Opening Windows

As any Mac aficionado will tell you, Windows is terrible. As an operating system, it's as slow, cumbersome and ponderous as an ageing basset hound. Windows machines seem to take a break before completing any action - unlike the sprightly Mac which snaps to attention like an eager spaniel.

I hate Windows.

Or do I? This may be contentious, but my impression is that Mac OS has been moving towards Windows lately. In fact, from time to time, I've found myself wondering whether there might be a case for using a Windows machine.

Gasp!

Now, I went through this before - when I suddenly felt inspired to switch to an android phone and a Chromebook, of all things. It didn't go well. 

The reality is that in the world of "worky-work", my clients expect me to work in MS Word and Excel. This is perfectly achievable on a Mac. One can work on the Mac equivalents, Pages and Numbers, then at the very end, export one's work in the Microsoft format. Alternatively, Microsoft produces software editions for the Mac, which are mostly the same as the Windows versions. Ironically, I think the current best version of Outlook is the one for the Mac. All that said, though, Word, Excel and their worky cousins are made to work on Windows and should, therefore, be best used in their native environment.

So, I thought I'd try them out.

Thesis 1. For worky-work tasks, a Windows PC will be better than an Apple one.

Of late, I have found myself grumbling about the cost of everything. Wait until you turn fifty. It happens. Apple One. apps, web hosting, software as a service, audiobooks, TV services, and even podcasts. Do I need to pay out this much? Is there a premium on Apple applications? To be fair, I suspect some shopping around and a little compromise could source excellent value for money on either platform, but my unfounded or tested theory is the basis for Thesis 2.

Thesis 2. Building a suite of apps and tools for my tasks will be cheaper in a Windows environment than in an Apple one.

I'm heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, and I am going to feel friction introducing a Windows machine. However, there are annoyances in my fruit-named IT infrastructure, which I suspect have less to do with a lack of technology than a smug complacency in Cupertino. Apple Mail is pants. Apple Music is completely incomprehensible. Apple Home is, at best, barely functioning. Siri? Don't get me started with Siri. There are times that I have considered whether there might be a fifth column within Apple Corp, intent on its destruction, that has been sabotaging Siri at every opportunity.

Thesis 3. In some cases, I may be best served by using alternatives to Apple solutions. 

Over the coming weeks, I'll explore these theses and more and write about them here under the hashtag Working Tools.

Will I abandon all things Apple for their alternatives? I doubt it. I suspect that in some cases, I may decide that the grass is not greener on the other side. Also, there is an advantage to being all-in on one system, although perhaps not as much as there used to be. We'll see.

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