So long Windows
Thursday, March 20, 2008
breaking light photo

I've been thinking about switching over to a Mac for a while but getting a desktop was not an option and the Macbook Pro was just too big (I haven't had the need for an optical drive on a laptop for years). Going to Windows Vista was something I was unwilling to do since it seemed that many of the programs I had were not compatible. Other than the security issues, there didn't seem to be anything Vista really improved over Windows XP. So, when I saw the Macbook Air it was enough to get me to switch from my OQO Model 02.

After a month of using it, I can't see myself ever going back to Windows. OS X just works and is so much fun to use. I did miss the ability to maximize a window with just a click, but with Expose and Spaces it works out just fine.
The MBA is built so well! Small, light, the screen is bright and the full size keyboard is really nice to use. The MagSafe power adapter is great! For those who haven't seen it, the end of the power cable that attaches to the laptop does so magnetically. Just bring the adapter near the power port and it is drawn into position. Additionally, the power brick is so small I can wind the cord up and stick it into my pocket!

I've never really liked touch pad mouse controls but the Multitouch pad on the MBA changed all that. Using two fingers to scroll and the pinch zoom is awesome. However, adding the program Mac Scroll makes it even better - now the finger scrolling is like the iPhone kinetic scrolling - great for reading long web pages or navigating through pdfs or Word docs. It is completely worth the $19 for the program but really is something Apple should have designed the multitouch pad to do from the start.

Overall, I've never been happier with a computer purchase. I'm hoping that Apple will produce a Mac based tablet computer in the future because that would be ideal for me.

Article originally appeared on breaking light photo.com (http://breakinglightphoto.com/).
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