On the Seventh Day…
You guessed it:
Seven days have passed since I began my great Mac/Windows experiment. Though there were a few bumps along the way, I can report that I now have a fully functioning Mac with a fully functioning Windows environment co-existing in one machine. All software is installed and functioning. (Including Corel Ventura!)
Rikk puts the MacBook into production.
(Skip to the bottom fro Strobist information on this product shot!)
Immediately after my last update on the Windows/MacBook, I experienced my first serious glitch in the form of an errant Bluetooth Driver or possibly a Canon 5D driver, that actually blocked Vista from booting. I was all but convinced that I would be reinstalling Windows after two hours of aborted Restore attempts. I had no access to the Boot Camp in Vista and Windows would not boot from the DVD ROM. Cold sweat trickled down my face. A quick search of the internet yielded a keystroke that allowed me to choose the boot disk on power-up and I was able to boot Mac OS-X again. From there, Windows would boot normally and I was saved. A completed Restore operation was then possible that had me running good-as-new in a matter of twenty minutes.
Since then, there have been few issues and most of those revolving around software applications. Some of my packages came with both Mac and Windows versions on the installation disk(s) and some did not. Others of my applications, purchased online with software keys emailed to me, would install on the Mac side (provided I’d downloaded the Mac version) and activate. About half would not activate with the previously provided key. Emailing most of the manufacturers yielded a nominal-charge key for access to both OS’s once I provided proof of purchase. I was careful to review my EULA for each package to make certain I was still legal. Most licenses don’t cover multiple installations on a single machine – yet.
After using the machine for a couple of days, I can report the following.
- Mac boots faster (it has far fewer applications and widgets installed so that isn’t surprising)
- Windows keeps better access to shared printers. Mac sometimes forgets where the printers are on the Vista network.
- Both maintain about the same access to the network under various wireless conditions.
- Like applications installed on both sides of the disk partition (Photoshop and Skype tested) seem to have about the same speed of operation and functionality.
- Mac seems to restore more consistently from a lid closure than Vista-particularly when reconnecting to Bluetooth devices.
- The Operating Systems are not all that different. In fact the Mac turns out to be just as annoying as Vista when it comes to warning you about whatever you are doing. At least Vista will allow you to kill UAC’s.
The next week will be spent preparing for some serious teaching in both the Mac and Vista OS. I have a feeling that projector connectivity and screen management might be interesting. I expected more problems than arose and was pleasantly surprised at how well the two systems integrate.
But for now, after resting on the 7th day, I think I will take the rest of the 8th day off.
Rikk Flohr © 2009
Strobist Info: The MacBook product shot above was created on a Canon 20D powering a 580EXII using the Alien Bees Remote Wireless triggers. The Flash was set on 1/128th power and the Camera at 1/40th second with an aperture of F5.6. ISO was set at 400. The flash was placed 90° to the camera lens at a distance of about 5 feet. Image shot on JPG and post processed in Corel PhotoPaint X4.
