Content creation and the computing platform you use
I’m curious about a couple of things about creativity on this wonderful Wednesday.
I like to think that I’m a creative (or at least increasingly creative) person. I have used the Windows/PC platform exclusively for the past 17+ years. I have never owned an Apple product until I bought my iPod Nano a couple of months ago. The Windows environment meets my current needs for content creation.
Apple has been a favorite computing platform for many creative types as long as I can remember, including a few of my friends. Many of us who have used computers primarily in a business environment for, well, business purposes, have grown up PC/Windows. Many of us would never be accused of doing terribly creative work (although perhaps artistic work is a better phrase to describe this).
Apple computers had a very functional Graphical User Interface (GUI) interface (with a mouse!) years before Microsoft marketed a half-way decent interface (and I’m sure the jury is still out on that for some people). A lot of people involved in:
- music
- graphic design
- certain types of writing, etc.
naturally gravitated towards the GUI at the time when the PC world offered dark screens, light colored text, and a blinking cursor that was reminiscent of mainframe computer terminals. Of course, you could always build a better interface, but it was normally application specific.
Apple computers, by contrast, had some consistency in this user experience space with the GUI. Plus, they were easy and fun to use to people who liked that sort of interaction.
Although the two environments are very similar, there are still some small but significant differences between Apple and Microsoft. Microsoft chose to hang their hats on multiple mouse buttons and the famous “double-click” to power their applications. Apple took a simpler design approach which avoids multiple mouse clicks wherever possible, plus more innovative navigation techniques which Windows is gradually incorporating or copying over time.
[Aside: not being an Apple product user, I must admit to being extremely impressed with the design of the iPod Nano 3G, especially the wheel that senses clockwise/counter-clockwise movement and uses that to select options, in addition to everything else it does. It almost made me want to convert to 100% Apple products on the spot!]
Design and coolness (in part from the design and also in part from going with the industry rebel?) seem to be important to Apple product users, in addition to functionality. After all, it’s fun to use something that’s designed to work well.
But does it make you more creative? More productive? Or does it just make you feel better about it?
I’m really curious about this. Since I focus mainly on words, I look at things differently than someone who works with images, video, and sound, perhaps.
So, here are my questions to YOU:
1. Are you a Mac (Apple) or PC user?
2. Do you consider yourself to be a content creator of any kind?
3. What do you like about your current computing platform?
4. Are you ever tempted to switch platforms?
5. What could the competitor do to make you switch platforms?
6. If you’re ambivalent about the whole thing, is there some change that could happen that would cause you to switch platforms? Better design, better functionality, lower cost, etc.?
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Neal "thePuck" Jansons:
1. Both (and Linux). Main box is a Mac and vastly prefer to live there. My laptop and my wife's box are windows, and the house's server is Linux (Debian, headless). If we want to get into geek identity politics, I'm a Mac.
2. Yes. Professionally I am a freelance writer who focuses on new media, such as game content, blogging, copywriting, and SEO. Before that I was in college, before that I owned a bookstore, and before that I worked in IT (ran a NOC for market research company). I am seriously considering trying to get on full-time with a marketing agency. Amateurishly, I play and write music.
3. I am a geek and love a good project, but I got sick of my windows and linux machines being a project when I just needed them to work, so I switched to the top-end iMac and never looked back. I much prefer the integration of all the different apps and the overall consistency of the experience. My productivity increased massively when I switched because I was no longer arguing with my machine. While my Mac is not perfect, it is damn close. I also like having a fully functional desktop that gives me Unix underneath for that sexy combination of form and function.
4. Switch back? No, not in the foreseeable future. Unless one of the relevant OSs really changed direction, there would be no purpose.
5. Microsoft would have to have a massive shift in the way they both build software and how that software interacts with hardware. I want a consistent user experience that allows me to do the things I want to do easily and functionally with as little friction as possible. I do not want to have to “tweak” things anymore to get basic functionality. When I want to do that I can go play with a linux box. My Mac allows me to engage in every aspect of my normal online life with very, very little friction, and that is why I like it. Microsoft has never seemed quite able to manage that, and I don't think they will anytime soon.
6. Well, I am not ambivalent but I am not a blind fan, either. Apple earned my fandom, and if they lost it through some changes, or Microsoft won it, then I would switch.
17 December 2008, 7:53 amgregorylent:
lifestyle, part of the uniform .. at any conference, you can tell the creatives from the suits .. apple is part of it, preferably in a backpack instead of a briefcase .. any casio tells the time perfectly, but a cool designer watch sends a messge … same with the apple ..
17 December 2008, 8:04 amALEX:
hey,
I have used M$ products for the past 13 years… I have gone through 4 PCs during this time… Each and every time, I ended up loosing everything (partly my mistake, as backup wasn't my priority…), all my files, while staring at the bleu screen of doom, death, or whatever…
Last year I purchased a brand new H.P. laptop. It lasted 14 months.. It suddently died on me, taking with it, once again, all my files…
Enough I said… I waited for a couple of months, saved some money, and since last Saturday i own a brand new MacBook…
There is only one word I can say with my 10 day experience so far..
AMAZING…
ALEX
17 December 2008, 9:08 amhttp://the-anti-google-baloney.blogspot.com
Maranda Gibson:
I am a PC user and while I wouldn't consider myself a “content creator” I do play around with a recently acquired copy of Sony Vegas 8.0 quite often. I'm familiar with the platform of a PC, having had the entirety of my experience with PC (and the Windows OS). I took a design class when I was in college and was completely thrown off by the MACs that we were using in the class. I have been tempted before to switch simply for personal use but I hear from friends that it can be very frustrating to try to learn the new platform.
I don't know if anything could be done to make me switch.
On a side note, when Vista was launched I remember an article I read about it having more “mac-like” interfaces in the filing systems. I was intrigued by this… when was the last time PCs were trying to catch up with Macs? Thanks for the great post!
17 December 2008, 10:07 amTara Joyce:
1. Are you a Mac (Apple) or PC user?
Mac user. I switched almost one year ago today.
2. Do you consider yourself to be a content creator of any kind?
Absolutely. I am web content writer and strategist.
3. What do you like about your current computing platform?
Mac makes computing beautiful.
4. Are you ever tempted to switch platforms?
I did already. I used a PC for 12 years before switching to Mac.
5. What could the competitor do to make you switch platforms?
Nada. I'm now a Mac geek and I'll stay that way…likely.
6. If you’re ambivalent about the whole thing, is there some change that could happen that would cause you to switch platforms? Better design, better functionality, lower cost, etc.?
17 December 2008, 12:07 pmMark Dykeman:
Great responses folks!
17 December 2008, 12:16 pmRuss Pond:
1. I'm a Mac user. Been one on my life. When I held my corporate job, I used a PC at work, so I became quite familiar with Windows.
2. Yes, I'm a filmmaker and website designer.
3. Mac has all the tools I need (as does PC). I edited my feature film on Final Cut (Mac only), Color (Mac only), Motion (Color only) and After Effects (PC/Mac), designed the website with Dreamweaver (PC/Mac) and Photoshop (PC/Mac) and managed all my production photos with iPhoto (Mac only).
4. No.
5. Not sure they could do anything. I appreciate Mac's UI, and reliability. Although I'm a bit biased, Mac feels more reliable than my previous PC experience.
6. I have an Apple tattoo. (not really)
26 December 2008, 11:26 amanaulin:
What makes Apple truly different from Windows (and Linux) is its total and absolute commitment to a thought-through, polished user experience. The rest (e.g. the “cool factor”) is mostly clever marketing.
I do most of my paid work on a Linux machine, for I am a programmer, but I also have Mac machines (both corporate and personal). Mac unites wonderfully the world of high-quality UX with a Unix base, which appeal respectively to my aesthetic sense and my geeky needs.
If the creative work you do is mostly writing, I think a good-quality paper notebook, a good pen and your hot beverage of choice is your best tool.
Or you could use a computer, and any OS will work just fine, especially if you consider that we spend an increasing amount of time futzing in our browsers. Just choose something that speaks to you as a user, something that you appreciate for its craftmanship/design/whatever is important to you.
29 December 2008, 12:47 pm