I have always used some form of a Windows PC for my personal computing. I understand how it works, and I've got a fairly decent feel for what to expect from the operating system. In short, I feel like I get it. On top of that, most workplaces I've been to have also used it, so using the Windows operating system has been a significant part of my experience with computers.
As you've probably noticed, though, Apple and its products have put themselves squarely in the conversation for "best devices to use" (though if my brother's company ever pans out, that'll change). I fully get that, and I am willing to give the devices their due. However, there are some people who go far, far beyond that, and become fanboys. Their favorite device and the associated manufacturer can do no wrong in their eyes, and they absolutely insist that Apple is the end-all, be-all, absolutely best thing ever, and that no other competitor has ever even come up with a good idea. It's ... annoying.
But when these people resort to fanboy mode, I can only respond with what I know. And, well, I don't really have much first-hand experience with the iOS or the OS X operating systems. I simply have no data here. So, much like this college professor who had to read the Twilight books before he could comment on them, I figured I'd jump in and try it. After all, one of the things that I've always tried to do is to actually prove things to myself (I like science).
So, I am currently writing this post on a MacBook of my very own. It certainly didn't hurt that my old Windows laptop was getting old, so I needed to replace it anyway. But just to make sure I didn't give myself an out, I didn't resort to two laptops or an iPad. Nope, I got an actual MacBook, and made it my primary computing device. I jumped in the deep end.
So far, I have to say that it's been a fairly simple switch. To be fair, I haven't really tried anything that would require super user knowledge. Most of what I've done has been web-based, and the browser is largely the same regardless of the operating system powering it.
The one thing that I have noticed, though, is that the keyboard shortcuts are different. I'm very used to using the Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys on the Windows side. I can jump around quickly and navigate where I want using those commands very easily. The Mac side doesn't have those buttons, though. Instead, you use the Command button in combination with arrows to jump to the beginning or end. And if you want Page Up or Page Down, you can use the Alt/Option key. It's a sane system, but I haven't quite gotten used to it. I will occasionally use the wrong one by accident, and I end up muttering to myself about the keys.
Even worse, I recently got a new laptop/keyboard combination at work, too. So even though the same keys exist, they are arranged in a different layout. I have hit the Page Down key when meaning to hit End (or vice versa) on many an occasion. Worse yet, I usually hit those keys in combination with the Ctrl key, which will either jump to the next page, jump to the end of the document, or do very little, depending on which program I'm using.
In short, my muscle memory is super confused right now. I feel a little bit like I'm drunk at the keyboard or something, what with all of the "random" jumping around and accidental navigation. Put it this way: a friend of mine recently commented that teaching her teenage son to drive meant that the windshield wipers would randomly turn on at times, and I have an inkling of how that must feel. I will be typing along, doing my thing, when the laptop does something entirely unexpected. It's a little unsettling to someone who is supposed to both understand and manipulate the environment at will.
Now, I'm certain that all of this will pass, and I'll be better off for it in the long run. But for the moment, I am reminded of that classic "Who Moved My Cheese" book. Who the heck moved my keyboard?
As you've probably noticed, though, Apple and its products have put themselves squarely in the conversation for "best devices to use" (though if my brother's company ever pans out, that'll change). I fully get that, and I am willing to give the devices their due. However, there are some people who go far, far beyond that, and become fanboys. Their favorite device and the associated manufacturer can do no wrong in their eyes, and they absolutely insist that Apple is the end-all, be-all, absolutely best thing ever, and that no other competitor has ever even come up with a good idea. It's ... annoying.
But when these people resort to fanboy mode, I can only respond with what I know. And, well, I don't really have much first-hand experience with the iOS or the OS X operating systems. I simply have no data here. So, much like this college professor who had to read the Twilight books before he could comment on them, I figured I'd jump in and try it. After all, one of the things that I've always tried to do is to actually prove things to myself (I like science).
So, I am currently writing this post on a MacBook of my very own. It certainly didn't hurt that my old Windows laptop was getting old, so I needed to replace it anyway. But just to make sure I didn't give myself an out, I didn't resort to two laptops or an iPad. Nope, I got an actual MacBook, and made it my primary computing device. I jumped in the deep end.
So far, I have to say that it's been a fairly simple switch. To be fair, I haven't really tried anything that would require super user knowledge. Most of what I've done has been web-based, and the browser is largely the same regardless of the operating system powering it.
The one thing that I have noticed, though, is that the keyboard shortcuts are different. I'm very used to using the Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys on the Windows side. I can jump around quickly and navigate where I want using those commands very easily. The Mac side doesn't have those buttons, though. Instead, you use the Command button in combination with arrows to jump to the beginning or end. And if you want Page Up or Page Down, you can use the Alt/Option key. It's a sane system, but I haven't quite gotten used to it. I will occasionally use the wrong one by accident, and I end up muttering to myself about the keys.
Even worse, I recently got a new laptop/keyboard combination at work, too. So even though the same keys exist, they are arranged in a different layout. I have hit the Page Down key when meaning to hit End (or vice versa) on many an occasion. Worse yet, I usually hit those keys in combination with the Ctrl key, which will either jump to the next page, jump to the end of the document, or do very little, depending on which program I'm using.
In short, my muscle memory is super confused right now. I feel a little bit like I'm drunk at the keyboard or something, what with all of the "random" jumping around and accidental navigation. Put it this way: a friend of mine recently commented that teaching her teenage son to drive meant that the windshield wipers would randomly turn on at times, and I have an inkling of how that must feel. I will be typing along, doing my thing, when the laptop does something entirely unexpected. It's a little unsettling to someone who is supposed to both understand and manipulate the environment at will.
Now, I'm certain that all of this will pass, and I'll be better off for it in the long run. But for the moment, I am reminded of that classic "Who Moved My Cheese" book. Who the heck moved my keyboard?
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