I’ve Used A Mac For Over 14 Years. Can I Run My Business On A PC?

I used Windows for years back in my tech blogging days. But, Windows Vista scared me away and I switched to the Mac around 2006.

My first Mac was a Mac Pro tower back when they built those. Beautiful machine and a real powerhouse at the time. After about 5 years, I switched to a 27″ iMac. Then to a Macbook Pro which I use to this day.

I recently bought my first PC in those 14-ish years. I bought it mainly for use during live streaming (since it has more horsepower than my laptop) as well as virtual reality on my Oculus Quest.

Now, however, my MacBook Pro needs to be sent in for a repair. It is working beautifully and has never given me any issues whatsoever, but it wobbles a bit when sitting on a flat service. Which means… the battery is swelling and pushing on the bottom. This is a known issue with this laptop and is actually subject to a recall. They will do it for free, but the hassle is that I have to send my main work computer in. They say it will take 3-5 business days, but I’ve heard some people have cases where that can turn into 1-3 WEEKS.

I’ve been putting it off because of the hassle, but then…

I just bought this PC. Can I just use that and run my business from there?

Obviously, yes, I can. The big thing is that I have to get all my data moved over. I also need to research and find software alternatives to some of the things I use to run the business.

The good news about an online business like mine is that a BIG portion of my day-to-day work is done right in a web browser. So, that’s easy. 🙂 Install the browsers. Move my bookmarks over. I use 1Password for logins and that works cross-platform, so I can access anything I need.

I store all my working files on Dropbox, so I can keep things synced up.

I have my whole Mac backed up to an external drive. If I need to access that drive on the PC, I can use MacDrive to make it accessible just like any other drive.

I can’t run Keynote or Pages on a PC, but I do have MS Office installed. And I can also log into iCloud right in my browser and use the online versions of their apps. I tried it by uploading a Keynote file to iCloud from the PC. I was able to do what was needed. I can also export the file out of iCloud to Powerpoint format so I can edit locally on the PC.

One thing I had the most attention on is ScreenFlow. I use this to record training videos, edit videos, etc. I love Screenflow and they just don’t make it for Windows.

I asked around for alternatives.

• Camtasia is the most obvious. It is rather expensive, though, and I don’t wish to buy it seeing as once I get the Mac back from Apple, I fully expect to go back to using Screenflow.
• You can use OBS to record your screen and webcam quite nicely. It does not, however, include a video editor. So…
• Some friends recommended Davinci Resolve. Wow, this thing is a beast. It is a full on editor on par with something like Adobe Premiere. It looks cool. I obviously installed it because… it is free (amazingly). But, it also looks to have a big learning curve and I don’t have the time to learn it. So…
• Filmora Scrn looks like a potentially solid alternative. It looks to be most equivalent to Screenflow without having to buy Camtasia. Filmora Scrn is not free, but it is cheaper than dirt at only $29.99 for a lifetime license (with updates).

I cannot open old Screenflow documents on the PC. That likely will never be possible unless they release a Windows version of the software. But, I can export anything I need to work with to MP4 and then just use the MP4 files on the PC.

So, all said and done…

Yes, I can now see that I could use the PC for daily work. It just requires learning a few new habits and new software titles, but in the end it is totally doable. I think the danger might be…

Will I end up liking it and not be in such a hurry to start using the Mac all the time? 😉

I can’t rule it out.

In the online business space, I’ve noticed that a LOT of people I know use a Mac. It is indeed a great creator’s machine and that is mainly because of the operating system. MacOS just feels… different than Windows 10. In a good way, I might add.

I have also heard some grumbling over the last few years about some of the latest Mac hardware. There have been some weird issues with it such as annoying keyboards. Some have begun to question whether their next computer will be a Mac or not.

We shall see. There are pros and cons to both. I do think Mac hardware is generally higher quality, just from my own experience. After 14 years of using Mac full-time, I think this battery issue is literally only the second thing I’ve ever had to address in terms of hardware. Not only that, I have sold past Macs for a respectable amount while past PCs I could barely give away.

Perhaps having 2 work-capable computers is the way to go: One PC and one Mac.

Best of both worlds. 🙂