We Don’t Need No Stinking Windows

Just before the end of last month, I accepted a project that would require I use Windows quite a bit. Since I was looking for another 12in12 project, I decided I would make it using Windows every day. I’ve already been spending a lot of time using Windows 8 every Friday, so I thought it would be fun to give it a shot. Until recently, I would go weeks without using Windows for any real length of time.

The rules were that I would spend at least one hour a day using some flavor of Windows. Using it just for my work was okay, but I also had a plan in mind to use it a little bit just for fun. I have three VMs on my Mac (Mint Linux, Win7, and Win8), and I have three laptops (same flavors), so I would be able to use in almost any circumstance. There were even a few times when I grabbed one of the Windows laptops instead of the my normal laptop (a Macbook Pro running Mint) for a little writing or something. It took some getting used to in terms of workflow, but I didn’t lose much time adjusting.

In the end, I have a better appreciation for Windows and some of it’s strengths. I’ve also discovered that for some types of work, Windows might actually help me focus more on what I’m doing. Another thing that I’ve noticed is that using multiple Windows computers seems to be a lot easier than it used to be. Years ago, one of the things I liked about the Mac was that .Mac made it painless (mostly) to work on multiple Macs. Back then, using multiple PCs seemed to be impossible (perhaps I just didn’t have the right tools. Now, with almost everything I do “in the cloud” it’s not only easy to work on multiple PCs, but I can share work between my Mac, PCs, and even my phone and iPad.

I plan to continue my mixed use. We’ll see how it goes