Working desk ergonomics??

[Jdsk]

I use a wireless trackpad on my desktop Mac, the built-in trackpad on my MacBook, and the touch screen on my iPhone.

I haven't used a mouse or trackball on my own machines for years.

I suggest doing the experiment with a range of input devices and then choosing. And then repeating the exercise after a while.

Jonathan

PS: Sidecar:
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT210380
https://www.apple.com/macos/big-sur/doc ... t_2019.pdf

[[XAP]Bob]

I have a trackpad (Apples finest) and a mouse plugged in at the moment, used to use a trackball exclusively…

Have also used a couple of really interesting alternatives in my time

[Tangled Metal]

How much do apple computers compare to equivalent Windows computers? Different OS but AIUI apple followed the Intel style architecture in the end even using Intel inside. I know the OS is supposed to be better once you get used to it and you can use MS industry standard office programs sorry apps on it.

I know a few ppl who raved about their Mac. One guy at work is apple through and through from the very beginning. He is a director so got the company to buy a MacBook. He's got everything apple. Then a few years ago he got a Windows laptop for work. Another director had a work MacBook but had so much trouble getting onto the server that eventu he, and our IT consultant, gave up and he's got a Windows laptop too.

What's even more damning is the first director who was Apple everything asked me if he could look at my android phone. I'm Android for personal use but work phone is iPhone. It's a terrible phone that got blown away by the mid range Android phone I had. User experience and camera was rubbish IMHO. Anyway the director was thinking of going android at the time. He was impressed by my honor 8 mid range Huawei mobile phone at the time. Not even flagship model so it's comparing top drawer apple Vs mid level Android.

I just wonder whether Apple premium is worth it for UK PC use. AIUI in USA it's cheaper and is kind of as commonplace as Intel architecture. Here it's sold as premium or for creative sector I think with fewer companies dealing with them for repairs and problems too.

[Stevek76]

Trackpads, like mice, are not made equal. I've a >11 yr old HP laptop with a synaptics pad that was huge and doing inertial cursors & scrolling the same time macbook users were getting excited about such matters (apple was also buying synaptics touchpads, and then just went and bought synaptics themselves ). Meanwhile my work dell precision has some alps rubbish that is just awful with terrible inertial scrolling and no inertial cursor, the latter is genuinely painful on occasions where I've forgotten to bring the mouse and had to present/share something. Far too much screen estate to get across. Similarly, how anyone copes with the generic cheap mice about I've no idea!

As for apple, they're possibly not sticking with Intel much longer. The latest macbook pro comes with an Apple M1 cpu option which runs on the ARM instruction set. Obviously that limits compatibility a bit as many desktop apps aren't compiled to ARM and even fewer are actually properly optimised for ARM, hence still also providing intel options.

[Bonefishblues]

Apple is committed to using their own architecture which is based on the M1.

The new Mac Mini M1 is something of a bargain, I think.

[Jdsk]

The move to M1 seems to have gone very well. And there's a lot more to it than raw performance or raw performance/cost.

It's made it easier to run iOS apps on Macs, and when you look at the number of users the importance of that becomes obvious.

And it changes controls of the manufacture and supply chains at a time of great uncertainty between the USA and China.

Jonathan

[[XAP]Bob]

How much do apple computers compare to equivalent Windows computers? Different OS but AIUI apple followed the Intel style architecture in the end even using Intel inside. I know the OS is supposed to be better once you get used to it and you can use MS industry standard office programs sorry apps on it.

I know a few ppl who raved about their Mac. One guy at work is apple through and through from the very beginning. He is a director so got the company to buy a MacBook. He's got everything apple. Then a few years ago he got a Windows laptop for work. Another director had a work MacBook but had so much trouble getting onto the server that eventu he, and our IT consultant, gave up and he's got a Windows laptop too.

What's even more damning is the first director who was Apple everything asked me if he could look at my android phone. I'm Android for personal use but work phone is iPhone. It's a terrible phone that got blown away by the mid range Android phone I had. User experience and camera was rubbish IMHO. Anyway the director was thinking of going android at the time. He was impressed by my honor 8 mid range Huawei mobile phone at the time. Not even flagship model so it's comparing top drawer apple Vs mid level Android.

I just wonder whether Apple premium is worth it for UK PC use. AIUI in USA it's cheaper and is kind of as commonplace as Intel architecture. Here it's sold as premium or for creative sector I think with fewer companies dealing with them for repairs and problems too.

Apple machines are generally not nearly as "more expensive" as they look, it's just that they don't do mid/low range machines.
The OS is far better than anything I ever used from MS, but I haven't used any of the recent versions (since Win7), and haven't *really* used anything since WinXP.

The chip architecture makes little difference to most people, neither does the OS really. All you need is to know that the software that you want to run will run, and that the whole thing will be stable.
For the vast majority of people the main thing they need is a web browser, and that's available on any architecture. Word processing software and spreadsheets are available either online or on any architecture... so outside of games, it's basically a free choice.

The actual chip used does make a difference, I have a pretty high end intel MBP, but even my wife's low end MBP from 6/7 years ago is still going strong, and I expect it will continue to do so for several years still. My Mac mini from a decade ago is starting to struggle to keep up, I'll probably take it apart and lose the spinning rust disk entirely, but it was a relatively low end dual core CPU so I don't feel it owes us anything at all.
I don't recall ever having a windows machine still running after 5 years, let alone 10. They had basically always been replaced and had moved to a lightweight Linux install by then.


As for iPhone vs Android...
It's an ecosystem choice. I moved to iDevices (from Android) because there were applications which were only available on iOS, and I've since stuck with them*. The cameras on all smartphones are now ridiculously capable, particularly in terms of the post processing software.


* For several years I had a dumb phone with bluetooth PAN and a Nexus 7, then an iPad mini.
Whilst I do like the integration that Apple has put together

[Jdsk]

Apple machines are generally not nearly as "more expensive" as they look, it's just that they don't do mid/low range machines.

And lifetime costs have always given a different answer from initial price.

The OS is far better than anything I ever used from MS, but I haven't used any of the recent versions (since Win7), and haven't *really* used anything since WinXP.

For general purposes Windows is a lot closer in usability nowadays.
(This is not a comment about what eg dedicated programmers prefer.)

As for iPhone vs Android...
It's an ecosystem choice.

Yes.

I'm often asked about these comparisons. My big question is whether the user will be turning to me for support.

Jonathan

[[XAP]Bob]

I'm often asked about these comparisons. My big question is whether the user will be turning to me for support.

If it has less than 64GB RAM I won’t even consider supporting it

[Tangled Metal]

Must admit my apple phone is a 5 version and it isn't a great phone like it was no doubt touted as back then. Its a work hand me down. Everything about it makes it inadequate for the use it has. My android phone that was from that year had a really good camera compared too the iPhone. That on its own surprised me most considering back then android phones were compared to by how close they were to the superior iPhone.

Being an old phone now it's actually done well but I've had it for 8 years now. I've lived with its inadequacies and its issues due to age. I cav only use it for 15 minutes or I'll burn my ear as it gets quite hot. I do need a new work phone but that's as likely as winning the lottery of late. The other issue is the ring tone is so quiet even with the sound turned up. I leave it on vibrate in my pocket. At least I might realise its ringing if my pocket vibrates.

As to apps first quarter 2021 android had 3.48 million but ios had 2.22 million. I'm surprised there's not an android app equivalent to what you got your iPhone for.

[[XAP]Bob]

When you’re dealing with apps for controlling audio hardware it was all iOS up until fairly recently. I believe the (non device specific) app I use now is compiled for android as well, but iDevices have sufficient lifespan that the replacement/hand down cycle works quite well for a family of four (we never buy the current generation, and have a fifth one as a spare device - so generally value the long term support provided.

[Elizabeth_S]

I've been working from my home desk on various desktops since 1993, I don't have any back or shoulder problems, and my tip (apart from getting the heights and reach correctly and learning to touch type), is to learn to balance the load between your arms. I'm right-handed, so I use the mouse in my left-hand and the directional keys in my right.

[[XAP]Bob]

I've been working from my home desk on various desktops since 1993, I don't have any back or shoulder problems, and my tip (apart from getting the heights and reach correctly and learning to touch type), is to learn to balance the load between your arms. I'm right-handed, so I use the mouse in my left-hand and the directional keys in my right.

Erm... no way could I mouse left handed.
But then my primary interface has always been the keyboard. I use the mouse as little as is reasonable possible.