Profound Disappointment

Posted by Daly de Gagne
Aug 9, 2010 at 10:52 PM

Wes, thanks to you and the others for giving me some push-back on this. I do appreciate it - if anything, having cut my computer teeth on the Mac in the 90s until 2002, I may have set my expectations too high, or in the wrong places.

I agree with you about the kitchen sink approach, the feature bloat. Yet, I cannot understand the distinct lack of some features on some of the outliner programs. And, in fact, I do not find a sense of Mac programs working any more perfectly than PC. Yes, I would rather use NoteBook on the Mac than OneNote. But why am I looking at NoteBook? because of lack of features in OmniOutliner, and an apparent ability to get Mori or Neo to work according to the claims they make. Perhaps the problem is not with the software, but with the way manuals are written. But…it is frustrating.

All of a sudden, programs such as MyInfo start to look better.

I’ve realized that on the Mac the easiest, fastest way for me to gather information and have it automatically backed up is EverNote. For that, I do not need a Mac.

Mac has a good reputation for outliners, but my recent experience suggests it is largely due to MORE and InControl. Opal is a good program, as was ACTA, but my need is for organzing information, as well as brief points, in an outline.

Wes, apart from the programs, what is it that makes the Mac better in your view to the PC? I love the way it feels, but I also like the way my partner’s daughter’s new Windows laptop feels, and I am told W7 is very stable.

What I remember from the Mac is a true elegance in software - and I have not found much of it so far, with the possible exception of DevonThink.

Daly

Wes Perdue wrote:
>Daly,
> >I think a false expectation may be leading to your disappointment. There are
>different philosophies on the two platforms, and you seem to not be allowing yourself
>enough time to adapt to the Mac app design philosophy.
> >PC apps seem to have a a
>kitchen-sink approach; that is, they just keep adding features until the apps are
>unwieldy. Mac apps tend to be more like a well-designed Unix utility: they do one thing
>well, are well-defined, and work perfectly.
> >I started my Mac adventure about two
>and a half years ago. It took six months before I started feeling comfortable with my
>Mac, and it took me a year to let go of my PC. I am now so in love with my Mac that you’d have to
>pry it from my cold, dead hands.
> >I’m a sys admin, with many years experience in
>Windows, Solaris, and Linux. I’ve been using DOS/Windows professionally since
>MS-DOS 3.3. I’ve used Windows more than any other platform. It took me a very long time
>to unlearn it and adapt to my Mac. I assure you that the journey for me was worth it; I
>expect it’ll be the same for you.
> >Please give it more time. If you are too
>uncomfortable, go back to Windows 7. It’s not that bad an OS. However, the Mac is a much
>more elegant tool, as are its best apps.
> >Regards,
>Wes