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| Apple makes just using my Mac an awesome experience - May 30, 2004 1:04am - opinion |  |
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More and more, as I get used to being the sole user of my Mac, I have been able to fine-tune operations, customize my workflow, and get the most efficiency out of this wonderful computer of mine. - iCal is Apple's built-in calendar and appointments manager. I do not carry my appointments around with me, but using iCal I am able to plan in advance (when can I do this project? next Wednesday looks good), see scheduling conflicts, and just have an all-around better sense of what will be going on. iCal also includes a To-Do list, and I use that not for every little thing that needs to be done (I prefer pen and paper), but for more general things I will need to think about and for future items that need to be done on a certain date. - Mail. I am never overwhelmed by my email, and I think it is because of the way that I handle it. Spam never shows up in my inbox, and I have my flow of email set up so that an email stays in my inbox until it is read and replied to or handled. I subscribe to about 4 weekly newsletters, and if I don't have time to read them, I just delete them. Emails I will not need to refer to later also get deleted, and emails I may need get filed into one of 20 folders on my sidebar. If I ever need to look for an email again, I click on that folder and search for the sender, or by content. - Address Book is another Apple-included software. I have nearly 100 contacts, with anything from just a phone number to 5 numbers, 3 emails, two addresses, etc. Address Book shows what you need to know but is easily expandable. - Adium 2 is a customizable, expandable, IM client with support for multiple services and a lot of other stuff I don't use. What I like about it is that it is simple when I need it to be but also infinitely customizable. - Stickies. I never really used Stickies until this year, but I have grown to like it more and more. What do you do with those little bits of information that you do not need to keep forever but you want to keep handy? Use Stickies. It is the perfect place to keep phone numbers, directions, text to be used in a project later, etc. I do not say URLs, because I use the Safari toolbar and then delete it when I don't need it anymore. - Safari. I debated with myself on whether to include this, but in the end decided it was worth it. With almost everything you do on the computer able to be done through a web browser, Safari is one tool I use all the time. Whether it is looking up information on Google, managing a MySQL database, keeping in touch via a family messageboard, or checking on today's Foxtrot comic, Safari does the job. There you have it. You will notice that Adium was the only non-Apple item in the list... that is because I use IM a lot and Adium proved better for me than Apple's iChat. All the others are a testament to Apple's genius in GUI design, simplicity, and power. There are also other applications I use on a daily basis but did not make the list because they are not used all the time. These include Apple applications such as iTunes, GarageBand, and iPhoto, as well as third-party software like Transmit, SubEthaEdit (more on this in a future article), and Photoshop Elements (does anybody need a link to adobe's website?). I highly recommend all this software... they are just the best things since sliced bread. In closing, I have to say that Apple's Exposé makes locating all of these open windows and navigating through my open windows easy and efficient. I am convinced that once anybody has had time to spend on a Mac as their primary computer, they will grow to love the platform and create their own efficient workflow. |
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Apple makes just using my Mac an awesome experience - May 30, 2004 - opinion
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