Hardware setup

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Author Message Ann G. Baker, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C New member Username: ann Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2013 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 01:13 pm:    After being an in-house specifier for over 8 years, I am returning to life as an independent spec consultant, working out of an office at home. Being my own IT department is not easy. Currently, I'm using a desktop computer but I see a critical need to replace it - for one, it's over 7 years old, but also I recognize that as an independent it could be advantageous to be portable. So, I'm thinking laptop. Is it time to make the switch from a pc to a Mac, as was suggested by a couple of engineer friends? Knowing that specifiers always have an opinion, and one that's based on fact, what do you use and what do you like about it? I saw a discussion on software but didn't want to thread-jack. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1487 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 02:26 pm:    Well, I've always used PCs, and I don't think there is any superiority of the Mac systems over PCs outside of nicer-looking design. Some claim they are easier to manage (software compatibility and all that), but my studio mate has a Mac and seems to have all the same types of problems as is claimed for PCs. Macs reputedly are better at graphics, but I edit very large files in Photoshop (over 100 megabytes) with no problems. I do have a fairly high-performing machine, but it was only $2,200 including a 22" monitor with high color accuracy. An equivalent Mac would have been more. I don't know whether all the new software apps coming out, such as Arcom's Altarix, will be supported on the Mac. On the strongly negative side of Macs (for me) is the fact that the Mac/Apple platform is a highly hermetic, closed platform. Guest (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 02:31 pm:    Irrespective of specifications writing, choice of OS should be based upon what what OS, software programs that you intend to use, will support; e.g., SpecsIntact in only available for Windows. Running Windows programs within Mac OS isn't always trouble-free. To an extent, your choice/selection of software is dependent upon what your clients use, to best ensure sharing/compatibility. Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 1313 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 02:42 pm:    Ann: I think you might want to investigate two things at the same time. When I was last consulting (a few years ago) I got a very fast, very robust desktop computer, and then a small mini laptop to take to clients' offices. (I would probably get a tablet for that function today). If you're looking at a data base software type, you are going to need an I7 chip to run it fast enough that you won't want to pitch the system out the window. A lot of the peripherals have really come down in price: get two good sized screens to connect to your computer, and a better keyboard, as well. And I would also suggest whatever 2 or 3 year maintenance/backup plan your computer supplier offers. its not very much a year -- and if you have problems, it will more than pay for itself. In addition, it never hurts to get a backup program to keep a copy of your files in the cloud in case of problems. I agree with John Bunzick -- my PC system was about $2400 total, and that included both the desktop and mini-laptop; two monitors and a smoking hot processor, and 2 TERABYTES of storage (and 1 gigabyte of ram). i7 chip in the desktop; i5 chip in the mini. I found I seldom used the mini with clients. 15 years ago, clients sometimes wanted me to work in their office on their server -- now, no one cares about that, and dragging around a computer was more of a nuisance than anything else. it depends on how you work, I guess. Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 519 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 02:45 pm:    I don't know if my experiences will be relevant, but I did just make the switch, so perhaps..... I am not a spec writer, my job is as an architectural PM and construction administrator. I have wanted a Mac for personal use for many years, but could never afford the switch, not just in hardware, but in software. I am big into photography, so replacing the full Adobe suite, plus the Microsoft office suite, was a significant financial obstacle for a long time. Finally, this year, my own 7 year old Dell just could not be upgraded any further and needed to be retired, I told the family that no one was getting anything, and I was buying myself a Mac (I had gotten them all new iPads, iPhones, laptops, etc…in the previous years), and so that’s what I did. Boy am I happy with it! I did an exhaustive comparison between high-end PC’s with SSD drives, the new Retina MacBooks, and the “classic” MacBook’s with high res screen options. You can view my comparison spreadsheet here: http://bit.ly/ZTS6oL Ultimately, my photography hobby pushed me towards a larger screen (15”), and my construction administration duties force to me work remotely a significant portion of the work week, so I choose the rMPB (Retina MacBookPro) over the cMBP (Classic MacBookPro). One significant note in the comparison between the two is that keyboard on the “classic” MBP is a LITTLE bit better than the retina MBP, with just a tad more “throw” in the key motion. After about a week, I have fully adapted to my rMBP keyboard and can no longer tell the difference, but I did note it during my initial comparison testing. As a spec writer, that might be a significant issue and the portability of the Classic MBP is still pretty good, just not quite as good. I have also noted that my wife’s 15” cMBP gets better battery life than my 15” rMPB. The video card on the retina display has larger energy consumption needs for sure. However, the rMPB runs much cooler, and I never hear the fan, and can sit the laptop on my lap without discomfort for long periods of time. My wife’s cMBP gets too hot to do this, and always requires something between the laptop and your lap. I have been using the rMPB a lot since Christmas, and have come to really, really, REALLY like it. Factors in the MPB that I like compared to a PC brand include the following: 1. Fantastic keyboard, that auto dims and brightness based on ambient lighting. The black keys on clear alum offer great contrast and the whole thing is just a pleasure to use. 2. The rMPB screen is all that they say. It’s terrific, but more importantly, it offers a LOT less glare than my wife’s glossy cMPB screen. The cMBP comes with a matt screen, but I don’t like as much. The rMPB is right between and seems about perfect in glare/contrast/sheen/luster/color/depth, etc… 3. The touchpad on any Mac is incredible compared to a Samsung or Toshiba/Dell/Lavenoe whatever. The guestures interface is very intuitive, and the fluidity of motion the large smooth glass pad offers is addicting. Every now and then I have to touch a non-Mac touchpad (on other presentation machines or whatever, and the old fashioned buttons and tiny thumbsized touchpads are achingly archaic and fumblingly difficult to use in comparison. 4. The MagSafe power cord and tiny power brick are so convenient to use. Everyone should clone them and get sued but it’s probably worth it. The battery life is pretty good, and it charges VERY quickly, which I appreciate. 5. USB 3.0 is the bomb. I can ingest a 16GB compact flash card of large RAW camera files in mere seconds. 6. The speed of the SSD based hardware is amazing. Whatever you want to do, it does RIGHT NOW. 7. Instant start up. See number 5 above. I have not turned off my computer in months. I just close the lid, toss into my carry bag, and then pull it out and open it, and its on. I never wait for anything anymore, other than the occasional download. 8. It finds my learned wifi networks instantaneously. As soon as the screen is opened and the machine is on, I am connected. See number 6 above. Notice I haven’t said anything about the operating systems. I am pretty indifferent (agnostic?) about the OS. I like Win7, but Mac OSx does everything I need too. It’s the apps and software running in the OS that makes all the difference in the world. The Mac apps I find myself liking and using the most are: 1. iMessage (it is surprisingly convenient to text via your keyboard!) 2. Facetime (or Skype), my wife has a Mac, my whole family has iPhones, we use FaceTime when I’m not home, which is a lot. It’s pretty good. 3. The DropBox app on Mac is a bit better than the Win7 app, mostly because Finder is a bit better than Win Explorer. 4. Chrome browser 5. iMail (or is it just “Mail”?) – this was a mental stumbling block until I gave it a shot. I am a diehard Outlook power user, and could not imagine using anything but Outlook, but Mail, set up with IMAP accounts, works really well and I quite like it now. 6. Photoshop, Bridge, Lightroom, etc… Now, my workflow in the office is about 80% Bluebeam and Outlook, with a smidgeon of Word and Excel. Those apps don’t run on Mac OSX, so I run Parallels version 8, and it’s AMAZING. The Mac OSX allows me to create several desktops, running various apps in each desktop, and with the magical touchpad, I just swipe side to side and flip between Mac and Windows instantly, and they are both running concurrently. This has opened up so much flexibility its amazing. In Finder on the Mac side, I can right click on a windows only file (like a .WMV video file, or a PDf), and I can directly open it into the corresponding Windows program (in this example, Windows Media Player, or Bluebeam) from the Mac OS. It’s brilliant. Similarly, if I am solidly in my Windows environment, VPN’s into the company network and buried in Outlook exchange mail and answering RFI’s, I get Mac related alerts from iMail, iMessage, etc…while running iTunes on the Mac side. The power and flexibility running Parallels with both OS’s and its related programs means that there is literally nothing I can’t do. I am REALLY enjoying it. However, it was a rough start initially. The classic interface of a 24” monitor, standard keyboard and mouse has been my user interface for many years. I found myself treating work (such as emails) on the laptop as “temporary access” and there were things (like long emails or big attachments) that I simply didn’t bother to open until I got back to my “real computer” at the office. After some contemplation, I realized that the rMPB was a much more capable and faster computer, so why was I treating it this way? Why did I prefer the office machine over the travel machine? It was because of the interface! It takes some time to wean yourself off the classic monitor, mouse, keyboard interface. I was surprised by this, but it was very real for me. Now, after a few months, I am pleased to report that I am getting reasonably proficient and facile on either machine, but it was a big adjustment for me, and perhaps for you as well. Don’t take it lightly. You may wish to simply dock your MBP into your larger monitor and wireless mouse/keyboard, and it’s easy to do that, but I my case with my travel goals, I pretty much am forcing myself to go without. In reality, the 15” screen is doing the job just fine, particularly with the magical touchpad. Lessons learned: 1. Get the biggest SSD you can reasonably afford. However, know that in a year or two, you CAN upgrade the SSD in the rMPB. (http://bit.ly/TCvVT3) 2. Get as much RAM as you will ever need. You can NOT upgrade the RAM on a rMPB after purchase. I went with 16GB for that reason, and running Win7 and MacOSX and related programs simultaneously has proven to be no problem. 3. You CAN update a cMPB in both RAM and Hard drive no problem. 4. Microsoft Office for Mac is great, HOWEVER, it is about to be significantly updated with a new version, so I would hold off on this purchase for now. Outlook is not included with Office on Mac, unless you get the full expensive version. 5. iPhones will NOT sync with Outlook on the Mac! Not currently anyway. If it is essential to sync your iPhone to Outlook contacts and calendars, it can’t do this currently. Frustrating as heck, but true. Perhaps the new Office version will fix this? My personal situation is that my iPhone syncs just fine to my corporate exchange server over the air, so my use is unimpeded, but my wife uses Outlook for Mac without an exchange server, and it can’t sync. However since I am using Mac Mail and Calendar and Address book, my iPhone syncs just fine, and I really like having my photos and itunes sync to the Mac wirelessly too. 6. With the small SSD capacity in the rMPB, you need a good external NAS set up. I am using the “2Big NAS” from LaCie and like it. I tried a Western Digital solution and it was terribly slow. The Apple Time Capsule is antiquated and I would not recommend buying one unless or until they upgrade it to modern drives and IO ports. 7. Parallels v8 is fantastic software, and worth every penny if you have a lot of Win7 based software or network needs. It is fully Retina capable, and works terrific. 8. If eyesight and vision is an issue for your, the Retina’s standard display size compares to a 1440px wide screen resolution. The high res screens from the cMBP and most PC based laptops is 1600px wide, and so the fonts are smaller and harder to read on those than they are on the Retina, plus the are not nearly as crisp as the Retina display. Font scaling is an interesting topic and there is a GREAT write-up on Anandtech here: http://bit.ly/LD7AKL Oh, final piece of commentary: Windows 8 is really different and many people I know have rolled back to Win7. If you get a new PC based laptop, thoroughly consider which Windows OS you want. I have personally tried Win8 and hated it. That’s my quick take on it, based my research and first hand experiences over the past few months. Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 1314 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 02:51 pm:    oh.. what I forgot to say: get the "professional " versions of everything. If you go with Dell, get the Latitude, not the Inspiron. (Latitude is what businesses buy, and has a better build and is tech supported in the US; Inspiron not as robust, and is tech supported overseas ). Get the professional version of the software you buy -- not the "consumer" version. This will all be business expense for you, too. The MAC people crack me up. The posting above lists all the ways that the Mac isn't working, how it has so many work-arounds -- the PC products are pretty seamless. oh, and don't get an iPad and think you're going to get work done on it. the iPad is essentially a big phone -- moving things back and forth to the iPad is WAY more complicated than it needs to be for a work tool. Sheldon Wolfe Senior Member Username: sheldon_wolfe Post Number: 629 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 03:00 pm:    Contrary to popular belief, Apple products are not bulletproof. A friend recently got one (I think it was a MacBook of some sort) and was showing me how cool it is. I did a little poking around, looking at files and doing a little surfing, when - and I swear I did not try to mess it up - it locked up. Apparently, the three-finger salute doesn't work with a Mac, and the owner didn't know what else to try. I said, "I can fix this" and watched him have a heart attack as I turned it over and pulled the battery. Worked fine after putting it back in. If I were getting something now, I'd also consider the Surface, though it would be nice to know someone who had had it long enough to offer advice. Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 520 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 03:07 pm:    Anne, can you clarify your comment? I assume I am the "mac people" you are referring to...which perplexes me as I specifically pointed out that I am OS agnostic, but love the Mac Hardware... and I didn't list ANY workarounds, but explained how it works for me personally and professionally, using two different aspects (and OS's) on the same machine Ronald L. Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 1095 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 03:18 pm:    The three-finger salute does come in handy, but I also find myself giving the machine a one-finger salute. It usually doesn't work, but it makes me feel better. Ron Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com John Regener, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: john_regener Post Number: 618 Registered: 04-2002 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 03:18 pm:    The issue of hardware for specifications production has several facets: CPU, monitor(s), keyboard, operating system, programs (including computer-assisted specifications programs), portabiity, backup (data and equipment), printer, scanner and stuff I can't think of right now. These are issues for both in-house and out-sourced specifications writers. I'm glad you brought up the subject. I think all specifiers grapple with these matters, with greater and lesser urgency and available resources. Regarding portability, my laptop computer died. I have not replaced it, yet. I will replace it but I don't know yet whether the replacement will be my primary PC for specifications production. I did some projects for a Marine Corps training facility. I learned that the Marines don't have equipment for use at their home base and equipment for when they deploy. They use the same stuff and make sure it's portable. That means, to me, have one robust PC that is portable. At the same time, I know that I am more productive with a desktop PC with a large monitor (or two). So, the ideal is to have both. Ignoring the keyboard, the most important thing for portabiity is operating programs and data files that can be synced between the two PCs. For spec production, I find computer needs are relatively modest. Word processing software doesn't put very heavy demands on a PC. A computer-assisted spec program and BIM software (whatever that is) could be another matter, however. My intention ... in the near future when finances are right ... is to replace my desktop PC with a mid-tower CPU/22-24" monitor combination, with gobs of RAM and storage, and also have a separate notebook PC with 8gb RAM, 500gb internal HDD and a 120gb solid state portable HDD. A portable scanner would be nice. This two-PC arrangement has an advantage of redundancy should one go down as well as portability. Printer, scanner, desk & chair and furniture are subjects for another posting ... but they are important to consider as one establishes or upgrades a word-processing oriented workstation. In my household, we have three workstations: mine, my wife's and a third for family finances, entertainment and backup (multiple computers and office equipment are cheaper than marriage counseling). We have 2 color inkjet printer/copier/scanner/fax machines, a high-speed monochrome laser printer and a cheap color inkjet printer. We will be adding a notebook PC and an LCD projector for my wife. We each have separate home-based businesses ... and no spare bedrooms now. All of these are on a wireless network with highspeed cable Internet connection. Computers, peripherals and office equipment are relatively cheap now, compared to 10-20 years ago. And old, functional equipment should be retained for backup. And refurbished PCs and laser printers can be a bargain for starting out. Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 521 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 03:27 pm:    LOL, there actually is a 3-figured salute option for the Mac: Command+Option+Escape This mimics the Control+Alt+Delte option on the PC Mark Gilligan SE, Senior Member Username: mark_gilligan Post Number: 545 Registered: 10-2007 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 06:23 pm:    Regarding workstation vs laptop. The keyboard on a lap top is not as natural to use as the keyboards that you have with workstations. Thus I would recommend that you have a workstation and if you want a laptop to allow you to do some work away from the office. Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 1315 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 06:51 pm:    Nathan: in your email you stated that outlook contacts don't work on your mac os, and I know that in our office the people with macs have to save things to the cloud in order to transfer from computer to computer, which to me is an intermediate step. When I've gotten documents done in word for mac (or the mac equivalent) the formatting always gets messed up in the translation. now, from a graphic perspective, I have no doubt that mac provides a lot of flexibility and has some tools that aren't available, but as a spec writer, I don't need those things. John: the data-based spec software (especs, and even Speclink) need a super fast processor to work well enough that you won't hate them. Both of them were saying i5 chips, and Arcom's Altarix also recommends an i5 chip in order to run fast enough to be useful. if you need this capability, a build suitable for gaming will work just fine and have both enough processor speed and memory that you could write specs for the next decade (or two) and not run out of space. (although I remember thinking that my 50 megabyte harddrive would be suitable for at least a few years. And finally, I think whatever computer you have, you will probably spend the same money each time you replace it. when I got my first 50 megabyte computer (with 5-1/2 inch flobby disk drive) it cost about $2200. Every three years, I've spent about the same amount of money, and gotten about 4 times the processing power and memory. What's the computer axiom? that memory and speed doubles every 18 months? Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 522 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 06:57 pm:    Thanks for the clarification Anne. Yes its frustrating that Microsoft's connection to Sync Services broke in the current Mac OSX (Mountain Lion), prior to that recent "upgrade" everything worked just peachy. Microsoft has been slow to patch it, because they are rolling out an all new suite to replace it in its entirety. Also, I think they (Microsoft) are more focused on corporate buyers, because Exchange sync works fine, it's only at the desktop level with Outlook sync that the connection is broken. John McGrann Senior Member Username: jmcgrann Post Number: 99 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, March 21, 2013 - 11:27 am:    I'll toss out a heads up regarding Word 2013 (part of the current Office 2013 offering). ARCOM's MasterWorks macro package for this version isn't quite ready yet, although I understand they're working on it. Also found out last week that the AIA Contract Documents software isn't ready for it either, although I don't have any estimate on when they might come out with an update. So, tagging onto Nathan's comment, if at all possible stay with Windows 7 and Office 2010 for now if you're going with a PC. John T. McGrann, Jr., AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Justatim Senior Member Username: justatim Post Number: 48 Registered: 04-2010 Posted on Friday, March 22, 2013 - 09:01 am:    At home I switched to a MAC laptop years ago... without regrets for personal use. However, I needed to do detailed product research and compilations recently, like I do all the time on my office PC, and it was a struggle. Apple has nothing as convenient as the PC's bottom task bar, with which to organize and one-click access any of 10 or 20 open documents or websites. With Apple, I'm constantly resizing and pushing around the pages to go from one to another.. and have them legibly sized to be identifiable and readable. Of course, MAC users always say, "it is much better spending some time to learn (and settle in) with OS X style of work than finding some Windows taskbar solution." I haven't yet found that "OS X style of work" that can do what I need to do... even after visiting the "Genius Bar" several times. I've found a couple of apps that get you half-way toward a task-bar functionality. On the positive side, my Apple cost more than a PC, but over the years I've saved countless hours on the phone to India trying to get a fix for Windows' automatic updates. I've also saved the approximately $500/year fee for on-line service and the $500/year cost of anti-viral software. Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 524 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Friday, March 22, 2013 - 10:26 am:    Justatim, have you tried Hyperdock? It's a $10 program that replicates Win7 dialogue box behavior on Mac OSX. One of my favorite Windows features in Win7 is how it handles dialog box resizing, docking, previewing, etc.... Hyperdock does this all pretty well. You should also learn the swipe touch method that "explodes out" all the open programs to select a specific open app or from one of several desktops. Sort of like Alt+Tab on Windows, but more graphical in nature. Works very well. I struggled with not having a taskbar and Windows Key + M to minimize all and select my desired page, but the swipe command ( or F3 on my keyboard) for the Exposé thing works really well Ellis C. Whitby, PE, CSI, AIA, LEED® AP Senior Member Username: ecwhitby Post Number: 184 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Friday, March 22, 2013 - 01:04 pm:    "$500/year fee for on-line service and the $500/year cost of anti-viral software." These costs seem excessive unles you are running multiple PCs and a server. For my home PC I haven't spent a dime on "on-line service" since I bought it 3 years ago. I did spend 100% for a better video card, and installed it myself. Norton 360 (ant-virus and more) costs under $100. Justatim Senior Member Username: justatim Post Number: 49 Registered: 04-2010 Posted on Friday, March 22, 2013 - 08:20 pm:    Nathan, Hyperdock's free trial is what I've recently discovered, but it goes only half-way toward a taskbar--the way I use a task bar. Ellis, the costs were reflective of Dell as of 4 years ago. I may be off by $100, but not by much more. Ann G. Baker, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C Junior Member Username: ann Post Number: 2 Registered: 03-2013 Posted on Friday, March 22, 2013 - 11:46 pm:    Wow, this is way more information than I anticipated when I posted the question! As soon as I finish the current pressing deadline (isn't it always pressing?) I intend to read this thread over a few more times and hopefully educate myself thoroughly on the options, and on the costs of course. Sort of a chicken and egg at the moment - I could really use a computer that's faster right now, but have to get the two deadlines out before I have the opportunity to do the shopping. J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 542 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Saturday, March 23, 2013 - 12:01 pm:    Just another couple of notes about compatibility... The LEED online website is very picky about what what browsing software and what operating system is being used. Apple's corporate refusal to embrace Flash (which I am inclined to agree with as a matter of principle) can also cause problems on certain websites. It's not just the opening "splash" screens, but some of the tools offered by certain manufacturers. One of my "goto" tools is OldCastle's Glasselect which requires Adobe Flash. Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 525 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Saturday, March 23, 2013 - 06:36 pm:    Does Chrome work on USGBC's website? If so, the Oldcastle site should be fine in Chrome as it has Flash built in. It's cloud based Flash player, so always most current version with any need to update. David E Lorenzini Senior Member Username: deloren Post Number: 138 Registered: 04-2000 Posted on Saturday, March 23, 2013 - 11:38 pm:    I'm encouraged by the high level of computer knowledge and experience expressed by all contributors to this thread. It is apparent that no one solution is right for everyone. In fact, everyone is right, since their solutions fit their needs and especially their experiences. It's hard to criticize a solution and needs of another, based solely on personal expertise. Ann has to make her decision based on her personal needs, not the solutions of others. In order to run a business, she has to select the system she feels comfortable with, that meets her budget, and that she can be productive with as soon as possible. In time she can upgrade equipment and software, and add utilities that solve her needs. Switching from Windows to Mac OS as suggested by some engineering friends is like learning a new language. If her friends are willing to coach her, she might want to ramp up her experience with Mac while still using Windows, which I assume she is comfortable with. She could start with a Mac mini, a little power pack with enough muscle to be effective for years. Apple introduced the mini after they switched to the Intel processor, and it allowed Window uses to plug in their monitor, keyboard, and mouse so that the base price to switch was only $600. Then they added Boot Camp so that it would run Windows. As Nathan said, you can run Windows on a Mac, and you can learn to use the Mac side at your own pace while being productive with familiar Windows software. A word of caution though, learning the language of a Mac is not as easy when Windows is all you've known. Make sure you have someone to turn to for help. If she buys equipment with the assumption that future OSs and software will need more power and storage than today's needs, she will be well served, and her per year cost will be less. David Lorenzini, FCSI, CCS Architectural Resources Co. J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 543 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Sunday, March 24, 2013 - 11:08 am:    David's comments are much appreciated. Nathan, Apple products running in Apple's various OS enviorments do not support Adobe Flash regardless of the software application. I am not sure whether or not this applies to Macs running Windows. Apple has a long standing aversion to Flash (don't remember why) and is just one of the quirks that they build into their systems. Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 526 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Sunday, March 24, 2013 - 02:43 pm:    J. Peter Jordan, I believe you are confusing iOS with OSX. The mobile opersting system iOS (iPhones, iPads, Touch, AppleTV run iOS and do not run Flash. Mac OSX however, runs Flash just fine, as an app you install (just like Windows), or natively as an automatic plugin to Chrome (just like Windows). David E Lorenzini Senior Member Username: deloren Post Number: 139 Registered: 04-2000 Posted on Sunday, March 24, 2013 - 08:44 pm:    Flash is used for video and animation. I don't remember all the details, but a few years ago Flash was experiencing damaging malware attacks, especially on browsers, and Adobe has been issuing updates to Flash about every week since. Apple's browser is Safari, and they decided to replace Flash with HTML5 which was just coming into use. As I understand it, HTML5 can produce the same video effects as Flash right within the same HTML code without depending on Flash. Maybe someone else on this thread has more specific details on the subject. Keeping up with the updates for Flash and not clicking on risky web sites should keep you out of trouble. David Lorenzini, FCSI, CCS Architectural Resources Co.