After a crazy week filled with stress and deadlines, the Ashby gang was ready to enjoy a dinner out on the town. Everyone’s jaw seemed to be set for steak, so last Friday, we all drove out to Cherokee Steak House & Marina to enjoy some big fat rib eyes and t-bones. As great as the food is, I had another reason for wanting to dine out, because it would give me an opportunity to take my new MacBook out on the town as well. 8)
One of the features I have been most eager to try is almost not even a feature to most Mac users. It’s the fact that you can simply shut the lid and put the laptop to sleep. If you’re a Mac user, this may seem old hat, but for Windows users, this is a very big deal.
Why? Because in the Windows world, if you don’t shut down the computer, you’re just opening yourself up to a world of hurt. Although the “feature” is present on all Windows laptops, it simply doesn’t work worth a damn. I’ve been using laptops for the past 11 years, many of which with the laptop being my primary machine, and the sleep has never worked properly.
On a Mac, when you close the lid, the computer quietly goes to “sleep”. When you open the lid, the computer comes back to life exactly where you were. I’ve been completely green with envy as I watched friends and colleagues at conferences just close their laptops and go. They then have to wait as I shut down my laptop. Why didn’t I just close the lid like they do? Because the results were so unpredictable. Some times it would come back, but more often than not the computer would lock up, or simply crash. It’s just safer to shut down.
When I mentioned how much I was looking forward to using the sleep feature on the MacBook to Mike Rohde, he asked me what I was talking about. When I explained how it worked in the Windows world, he said “Is that why my Dad freaks out when I just shut the lid to his laptop?” I let out a huge belly laugh and told him “Yeah. That’s why.”
So Friday night I sat in the back seat as my Mom and Holly sat in the front, as we drove to Gallatin, TN. I was drafting my previous article and when I lifted the lid to the MacBook, there was MarsEdit just sitting there waiting for me. It couldn’t have been easier.
I turned off the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi with the click of a button or two and then click on the Battery Icon and chose the “Better Battery Life” profile to ensure that I maximized my battery life. Yet again, this was just SO easy to do!
After arriving at the restaurant, which didn’t seem like that long of a drive at all, I simply closed the lid and loaded it into my bag. I kept thinking to myself, “It can’t be this easy can it?”
We had a good meal, with plenty of steak left over. After ordering a to-go box, Holly and Mom were involved in an in-depth conversation that didn’t involve me and to which, I had nothing to add. I know it’s rude to have your laptop out at dinner, but I couldn’t resist. 😛 Opening the lid, the MacBook sprung back to life and in mere seconds I was right back into my article. This was just sublime.
The ladies couldn’t help but see me smiling as I typed away, so once they finished their discussion, the attention fell on me and my new laptop. I waxed poetic about how wonderful this little marvel is and moved around the table so that my Mom could see first hand some of the features.
Duly impressed, but ready to go, we paid the check, packed up and loaded back up into the car. On the drive home, I sat in the back seat again and this little piggie typed all the way home.