Day 2: Switching from PC to Macbook

It is now day two of being on my new Macbook Pro, and I am fine. I haven't used an Mac computer since high school. I am 38, so 20 years?

I have been a PC user my entire adult likinlane-productions2on a Mac from time to time to troubleshoot something, view a web site, or show my kids something (I bought them an IMac a few years back). Other than that...I've spent thousands of hours on Windows workstations and servers. My primary excuse for never switching to a Mac is that I need to support SQL Server. I have used SQL Server since 1998. That era is coming to an end. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful. SQL Server has made me a lot of money and supported my family. However, my career is moving on. I will not be supporting SQL Server as a core job function anymore. If I do any support I will log on to the server and work with via Remote Desktop (RDP).

This really isn't the reason Im switching though. My primary reasons are:
  • Battery Life: With all my traveling my 2-3 hours on PC is just unacceptable.
  • Play with Cool Kids: I'm going to be attending a lot of events and gatherings in Silicon Valley and I've seen the looks you get when you have a PC vs. Mac.
  • Change: Embracing of change, and encouraging it in all areas when I can.
I was immediately productive on my new MacBook Pro. This was my main concern. That somehow I would fumble around for days, and not be able to work at normal capacity. This was not the case. I haven't fumbled AT ALL.

The MacBook is intuitive, easy to use and I had all the applications I depend on up and running within an hour.

A contributing factor to the ease of transition is, I live in the clouds. I use Gmail, Google Docs, Amazon Web Services, Evernote and many other cloud based tools. I live in Google Chrome and Firefox. I depend on many Software as a Service (SaaS) to get my work done. So it really isn't about the platform anymore. I just need a handful of installed apps, browsers, and an Internet connection.

I have to say I really love my MacBook.