need help a little

M

missouricity

0
Hey guys, I need your help here.

I'm seriously thinking of changing my pc laptop to a new Apple MacBook Pro 15".

I currently use 'Microsoft Outlook' for my GTD system on the pc and use Outlook tasks for everything, categorising tasks into the various GTD contexts that I use.

So guys my questions are as follows:

(1) Switching from PC to MacBook

Have any of you made the switch from a pc laptop to a Mac and how have you find the conversion? Would you recommend it? How easy has it been to learn the Mac operating system? Any problems with it?

(2) Microsoft Office for Mac

As I mentioned I use Microsoft Office every day for both business and private use. I believe you can also get the full Microsoft Office suite for the Mac, is that right? Is it exactly the same as using it on a pc?

(3) Microsoft Outlook & GTD System

I use the 'tasks' facility on Microsoft Outlook for my GTD system, categorising tasks in to the various GTD contexts that I use, eg@Work, @Home etc etc. I find this system so useful and rely on it for my daily time management.

Does Microsoft Outlook on the Mac give me this exact same functionality? Can I categorise tasks in the same way and then drag and drop emails into tasks as I do on my pc? Can you set reminders for tasks?

Really looking forward to hearing from you all to see how you are getting on with this, what's everyone using for GTD on a Mac, what recommendations, feedback & advice you have for me.

Thanks
 
missouricity;91848 said:
Hey guys, I need your help here.

I'm seriously thinking of changing my pc laptop to a new Apple MacBook Pro 15".

I currently use 'Microsoft Outlook' for my GTD system on the pc and use Outlook tasks for everything, categorising tasks into the various GTD contexts that I use.

So guys my questions are as follows:

(1) Switching from PC to MacBook

Have any of you made the switch from a pc laptop to a Mac and how have you find the conversion? Would you recommend it? How easy has it been to learn the Mac operating system? Any problems with it?

(2) Microsoft Office for Mac

As I mentioned I use Microsoft Office every day for both business and private use. I believe you can also get the full Microsoft Office suite for the Mac, is that right? Is it exactly the same as using it on a pc?

(3) Microsoft Outlook & GTD System

I use the 'tasks' facility on Microsoft Outlook for my GTD system, categorising tasks in to the various GTD contexts that I use, eg@Work, @Home etc etc. I find this system so useful and rely on it for my daily time management.

Does Microsoft Outlook on the Mac give me this exact same functionality? Can I categorise tasks in the same way and then drag and drop emails into tasks as I do on my pc? Can you set reminders for tasks?

Really looking forward to hearing from you all to see how you are getting on with this, what's everyone using for GTD on a Mac, what recommendations, feedback & advice you have for me.

Thanks
Click to expand...

1. I switched a couple of years ago. Can only recommend it! After a month you will regret you didn't switch earlier. :)
2. No, it's not exactly the same. But if you really want i the same you may install windows on your mac, with all the windows software you need. You may then run Mac OS and Windows OS side by side.
3. I am not sure here, if you will be using Outlook for mac there might be differences, if you will use windows on the mac it's exactly the same. I would recommend you to use OmniFocus though, it's a great GTD piece of software.

Good luck!
 
Cheap wine in expensive computers...

TesTeq;91865 said:
I really don't understand people who want to switch to Mac and use Microsoft OS or applications.
Click to expand...

I´m running Bootcamp on the iMac at home, running WIN 7 ´cause I have to use some accounting software on the WIN-partition... that´s a good reason to use MS OS and a WIN application... AND, no !! I haven´t found some good alternatives for Mac.. but maybe I haven´t looked good enougt ! ;)

I tried some accouting software, but I don´t like them and they not what I want...

Maybe I should stick with an win-machine... :confused:

but that´s my choice to buy an iMac and that´s my choice to run WIN 7 on that machine under Bootcamp.

So, you don´t have to understand nothing about this, but maybe you should have some acceptance that people will use a lot of different configurations on their computers to Getting Things Done. Even running an Win OS on a Mac...

so please, let us pour cheap wine in expensive bottles...

thanks..
 
It is against my beliefs!

Popeye;91869 said:
so please, let us pour cheap wine in expensive bottles...
Click to expand...

Oh, NO!

It is against my beliefs!

I need to use Mac and Windows (and even Linux) applications for different purposes too but I use different computers for each operating system.

I've never dared to install Windows on Mac. It would be a sacrilege and Steve Jobs would curse me.
 
Do it

Just do it.

"Switch to Mac" was one of the best things I did as far as computing. I am a linguist and the major benefits for me are that the screens don't give me eye strain, the theming is consistent so the learning curve for each app is limited, and I hardly ever have crashes, restarts, errors, etc. I can't even remember the last time I needed to format my Mac.

All that translates to me doing more of what I love, languages, being better at it, and spending more time with those I love, family and friends, instead of fighting with my computer to recognize the same printer it recognized yesterday. For me, it's not that Macs are somehow magical machines that will make my life bliss, it's that they work the same way, every day, every time. That translates to a trust (which David talks about a lot). Being able to say, "It'll be about 5 minutes" and it is actually 5 minutes (instead of 35 because of an incompatibility with some random USB driver), is worth the extra price tag and slight learning curve.

On to your questions.

1) the switch is much easier than many make it out to be. Apple has quite a list of tutorials on their site that can teach you the differences. You might want to watch them before you switch, just to reinforce the decision.

2) Microsoft office for mac. Functionality - identical. User interface - different, but once you wrap your head around it, much better.

3) a) When I last purchased Microsoft Office for Mac, there wasn't any application called Outlook. There was a calendar/email/address book/calculator/database management/thing called Entourage. Not impressed. But it has been a few years. Maybe it's better now.

b) In my experience, it's better to use a dedicated GTD app, like Things or OmniFocus. They're more stable, more efficient, and more beautiful than something that’s been converted. Also, on a MacBook Pro, you can easily have twenty applications open without causing lag on the system, something that's frankly impossible on a Dell or HP. On an older Macbook (not pro) I've successfully worked with nearly 70 windows open simultaneously, no lag. Again, helping you get your work done instead of working on getting the computer to work.

c) Things you'll figure out intuitively so no worries there. Omnifocus is probably the most robust GTD program out there for Mac but you'll need to watch the tutorials and read the manual (a few times each) before you can use it properly. Things $50 OmniFocus $80. (extra for the mobile versions)

d) Personally I use Things (despite it's limitations) because it's the only app I've found that allows structure at the Areas level, which is something I need.

Hope that helps!
 
Popeye;91869 said:
so please, let us pour cheap wine in expensive bottles...

thanks..
Click to expand...

This brought to mind the Elton John lyrics from "Honky Cat," namely,
It's like trying to find gold in a silver mine.
It's like trying to drink whiskey from a bottle of wine.​

GTD-wise here, going Mac or PC,
red or white,
it's about personal productivity.
 
Great quote!

QuestorTheElf;92089 said:
This brought to mind the Elton John lyrics from "Honky Cat," namely,
It's like trying to find gold in a silver mine.
It's like trying to drink whiskey from a bottle of wine.​
Click to expand...

Great quote. I've never heard this song. Thank you.
 
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