There’s always debate and hype about which type of computer is better. Should you buy a Microsoft base computer with Windows Vista or XP on it for business computation purposes? Or use an Apple computer with the OSX Leopard installed in order to experience smooth and easy computing with more drag-and-drop? Is Apple more stable? But isn’t Windows better for software compatibility and high-caliber business applications?

It is true that, overall, Apples are more stable, and are less likely to crash. But then there’s the issue of software. Just this week I had a major mix-up with a client because my Macbook Pro with OSX Leopard did not read the docX file from my client’s Office 2007 properly. It wasted quite a bit of time and energy and it sucked. I used to have a hard time backing up software as there was nothing too solid built into Windows XP or Vista that came even close to the ease of use and the power of Time Machine, which is built into the OSX 10.5 (Leopard is the nickname). But then most CRMs are tailored to send synchronization data to Office Outlook 2007, not Mail or iCal. Not to mention, my blackberry synchronization software does not work on my computer and it always errors out, killing half the functionalities of my handheld.

My Macbook pro does run the Adobe CS3 suite quite fast and smoothly with very little margin for error or slowing down. And the expose and stack features are just amazing for productivity. But then I still miss the interface of Microsoft Excel which was much more technical, while Numbers 08, my Apple, feels more like a granny’s software with its short list of functions and menus, and the overly “easy-to-use” feel to it. It’s a spreadsheet program and I expect a hundred buttons, not thirty. But then that’s simply a matter of preference I guess.

I remember the age old problems with Windows XP of not being able to shut down the computer due to some error, or that problem where a virus would infiltrate within seconds of booting unless you patch your Service Pack 2 immediately before connecting to the internet without a firewall. Routers did more than just route - it was important to start up your computer for the first time unless you already had the latest patch pre-installed. And then there was that Windows Vista problem where the wireless network was fine but the LAN connection would be a 50/50 for connectivity, not to mention it would slow down a lot trying to perform its fancy graphic effects not meant for Windows based systems.

Now my Mac faces similar problems where, it often loses internet connectivity after a sleep-wake cycle, and often fails to shut down. When it fails to shut down, I need to force reboot it, and when that happens, my entire external harddrive that contains the Time Machine needs to be re-indexed, which means for 4 hours my computer will be sluggish. And then I just faced a problem of iChat not allowing me to add my friend Gary Lee. Danielle Nagami was added successfully (I guess I do have better luck with the girls!).

My conclusion after going through all of the major Microsoft Operating Systems, as well as switching to Apple with convincing from some friends, is that ALL COMPUTERS JUST SUCK EQUALLY, and problems will never stop because nothing is perfect. So I will just shut the hell up, not complain, and simply do my best to try to fix each bug as they come along. Microsoft’s claim that Vista is the most stable and functional OS ever was a scam, and so was Apple’s claim that “It just works.” It’s all a sack full of crap just like Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy. It’s a bundle of deceits just like the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and successful democracies installed in all of US conquered territories. It’s a… OK I’ve run out of analogies. Computers suck, just like Britney Spears.. and Clay Aiken.. I’d make a joke about Heath Ledger sucking in Brokeback Mountain but that would be disrespectful cause he just died.

Section Two for the Pro-Gear series will cover the software I use in order to get my work done.

Since my new computer is a Macbook Pro as I discussed on Pro Gear - Hardware, many of my software are now Mac-Based software. It was quite a transition coming over here since my hard drive on my HP Pavilion blew up and I was forced to switch computers fast. I will categorize my software mainly into three categories - backbone, administration, and design & development.

Backbone

Backbone software would mean what I run all my stuff on, mainly operating systems, and whatever it takes to keep the OS running smoothly. Obviously I have the newest version of OSX Leopard, which is an amazing operating system accompanied with cool features like Cover Flow, Stacks, Time Machine, and more. For more details on the OSX Leopard, check out this video tour of the OSX.

Apart from the Leopard, I have VMWare installed, which allows me to run Windows XP on my Macbook Pro as well. This helps for testing purposes, opening files sent to me by clients in native Office 2003 environment rather than the shaky Office for Mac environment. Mainly it is used for testing websites on IE7.

My Macbook Pro also has AppZapper installed, which is a great app for cleanly removing applications I do not need anymore. For browsing, I generally use Safari for its fast speed and cleanliness, but for web development I use Firefox with some plug-ins that are absolutely critical for fast web development and troubleshooting.

On my spare Toshiba laptop, I also run Windows XP, and this is used as a desktop. My Toshiba Laptop runs IE6 in order for testing certain websites, although compatibility for IE6 is slowly becoming more of an extra than a mandatory part of web development contracts.

Administration

Administration software would include word processing, data handling, accounting and what not.

iWork ‘08 is my primary document processing software. It’s like Microsoft Office except it works on a Mac, and it works damn fast. It includes Pages (Microsoft Word equivalent), Keynote (Microsoft Powerppoint Equivalent, and Numbers (Microsoft Excel Equivalent). Together they make a very powerful administrative software group for everyday office purposes.

Quickbooks Pro 2007 for Mac is my choice for accounting. I’ve gone through demos of nearly 10 different accounting software. Quickbooks Pro was by far the best choice for professional accounting and tax preparation. Yes, even though it is not officially a tax software, it can do tax preparation for you by categorizing expenses and tracking them in detail, in a very easy way. The second best choice for accounting software is Microsoft Money. Some people might feel repulsed at the fact that it’s Microsoft, but trust me, if I were on a Windows based computer, I’d go with Microsoft Money any day.

Mail, Address Book, iCal are the main email/contact/calendar clients included with the Mac OSX, and it is the best way to go, as it synchronizes well with all the other parts of your computer. My advice usually for these is to stick with whatever the OS Vendor gave you. Likewise, if you’re using Microsoft Windows, you should be using Microsoft Office for your email/organization/word processing and all of that.

I also use a Web Based CRM for managing tasks and schedules between myself, my employees, and my associates. SugarCRM is my choice, and you can read more about why I use Sugar CRM. The only problem with most CRMs is that they only offer synchronization with Microsoft Outlook. My personal tasks and reminders are in iCal, while my professional calendar is kept in my CRM. I open my CRM at the beginning of each day to check what I’m facing that day.

Tomorrow I will post about the development and design production software I use, which are software such as

I know it sounds incredibly cocky of me to say this but I now consider myself a pro in this Design, Marketing and Internet field. I’m not saying I’m the best, but I definitely do have an edge as well as years of experience in this area so I will reveal the software and hardware I use. When I choose these these things I take into consideration multiple angles and purposes. Not all of my gear is top-notch gear that provides best performance - some of them are optimized for the scale of my business to meet the balance between budget and functionality.

Hardware

Macbook Pro 15.4″ 2.2 gHz - I have the newest (as of early 2008) Macbook Pro by Apple Computer (in case you didn’t know). I run OSX Leopard (version 10.5) and with VMWare I run Windows XP Professional with SP2. This cost me $2200 Canadian plus the 2 year extended warranty and tax. Cost me almost $3,000 with everything in.

Toshiba M60CD4 - It’s my old Toshiba laptop, which has a dead screen. It cost me $1500 and tax back in late 2005. It’s been my longest lasting laptop I’ve owned so far unless the new Macbook beats it. It is connected to the external monitor, and I mainly use it for some coding stuff, and also to test websites on Internet Explorer 6. It sits on my desk, closed, so it’s more or less a desktop. It helps when I need to look something up quick, without having to open my Macbook out of its case.

Acer 22″ Widescreen LCD - The LCD screen is my secondary monitor for my Macbook, and also for the Toshiba. It cost $289 and tax, and it’s given be exceptional value so far. It’s a great way to extend your desktop to have more space and improve work efficiency.

HP CM1015MFP - This is my massive multifunction color laser printer. It is a relatively new model with a scanner and all. Cost me nearly $500 plus tax. The print quality is great, and it’s great for producing print proofs and invoices that look sleek and clean. My industry relies largely on image, so even invoice printing out of an inkjet printer looks bad. Hence the investment for a printer that cost 5 times as much as a generic multifunction would.

Logitech Mouse/Keyboards - I won’t list the models but I only purchase Logitech brand mouse/keyboard combinations. I have a wireless keyboard/mouse set, as well as a wired laser mouse that I carry around with my Macbook.

Blackberry 7250 - This is my primary phone, and of course, I get emails. It gives me much more mobility when I need to reply to urgent emails and what not. Sounds like the everyday marketing phrase but I’m really not restricted to my home office, or even my laptop at all times. Which is great. This is the older model of the Blackberries, and this is the sturdiest blackberry ever made, in my opinion, and I don’t care if everybody else flashes their brand new Blackberry World 8830s or Blackberry Pearls. I like mine the best.

As I mentioned, I had a hard drive failure which resulted in a lot of losses. It was absolutely brutal.

My last back up was October 21st, before my trip to Costa Rica. And then last Wednesday, so around the 14th of November is when my hard drive crashed. The hard drive is beyond repair - the only way to get the data out of there was by a very expensive data recovery service ($400~$500 or so for a physical extraction of the magnetic disk and so forth), and by the time I was set up on my new Macbook Pro while waiting to see if the tech support could extract the files through external mounting via USB, I had re-done a lot of my work. So it wasn’t worth it for me to pay that much money for recovery services.

A great lesson I learned is to back up my data more frequently, because you never know what may happen. My new Macbook Pro has the Time Machine feature, so the backup worries are now over. The Apple Website has more about the Time Machine.

Many of you probably remember the post I wrote about iFags after I returned my first Macbook Pro in March. This time I decided to give another shot at the Macbook Pro, and with the new OSX Leopard System in place, it proved to be a much nicer journey.

I will still state that there are a lot of things that are very frustrating or not very functional when it comes to Macs, but there are also pros in how the desktop and icons work, how stable it runs Illustrator and Photoshop, and also the Time Machine automatic backup feature, so the balance is tipping this time in favour of the Mac as my main unit.

I still miss Office 2007 dearly, and I am trying to get a hold of a version of Windows Vista so I can use Office 2007 through VM Ware Fusion, which is the software that allows me to run a separate instance of Windows (or any other OS) embedded within the OSX system as I work. So that means I can switch between Mac Apps and Windows Apps instantly, or even have a window of a Window (play on words!!) running at the same time, as if it were a whole program on its own.

I still run my Windows XP computer at my home office which I adore dearly.