Back to Windows (still on an iMac) after switching to OS X 2 years ago Thread poster: Jacques DP
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Jacques DP 
Switzerland
Local time: 05:47
English to French
I switched to an iMac about 2 years ago. Initially I was only looking for a good desktop computer, that would be silent, all-in-one (much less cumbersome than usual desktop computers), and reasonably good looking. I soon realized that the iMac was perfect for me on the hardware side.
On the software side, I was curious about OS X (being an iPhone and iPad user), and I figured that if OS X + Parallels (I use Studio 2014 all the time, including client-provided Studio packages, and I a... See more I switched to an iMac about 2 years ago. Initially I was only looking for a good desktop computer, that would be silent, all-in-one (much less cumbersome than usual desktop computers), and reasonably good looking. I soon realized that the iMac was perfect for me on the hardware side.
On the software side, I was curious about OS X (being an iPhone and iPad user), and I figured that if OS X + Parallels (I use Studio 2014 all the time, including client-provided Studio packages, and I also like TO3000 which is perfect for me and saves me a lot of time) was not practical, I could always use BootCamp and use the iMac as a PC.
I worked for more than one year in OS X. It certainly worked. No performance issue at all. Parallels does what it says, very well in fact.
I mostly faced two problems. The first is the two sets of system shortcuts and conventions. I was a power user of Windows, familiar with most shortcuts and subtleties. I learned most of OS X conventions without too much trouble, but keeping the two sets in mind, and remembering in what OS you are depending on the application, is a pain. Even one year after I started I would still regularly mix up my shortcuts because of it. It was a layer of complication added, especially problematic for someone used to work fast (I touch type and don't have to think about shorcuts usually).
The other problem (a lesser problem as far as I'm concerned, but it might different for someone less familiar with IT) is that one ends up managing two systems. System management can already in itself be tedious, but now one has to do everything twice.
In March I left my home and lived abroad, and I worked with a Windows system again (an HP notebook). It was good. I was relieved of the complications, extra layers and double set of conventions. I worked faster.
So, when I came back home, I re-created a BootCamp partition, re-installed everything there, and here I am, writing to you on my iMac but through Windows. By the way: Windows 7. Though I contributed to the localization of Windows 8, I never used it. Windows 7 is stable and clean, I have very few problems with it (not more than with OS X).
I certainly don't say that OS X is bad. Some things I found really nice (Time Machine, iPhoto, Spotlight), others less so (iTunes). Some I had particular trouble to get accustomed to because of my Windows habits (Finder). Overall I would say it's significantly better than Windows, but the added complication if you need to keep Windows and use Windows applications every day, at least the way I do, offsets the difference.
The iMac is (so far) a great PC. I am still very happy with the purchase, and if it were to break down now, I would most probably buy a new iMac to replace it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:47
Member (2008)
Italian to English
I'm on the opposite side.
I've been a Mac user since the early 1990s and I can't make head or tail of Windows. It just looks horrible to me and the less I have to do with it, the happier I am. And as we all know, Windows was copied from the Mac operating system. Badly. They're still copying it. Badly.
For the same reasons as you, in the opposite direction, I don't use Parallels and I don't run Windows, although I know people who do need to do that for professional reaso... See more I'm on the opposite side.
I've been a Mac user since the early 1990s and I can't make head or tail of Windows. It just looks horrible to me and the less I have to do with it, the happier I am. And as we all know, Windows was copied from the Mac operating system. Badly. They're still copying it. Badly.
For the same reasons as you, in the opposite direction, I don't use Parallels and I don't run Windows, although I know people who do need to do that for professional reasons (website designers, people like that). They seem quite happy switching from one operating system to the other, and of course Parallels makes it very easy.
As for me,at the moment I'm wrestling with MS Word trying to find out where they've hidden the keyboard shortcuts, so that I can create a keyboard shortcut for "go to next page" in Word that's the same as the keyboard shortcut in Acrobat Reader...
I hate Word ! I hate Micro$oft! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Stop struggling | Nov 30, 2014 |
Tom in London wrote:
As for me,at the moment I'm wrestling with MS Word trying to find out where they've hidden the keyboard shortcuts, so that I can create a keyboard shortcut for "go to next page" in Word that's the same as the keyboard shortcut in Acrobat Reader...
Our Redmondian friends provided heaps of Automator Actions to compensate for the lack of VBA in Word:mac 2008. You can still download them, and use them in 2011. One of the Actions is
Save it as a Service, and assign the keyboard shortcut of your choice to it in the Keyboard Prefs.
Cheers,
Hans
Note: Before installing the Action, see to it you set your Security & Privacy Preferences to Allow apps downloaded from: Anywhere. Microsoft isn't an "identified developer," it seems.
[Edited at 2014-12-01 09:50 GMT]
| | | | 2nl (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 05:47
| It's crucial to do everything at the Mac side | Dec 1, 2014 |
I have Parallels installed too but I've learned to do (almost) everything at the Mac side.
OS X already offers tons and tons of keyboard shortcut and you can still add your own ones. Where this isn't possible, you can use Keyboard Maestro to add even more keyboard shortcuts.
I use a CAT tool that isn't native OS X but one that lets me stay at the Mac side. I think that's crucial here. My CAT tool (CafeTran) lets me process Studio projects perfectly under OS X, with muc... See more I have Parallels installed too but I've learned to do (almost) everything at the Mac side.
OS X already offers tons and tons of keyboard shortcut and you can still add your own ones. Where this isn't possible, you can use Keyboard Maestro to add even more keyboard shortcuts.
I use a CAT tool that isn't native OS X but one that lets me stay at the Mac side. I think that's crucial here. My CAT tool (CafeTran) lets me process Studio projects perfectly under OS X, with much more editing features than Studio offers itself. See for instance the Find and Replace dialogue box:
CafeTran lets me preserve case in replacements and execute replacement actions both in my project and TMs at the same time etc. Besides this, CafeTran offers about 40 user-definable keyboard shortcuts for frequent tasks.
Also the speed of my CAT tool (e.g. finding and replacing is instantaneously, no slow cycling through the segments) is way higher than on Studio in Parallels.
So I'm perfectly happy with my iMac, doing everything in OS X. In January I'll probably buy a Mac Pro with a 34" LG ultra wide screen. That'll be a party  .
[Edited at 2014-12-01 08:29 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Jacques DP
Switzerland
Local time: 05:47
English to French
TOPIC STARTER
Tom: I agree that Macs and OS X are generally better (and I am still a Mac user). If you always used them and don't need Windows, I am not surprised by what you say. I'm being merely practical in this. I use whatever serves me best, given my history and my needs. So we don't have a disagreement, just different circumstances.
| | | | Emma Goldsmith
Spain
Local time: 05:47
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
Thanks for this report, Jacques. Very interesting.
| | | | Erik Freitag
Germany
Local time: 05:47
Member (2006)
Dutch to German
+ ...
Thanks, Jacques - that's very interesting to hear, as I am thinking about switching to a Mac mini when my current PC becomes obsolete, for much of the same reasons you named.
I'd really like to switch over to a Mac OS, too, but I'm not prepared to give up TO3000, and probably SDL Studio neither.
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