What sequence of screens are you having to go through? Are you sure you aren’t hibernating the Windows machine? (Although I do agree that coming out of sleep mode is usually faster on a Mac than a Windows box, although not by much)

I’ve recently purchased a new laptop running Windows 7 – a standard “desktop replacement” model from Toshiba. It is the first PC I have owned since the days of Windows 95. Mac’s have taken up all of my computer time for quite a few years. Well, there was one short stint with Vista under Boot Camp on a MacBook – not pleasant.

Why did I buy this thing? First off, I’m not wed to the Mac platform and it’s not a career altering decision. Cost played a part. Regardless of what the Apple faithful claim, a Mac usually is a much more expensive purchase. Finally, I decided to simplify my entire home office and eliminate as much hardware as possible. This meant a switch to a single laptop computer to handle everything. I’ll allow for an AC adaptor and maybe a wireless mouse – but that’s it. A nearby printer is available when needed.

My current MacBook is almost always connected to an external display. The built-in screen is just too small for extended use – too many pixels crammed in too small of a space. I found the larger models to be just as uncomfortable. I don’t have terrible eyesight but I’m not a kid either. In contrast, the Toshiba has a 16” screen running at 1366×768. Power users may scoff, but this combination is so much easier on my eyes. No eyestrain here, and I’m again reminded of the slightly fuzzy look of text when rendered on a Mac.

The Toshiba keyboard is also more complete. It offers full size, dedicated page navigation keys along with a built-in numeric keypad. The “feel” isn’t all that great but it is serviceable. This machine might just work as a replacement for a desk full of hardware.

Windows 7 isn’t all that bad. The taskbar, in particular, is already proving more useful and efficient than the OS X Dock. I’ve never been a big fan of the Dock and after a week removed, it almost feels a bit cartoonish in nature. The Windows Explorer seems to work just fine – I can find what I’m looking for without much trouble. The whole Library thing seems a bit redundant – for now at least. I do like the Contacts folder. For my basic needs, it is nice to handle all of that from a standard Explorer window. I feel much the same about the (downloadable) Photo Gallery. For basic use, it’s a pleasure to use a program that doesn’t haul me off to an alternative universe.

Oh, by the way, Word 2007 runs rings around its Mac counterpart.
 
What do I miss from my Mac? I miss the System Preferences app. Setting up and configuring OS X is a much cleaner and more consistent process. Windows 7 still coughs up a hodge-podge of Aero panels, old style dialog boxes, vendor installed items and obscure third-party utilities. Realtec, Synaptics…who are these people and how did they get in my house?

I miss the system wide dictionary/thesaurus/spell checker found in OS X. It works almost everywhere – except of course in Office. The actual Dictionary app is very handy as well. The integrated Wikipedia lookup is a great procrastination tool. Also, the relative freedom from Internet infections has to be mentioned. The whole security situation does seem to be changing, but for now, my Mac is probably still a safe haven. Native PDF support is another plus – if for no other reason than the avoidance of yet another third party utility.

On the hardware side, the (black) MacBook wins – hands down – in the design department. It has a clean, solid build that looks good and feels good. The scrolling trackpad works like a charm. Apple’s newer unibody models are nicer still. The Toshiba is a bit lacking in refinement. I’m not sure if I’d call it cheap, but there is a noticeable difference. The fact that it would be used as a desktop replacement limits my concerns about durability. As a road warrior’s machine, I would look elsewhere. Toshiba has included some multi-touch functions to the trackpad. In practice, it pales in comparison to the Apple product. One more point in Apple’s favor is the inclusion of system restore discs in every box. Backing up the PC install required 5 recordable DVD’s and a considerable length of time.

Would I actually make the switch? I certainly could. Nothing that I really need to do with a computer would require the use of a Macintosh. The iLife suite doesn’t interest me nor do Apple’s pro offerings. This Toshiba could very much simplify my home office setup. It’s an all-in-one solution with a comfortable screen, functional keyboard and plenty of battery life should I need it. After the initial setup, Windows 7 seems like a fine operating system – I’m comfortable with it. As mentioned, Word 2007 is head and shoulders above Word for Mac and I’ve never really taken to the Pages app. Yes, Windows can run on a Mac but the cost would be hard to justify – even if I could find a suitable Apple laptop.

Oh boy.

Yet another reason why the control panel in Windows is horrible and the Start Menu is worse.

This is what you get with designed by committee UI’s.

I’ll see how it holds up (I’m going to drop it repeatedly in the coming months even if it’s always accidental!) but so far it’s good stuff.

After all, its only a matter of time for Apple to surpass Microsoft in sales. Only so many Microsoft keyboards, MS Mice Zunes and mobile windowz to flog yet alone the multitude of expensive flavors of windows 7 to wash that vista flavor out of your mouth.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/132943-how-soon-can-apple-s-market-cap-surpass-microsoft-s

No matter how you slice it, Apple is growing and Microsoft is shrinking.