For more than a year, I’ve been periodically searching for timeline-creation software for Windows. (I wanted to create custom timelines for myself and my students.) I never found anything remotely capable of the basic task. To my delight, however, a very nice program is available for the Mac: TimeFlyer.
Similarly, I’ve tried out more flashcard programs than I could possibly remember, but none were to my liking. However, on the Mac, I quickly found the great little program iFlash. It seems to do everything I want, with the usual Mac elegance unheard-of in PC shareware.
Hooray!
In general, I’ve been very impressed with the range and quality of Mac software, both major and minor applications. (Here’s list of Mac equivalents of standard PC programs. It’s a bit dated, but still helpful if you’re thinking of making The Switch.)
Since I’ve been away from Macs (and NeXTStep) for 10 years, I’ve been surprised — and delighted — by the sheer pleasure of computing on my new MacBook Pro. My computer is no longer a mere functional tool. To work on a complex human artifact so carefully, thoughtfully, and beautifully constructed is a genuine source of spiritual fuel. It’s really quite astonishing.
Thank you, Steve Jobs!