Update: Ben Stevens has rounded up additional posts discussing this topic from across the blawgosphere.
From the ABA Journal site, we hear that TIS idol and fellow Palmetto State Mac Lawyer Ben Stevens of The Mac Lawyer fame has taken on Rick Georges of Futurelawyer fame in a debate over which is “best” — Macs or PCs.
I enjoyed reading the debate, but have a few quibbles:
- This guy, cited by Rick as backing up his proposition, actually ends his blog post with “Anyways, I probably need to swap back to Windows for a bit to realize how good I have it.” Doesn’t sound too Windows-positive to me!
- The whole question — “which is best?” — is a nonstarter to me. Sorry, but it’s true. There is no single, universal “best.” In any context. There is only “what’s right for me?” Framing it this way is deceptive and does a disservice to all of us, including the debaters.
- “Comparable specs are available on Windows machines for less than $1,000.” That’s a little unbelievable. What Windows laptop include built-in webcam functions? Complete protection from spyware and malware? Robust, built-in native apps that handle contacts, mail, and calendars perfectly well for the majority of users? Cost is simply not a significant distinction between the two machines. What Mac gives you out of the box, you’ll have to hunt down for PCs.
- Comparing Apple and Microsoft customer service is hardly a fair fight. One has it, the other doesn’t. OK, that’s a bit of hyperbole but still. It’s like Apples and … well.
- Rick implies that there are rampant issues with virtualization. All I can do is report my experience, which is this: I use BestCase on an almost daily basis, run in a virtual environment. (Like a great many lawyers, I have two monitors which — whatever your environment — I highly recommend. I use one monitor for the Windows virtual machine and the other, which is actually the iMac itself, for the Mac apps.) I’ve never had a crash or a slow-running session. Ever.
I also have to take a little umbrage at the suggestion that being “used” to something is, by itself, reason enough not to seek improvement. That implies we’re all old fogies, incapable of picking up new tricks. Law firm workers learn new stuff all the time. Picking up this more intuitive system, in my experience, is no problem at all, assuming that the user is willing to learn.
Thanks to both Ben and Rick for being good sports and taking on this challenge for the bar!
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