Archive for November, 2005
Who Will Win?
I loved watching Joe Montana and Michael Jordan. They both have big hearts, love the game and wanted the ball in the final minutes. I prefer proven veterans to rookies. I’ve never been able to comprehend why rookies receive huge contracts. That said, I’ve just paid for TextMate even though I own version 8 of BBEdit. I’ve heard TextMate targets ’switchers’ and coders. I’m not a prototypical ‘PC switcher;’ I started using Macs in 1984, moved to NeXT, then to PCs and finally back to Apple and Mac years ago. I’m also not a propeller head. I do basic text editing and a little (very little) HTML, XHTML and CSS.
BBEdit is deep, feature rich, solid and proven. It has features that I’ve only scratched the surface of. I admire Rich Siegel and the gang at Bare Bones.
TextMate is fun. It feels good and has tremendous potential! I’m impressed by Allan Odgaard.
Question: So… who is going to win the Mac text editor war?
Answer: It’s not a war, but users, like you and me, win!
Macs are beginning to regain lost market share. Impressive new programs are being developed for the Mac and that’s great, but you won’t catch me betting against a veteran with a big heart. I’m looking forward to seeing future versions of BBEdit and TextMate.
Macs Are Fun
My deal is to be happy and to try to help others be happier.
Can computers and computer software help people live happier lives? Although the initial purchase of a computer is almost always an exciting, full-of-promise, time, I suspect that many, perhaps most, people quickly become frustrated with their new machines and eventually lose hope that they will ever become truly helpful devices.
Many years ago, I was uncomfortably using Windows 95 at my medical office and at home; I certainly wasn’t having fun. Almost every day I would receive calls from friends asking me questions like, “What does it mean when it says, cannot find TWAIN.DLL?” or making statements like, “I tried to install a sound card and now nothing works.” My, very tolerant, wife would actually leave the house when I was installing new PC hardware.
Shortly after Steve Jobs returned to Apple I found myself wearing a path in the sidewalk in front of an Apple vendor’s store here in Vancouver. I was contemplating purchasing Macs for my family, but I had a substantial investment in my PCs and my Window’s software, so it wasn’t an easy decision.
News Flash - Computers can be helpful and fun!
Moving to the Mac was the best technology decision I’ve ever made. These days when friends call with questions I say, “I’m sorry I haven’t kept up with Windows problems, I’m using a Mac.”
Consider this simple plan:
1. Buy a new Mac
2. Buy an external FireWire hard drive
3. Buy SuperDuper! and use it every day
Your computing life will never be perfect, but you will enjoy using your Mac and I’m betting that will make you happier. I run my home business with a Mac.