mac vs. pc

mac:

i was working on websites, so transmit and textmate were running, as well as illustrator for my template and photoshop was editing and resizing photos happily.  itunes was keeping the jams going, safari had about 20 windows open, everything was running and running smooth.

a client sends and email and asks for a dvd quality version of a timelapse i’d done a few months back. i connect my external drive and pop open final cut. deciding i should output the 45 minute video into something more viewable, i create a new timeline, adjust the clip speed (telling it to blend the frames) and hit export to compressor.  i hide final cut and go back to textmate to finish editing some content.  compressor finishes and i start dvd studio pro to dump the m2v onto a disc.

fast forward to the end of the day. i’m packing up, and realize final cut’s still open.  it swaps in right away, and happily informs me that it’s completed my render while i was working on other things.  i never even noticed it was spinning.  itunes never skips a beat…

pc:

same day same office i move off the mac for a second to process a few blueprints and upload them to our collaboration software.  i need to convert a few files from html to PDF, so i open up acrobat and set my batches running.  an email comes in, i maximize outlook 2007 and select the message. outlook’s titlebar changes from its usually “styled” version to standard windows XP “classic” look.  half the window goes white.  the hard disk light starts blinky blinking and then goes on steady.  the whole thing chokes.  i know what this means.  i go back to the mac working on websites.  7 minutes later the pc’s hard disk activity is still steady on…