Every now and then, it pays to take time out form the computer – for creatives as well as business people. At Aquafruit, we believe in giving out people creative license – couple with commercial sense.
Today however, it’s all about the canvas. … …
Enjoy!
When I switched to Apple Mail, I was a little annoyed about how “unfriendly” Apple Mail actually was. But, after a little while, I realised that I just needed to think like a Mac person (Not a Windows person).
First off, the Mac is intuitive. Very Intuitive. Once you make the mind shift to the Mac, you also need to educate yourself in “straight forwardness”. Meaning? The people who designed the Apple Mac OS – from a usability perspective – are some of the best in the world. For instance.
In any Mac application you can assign keyboard shortcuts to any keyboard command – that are listed in the menus. Using Apple Mail as an example, let’s say that I wanted to add a keyboard shortcut to the numbered list option. (As you can see, there isn’t one assigned by default).
You will need to add in the “exact” wording (including upper and lower case) so take a note of what it is. Then, go to System Preferences, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, and highlight “Application Shortcuts”.
Click on the + button and then choose the application you want to add the keyboard shortcut to (in our case, Apple Mail).
Then add in the Menu Title and Keyboard Shortcut (Making sure that you are not using a shortcut that has already been assigned).
Then click on the Add button.
Close System Preference, and Apple Mail (Quit out of them), then re-open Apple mail.
Open a blank email and then check out the menu.
Done!
Now, I can use the menu items I need the most - with my own preferences.
Warm regards,
Scott Malpass
Aquafruit Media.
Just a quick post for those of you using Apple mail (and if you’re not, you should be!) ..
Spell Check and Grammar options.
For those of you who miss the automated spell and grammar check within Outlook or Entourage, there are a few hidden options within Apple Mail.
First off, open a new message in Apple Mail and then right click anywhere in the body of the email. From the options displayed, choose Spelling and Grammar, Check Spelling and then the option you prefer.
Note, You can also choose the “Check Grammar with Spelling” and “Correct Spelling Automatically” options.
Dont’ forget the substitutions as well – particularly the “Text Replacement” option for automatic text corrections when typing.
And, there’s just one more thing. What dictionary are you using? Go to System Preferences, Language and Text and make sure you are using the correct language. For me, I needed to change to Australian English (**Note, when changing languages, you will need to log out and then back in again **).
That’s it.
In our next article, a few other hints and tips for you re Apple Mail.
Warm regards,
Scott Malpass
Aquafruit Media.
In our last article within this series, we spoke about the ongoing costs associated with either Mac’s or PC’s. In summary, Mac’s have a lower overhead from a cost of both software and energy, but to be fair, let’s have a look at the manufacture’s web sites to see what they have to say.
My vote still goes out to Apple and it’s statements of sustainability.
Integration into the corporate environment.
So, what about using Mac’s within the corporate environment. Well, a majority of corporate environments are either entirely Windows orientated at the desktop level, or 90+%. But, with the Mac making inroads into this environment, there is a change/shift that has already started.
Here at Aquafruit, we use a combination of both Mac’s and PC’s as our belief is in the correct machine/OS for the job required. Within most corporates, a Windows environment has been implimented due to security policies, management and to a certain extent, indoctrination.
But, with both the iPhone and iPad making inroads into this environment, network admins are now needing to take notice and get involved within the Mac realm.
There are companies that have been involved in integrating Mac’s for a while (Aquafruit for instance), but it has been a very select, niche space to say the least. But, with change comes a better environment, better productivity, better security and a better bottom line.
What about Control?
With every corporate environment comes control. In some environments, extreme control, (Banks for example) and in others, enough control to get the ball moving and keep employee’s happy. There is no secret that employee theft and counter espionage is a part of the everyday corporate life with information leaving the enterprise from several areas, but with Mac’s added into this environment, there is another security issue that network admins need to look at. Primarily, Ignorance.
As a network admin, there are an enormous amount of leakage that needs to be addressed within any corporate environment. Email, files, web, VPN, mobile devices, wireless networks etc to mention the main ones. Policing these areas (without being a Nazi) is time consuming and sometimes incredibly difficult, just from a simple traffic monitoring perspective. Keeping tabs on the information leaving the corporate network, (Laptops for example) using a Windows environment is difficult enough as it is, let alone with the addition of Mac’s (which are not understood by non “Mac” skilled staff).
So, is adding Mac’s into the corporate network a good idea? Or more of a head ache than it’s worth? Depends on the skill set of the I.T. staff!
Without a doubt, there are bugs, known issues and other network related information that needs to the be taken into consideration when integrating and deploying to corporate staff. (Often, people who are requesting Mac’s within the corporate environment will know as much (if not more) than the I.T. staff.)
For example, Mac OS X employs Apple Mail within a corporate Exchange environment straight out of the box, with no additional email client required. BUT, it only supports Exchange Server 2007 or above, with certain service packs applied at the server level. There are also several bugs when integrating Snow Leopard into an Active Directory environment. It’s not as straight forward as Apple would have you believe.
In short, if you are thinking about adding Mac’s into your corporate environment, do you homework first.
You can always talk to the Tech’s here at Aquafruit for more information.
A word of caution to the network admins out there. Apple Mac’s are here to stay. If you are not skilled up on them yet, then it’s time you thought about it. Courses are available here.
Warm regards,
Scott Malpass
Aquafruit Media.
Billings
This application is awesome. For those Mac people (sorry, Mac only) using this application, we’ll delve into a few hints and tips later in another article, but for the moment, a walk through of the important parts.
First off, this application is not only simple to use, it looks fantastic, is smart, intuitive, and covers the base for a lot of people looking for an accounting, invoicing system – that doesn’t require you to be a financial genius.
Billings as an application works in a number of different ways depending on how you work.
Either from a straight hourly rate, through to time tracking, expenses, mileage, fixed rate and quantity. If you are in the service industry like we are, then you may use one or more of these – per job, or across more than one job.
Integration into the Mac environment.
Straight up, Billings looks to your current applications that are Mac native including address book, email and preview, for any and all interaction with your clients.
If you need to add in a client, just hit the + button at the bottom and choose an address from your address book.
From a workflow perspective, it’s very intuitive, but simple. For example, when creating an invoice, Billings provides you with the options for PDF, email and print (or combinations of these).
It also provides you with an exact view of what the customer will see.
But, by far, the best part of Billings is the reporting functions.
At the touch of a button, you can see where you are financially at.
And, as a final statement, creating engaging invoices, statements and quotes is simple. Check out our own invoice template below.
Billings is highly recommended.
Warm regards,
Scott Malpass
Aquafruit Media.
In our last article within this series, we spoke about working smarter, not harder, – hence, being able to save time. Let’s continue with Highrise ..
Along the same theme as basecamp, Highrise is produced by the same company as basecamp. 37 Signals.
In a direct quote from their web site, “ Highrise is the answer to the avalanche: So many people, phone calls, emails, notes, follow-ups, and tasks. Who is this person again? When did we last speak? What did we talk about? Has anyone else in my company talked to this person? What happens next? Highrise keeps track of your customer relationships. ”
In a nut shell, it’s a simple CRM solution that has bucket loads of really cool feature, that are easy to use, scaleable, cost effective, includes basic document management and is, once again, a hosted SAAS solution.
Later, we will delve further into both basecamp and highrise for a walkthrough and review.
So, how does it work from a smarter, not harder perspective?
Simple! – It’s really, really simple, easy to use, non complicated and requires almost “NO” training. Sure, it’s a basic CRM, but look beneath the surface, and it’s simplicity is also it’s strength.
Setting up or importing information into Highrise is a piece of cake, for either Mac or Windows people and it’s also well documented – for the novice as well as the technical.
Logging information against a deal or a client is also very straightforward. Just cc or bcc your highrise account, and everything gets logged agains a client.
SMS and email reminders for appointments is a nice to have and the sharing capabilities for the enterprise are very easy to use.
In our next article, we will look at Billings.
Warm Regards,
Scott Malpass
Aquafruit Media.
Ongoing Costs.
As a technician, I spend an average of 3 to 1 – Pc’s to Mac’s – in support. Quite simply, there is more that can and does go wrong with PC’s. Viruses, malware, spyware, BSOD, etc are all issues that need to be fixed. Inherently, the underlying operating systems on Windows machines require more attention and maintenance.
It also means that procurement takes longer, is more complicated and, whilst allowing for customisation to the Nth degree, it also means that components may not always be around for long (try sourcing a P4 775 board !!) – the exception to this will be via the major players in the market .. for example, IBM, Dell etc.
From an ongoing cost perspective, this also means more $$ spent on maintenance, support and issues. Not to mention driver issues, hardware problems and general connectivity issues (Vista in particular).
Mac, in general is a little smarter when it comes to hardware. Instead of opening their software up to the market so it can be installed on a multitude of hardware, Apple have limited their OS specifically to the Mac (through legal means and also through hardware/software). Even when booting the Mac into Windows (via Boot Camp) .. all of the drivers are supplied by apple. (It should be note that the “hackentosh” is an exception to this.)
For a Mac though, there are a number of cost savings – from a software perspective. For example :
No virus software required.
Well, that all depends on who you talk to! The antivirus vendors will tell you that you need it. Apple will tell you that you don’t need it. From experience, I will also tell you that you don’t need it. Apple even goes as far to release malware killers within their monthly updates.
Cost of the OS.
The last version of Mac OS X (the home, business, business superdooper and ultimate versions) for $30.00 Australian.
Mac OS X retails for $129.00 AUD .
The Windows Home Premium 7 version costs $125.00 AUD.
The real version of Windows 7 (Ultimate) costs $399.00 AUD).
Cost of Office.
Compared with Microsoft Office 2008, the Apple version of Office (iWork) is $129.00 AUD.
Office Business Edition (for the Mac) is $499.00 AUD.
Mail Client.
On the Mac, it’s either Entourage or Apple Mail. On a windows Machine, it’s Microsoft Outlook.
Cost of Electricity.
By far, the Mac’s “Being Green” – Energy saving solutions are a long way in front (more on that later). – For example – 10 Hours on the latest Mac’s. Does anyone know if there is a 10 hour Windows laptop on the market ?
Cost of Recycling.
Mac is also in front on this one. (More on this also later).
Whilst there will always be an argument for Mac is better/worse than PC, it should be noted that there are pros and cons for both. It really comes down to the best services/cost/tool for the job.
In our next article, integration into the corporate environment.
Warm Regards,
Scott Malpass
Aquafruit Media.
In our last article, we spoke about whether a Mac or a PC would be better suited in a corporate environment.
To continue, we’ll look at applications and productivity and see which one is better suited.
Applications
So, what about the application side. It’s pretty straight forward. Both systems will do email, etc. But, the important part here is how they do it.
With a Windows machine, there is the added advantage of thousands of applications that are available, including massive, high end corporate systems that allow collaboration, integration, conversation and are controllable within the corporate environment.
For the Mac, not so .. well, not as many, But from a collaboration perspective, Mac’s still function as well if not better in these environments than PC’s. How so? Let’s compare a few of the fundamentals.
Exchange/Collaboration environments.
Microsoft Exchange has been built, refined, rebuild and redefined within the corporate space. Without a doubt, Exchange is king in a corporate environment for mail, contacts, calendaring, resourcing, scheduling and mobile access.
In the Mac world, we have Mac OS X Server – that pretty much does the same thing, in a different way. It too allows mail, calendaring, contacts, resourcing, scheduling and so on, as well as an alternative to sharepoint team services using their Wiki server.
For most corporates, Exchange will continue to be the central communication and collaboration option for many years to come. For most small business and creatives, Mac OS X server has a place within the environment, or, alternatively, along side Windows servers at a minimum.
For the end user, a few simple questions and answers. Can you run a Mac within a corporate email environment and still have control ? To the granular level as a Windows machine ? With no issues or compatibility problems.
The answer to all of these is yes.
What about calendar, tasks, notes and resource allocation ? Also a yes.
Web mail access, spam filtering, antivirus filtering and mobile access. Also a yes (with the exception that antivirus/anitspam filtering for Windows comes as a separate price. With the Mac server, it is built in).
Co- existence of a Mac within a Windows environment is pretty straight forward. Mac has also gone one step forward with their operating system using Apple mail. Out of the box, Apple mail with natively support connectivity to Microsoft Exchange 2007/2010 servers – with no additional application (in the case Microsoft Outlook) required.
On the Mac, alternatives to Outlook would be a combination of Apple mail, Address book and iCal. All of these applications are built into the operating system for no extra cost, allow integration into an Exchange environment, and in some ways, handle simple tasks better than Outlook. With the exception of tasks and task sharing. For this, Apple takes the approach of using iCal and iCal meetings for task follow up. Useful in some ways, but not the same as sharing tasks / task allocation within outlook.
Mobile access for iPhones as well as smart phones (Windows or Android) is also available with minimal configuration, which just works. Simple, straight forward and with minimal fuss.
What about project management?
Within the corporate world, there is a raining king for project management. Microsoft Project. Whether good or bad, project is here to stay. So, is it supported on the Mac? Sure is. Through one of the Mac’s best options available within the end user / corporate market. Virtualisation.
Enter VMWare and Parallels.
Why would I need virtualisation? For the best of both worlds.
Using virtualisation allows any Mac user to use Windows applications if, when and where required. Running natively on Intel hardware, Mac os x provides an outstanding user experience using the standard Mac os X operating system and applications, and also allows any Windows based application to run in either a windowed mode, or through a unity mode.
(Screen shot of Internet Explorer 8 running on Mac os X).
So, effectively, I am not limited by either corporate environments, Windows or Mac as an operating system and or usability issues. In effect, we have the best of both worlds. Mac and Windows.
And, with Mac’s no boasting a 9 to 10 hour battery life, there are no longer constraints with using virtualisation on a Mac laptop.
Productivity.
What about productivity? Is a Mac better than a Windows 7 machine ? It really depends on what you do and how you do it. For example, the majority of our clients are creatives. They work in environments where presentation is important (sometimes a deal breaker), ease of use for both clients and employees, partners etc is a must, so they are often under pressure to produce excellent results based materials in a minimum of time. For these people, Mac OS X and it’s underlying applications (iWork for example) are preferred as they allow you to do simple things, with excellent results.
Take Apple’s alternative to Microsoft Word – Pages. With Pages, creating a simple text based document or standard formatted document (word document for better terminology) is a simple process. In addition to being able to add in several images and “mask” them without using an external editor, flexible table layouts and so on, Pages is an excellent alternative to Microsoft Word.
As an added bonus, Pages (all iWork applications) have a native export option for exporting documents into Microsoft Word, PDF, RTF and plain text.
For those people who are focused within a Windows based corporate environment, using Microsoft Office (Mac version) as well as minor virtualisation can easily perform, deliver and contribute with little or no double handling – if they choose to not use iWork.
One of the other advantages to using the Apple Office Alternative (iWork) is through external devices. For example, the iPad. But, more on that in another article.
For those people using primarily Windows created applications (Sharepoint, Microsoft Project etc) for 7 out of 10 hours per working day, then Windows 7 will be a better choice. It also has the added advantage of being locked down within a corporate environment (one thing that you can’t do for a Mac within a Windows corporate environment – well, without limitations anyway) to the granular level that any serious IT administrator would require.
Having said that, most executives within corporate environments require some level of administration/ admin access within their own laptops simply because they are either executives, or are on the road so often that not having admin rights would seriously hamper their productivity. With this in mind, locking down a Mac to the granular level of an executive using a Windows 7 machine is not difficult.
Other productivity issues.
What about email ? Life without email is simply non existent in the corporate world. Email was primarily invented as a simple means of communication that has – from an administration perspective – become a nightmare.
Whilst the I.T. admins of the corporate / business world constantly smack their heads against the brick wall (backup, support, spam, antivirus, system and server upgrades etc), most employees spend hours of their week looking for documents or searching through email. Within an environment that has an effective document management system, this is some what less, but the reality is that people still live out of their email accounts. (Some interesting stats : http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/785166.html ).
One of the really cool productivity features within Apple mail (and Mac os X) is the Smart Mailbox option. In essence, this is a simple search query that is stored as a folder (shortcut) within the navigation column of Apple Mail.
Buy using this tool, you can effectively filter your email without setting up rules to move email to different folders within your email.
It’s taken a while, but Windows has finally caught up – through the start menu in Windows 7. For email (and other parts of the Windows operating system), the search functions via the start menu are very good. It’s targeted, easy to find what you are looking for and fast.
In our next article, we will look at the ongoing costs associated to both Windows and Mac.
Warm Regards,
Scott Malpass
Aquafruit Media
So, you work in a corporate office environment and you’re faced with the decision. Do I buy a new Mac or Pc ?
Well, it all depends. The following may allow you to have an informed decision as to what you should choose.
Cost
First off, the cost of the units. For this exercise, we are going to use laptops/notebooks for our comparison. Taking into account the hardware specs will be similar (not exact) let’s look at the cost differences.
Toshiba
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Mac
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So, maybe not the best comparison, but as you can see, Mac’s still compete from a price point. In actual fact, more of a comparison can be found here and here. The hardware isn’t really the issue from a big picture perspective. What is important is the overall quality of the laptop, case, build, warranty and $$ value.
Ignoring the hardware side, let’s have a serious look at the more important side.
The operating system.
There are a lot of reports, reviews, pro’s and con’s for each of the mainstream operating systems that come with both the PC and the Mac. On one hand, you have Windows 7 (Vista won’t get a mention here) and on the other side, Mac os X Snow Leopard. Depending on who you talk to, there is no comparison between the two. Fair enough, but in reality, both Operating Systems (OS’s) do the same thing.
They provide you with an underlying system that you can use for your applications. They both allow you to surf the web, check your email, run your project management systems, listen to music, copy and paste files, print, scan, upload, download and so on. But, there are a few fundamental differences between them.
Usability.
Talk to any windows person using Windows 7 and they will tell you how much better than Vista it is. Windows 7 is a long way above both Vista and Windows XP from a usability perspective. It’s a better end user experience, more intuitive, faster, cleaner, easier, stable etc, but, it still has a few fundamental flaws. For example, let’s look at a simple screen layout.
You will notice that I have marked in Red the minimise, expand and close options within the images above. For the Windows 7 machine, it is in the top right hand corner. For the Mac, it’s on the top left hand corner.
Once again, two images, the one on the left – Windows 7 – the one on the right – the Mac os X doc.
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Now, in the vain of good usability, Windows has adopted the search feature (see below) as soon as you start looking for an application (ie, click on the start button). This actually works quote well. From here, you can search for anything. Documents, applications etc.
On the Mac, you can launch the most used applications from your doc. There are also a number of other ways to quickly launch an application. For example, hit the cmd + space bar. The search option (spotlight) appears in the top right hand corner. enter in what every you need and away you go.
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Either way, both operating systems allow you to do the same thing. Click on a button, type in what you are looking for and away you go.
Usability – Which one is better?
Let me ask you a question. When reading, do you read from top to bottom ? Left to right ? Or do you read from bottom to top ? Left to Right ?
For most of the western world, it’s from top to bottom, left to right. If this is the case then why do you start at the bottom of the screen when using windows ?
To reinforce this further, as a company we build a lot of web sites. One of the golden rules around building a site is that you place the elements that you want people to focus on to be in the diagonal view of top left to bottom right. The same way as the Mac OS is orientated.
After spending more than 10 years working with computers, I believe that the usability on a Mac is much better than on a windows machine. One other example of this is the stupid Windows Vista/7 UAC control. Seriously windows usability people .. what the hell where you thinking. More importantly, in Windows 7, you can turn UAC off.
There are a number of reasons why the Mac OS has better usability. But, don’t take just my word for it. There are other people opinions here :
In our next article, Applications and more .
Regards,
Scott Malpass
Aquafruit Media
Apple News
Can’t sleep – testing more plugins for WP ..
Yep .. awake again at some stupid time in the morning .. might be time for an early run and a coffee …