| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4] > | Translating on a Mac. Thread poster: Dariush Robertson
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Michael Beijer 
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:51
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
+ ...
| thankfully I don't travel much ;-) | Oct 14, 2015 |
2nl wrote: Michael Beijer wrote: … but I have been using a Dell Precision M6800 laptop for a while now, and am very happy with it. It is rock solid. It is also very heavy. Now I happen to know that you have a minivan, so probably this isn't an issue for you.
Yeah, it's a bit of a monster, but thankfully I don't travel much (at least not without a car), and never work in cafes, so I don't mind. I just can't stand those dinky 15" mini screens that everyone seems to be moving towards these days. I think Apple was insane to discontinue their 17" line. My laptop is my work computer, not some snazzy little toy.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:51
Member (2008)
Italian to English
2nl wrote: Tom in London wrote:
I hate Apple and its greedy-for-profit business model that tries to lock you into Apple for everything (see the latest iTunes/Apple Music) and I don't like what they're doing with the Mac (latest models have soldered RAM that you can't swap, etc.). I agree. I spilled some fluid on the keyboard of my MBP Retina and noticed that the Return key got sticky. Replacement of only a single key or the keyboard isn't possible. Instead the whole ''top case" has to be replaced. Ouch! That'll teach me to be more careful  .
More careful when buying a Mac, or more careful about not sipping coffee whilst working?
| | | | 2nl (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 08:51
| Careful when taking a sip while working hard | Oct 14, 2015 |
Tom in London wrote:
More careful when buying a Mac, or more careful about not sipping coffee whilst working?
The latter.
One thing I'd like to mention. Now that I'm temporarily using a (rather new € 450) HP laptop (with Windows 10) as a second computer: I wasn't aware how much I got used to the hi-res screen of the MBP. It's a good thing that Windows laptops come with hi-res screens too (of course not for € 450). These hi-res screens really add value.
| | | | Arek Luczyk
Poland
Local time: 08:51
English to Polish
+ ...
I'm on my second Dell Latitude and they've been rock solid too. I don't install any garbage and Windows is as snappy as new (in fact, more snappy than OS X that I sometimes try in Apple Stores). In the past I owned a ThinkPad (granted, from IBM, not Lenovo) and it was a similar experience. I think the OP was just unlucky.
Personally, even though I like the Mac's look and feel, I don't see the point of paying through the nose and then running Windows on it (for which, incidentally, y... See more I'm on my second Dell Latitude and they've been rock solid too. I don't install any garbage and Windows is as snappy as new (in fact, more snappy than OS X that I sometimes try in Apple Stores). In the past I owned a ThinkPad (granted, from IBM, not Lenovo) and it was a similar experience. I think the OP was just unlucky.
Personally, even though I like the Mac's look and feel, I don't see the point of paying through the nose and then running Windows on it (for which, incidentally, you have to pay separately). Buying a Mac you also pay for its OS and if this is what you prefer then you're getting value for money. The same goes for using it to run Mac-only apps. But this is only my opinion and ultimately everybody should decide what works best for them.
[Edited at 2015-10-14 14:51 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 08:51
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Great experience with Mac. | Oct 14, 2015 |
I used various brands of Windows Laptops (Toshiba, Siemens, just to name a few) and Macbook Pro, and for me personally, I love the Mac better, for the most part for its fantastic resolution and it gives my eyes good rest. Normally I also use a wider external monitor while working however if travelling etc, where I really need to stick my eyes to the laptop screen, I am happy to have the Mac.
However, OP, do you take good care of your device? My Toshiba lasted for 10 years (continuou... See more I used various brands of Windows Laptops (Toshiba, Siemens, just to name a few) and Macbook Pro, and for me personally, I love the Mac better, for the most part for its fantastic resolution and it gives my eyes good rest. Normally I also use a wider external monitor while working however if travelling etc, where I really need to stick my eyes to the laptop screen, I am happy to have the Mac.
However, OP, do you take good care of your device? My Toshiba lasted for 10 years (continuous use)? Are you using a cooling pad? I know laptops are designed to move around, however, I would highly advise to minimize it as much as possible. Treat your laptop as if it were a desktop (+ cooling pad and dust protection) and it will last. If your really need to move it around, then it should be done with great care paying special attention to critical parts like hard disk and its location. Has your Lenovo been exposed to falls, mechanical shocks, inverted positions, moisture and dust?
[Edited at 2015-10-14 12:02 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:51
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Lingua 5B wrote:
I used various brands of Windows Laptops (Toshiba, Siemens, just to name a few) and Macbook Pro, and for me personally, I love the Mac better, for the most part for its fantastic resolution and it gives my eyes good rest. Normally I also use a wider external monitor while working however if travelling etc, where I really need to stick my eyes to the laptop screen, I am happy to have the Mac.
However, OP, do you take good care of your device? My Toshiba lasted for 10 years (continuous use)? Are you using a cooling pad? I know laptops are designed to move around, however, I would highly advise to minimize it as much as possible. Treat your laptop as if it were a desktop (+ cooling pad and dust protection) and it will last. If your really need to move it around, then it should be done with great care paying special attention to critical parts like hard disk and its location. Has your Lenovo been exposed to falls, mechanical shocks, inverted positions, moisture and dust?
[Edited at 2015-10-14 12:02 GMT]
Yes, this is important. Never let your MacBook Pro drop, and you must pick it up and set it down gently. It comes with a built in sudden movement detector, to protect it from inadvertent accidents by blocking the hard drive. Nevertheless you should treat it carefully. Naturally if you choose a Mac with a solid-state drive, this problem doesn't exist.
So far as keeping the operating system in good condition is concerned, the Mac OS does that work itself and you should probably never need to do anything more yourself. Should any operating system problems arise, a restart is usually enough to fix them because the Mac fixes itself every time it boots up.
[Edited at 2015-10-14 12:17 GMT]
| | | | | Yes, I've taken very good care of it. | Oct 14, 2015 |
Lingua 5B wrote:
I used various brands of Windows Laptops (Toshiba, Siemens, just to name a few) and Macbook Pro, and for me personally, I love the Mac better, for the most part for its fantastic resolution and it gives my eyes good rest. Normally I also use a wider external monitor while working however if travelling etc, where I really need to stick my eyes to the laptop screen, I am happy to have the Mac.
However, OP, do you take good care of your device? My Toshiba lasted for 10 years (continuous use)? Are you using a cooling pad? I know laptops are designed to move around, however, I would highly advise to minimize it as much as possible. Treat your laptop as if it were a desktop (+ cooling pad and dust protection) and it will last. If your really need to move it around, then it should be done with great care paying special attention to critical parts like hard disk and its location. Has your Lenovo been exposed to falls, mechanical shocks, inverted positions, moisture and dust?
[Edited at 2015-10-14 12:02 GMT]
I've taken very good care of my Lenovo. My wife used to work at IBM before it changed to Lenovo. We know people who have worked there, and there seems to be a lot of problems similar to mine. A lot of the time the problems stem from faulty third party components. Lenovo will also blame as much as they can on system, and will do anything to avoid... doing anything. A lot of schools, banks, and department stores have suffered from similar problems. The machines just aren't built to last. My old IBM Think Pad lasted about 8 years. That's why I bought a Lenovo ThinkPad. I foolishly thought that it would be of a similar quality. Big mistake.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:51
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| faulty third party components | Oct 14, 2015 |
That's one of the strong points of the Mac: you don't need to install any third-party components yourself. Naturally, a Mac does contain third-party components, but these are all pre-selected by Apple and everything is tightly integrated. The only things that you might ever want to swap would be RAM or the hard drive, and in both cases you'll find that there are reliable third-party suppliers.
[Edited at 2015-10-14 12:43 GMT]
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Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:51
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Well, we can all trot out anecdotes... | Oct 14, 2015 |
Dariush Robertson wrote:
The machines just aren't built to last. My old IBM Think Pad lasted about 8 years. That's why I bought a Lenovo ThinkPad. I foolishly thought that it would be of a similar quality. Big mistake.
Here's my anecdote, to offset yours. I have used three ThinkPads over the past 15 years, two of which I bought after Lenovo took over the brand. All three have been used hard and have travelled all over the world on some pretty demanding schedules.
All three machines performed flawlessly. My current ThinkPad is over four years old and still going strong. It has been upgraded to Windows 10 without any problems.
Putting my positive experience aside, it seems odd that you would consider moving your entire computing platform to a non-Windows platform, with all the disruption that entails, just because you had problems with one manufacturer.
If you were already using an Apple laptop you would have no other choice of brand, of course, but that's not the case with Windows. Dell, HP, Acer, Asus - lots to choose from.
Finally, may I suggest that if you're aware that you're losing opportunities due to kit problems - Mac, Windows, Linux, whatever - then do buy another machine immediately. Far better, however, to ensure that you have a backup system in place before you need it. That's the role my ThinkPad fulfils for me these days.
The expense is trivial compared to your opportunity cost, especially if your estimate (£10,000?!) is accurate. You have to spend money to make money.
Regards
Dan
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:51
Member (2008)
Italian to English
2nl wrote:
Does it come with wheels?
No, but it comes with iCafé, the coffee-making application that is built in to every Mac.
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:51
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| At last I see the attraction | Oct 14, 2015 |
Tom in London wrote:
No, but it comes with iCafé, the coffee-making application that is built in to every Mac.
Now that I would consider moving platforms for...
Dan
| | | | Michael Beijer
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:51
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
+ ...
| Dragon NaturallySpeaking (speech recognition) + Vocola/Unimacro (speech commands) + AutoHotkey = | Oct 14, 2015 |
I think I'll stick with Windows.
I'm sure someone here will say that the same thing can be achieved with OS X’s new Dictation app, but there are a few pieces of software that make leaving Windows impossible for me. Or in the very least, extremely unlikely.
The sheer power of Dragon on Windows combined with Vocola/Unimacro/Dragonfly/AHK, etc., combined with the vibrant and interesting user community around these apps, are excellent reasons to reconsider switching to a... See more I think I'll stick with Windows.
I'm sure someone here will say that the same thing can be achieved with OS X’s new Dictation app, but there are a few pieces of software that make leaving Windows impossible for me. Or in the very least, extremely unlikely.
The sheer power of Dragon on Windows combined with Vocola/Unimacro/Dragonfly/AHK, etc., combined with the vibrant and interesting user community around these apps, are excellent reasons to reconsider switching to a Mac.
Please have a look at all this amazing stuff going on:
• http://vocola.net/ (open source version of KnowBrainer 2015)
• http://qh.antenna.nl/unimacro/
• http://ahkscript.org/ (the holy grail of macros/scripts)
• http://ahkscript.org/boards/index.php
• http://explosionduck.com/wp/introduction-to-voice-programming-part-one-dns-natlink/ (‘INTRODUCTION TO VOICE PROGRAMMING, PART ONE: DNS + NATLINK’)
• http://explosionduck.com/wp/introduction-to-voice-programming-part-two-open-source-speech-tools/ (‘INTRODUCTION TO VOICE PROGRAMMING, PART TWO*: OPEN SOURCE SPEECH TOOLS’)
(image from ‘PART TWO’ above)
.png)
(my Vocola commands file; can be edited by just saying: ‘Edit global commands’)
Michael
* PART TWO of David Conway's post is absolutely brimming with great info on speech recognition (and even mentions a few ways to get it working on a Mac). Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in SR! ▲ Collapse
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2nl (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 08:51
Michael Beijer wrote:
I think I'll stick with Windows.
I'm sure someone here will say that the same thing can be achieved with OS X’s new Dictation app,
Dear Michael,
I'm very happy that you are so happy with your Windows laptop. The OP asked for info about Macs. Your answer is more appropriate for the Windows speech recognition forum. Besides that: You can use Windows software, even speech recognition software, on OS X. That is, if you wouldn't be satisfied with Dragon for Mac.
But I'm very happy that you have created such a nice solution for yourself on your DELL laptop .
Your fellow CafeTranslator
Hans
(on Mac)
| | | | | What about Trados Studio? | Oct 15, 2015 |
Thanks for this thread! After 16 years as a translator I'm thinking of switching to Mac, which I have heard "does not break or freeze" at least not nearly as often as Windows.
I understand I need to run Windows on the Mac though, in order to use Studio 2014. Any other suggestion?
And then, what would you guys think, getting an iMac (all in one) or a Mac Mini plus a screen? I already have a great ergonomic Microsoft keyboard and Logitech mouse which I love.
[Edit... See more Thanks for this thread! After 16 years as a translator I'm thinking of switching to Mac, which I have heard "does not break or freeze" at least not nearly as often as Windows.
I understand I need to run Windows on the Mac though, in order to use Studio 2014. Any other suggestion?
And then, what would you guys think, getting an iMac (all in one) or a Mac Mini plus a screen? I already have a great ergonomic Microsoft keyboard and Logitech mouse which I love.
[Edited at 2015-10-15 11:04 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:51
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Leticia Klemetz, CT wrote:
....what would you guys think, getting an iMac (all in one) or a Mac Mini plus a screen? I already have a great ergonomic Microsoft keyboard and Logitech mouse which I love.
My set-up is a late 2012 model MacMini 2.5 GHz with 16 GB of RAM (which I upgraded myself but which you cannot do on later models - stupid Apple) plus my trusty old Apple Italian keyboard and Magic Mouse, plus a truly amazingly good BenQ GW2760HS 27-inch display, which is NOT SHINY and was my main reason for choosing this set-up. I will sacrifice everything so long as I can work on a screen that isn't reflective.
I highly recommend the MacMini option although if you buy the latest model you can't upgrade the RAM and you do need to max it. Needless to say I have never had the slightest technical problem with any part of this set-up. Let me add that as a Mac user since 1995 I have never, ever, had a virus. And I have NO virus software installed.
[Edited at 2015-10-15 11:44 GMT]
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