Apple Briefs

I apologize for the downtime and lack of posts the last few days. My ISP had some software issues over the weekend, but they appear to have been resolved now. I expect to get back to regular posting tomorrow.

We (meaning me) here at Apple Briefs have been quite busy with the “day job” lately and haven’t had much time to post. I don’t want to let my readers down, though. I am, therefore, going to borrow a page from Microsoft and pre-announce a few future posts. I have a couple of longer articles in the works – the first of which should be finished shortly (the article explains why you should use a Mac, a question that I don’t think has received a sufficient answer). I am also working on a review (or two). So, stay tuned! There is a lot more great stuff to come!

The past few days saw two big announcements related to Macintosh GTD software. Yesterday, The Omni Group announced the release of version 1.0 of OmniFocus. I have been using OmniFocus since the private beta, and really enjoy using it.

We also saw the public release of Things, a new GTD app from the makers of Xyle Scope. Xyle Scope is an excellent application that I have used for quite some time (but I expect that most of my readers haven’t – it’s primarily useful for web developers). Things looks quite good, and I look forward to trying it out. The name “Things” does make for some interesting grammar, doesn’t it?

Some of the similarities and differences between OmniFocus and Things are readily apparent from the Things video demo. I am really curious how Things’ emphasis on tags plays out in every day use. I am going to reserve a full review and comparison with OmniFocus until Things gets closer to a 1.0 release.

After four years of using only a laptop, I finally decided to buy a desktop. Yesterday I took advantage of the holiday sale going on right now at MacMall. In typical Apple fashion, the top-line price being offered isn’t that great ($5 off Apple retail). But, the combination of freebies (a printer and Parallels Desktop) and rebates made it a compelling offer.

I chose the 2.4 Ghz / 1GB / 320GB, 20″ iMac. I would love to have the larger screen. It just seems smarter, though, to save the money and buy a second monitor sometime later (the cost to upgrade from a 20″ to a 24″ screen is almost half the cost of a 20″ cinema display).

I still haven’t gotten a shipment notification yet, but I am hopeful that my shiny new toy will arrive in time for Christmas. Of course, by “toy” I mean my “powerful, serious, work computer.” I’ll try to have some fun with it for a few days, though, just to set the right tone.

Update: I got my shipment notification. No word yet on when they are likely to be delivered. It being the week before Christmas, anything is possible.

Update 2: It’s here! I am actually a little surprised it arrived before Christmas. Unfortunately, I am so busy with work that I might not get a chance to open the box before Christmas (and maybe I shouldn’t try – just for the sake of nostalgia).

This site is my attempt to share with the community a little of what I have learned about using Apple Macintosh computers in a law firm (or any small business, for that matter).  I started down this road a little over four years ago, when I bought my first mac – a dual processor G4 PowerMac.  At the time, I couldn’t explain  exactly why I decided to buy a Mac.  I just knew that I was unhappy with my Windows experience.

Now, after years of using Macs, I can tell you exactly why I switched to Mac.  It’s mostly the little things that, taken together, make me significantly more productive on a Mac.  Windows won’t let me change the name of a folder if there is an open window for that folder.  That isn’t a problem on a Mac.  Most Mac programs will even let you change the file name of a file while you are editing it.  Windows won’t let me run Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro at the same time.  Why?  I don’t know, but I am sure it probably has to do with DLLs, the System Registry, or something else I don’t have to worry about on a Mac.

What will Apple Briefs have to offer?  Apple Briefs will give you the Mac hardware and software news that is most relevant for law firms and small businesses.  Apple Briefs will also have reviews, tips, and advice on how to use Macs to make your business better.  I already have plenty to write about, but please leave me a note in the comments if there is something you would like to see discussed.