PC to Mac to PC: Lessons Learned

"I’m running a PC and a Mac side by side as part of a long-term commitment to developing more expertise in Apple’s platform. In this post, I share three of the lessons I’ve learned along the way, including insights about old habits, new hardware, and the joys of cross-platform software and services."

An interesting follow-up to Ed Bott's recent articles detailing his experiments running Windows and Mac OS X side-by-side, and the trials and tribulations of learning a different way of doing things. My interpretation of his three biggest lessons learned: the (new) keyboard is a big pain to learn and use because of the physical differences and the differences in 'the way things work' on the Mac; applications that look and act the same on both platforms are a terrific boon to the 'switcher' and 're-switcher;' and that hardware maintenance and upgrades are not as transparent as one is led to believe. Personally I use both platforms about equally and: don't have the keyboard problems (I've learned to use both without the gnashing of teeth); don't depend on apps that look and feel the same on both platforms (Vive la différence!); and have found sources for upgrades and replacements that are close in cost. Again, use the right tool for the job - if it's hammer, it really doesn't matter if it's a Craftsman or a Stanley.