Reviews, Views and Adventures in Content Creation

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Mac vs. PC...Still? (Blogging Every Day #5)

[5] I use Apple devices. I have an iMac, an iPad, an iPhone, and an aging MacBook Pro. I enjoy the predictability and ease of working within the Apple universe. It simply works for me. I especially like cloud syncing, which allows my word processing, contacts and schedule to instantly update on all my platforms. With my iPad I can work on a document at Starbucks. As soon as I'm home, I simply access my iMac, and that same document appears, perfectly up to day.

On the other hand, if someone asks my opinion on whether they should buy a Mac or PC, I'm certainly not an evangelist. We're at a point in computer and software technology where so much is generally equivalent. I love Apple tech, and I'm not bothered by what some call a closed, controlled world. I don't believe however, that writing a book on a Mac is dramatically different than writing a book on a PC. If a writer wishes to buy a new computer simply for writing, and is more experienced in the PC world - and has a limited budget, I don't believe that buying a Mac is worth the extra expense.

This morning, I started listening to a podcast about self-publishing in which the ages-old (it seems) Mac vs. PC debate was dredged up one again. At this point in time, the argument itself seems archaic.

I wrote My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain on a Mac, using the Apple Pages word processing program. I used the Mac version of Microsoft Word to finish the book and predictably exchange files between both my editor and the online publishing mechanisms that prepped my book for distribution ("save as" didn't always lead to dependable results).

It works for me - and that's all that counts.

4 comments:

  1. True dat. I'm still a member of the cult, but I've given up my position on the recruiting committee.

    Part of what makes the argument irrelevant and a purely personal matter is the use of tools from Google (etc).

    I have two Google calendars (one work, one personal), each of which sync with my iPhone. I can also use Google docs anywhere. (etc)

    These types of integrations, with other various cloud services (dropbox, sharefile, etc) put all we need wherever we need it. How we access it is purely a personal choice.

    (And, just for the record, I choose Apple.)

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    1. I'm really taken aback when I run into a podcast or article somewhere that rehashes the old arguments...seems odd these days..

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  2. I completely agree with you, Rich. I don't know why the feud for the Mac vs PC has gone on for this long. People should know by now that it all comes down to personal preferences. The debate has been going on for too long and no one has ever actually proved that one is better than the other. Someone is always going to prefer Mac over PC, just like someone will always rather use a PC than use a Mac. Oh well. If it works for you then that's all that really counts, right?

    Cordia Remsen @ RBSMN

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