Women in Technology

Article:		Jaguar: Time to Stop Pussyfooting Around
Subject:		Why many mac users are relectant to switch
Date:		2002-08-04 00:51:33
From:		geertdeg
Response to: Why many mac users are relectant to switch
Your 3rd reason makes sense! Although I hate Quark and there ridiculous custumer support and expensive updates, I couldn't convince many users to use InDesign. That's the great problem: if everyone should be prepared to use InDesign, no one in the graphics industry should hesitate to make the switch. I'm working for an advertising agency and we just can't deliver our InDesign-files to the printers, they simply refuse it! Some print shops or service bureaus use beige G3's to make films or plates, InDesign simply runs too slow on this hardware. And why should they replace their old G3 for those few InDesign users? Our only solution is to export our work as a Certified PDF-document to get it published. But the real problem with this is that is almost not editable by the print shop (and most of the times most clients do last-minute correction, which require access to the layout application). It's not as simply as many people think: we can not simply choose a print shop or service bureau who accepts InDesign files; sometimes our clients choose the print shop and service bureau. I said it already elsewhere: most print shops are just too lazy to learn a new OS and InDesign, which is the better application than Quark XPress. There's also another last reason for the graphic designer to stay at OS9: when Adobe carbonized Acrobat, they didn't do the same for the important Distiller-application. The Enfocus PitStop plug-in - which is used for Certified PDF - also doesn't work when Acrobat is running in OSX native mode. It's amazing how many users here consider the OS9-stayers as old-fashioned people, but we really have just no other choice to stay at 9.

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• Why many mac users...not all OS 9 old fashioned
  2002-08-05 07:55:08  ethanbrand [View]
  
  
  >>It's amazing how many users here consider the OS9-stayers as old-fashioned people, but we really have just no other choice to stay at 9.
  
  I don't believe *all* OS 9'ers are old-fashioned. Many have legitimate reasons for staying where they are. But there is also a crowd that refuses to go for many just plain stubborn reasons. Those are the old-fashioned ones.
  
  Yet, there is a bottom line to be considered. This post thread mentioned people who don't have the time to switch because their work demand won't allow it. Do you think that will ever change? So why not do as Derrick suggests and get just one workstation up and running for everyone to tinker with? Those who wait until they are forced to switch, and everyone will at some point if they are to stay Mac, are going to be put in a tough situation. One test workstation could help alleviate the pains of a forced transition.
  
  As the nails go into the OS 9 coffin, everyone has to realize that they will one day have to switch. You can do it cold turkey in the middle of an important project (hard), or you can do it over time, figuring out the nuances of what you need to do along the way (easy). The choice is yours.