The fact is, learning any computer operating system environment is difficult and takes time. Windows only seems easy because it has already been learnt.
David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA Email: [email protected] Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 Sent from my iPhone > On 3 Apr 2014, at 5:38, Jean Parker <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hello to the person who is thinking of making the switch to mac: > I did this about a year ago and here are my thoughts. > First of all, the reason I switched was similar to that of other people, my > PC became inoperable one to many times and it was at a time when I was to > have begun an online teaching assignment. I came very close to losing my > job because getting the PC laptop repaired/replaced and then everything > restored took so long. It was a total disaster! > > The learning curve was steep for me and it took about two months to return to > any semblance of efficiency. I am sure it is shorter for many people and > longer for others. So, during the transition, it would be helpful to allow > for the time and energy it will take to learn the new system and screen > reader. > > There are fantastic resources on this list for getting help. These include > several people who are authorised by Apple to teach the Mac using Voiceover. > Keep in mind however, that Apple does not pay for this training and although > it is reasonably priced, this is one area where Apple could do better. I > live close to an Apple store and although I had the One to One training the > first year I had my Mac, I did not renew it. I found that the trainers were > very knowledgeable about the Mac but not about Voiceover. I receive far > superior information from this list without leaving home. > > If you live near an Apple store you also have access to something called a > Genious Bar. If you are having some difficulty with your computer, after an > upgrade for example, you can take it to them and get it sorted out for free. > Apple has phone support which others on this list have much more experience > with than I do. > > In general, working with and maintaining the Mac is a much more streamlined > process than a PC. For example, my disk drive bit the dust the last time I > was working in India. Because I have Apple Care, it was replaced with no > charge but I found that the restoration process was a thousand times easier > and less time-consuming than it ever was on the PC. Apple has Time Machine > which makes a backup of your disk including data which you use to restore the > system. If you haven't backed up in a while, it even reminds you to do it. > > So, if you do switch to the Mac, be sure and allow yourself time to integrate > the new knowledge systematically. I for one, would never even consider > returning to using a PC. But if for some reason I had to, I would either use > bootcamp or VM Fusion instead of going back to a computer environment which > is so unstable and unpredictable. To me, using a PC became unviable in my > work environment so it had to go. > > The only thing I find more difficult with Mac is using Skype. On the PC you > can use GW Connect which manages voice and text chatting tasks very well. > When I called GW Micro to ask them if they would make a Mac version, I > thought they were going to hang up on me. So, that is the only compromise I > feel I have made. > > Good luck with your decision and keep asking us questions. > Jean > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
