The Schticky is right up there with the Shake Weight.
Ryan Noir
from New York, NY is reading Tropic of CancerFebruary 13, 2012 - 1:52am
3G iPad w/ apple bluetooth keyboard. Most mobile, fast as any PC in the price range and you can write in a park, or on the top of a mountain, and sync directly to iCloud (aka no risk of losing documents). You also only get to have one app on the screen at a time so that will cut down on the distraction of blinking icons on the dock.
Typewriter Demigod
from London is reading "White Noise" by DeLilo, "Moby-Dick" by Hermann Mellivile and "Uylsses" by JoyceFebruary 13, 2012 - 3:36am
Ubuntu;PC masterrace reporting in
Michael Hodges
from Chicago is reading Oryx and CrakeFebruary 13, 2012 - 12:33pm
3G iPad w/ apple bluetooth keyboard. Most mobile, fast as any PC in the price range
I wouldn't go that far.
Diane Dowdle Ramirez
February 13, 2012 - 4:19pm
If you would like to stop getting all those viruses you might consider a Mac . . . I love my Mac would never own a PC again. Mac's have less trouble, at least that has been my experience and with those I know who own them.
Whether one is better for writers or not . . . you can have Word for PC or Mac, it just depends on how much money you want to spend and not bother with viruses.
Good luck in your choosing.
Dwayne
from Cincinnati, Ohio (suburbs) is reading books that rotate to often to keep this updatedFebruary 13, 2012 - 4:52pm
@day - Do keyboards matter to you?
Jose F. Diaz
from Boston is reading Wolf Hall by Hilary MantelFebruary 13, 2012 - 8:16pm
Dwayne: Not really. I'm not one of those people who is afraid of the back space or delete key. Why, what do you have for me?
Dwayne
from Cincinnati, Ohio (suburbs) is reading books that rotate to often to keep this updatedFebruary 13, 2012 - 11:29pm
Nothing, I was just going point out that MAC and PCs have different keyboard options.
Jakub Stastka
from Czech republic is reading The NecromancerFebruary 14, 2012 - 12:46am
Be oldschool and get an electric typewriter. You will be so cool that you will literally freeze in mid-walk. :D
qazpoi
February 15, 2012 - 8:35pm
Same old Mac vs PC crap. Personally I use a PC. But frankly, Fedora Linux on my other machine is better than both Windows and Mac and runs on either a PC or a Mac. All those folks queuing in Apple stores all looking exactly the same as each other with their little silver branded status symbols, and little iPhones and iPads - I just never got that cliche sheeplike culture around Mac.
Oh and what's with the dude saying Scrivener Wndows eats all his work - everytime! I use it on Linux and Windows and it's never missed a beat. I remember during the beta the main guy, Keith I think, offered a $200 reward to anyone who could come up with a repeatable scenario where Scrivener would eat a writers work as a few were slagging off the software with nothing to show for it. The money was never claimed. Maybe you should write your repeatable case and claim your reward if it really does what you say?
Qaz
aliensoul77
from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall.February 15, 2012 - 9:26pm
I like writing on the wall in crayon, the words start to talk back to you then.
Ryan Noir
from New York, NY is reading Tropic of CancerFebruary 16, 2012 - 2:37am
So much mac hate on this forum. It's interesting to me. As a lover of simplicity of tools, the Mac/Apple product line is like none other. Flawless integration. I can take my iphone, ipad, ipod, or mac out and open up where I left off on a document without uploading and downloading, etc. It's all right there on icloud for me.
To say that all mac users are sheep and look the same is ignorant and unobservant (two fatal flaws for any writer). The scathing anti-mac opinions don't really add up, if you ask me. Apple offers simple tools so artists of any skill level can present their abilities.
I commend Google for their open source, like Ubuntu. And well, Microsoft has their market share for business tools and home OS for grandpa (This was a light hearted jab...), but for creative people who want simple, effective tools of the highest quality, Apple owns it.
For the writer, Pages is as good as Word, except Pages has integration across all devices and backs up to icloud for free. No risk of loss.
I guess I'll just say that the original poster was interested in a pros and cons list for each device...I don't think he asked about the "sheep" or the "people who all look the same in the queue." So here's my take, as a user who has used Linux/Ubuntu, Windows, and Mac OS for a very long time.
Old Macs sucked. Anything built before Intel processors were introduced were as annoying to use as any Windows or Ubuntu device. Windows hasn't evolved since Windows XP, a decade old interface. 7 is the same thing with an upgraded aesthetic to look more like, surprise, OS X Snow Leopard. Ubuntu is a time consuming operating system. It's more complicated to use and the operator needs a more advanced understanding of the machine he's using.
That's fine if you're a tech geek, but I'm a fiction writer. I want to turn the machine on, and write. I also want to have my documents saved easily and transfer them back and forth between different devices depending on where I am.
What's most concerning to me about Microsoft, is they developed the new Office with new code, but locked down the format so older devices can't even look at the documents, somewhat arbitrarily and without any truly just cause except greed. Apple, in it's appreciation of the user, allows you to open any format document, be it a .doc, .docx, .pages, .(insert whatever you want). The system does everything for you so you can focus on being creative.
Some people call that being a Sheep. I call it being smart. I call it being efficient. Aluminum Casing and Gorilla Glass makes my machine withstand a lot more than any chincy netbook marketed to soccer moms and teenagers. Those aren't devices for creative people, the screen size alone is abhorrent for a primary device for a writer.
Backlit keyboard for typing in bed in the dark, keys spaced correctly for ergonomics, 10 hour battery for prolonged outtings of writing in nature, integration across the entire product line, gesture movements to move back and forth between research windows and word processors without moving the mouse or using a sequence of keys...these are all features that are only now being rivaled by the likes of HP. Their new computer is a Mac look alike called the Envy and it's the same price as a Mac Book Pro. I mean, you can trash it all you want, but Apple is doing something right.
That's it for my rant.
Jose F. Diaz
from Boston is reading Wolf Hall by Hilary MantelFebruary 16, 2012 - 2:43am
Well said Ryan. Thank you for taking the time to write out your thoughts on the matter.
Jose F. Diaz
from Boston is reading Wolf Hall by Hilary MantelFebruary 16, 2012 - 6:35am
I still have my netbook and Alienware laptop. I decided I would buy a Macbook Air and see what all the fuss is about. I can always return it if I don't dig it. I will let you guys know.
PS: By the time I wrote this, the Mac had already been bought.
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup
from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck WendigFebruary 16, 2012 - 8:41am
So here's my anecdote: Many years ago I got a used Macbook, and it lasted and lasted and lasted. After about 7 years the power cord stopped working, but I was too stupid to figure that out, and started using a fairly nice PC. I wanted to get some stuff I hadn't backed up off my Mac and lo and behold the genius bar told me it was my charger, got a new charger and that laptop still does everything it ever did (but won't update to new OSs and stuff like that, it is a decade old). In the 3 years I was using a PC I went through two. My ten year old Mabook still works.
So, when my PC fucked up AGAIN, while I was in the middle of a project with a deadline--I bought a Macbook. And I don't have any of the annoying issues with needing to restart, I don't have to worry as much about viruses, and I am relatively confident that this laptop will last longer than a year and a half. THAT'S why I buy Macs. Not to impress people at Starbucks (I have WiFi at home) or because I am under the mistaken impression that a computer that is good for visual arts will also be better for writing--but because of quality. Laptops have short lifespans, but my Mac lived and lived and lived.
razorsharp
from Ohio is reading Atlas ShruggedFebruary 16, 2012 - 8:45am
@Joseph Day
I don't think you'll regret it. I've heard a lot of great things about Pages but I never downloaded it. I just use LibreOffice (with the toolbars moved to verticle alignment to maximize my view of the page).
Another neat thing that you should try out: get yourself in the habit of using Spotlight to open everything. It's amazing how much time you'll save compared to clicking on icons and opening folders. Also, make sure you learn the gestures and toy around with the multiple desktops. There's a three-finger swipe gesture to go from one desktop to another - sometimes, for example, I'll have my outline on one desktop and my writing on another and I'll quickly alternate between the two.
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup
from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck WendigFebruary 16, 2012 - 8:46am
Same old Mac vs PC crap. Personally I use a PC. But frankly, Fedora Linux on my other machine is better than both Windows and Mac and runs on either a PC or a Mac. All those folks queuing in Apple stores all looking exactly the same as each other with their little silver branded status symbols, and little iPhones and iPads - I just never got that cliche sheeplike culture around Mac.
It's funny that you think all Mac users look the same, but this little rant is so obscenely familiar, in that it sounds exactly like every Linux user that dislikes Macs.
Can't answer the guy's question thoughtfully, so you hit on the people who buy Macs. Please.
http://www.youtube.com/user/nicepeter#p/u/21/TAaE7sJahiw
The Schticky is right up there with the Shake Weight.
3G iPad w/ apple bluetooth keyboard. Most mobile, fast as any PC in the price range and you can write in a park, or on the top of a mountain, and sync directly to iCloud (aka no risk of losing documents). You also only get to have one app on the screen at a time so that will cut down on the distraction of blinking icons on the dock.
Ubuntu;PC masterrace reporting in
If you would like to stop getting all those viruses you might consider a Mac . . . I love my Mac would never own a PC again. Mac's have less trouble, at least that has been my experience and with those I know who own them.
Whether one is better for writers or not . . . you can have Word for PC or Mac, it just depends on how much money you want to spend and not bother with viruses.
Good luck in your choosing.
@day - Do keyboards matter to you?
Dwayne: Not really. I'm not one of those people who is afraid of the back space or delete key. Why, what do you have for me?
Nothing, I was just going point out that MAC and PCs have different keyboard options.
Be oldschool and get an electric typewriter. You will be so cool that you will literally freeze in mid-walk. :D
Same old Mac vs PC crap. Personally I use a PC. But frankly, Fedora Linux on my other machine is better than both Windows and Mac and runs on either a PC or a Mac. All those folks queuing in Apple stores all looking exactly the same as each other with their little silver branded status symbols, and little iPhones and iPads - I just never got that cliche sheeplike culture around Mac.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaKWHvUASgk&noredirect=1
Oh and what's with the dude saying Scrivener Wndows eats all his work - everytime! I use it on Linux and Windows and it's never missed a beat. I remember during the beta the main guy, Keith I think, offered a $200 reward to anyone who could come up with a repeatable scenario where Scrivener would eat a writers work as a few were slagging off the software with nothing to show for it. The money was never claimed. Maybe you should write your repeatable case and claim your reward if it really does what you say?
Qaz
I like writing on the wall in crayon, the words start to talk back to you then.
So much mac hate on this forum. It's interesting to me. As a lover of simplicity of tools, the Mac/Apple product line is like none other. Flawless integration. I can take my iphone, ipad, ipod, or mac out and open up where I left off on a document without uploading and downloading, etc. It's all right there on icloud for me.
To say that all mac users are sheep and look the same is ignorant and unobservant (two fatal flaws for any writer). The scathing anti-mac opinions don't really add up, if you ask me. Apple offers simple tools so artists of any skill level can present their abilities.
I commend Google for their open source, like Ubuntu. And well, Microsoft has their market share for business tools and home OS for grandpa (This was a light hearted jab...), but for creative people who want simple, effective tools of the highest quality, Apple owns it.
For the writer, Pages is as good as Word, except Pages has integration across all devices and backs up to icloud for free. No risk of loss.
I guess I'll just say that the original poster was interested in a pros and cons list for each device...I don't think he asked about the "sheep" or the "people who all look the same in the queue." So here's my take, as a user who has used Linux/Ubuntu, Windows, and Mac OS for a very long time.
Old Macs sucked. Anything built before Intel processors were introduced were as annoying to use as any Windows or Ubuntu device. Windows hasn't evolved since Windows XP, a decade old interface. 7 is the same thing with an upgraded aesthetic to look more like, surprise, OS X Snow Leopard. Ubuntu is a time consuming operating system. It's more complicated to use and the operator needs a more advanced understanding of the machine he's using.
That's fine if you're a tech geek, but I'm a fiction writer. I want to turn the machine on, and write. I also want to have my documents saved easily and transfer them back and forth between different devices depending on where I am.
What's most concerning to me about Microsoft, is they developed the new Office with new code, but locked down the format so older devices can't even look at the documents, somewhat arbitrarily and without any truly just cause except greed. Apple, in it's appreciation of the user, allows you to open any format document, be it a .doc, .docx, .pages, .(insert whatever you want). The system does everything for you so you can focus on being creative.
Some people call that being a Sheep. I call it being smart. I call it being efficient. Aluminum Casing and Gorilla Glass makes my machine withstand a lot more than any chincy netbook marketed to soccer moms and teenagers. Those aren't devices for creative people, the screen size alone is abhorrent for a primary device for a writer.
Backlit keyboard for typing in bed in the dark, keys spaced correctly for ergonomics, 10 hour battery for prolonged outtings of writing in nature, integration across the entire product line, gesture movements to move back and forth between research windows and word processors without moving the mouse or using a sequence of keys...these are all features that are only now being rivaled by the likes of HP. Their new computer is a Mac look alike called the Envy and it's the same price as a Mac Book Pro. I mean, you can trash it all you want, but Apple is doing something right.
That's it for my rant.
Well said Ryan. Thank you for taking the time to write out your thoughts on the matter.
I still have my netbook and Alienware laptop. I decided I would buy a Macbook Air and see what all the fuss is about. I can always return it if I don't dig it. I will let you guys know.
PS: By the time I wrote this, the Mac had already been bought.
So here's my anecdote: Many years ago I got a used Macbook, and it lasted and lasted and lasted. After about 7 years the power cord stopped working, but I was too stupid to figure that out, and started using a fairly nice PC. I wanted to get some stuff I hadn't backed up off my Mac and lo and behold the genius bar told me it was my charger, got a new charger and that laptop still does everything it ever did (but won't update to new OSs and stuff like that, it is a decade old). In the 3 years I was using a PC I went through two. My ten year old Mabook still works.
So, when my PC fucked up AGAIN, while I was in the middle of a project with a deadline--I bought a Macbook. And I don't have any of the annoying issues with needing to restart, I don't have to worry as much about viruses, and I am relatively confident that this laptop will last longer than a year and a half. THAT'S why I buy Macs. Not to impress people at Starbucks (I have WiFi at home) or because I am under the mistaken impression that a computer that is good for visual arts will also be better for writing--but because of quality. Laptops have short lifespans, but my Mac lived and lived and lived.
@Joseph Day
I don't think you'll regret it. I've heard a lot of great things about Pages but I never downloaded it. I just use LibreOffice (with the toolbars moved to verticle alignment to maximize my view of the page).
Another neat thing that you should try out: get yourself in the habit of using Spotlight to open everything. It's amazing how much time you'll save compared to clicking on icons and opening folders. Also, make sure you learn the gestures and toy around with the multiple desktops. There's a three-finger swipe gesture to go from one desktop to another - sometimes, for example, I'll have my outline on one desktop and my writing on another and I'll quickly alternate between the two.
It's funny that you think all Mac users look the same, but this little rant is so obscenely familiar, in that it sounds exactly like every Linux user that dislikes Macs.
Can't answer the guy's question thoughtfully, so you hit on the people who buy Macs. Please.