Mac users are just generally… nicer. Would you not agree?

Dec 01

MoggyApple, Computer, Mac, Random, Windows 1 Comment

Something I have noticed over the past few days is how people respond to a “Mac or PC” conversation. Has anyone else noticed this:

A Mac user will always comment on a PC by saying “Mac’s are so much simpler to use and do things on” AND THEN comment of specific details – not bashing on PC’s at all.

A PC user will always comment on a Mac by saying one of two things – firstly “Mac’s suck” or secondly, for horribly technical people, a ramble on about how a PC is cheaper, might work better and all that stuff – bashing Mac’s at any possible opportunity.

So, why is it that Mac users are just so much more accepting of their computer and nicer in conversations like the above?

Downloading & Installing Office 2007 Pro = Horrible Nightmare

Feb 18

MoggyComputer, Microsoft, Software, Windows No Comments

I have recently started running VMware on my Mac with Windows XP Professional, and today I thought I’d download the free trail of Office 2007 Professional to see what it’s like, and after the install, I am not happy at all. Here is a list of today’s events:

Morning
- Go to MS badly designed website
- Click on Download link
- Dead link, go back, try again, try elsewhere.
- Get asked for my email for an activation key… (why do I even need to do this?!)
- Download a tiny 700kb file… wondering wtf this is…
- Installs/Opens a download manager, starts downloading Office 2007; something I would have expected to do in point 2.
- The file is over 800MB. Woah. This takes a while….

Lunch
- Download manager crashes about 300MB (or about 1hr in), have to start download again.

Late Afternoon
- Finally downloads the whole thing, a long while later.
- Starts extracting the download
- Crashes
- Bluescreen, restarts XP.
- Lanches extraction again, 2 minutes later, crashes…
- Bluescreen, restarts XP.

Evening
- Finishes extraction. Now opens setup.
- On the first step of setup I get an error! I need a new version of Windows Installer, apparently.
- Download this.
- Crashes, Closes.
- Reopen Setup.
- Now installs some rubbish “Live Accounting” or something….!?
- Finishes.
- Now I manually open the actual Office setup.
- Wants my product key/serial. I copied the code from Safari, but wouldn’t accept the paste into the box. Had to type it in, letter by letter.
- Finally lets me accept the terms
- Install begins.
- Finally finishes. The install is ironically the smoothest part of the complete day.

I’m no expert at the technology behind installing applications, but NEVER have I gone through so much trouble trying to install and download this one. When I downloaded iWork ‘09 for a free trial it was far simpler, and just worked – no crashes, no serials, no bugs, no nothing.

But anyway, there you have it. If you’re thinking of downloading Office 2007 Professional, be prepared.