So, I’ve been using my Mac for about a month now, and its really starting to grow on me. I feel like I’m echoing millions of switchers, and maybe I am, but the fact is that Mac OSX works five times more elegantly than Windows. And I’m not even discussing the Air’s external aesthetics.

But one particular issue really has me getting irked. And I haven’t found a work-around, third party hack, or other utility to help me out with it. If you know of something, please get in touch with me, either via the comments or via the Contact page here. It mostly has to do with the way the Mac is designed to work, or better put, the way its designed to let you work. Mac guys like calling this the “Workspace”, and I;ve become somehwat of a fan of the way Mac is designed to let you work. For a better understanding of this, take a look at this TUAW post.

The issue is this:

Macs task-manage using a completely different paradigm than Windows. In Mac, by design the actual application remains open when clicking on the “X” button. All that ends is the particular window that you’ve closed. Applications can have multiple windows, each of which functions completely independently of the other. And in fact, the only way to disappear all windows of a specific program at once is by quitting the entire application. TIP: Use Command+Q to do this quickly. But often enough, I want a program to continue running, while though its windows are still running, or have already been minimized to the Dock. And therein lies the rub. I move quickly around my computer, and have accidentally quit an application because a different application’s windows are open and staring at me, and I intend to close that app, when in fact I’m closing the currently active (although no windows open) application.

If my explanatory skills have you rubbing your head trying to figure me out, take a look at this screenshot.

Note the “Firefox” title on the top left. That means that I’m currently active in Firefox. The open, viewable app, however, is the blog editing software I’m using to write this post. And so I often end up quitting, in this case, Firefox, when I only intend to quit the editing software.

Any ideas anyone?

(Image credit to shakataganai)

To take a look at some of the stuff, head on over to this link, and click on the different Chinese/English blue links at the top of the post, beginning with “Windows Mobile 6.5″. A lot of this stuff involves cool graphics, new UX designs, and other imagery that makes you just want to scream at MS for not rolling this stuff out.

And I do want to scream at MS, often enough.

FYI: Apparently one of these guys, Robin Zhu, worked on the T-Mobile Shadow UI design, codenamed “Neo” that I discussed with Jay Ongg here, who was the lead developer on the project. So apparently some of their designs do make it into the market.

But to put just a little perspective on this, take a look at this post by Mike Calligaro from the MS WM team. In it, explains with eye-opening detail the process that adding a feature to an OS like WM involves. And let me tell you, its involved! I guarantee you’ll never look at a finished Operating System the same way again.

[Pocket PC Thoughts via istartedsomething and wmpoweruser]

I hate sleeping. Actually, I’m a fiend for sleeping, but only the physical kind. When it comes to my computer sleeping, however, I can’t take it. Specifically, closing the lid. Allow me to explain.

When one closes a Mac’s lid, it automatically goes to sleep. For my particular use case, I prefer it to stay on, but not go to sleep. You may ask, why not simply keep the lid open? The answer is twofold.

One, I enjoy simply closing the lid; it gives me a sort of finality, closure, to whatever I’ve decided to temporarily put on hold. Those of you who require flip phones for the finality that flipping your mobile closed at the end of a call gives you can relate to this. Two, and more practically, I often work in public locations, and having the lid open and display on would be both inconvenient and potentially may give rise to privacy concerns, especially when working on client’s information/projects. I have been closing lids on PC laptops for years like this. Its a simple Control Panel setting, and I was good to go. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that no such setting exists on Macs!

So for the first couple days of using my Air, I was forced to put the computer to sleep, and subsequently entering my password upon opening the lid again. A real pain. And then salvation came. It came in the form of…InsomniaX.

InsomniaX is a tiny little app coded by Andrew James, a.k.a. semaja2, that sits in the background of your computer (or taskbar), and when activated, doesn’t let you computer sleep.

Even when you close the lid. Salvation!

There is a small caveat, however. It seems that there is a potential danger of your MacBook overheating, as the inner circuit boards usually air out through the keyboard, which would now be closed. According to this thread and this page, however, this issue is irrelevant in all aluminum Macs (they run in “clamshell mode”). So far, I haven’t noticed any issues, but will report back if anything develops.

But the best is yet to come…InsomniaX is absolutely FREE! Note that there is another program that accomplishes that same thing, but costs money. Its called Sleepless, and you can find it here.

BTW, I especially love the Insomnia guy- a cool icon in the form of an angry little blue face. Not sure why. Perhaps he relates to my inner demon. Is he blue too? Hmm…

Also, the author of this amazing little app has apparently fallen onto rough times, so if any of you happen to use this, I’m sure he’d appreciate a donation.

You can grab InsomniaX here.

FYI, there is another application called Caffeine that performs a different function- it’s purpose is to force your MacBook from falling asleep or from dimming the screen, as per your Energy Saver preferences. A quick writeup of the two can be found here.

1) The Air has an incredibly thin, clean look. Very much my style, although I’m not such a fan of the fact that every Tom, Dick, and Harry who’s either a graphic designer or college kid has one. I like my peripherals and devices to indicate at least a little unique style…don’t you?

2) The 13.3″ screen is a small step up from the Vaio’s 11.1″, although it isn’t an upgrade in terms of portability.

3) It was time for me to learn a new Operating System, and Linux/Unix is just too daunting for me at the moment, even a dumb flavor like Ubuntu.

4) I already have an iPod (have had one for years), so I already have something to add into the Mac cybersystem.

5) Chris Pirillo’s 50 reasons are all (or mostly) applicable to me. Although note that I do not agree with reason 1, and 4 (unless he just means more than before, not more than Windows).

Note that this had NOTHING to do with these infamous “Get a Mac” ads. I absolutely abhor them, and think they lack depth, if not sophistication.

And of course, I can run Windows on a Mac, (even Windows 7- as per TUAW), but can’t run Mac on a PC machine. Or at least not without complicated Hackintoshing.

Over the course of the next few months, I’ll spend some pots describing my frustrations, some about giddiness with Mac, and some about general ways to improve on the experience.

And, obviously, I’ll need a completely new set of software/hardware to complement the Air, so things should start heating up around here pretty soon.

Stay tuned.

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I remember the time I once sold I client just by pulling out the TZ and jotting down some notes on it in the middle of an introductory session- the second he saw that baby, he had to have one.

But it wasn’t all about the looks, mind you. An optical drive, stunning screen, and much more equipped this Sony wonder with everything I needed to be on the go, all the time.

All good things come to an end, however, and the TZ’s time has come.

What am I switching to? Ah. The million dollar question. Watch this space for the incredible surprise…

(Picture by sticky-vicky)