it is because so far there is nothing we have wanted to do that we have not been able to do while sitting in front of a Mac.  Perhaps using the Terminal Server is cheating a bit, but if it keeps those users in this office who are comfortable using a Mac continuing to use their computers, then it is well worth it.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

The problem with Microsoft Windows is that it is painfully out of date.  Randall Stross writes in The New York Times that what began as a thin veneer for older software code has had layer upon security plugs, bug fixes, etc. heaped upon it, and its inherent design deficiencies are now painfully visible.  Ouch!

By way of contrast, Mr. Stross believes that Mac OS X is a vastly superior operating system.  In fact, he said that "Windows seems to move an inch for every time that Mac OS X or Linux laps it."  He praised Apple's bold move back in 2001 when it introduced OS X, and he strongly suggest that Windows just completely start over from scratch right now to come up with its own "Windows OS X."

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Last week, PC/Mac Smackdown had an in-depth discussion on their podcast about the "Mac vs. PC" article in the ABA Journal.  The hosts, Cal David and David Flashner, called this article "a really good smackdown read."  It is always interesting to me to hear others discuss my work, particularly my thoughts on Macs, and I appreciate the nice things to say about me and my portion of the article.  You can access or download their podcast by clicking HERE.

Source:  "Episode #43 - Lawyers in Love" published at PC/Mac Smackdown.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

In his latest "Technology Update," Joe Kashi bemoans the current state of Microsoft's operating systems, noting that Vista is "not hot," Windows 7 is "years away," and XP is "being killed off."  In fact, he sounds like he's "almost" ready to be a Mac convert, when he says

Were I starting over and had no Windows-only legal software constraints, I'd go with the excellent Mac OS 10 or some form of Linux, both of which are based upon the powerful Unix operating systems that have been constantly improved and refined since the late 1960s, an when Bill Gates had not yet dropped out of Harvard. Unfortunately, most legal professionals don't have the luxury of changing operating systems because we are tied to Windows-only legal software.

I'm glad that Mr. Koshi is such a fan of Mac's OS X, but I disagree with his assertion that it's difficult for attorneys who use Windows to switch.  As I've written over the years, there are many excellent legal software options available to Mac users, and through the use of virtualization software, Mac users can also run any necessary Windows-only programs.

Source:  ""Technology Update" by Joe Kashi, published in the ABA Law Practice Management Section's Law Technology Today.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

Luigi Benetton published an interesting article in the April/May 2008 edition of The Canadian Bar Association's National magazine, which discussed the "Mac conversion" experiences of several former PC-using attorneys and firms.   Some of their reasons given by these professionals are:

• Rob Hyndman :: After the latest in a string of what he calls "Windows catastrophes" and the 24 hours of work it took him to restore his system afterwards, Hyndman made a technological u-turn and migrated to the Mac.
• Damien Fox :: "You want something that just works for you," he says.
• Jennifer Gabriel :: Since there is so little actual internal IT support needed, she spends more time spearheading new IT initiatives and staffing reception.

The article also discusses some of the hurdles that Mac-using attorneys must deal with in their practices, including the fact that there are fewer Mac-specific software options from which to choose.  If you are considering making the switch, you should read the entire article at the link provided below.

Source:  "Making The Switch to Mac" by Luigi Benetton, published in the National.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

It's becoming somewhat "old news" nowadays.  Objective testing by yet another highly respected magazine has concluded that Macs are better than PCs -- in both desktop and laptop versions. 

This time, it was Popular Mechanics recently ran two comparison tests in its May 2008 edition.  The desktop competition featured the iMac vs. Gateway One, and the notebook version featured the MacBook vs. Asus M51SR.  You can read the full article HERE, but a summary is listed below, in Popular Mechanics' own words:

In both the laptop and desktop showdowns, Apple's computers were the winners. Oddly, the big difference didn't come in our user ratings, where we expected the famously friendly Mac interface to shine. Our respondents liked the look and feel of both operating systems but had a slight preference toward OS X. In our speed trials, however, Leopard OS trounced Vista in all-important tasks such as boot-up, shutdown and program-launch times. We even tested Vista on the Macs using Apple's platform-switching Boot Camp software--and found that both Apple computers ran Vista faster than our PCs did.

Source:  "Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops" by Glenn Derene, published in Popular Mechanics.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks (1)

Joey Heape, Director of Media & Tech for the South Carolina Bar wrote the following commentary about the  "Mac v. PC" article featured in this month's ABA Journal:

This is an absolute great article/shootout. Problem is, I see both sides. It's like in the movie "A League of Their Own" when the young kid and Dottie are sitting in a car and he say's, "why don't we jump in the back seat and you make a man out of me"? And Dottie replies, "why don't I slap you around a bit"? And the young boy recants, "Why can't we do both"?

As you know I use both PCs and Macs. I'm a "best tool for the job" person. Macs excel at some things, while PCs excel at others. I think Apple has the right idea on the front side with the notion of "let's offer Windows functionality via Boot Camp" so we can reign in that market and offer Windows users an alternative, which, on the surface, makes Apple look like the guys that want to play well with everyone.

On the underside though, are they tossing in the towel and saying "if you can't beat them join them"? I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is, I'm happy to have the choice. At work, I mostly use a PC because we are running a Windows Active Directory environment, but I have a Mac Pro on my desk as well. However, at home where I do a lot of Bar work, I primarily use a Mac. If I need to use a PC, I remote into one of mine at home or one at the office. They can live and work together. We have eight of them on our network at the SC Bar. I understand that resources are not unlimited to most people, but if can you do both, then do it.

Here's little known secret, Chief Justice Toal's PowerPoint themes that she uses for her presentations (state of the judiciary for Legislature, Bar convention, private speaking engagements) are Keynote themes converted to PowerPoint for her use. I know this because I create them for her. I have even been able to get the Chief's IT director, Joan Assey, to purchase a Mac laptop. Also, all of the Distance Learning programs the CLE Division produces are done on Macs and Final Cut Studio.

For managing networks and websites though, I prefer the Windows boxes. Remote Desktop for the Mac is available and I use it extensively. I think Microsoft is willing to acknowledge the Mac environment (have you checked out Office 2008 for the Mac yet). Microsoft offers several pieces of software for the Mac. Is it going to soon be MACrosoft? Keep up the excellent work and I look forward to your presentation at the Bar convention in 2009.

Joey Heape
Director of Media & Tech
South Carolina Bar

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

As you are aware, "Mac v. PC," the ABA Journal article that I co-authored with Rick Georges debating the advantages of Macs vs. PCs went "live" online a couple of days ago. The print version is in the mail and should arrive any day now.  Bloggers from coast to coast have been discussing our little "discussion," including the following:

• "Debating Mac vs. PC in the Legal Environment" by Ernest Svenson, posted at his Ernie the Attorney blog
• "Macs in Law: The "Great Debate" and Squirrelly Statements" by Sheryl Sisk Schelin, published at The Inspired Solo blog
• "On the Cover!" by Aaron Pelley, posted at his Criminal Defense Law with an Apple blog
• "Attorney's debate Mac v. PC" by Blake Boyd, published at The Trial Technologist's View blog
• "ABA Journal covers Rocket Matter" by Larry Port, posted at the Rocket Matter blog
• "Really Simple Competitive Intelligence" by Dennis Kennedy, published at DennisKennedy.com
• "PC-vs-Mac-apedia" by Dan Covington, published at his Covington Client Center blog
• "Dusting Off the Old Debate: Mac v. PC" by Robert Ambrogi, posted at his Legal Blog Watch
• "Mac v. PC | ABA Journal - Law News Now" by Rick Georges, posted at his FutureLawyer blog
• "Mac v. PC - Attorney Style" by Finis Price, published at his TechnoEsq blog
• "Lawyers Jump In on the Mac vs. PC Debate" by David Sparks, published at his MacSparky blog
• "Our Man Ben Advocates for Macs in Law Firms" by Erik Schmidt, published at the Mac Law Students blog
• "On the Cover!" and "The Debate Rages On" by Aaron Pelley, published at Criminal Defense Law with an Apple

The feedback that I have read online and received via email has been almost unanimously positive, and I would like to thank everyone for the great reception that my portion of this article has received.  Of course, I had a much easier position to argue since the facts were so strongly on my side.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

The cover story in this month's issue of the ABA Journal is "Mac vs. PC" featuring a debate between Rick Georges appearing on behalf of the PC and your very own Mac Lawyer appearing on behalf of the Mac.  The print version should be arriving in the mail any day now, but you can read the article online now by clicking HERE.

While I acknowledge that I am somewhat biased, I am confident that the Mac argument won hands down.  I like Rick a lot, and I think that he did the best he could with the facts with which he was saddled.  He even admitted on his FutureLawyer blog that "arguing the PC side was somewhat like arguing with my hands tied behind my back..."

As a funny but true footnote to this story, the editor of our article wrote me today and told me that he was so convinced by my arguments in favor of the Mac that he has replaced his Dell laptop PC for a MacBook.  I'm just glad to have brought another user into the fold.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Not that it should surprise anyone, but it's now official -- Mac users are sexier than Windows users (at least according to the British version of MacWorld).   I say that this is not surprising because let's face it, black turtlenecks are sexy, Bill Gates is not.

I can't vouch for, affirm, or even comment on the "research" methods referenced in the article, but it is interesting (or at least humorous).  Also, while I realize that all of us bald guys probably look alike to those of you with hair, I want it made known (for the record) that I was never a member in the band Right Said Fred (in case anyone was wondering).

Source:  "Mac Owners Officially Sexier Than Windows" by Jonny Evans, published at MacWorld (UK).

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Earlier this week, I listed several reasons that Windows users don't switch to Macs.  Today, I present the following reasons from the same author that Windows users are switching:

1. iPod/iPhone  ::  If you've ever used iTunes, then you know how easy Mac programs are to use. 
2. Apple Stores  ::  Spend a few minutes in your local Apple Store, and you'll quickly see firsthand just how fast and easy to use the Macs are.
3. The Ads  ::  Most of the ads are very well done, and they extol the virtues of the Mac experience perfectly.
4. Mac Users  ::  Smart Mac users are slowly and quietly converting their family, their friends, and everyone they meet to Macs.
5. Macbooks and Macbook Pros  ::  Macs comprise about 5% of the overall computer market share, while they comprise about 17% of laptops sold.  Macbooks and Macbook Pros are very competitively priced right now, and in many cases, are cheaper than a similarly equipped PC laptop.
6. Vista  ::  While Vista is the best operating system Microsoft has ever developed, but it still suffers from viruses, spyware, Microsoft control, limited hardware support, and lack of (useful) bundled software.
7. Design  ::  Macbooks and Macbook Pros are a thing of beauty. iMacs are now better looking than ever. Apple knows how to design their products, and they know how to sell you on the design.
8. Security  ::  Macs don't get viruses, and for now, there is no need to run any additional security software on a Mac.

 Source:  "8 Reasons Windows Users DO Switch" by Steven Leigh, published at AppleMatters.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

For all those Mac users who wonder why Windows users continue to suffer needlessly, consider the following possible reasons, written by a self-professed "die-hard Windows user" to made the switch:

1. Ignorance  ::  Most Windows users are extremely uninformed, thinking they'll have to "re-learn everything" and that nothing will be familiar. They do not know that Macs are much easier to use and most tasks can be done intuitively.
2. The Office  ::  Since most businesses still use Windows, people think that they have to stick with it for work brought home.  However, it is now easy to work across platforms or to even run Windows on their Mac when all else fails.
3. Hardware  ::  Many Windows users might be resistant to the thought of upgrading an entire computer instead of replacing individual components.  In light of the falling prices and advances in technology, many users want to upgrade more frequently anyway.
4. Price  ::  Windows users think that Macs are more expensive than PCs, but new Macs are very comparably priced to similarly equipped PCs.
5. Lies  ::  Apple takes lighthearted jabs at Windows in its commercials, but Windows users might interpret this as stretch the truth a bit about its competitors to get business.
6. Windows Bashing  ::  When Steve Jobs berates Vista and Microsoft instead of touting the features and advantages of Apple's own products, it makes Windows users think that Macs don't have much going for them.
7. Vista  ::  Vista is the best operating system Microsoft has ever released, and for many users, it is "good enough."
8. Mac Users  ::  Some Mac users are overzealous and scare others away.

Source:  "8 Reasons Windows Users Don't Switch" by Steven Leigh, published at AppleMatters.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (4)
• Trackbacks

As you are probably aware, Apple is expected to release it's new operating system, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, later this month.  There are many previews of this fantastic new software, including the one at Apple's website.  I found the following article by David Sparks interesting because it provides  a stark contrast and good insight into the difference found between Mac and Windows with regard to upgrading one's operating system:

I thought I'd do a series of articles as I begin preparing for the Leopard upgrade. This is where my windows bias shows through. I was talking to a very knowledgeable Apple friend, Gabe Wilson, and explaining how I was backing everything up and printing out copies of all my license codes so I could do the "big upgrade." As he watched me his face showed first dismay, then pity, then humor. Finally he relieved me of my suffering. "Dave. It's a Mac. Don't wipe your drive. Just upgrade."

Huh!?

I'm used to windows upgrades. When you upgrade a windows machine you first remove the hard drive then you drive a stake through it (preferably made of silver). Then you pour acid over it and proceed to make all the necessary incantations (which include multiple recitations of random letters and numbers in groups of four). Finally, you put in the install disk and pray to all that is nerdy that the rest of your PC components don't declare an absolute mutiny (which will probably happen anyway). You then spend the next two days attempting to convince Microsoft that you should be allowed to re-install Office on the new version of their windows software without spending another $500.

Tonight I listened to Steve Stanger confirm Gabe's sage advice and I'm sold. I'm not going to do the 3 days of reinstall but instead just going to click "update" and see what happens. If it doesn't work I can always do the "root canal" version of the upgrade later.

Source:  "Preparing for Leopard - The Install" by David Sparks, published at his MacSparky blog.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

Take a look at the two photos shown below.  The computer on the left is an iMac, and the one on the right is a Dell XPS 410. Which you would prefer to have on your desk?  Do you think that it makes a difference to a potential client whether you appear to be well organized and tech savvy or just a jumbled mess?  I think that it does, and these pictures show yet one more reason that you should consider using Macs instead of PCs.

Source: "Mac vs PC - a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words" posted at SwitchingToMac.com.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (7)
• Trackbacks

Business magazines are beginning to realize that Macs make perfect sense for companies looking to save money.  CIO magazine published an article explaining in detail the following eight financial reasons that businesses should use Mac OS X:

1. Macs bring a better overall value proposition
2. Macintosh licensing fees are cheaper
3. Mac desktops spawn fewer calls to the help desk
4. Mac users are more productive workers
5. Macs last longer
6. Mac OS is more secure
7. Macs are just as cost-effective as Windows to manage and administer
8. Add Macs while hanging on to your investments in other OSes

Source:  "Eight Financial Reasons Why You Should Use Mac OS" by Jacqueline Emigh, published at CIO.com.  Thanks to 9 to 5 Mac for its post about this article.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Today's Macs are far superior to today's PC's.  What about the Macs of yesteryear?  I found an article that compared speed tests of a 1986 Apple Macintosh Plus versus a 2007 PC with an AMD DualCore Processor.  This comparison found that for the functions that people (particularly attorneys) use most often, the '86 Mac beat the '07 PC in over half of the tests!  Should you run out and buy a 1986 Mac Plus?  No -- but you should ditch that PC if you haven't already done so.

Source:  "The Most Outlandish Computer Comparison Ever!" by Hal Licino.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

Law.com published an excellent article today discussing the viability of lawyers using Macs.  I should note that this article gives this blog a nice little "shout out," but that's not why you should read it.  Rather, if you have given even a moment's thought to switching, you should r ead it because the story told by Mr. Burney mirrors that told to me by other switchers in recent years.  Basically, if you give the Mac a try, you will love it and wonder how you ever got along without it.

In his article, Brett Burney notes his initial skepticism that all the wonderful things about Macs couldn't possibly be true.  Of course, these things include such things as not crashing, quick startups, not having viruses, and everything just working -- all of which Mac users sometimes take for granted.

Mr. Burney's article encapsulates what most Windows-using lawyers find when they actually give Macs a try.  In the end, he concludes that "I am happy to say that using a Mac today in the legal world is absolutely possible" -- just as I have been saying for quite some time.  Of particular interest in this article is the progression that he goes through in reaching his conclusion, as evidenced by these quotes:

• "The MacBook line of laptops are superbly designed. They look great, the keyboards are extremely usable and the actual computer is slender and graceful. There are only a few Windows laptops that can compete with the creative stylings of the MacBook...."
• "I believe the additional cost [of Macs] covers itself in the long run because the Mac is a more reliable hardware platform.  Macs don't quite require the same level of maintenance and technical support as a fleet of Windows computers."  Also, "[t]he usual complaint that Macs are too expensive dissolves quickly when you realize you literally get two computers for the price of one [when considering you can run Windows programs too]."
• "Macs just work. My MacBook Pro finds wireless networks without popping up esoteric dialog boxes. And it "wakes up" within two to five seconds after I open the lid. I rarely shut the computer down when I'm done with my work -- I just simply close the screen. When I open it again, I can immediately get back to work...."
• "Mac users can be immediately productive because the platform is very easy to use and pleasant to operate."  "[T]here are "magic tricks" on the Mac that I can no longer live without" such as the two finger scroll, the built-in sensor that automatically dims the screen in low-light, the backlit keyboard, the MagSafe power adapter, and the ability to 'print to PDF' from any print command.

This article notes that the "biggest hurdle standing in the way of a legal professional using a Mac is the lack of legal-specific software for the platform."  However, he does note that through the use of BootCamp and/or virtualization programs (such as Parallels and others), Mac-using attorneys can run Windows programs when necessary.  Of course, Windows users don't have that option... too bad!

Source:  "Hello, I'm a Lawyer With a Mac" by Brett Burney, published at Law.com.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

Well, it's official -- the era of the PC is over ... at least according to APC Magazine as exclaimed in its recent article, "The Era of the PC is Over: Why Apple is Beating Microsoft."  The Switch to a Mac blog cites the following "money quotes" from that article:

• "The recent joint interview with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at D5 highlighted for me what makes Apple a great company, and why Microsoft continues to struggle on all fronts except Windows and Office."
• "But like Steve said at D5, the era of the PC is largely over. Most innovation now is happening on what he calls post-PC devices, like music players and mobile phones. And that is what Apple is focusing on."
• "Microsoft, however, still doesn't get it and I believe the lack of understanding comes from the top. Gates still maintains that tablet PCs are going to take over the world, that Microsoft will eventually dethrone Google to be the new leader in search, that Zune will eventually rival the iPod for market share and that Microsoft has already conquered the smart phone market. Somebody please tell the man he is dreaming."
• "Apple knows that its core strength is writing and designing software and wrapping it in sleek (but nowadays relatively generic) hardware. If Apple wanted it could also throw money into areas like search and gaming but Jobs is more disciplined then that."
• "Consumer electronics are already too complicated and consumers know it. Post-PC devices need to be tightly integrated, and at the moment, the only company that does this, and does it well is Apple."

Source:  "The Era of the PC is Over: Why Apple is Beating Microsoft" by Dany Gorog, published in APC Magazine

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

From this week's MacUser blog:

Joining the ranks of Parallels Desktop, VMWare Fusion and CrossOver is a new addition to the Mac virtualization market: VirtualBox. A few days ago, innotek released a Mac beta version of the software, in addition to its existing Windows and Linux editions.

What differentiates VirtualBox from its competitors is its price: $0 for personal use. Not only that, it's completely open-source. It runs various flavors of both Linux and Windows (including Vista). A few notable features include a modular design, Remote Desktop Protocol support, and shared folders. Overall, it sounds like VirtualBox is somewhat on the geeky side.

Judging by the lone Mac screenshot on VirtualBox's site, the product lacks Parallels Desktop's polish, but early user reports sent to MacWindows suggest the speed is impressive. There's price to pay for the "beta" label, though: among other things, expect USB support to be flaky.

Anyone want to try it out and report back? The beta is downloadable from VirtualBox's website.

Source:  "VirtualBox, Yet Another Virtualization Option" by Thomas Gagnon-van Leeuwen, published at the MacUser blog.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Noted technology columnist Al Fasoldt urges people considering purchasing a new notebook to purchase a Mac.  In fact, he goes so far as to question what people are paying for if they don't purchase a Mac laptop.  You can read his full article by clicking HERE, but here are some quotes from it:

• "If you're shopping for a 17-inch laptop computer, you can choose one that only runs Windows or you can choose one that runs both Windows and Mac OS X"
• "Mac OS X is Apple's operating system for all its computers. Mac OS X computers are more reliable than Windows PCs, have no active viruses or spyware at all, and come with family-friendly software for video editing, music creation, DVD production and photo organizing. We're been using desktop Macs along with our Mac iBook laptop for most of our computing needs for years."
• "But, like many of you, we have many Windows-only programs we need to run, too. My old Windows laptop didn't have enough memory or processing power for the new Windows programs we added to our collection recently, and our Windows workshop sessions needed a faster PC, too."
• "So we bought an Apple MacBook Pro. It has a 17-inch screen, a dual-core Intel processor (which means it essentially has two CPU's, or central processing units, in non-technical terms), and a lot of little touches that help make it a delight. One little feature I find irresistible is a backlit keyboard that adjusts itself brighter or dimmer according to the light levels in the room."
• "The display's brightness adjusts itself the same way, and, like all other Mac computers, the MacBook Pro has a separate key that ejects a CD, one to mute the sound and two others to make the sound louder or softer. One key pushes all onscreen windows away from each other so you can find one that got buried in a pile (using an OS X feature called Expose) and still another key flashes your collection of Dashboard Widgets onto the screen. (Widgets can be fun items like Webcam views of the seashore or serious stuff such as mail checkers and dictionaries; they're almost always free.)"
• "So it's understandable if your first reaction is "Whew!" The MacBook Pro 17-inch model, which lists for $2,799, is a very fast computer. But another "Whew!" is appropriate, too: I installed Windows 2000 on our new computer, using $79 software called Parallels Desktop (from www.parallels.com), which allows Windows to run alongside Mac OS X, and quickly realized I was sitting in front of the fastest Windows computer I'd ever used."
• "All our Windows programs ran exceptionally well, at speeds I could only have dreamed of a few years ago. On the Mac OS X side, the standard Mac software I use daily -- Apple's Safari Web browser, its Mail software, and iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD -- ran much faster than they do on any of our other Macs."
• "As for Apple's MacBook Pro, it's clearly a league ahead of laptops that can only run Windows. I couldn't recommend it any more highly."

In discussing Mr. Fasoldt's article, the Switch To A Mac blog provided the following commentary:

Macs make an ideal ideal choice for computer buyers.  Due to Apple's Boot Camp and virtualization software such as Parallels, a Mac can run just about any software.  Use a virtualization program or boot your Mac into Mac OS X, Linux, or Windows.  Only a Mac gives you that flexibility.

Source:  "My Choice of a New Laptop: One That Runs Windows and Mac OS X" by Al Fasoldt, published at his Technofile blog.  Thanks also to the Switch To A Mac blog for its post about this article.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (3)
• Trackbacks

The following article, published last month in USA Today, takes a look at the two main virtualization options available to Mac users:

Reluctant to switch to a Macintosh because so much of your favorite software requires Microsoft Windows? Now you don't have to hold back.

Apple's free Boot Camp beta software can also make your Intel-based Mac a screaming-fast Windows machine. But when you turn your computer on, you must choose to work in either Windows or Mac's OS X Tiger.

That's why I've been more intrigued by Parallels Desktop for Mac. The $80 "virtualization" software lets you run the Mac's operating system and Windows side-by-side. Alas, compared with Boot Camp, Parallels was poky and buggy when I first tried it last year.

Last week, the Seattle-area start-up behind Parallels unveiled a less-geeky update that addresses many of its shortcomings, including plug-and-play support for USB 2.0 devices. Moreover, Parallels piles on new features, the neatest of which makes it look like you are running Windows programs right on your Mac desktop, along with other Mac programs.

It's still not for beginners. And I got off to a tough start testing the latest version of Parallels with Windows XP on an iMac. Windows couldn't recognize my Hewlett-Packard USB printer or Seagate USB storage device. I encountered the lingering hourglass, bizarre "fatal error" messages and the dreaded "blue screen of death" that sometimes precedes a PC meltdown.

Parallels said the snags had more to do with a corrupted copy of XP rather than its own software. Seems so. The glitches disappeared when I loaded a fresh retail copy of XP Professional.

Let's dive into the Parallels universe.

•The basics. Think of a virtual machine as a stand-alone computer on your Mac. It behaves as if it has a Pentium processor (though the Intel chip inside the Mac is something different). It works best on Macs with a lot of memory -- Parallels recommends at least 1 gigabyte -- because the software can put a strain on the system.

Parallels does more than just Windows. It works with Linux, OS/2, MS-DOS and other operating systems. You choose a guest operating system during installation.

In most cases, you'll have to buy a new copy of Windows (not an upgrade) and activate or authorize the software online or over the phone. It's Microsoft's way of making sure your copy of Windows is legit.

The XP Pro version I used for testing cost $300. Ouch. However, if you already have a version of Windows loaded on the Mac and are using Boot Camp, you need not reinstall it for Parallels. Microsoft will make you reactivate, however, since it now thinks you are running Windows on a different computer.

If you just bought a Mac and are retiring an old PC, you can transfer Windows (plus programs and data) from that old computer to the Mac using a new migration tool called Parallels Transporter. You'll have to connect a cable to both machines. Parallels says to check licensing agreements to make sure you can legally transfer the PC's version of Windows to another machine.

• Parallels or Boot Camp? I was impressed with the speed at which basic Windows programs such as Internet Explorer and Quicken ran in Parallels. But when Parallels is running, trying to do things such as open iTunes or iPhoto on the Mac side is noticeably slower.

Indeed, Boot Camp outshines Parallels in a few ways. It's free. Unlike Parallels, it works with camcorders and other devices you connect via a FireWire cable. It's superior if you work with heavy-duty graphics or play 3D games. Though you can run Windows Vista in Parallels, you cannot take advantage of the new operating system's lovely Aero graphics.

• Virtualization reality. Parallels is much friendlier than it used to be. As before, you click on simple VCR-like icons to control the virtual machine. Click "play" and a configuration window flips around to show XP in its own window.

You can move your mouse pointer at will between operating systems and easily share an Internet connection. You can drag and drop files between the Mac and Windows, too, or drag an entire file folder onto a "Shared Folders" icon in Windows. I used a picture in my Mac's iPhoto library as the background in Windows. It was oddly out of focus on the Windows side. Not so on the Mac side.

The most dramatic enhancement in Parallels is called Coherence, a feature that lets you run Windows applications (Outlook, Internet Explorer, etc.) directly on the Mac desktop. Windows icons appear on the strip of programs on the Mac known as the Dock. If seeing the Windows taskbar above the Dock is disconcerting, you can switch to a full-screen Windows view.

Windows wrests control of the CD/DVD-ROM player from OS X when Parallels is running. I successfully copied music off a CD in Windows Media Player but couldn't play a DVD because I lacked a compatible DVD decoder in my copy of Windows. A second software DVD player in Windows called InterActual failed to play my discs because of a confusing video problem.

Windows is as vulnerable inside a Mac to viruses as any PC. Parallels comes with a six-month trial version of Internet security anti-virus software from a small company called Kaspersky Lab. It wasn't bug-free. After scanning Windows for viruses with the program, I received a funky error message indicating that a previous launch of the Kaspersky program had failed.

For mainstream users who need to run a Windows app or two on their Mac, Parallels is a fine program that has come a long way.

Source: "Windows, Macs Co-Exist" by Edward C. Baig, published in USA Today.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

Apple's Boot Camp software has just been updated, and it now officially supports the 32-bit version of Windows Vista. The offical list of improvements includes:

• Support for Windows Vista (32-bit)
• Updated drivers, including but not limited to trackpad, AppleTime (synch), audio, graphics, modem, iSight camera
• Support the Apple Remote (works with iTunes and Windows Media Player)
• A Windows system tray icon for easy access to Boot Camp information and actions
• Improved keyboard support for Korean, Chinese, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Russian, and French Canadian
• Improved Windows driver installation experience
• Updated documentation and Boot Camp on-line help in Windows
• Apple Software Update (for Windows XP and Vista)

The new software can be downloaded HERE.

Source:  "Boot Camp 1.2 Released, Includes Vista Support" by Alex Oughton, published at InsanelyMac.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

I firmly believe that Macs are superior to PC's, but I freely acknowledge that there are differences between the two that take a little getting used to.  As an easy example, Macs have an "Option" key that I regularly use, whereas PC's don't.  Other differences come in the form of naming conventions -- Explorer on Windows translates to Finder in OS X. 

Fortunately, there are many resources to help assimilate this new information, including A Switcher's Guide to Windows and Mac Differences and Equivalents.  This resource provides a list of the equivalent terminology, way of doing things on a Mac, and applications to use for PC converts.  Even better, it includes several tables which make it easier for you to relate the relevant methods between systems.

Source:  "A Switcher's Guide to Windows and Mac Differences and Equivalents" by Chris Howard, published at AppleMatters.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

To follow up on the issues addressed in Craig Poff's guest post yesterday, the Washington Post published an article last week that takes a look at the similarities and features of the big three virtualization programs:  Apple's BootCamp, Parallels Desktop for Mac, and CodeWeavers' CrossOver Mac.  After its in-depth analysis, the article concludes:  "For somebody who needs to run only one or two Windows programs, CrossOver can be a cheap, simple solution. Otherwise, Parallels easily justifies its higher cost and system requirements."

Better yet, the article concludes by saying that "Many new Mac users, however, may discover they don't need to run Windows programs after all -- for just about any task imaginable, a good Mac program can be found. The greatest feature of software like Parallels and CrossOver may be their existence alone. They constitute a cheap, easily exercised insurance policy that frees people to buy the computer they want without worry."  You can read the whole article by clicking HERE.

Source:  "Playing on Both Sides" by Rob Pegoraro, published in the Washington Post. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

As I previously posted, we are witnessing an epic battle taking place before our very eyes.  No, not on the desert plains of Iraq or even the boxing rings of Las Vegas, but right here in cyberspace.  The "battle royale" to which I am referring is the "Great Mac vs. PC Debate of 2007" taking place between "Hello, I'm a Mac" Grant Griffiths and "I'm a PC" Ben Cowgill.  After the posturing in their initial posts, the fellows finally "got it on" (apologies to the Hon. Mills Lane) this week with their first round on the subject of functionality:

Mr. Griffiths made the following points in his post:

• [G]etting lock ups and the blue screen of death is measured in weeks, days and even hours in some cases [on PCs].
• On those occasions when I have to run a windoze program, I simple start up Parallels, XP and run the program on my Mac. What is even more amazing than that, XP runs faster on my MacBook than it does on my son's gaming peecee.
• When I was using a peecee network in my law office, I was attacked by a virus that knocked me out for 3 days. And, I had to spend hard earned money paying an IT person to come in a fix it. Lets see, downtime and an expense I don't now have with a Mac driven law office.

Mr. Cowgill states the following in his post:

• Over the past 25 years I've worked in law firms, a corporate law department and a state bar association, all of which used PC systems.  I can't remember when any of those systems locked up.
• Macs are generally pricier than many PC systems, but they also come loaded with plenty of memory.  And the Mac OS has never pretended to be an open architecture.
• [I]f we're going to talk about functionality (see above), we've got to talk about software.  And that means, of course, that if we're going to talk about business computing, we've gotta talk about business software.

My analysis and "post-round" commentary on their posts:

• Functionality of any computer starts with its operating system. 
  
  • I am not aware of any credible expert that has stated publicly that Windows XP or Vista is superior to Mac OS X.  On the other hand, there are countless who have said that OS X IS better than the Windows systems, especially Vista. 
  • I should mention that the OS X to which I refer is Tiger, now almost two years old, and not the anxiously awaited Leopard version, due to be released this Spring.  In fact, the experts have said that Vista is Microsoft's attempt to compete with Apple's last generation OS, while Apple is already finalizing its  next generation OS. 
  • To build the best house, you must start with the best foundation, which Apple clearly has and Microsoft does not.
• Viruses, lock ups, and blue screens really DO occur regularly with PCs -- notwithstanding Mr. Cowgill's unbelievable claim that he has never witnessed them in over 25 years.  Not only will any IT expert confirm this "fact of life" for PC users, but I know it first hand because I used PC's  myself for many years.  I believe that people with experience on both platforms are perhaps more credible than someone on the outside looking in -- sorry Mr. Cowgill.
• Mr. Cowgill's post also unfortunately makes two false claims: 
  
  • First, he says that Macs are generally more pricier than PCs.  As I posted just this week, Mac computers are priced roughly the same as comparably equipped PCs, and as I previously posted, Macs have a much higher resale value than PCs.
  • He also says that the Mac OS is not "open," which could not possibly be more incorrect.  Apple's website clearly states that OS X is "UNIX Based -- Beneath the easy-to-use interface and rich graphics of Mac OS X lies Darwin, an open source, UNIX-based foundation...." 
• Finally, Mr. Griffiths points out the cross-platform functionality available to him.  Mac users can run Windows (98, Me, XP, Vista, etc.), Linux, or any other operating system that that want using virtualization.  I'm sure that Mr. Cowgill is well aware that PCs cannot run OS X, so it was probably more convenient to simply overlook that point altogether.

Judge's Score:  I score this round 10-8 for Griffiths, as it was fairly lopsided from this vantage point. Griffiths' body blows about lock ups and viruses were not credibly defended or countered by Cowgill.  Further, Griffiths' years of training in the PC gym give him a little more legs on this issue.  Cowgill attempted to land a haymaker with the price and open swings, but he missed wildly as his allegations were false.  Finally, Griffiths' uppercut on the cross-platform functionality left Cowgill dazed and unable or unwilling to respond as he retreated to his corner at the end of the round.  This Judge is committed to calling this fight as he sees it, and he hopes that Cowgill can escelate his game in the later rounds to make it a closer fight than this round showed.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks