Aesthetics & Functionallity

I write all my blog posts on my windows laptop, but the other half got herself a pretty new MacBook and I found myself pointlessly using it; which has evoked this writing.

It's been about 90 minutes. I've been using Gaby's new MacBook Air to do absolutely nothing useful, I've scrolled all the blogs, watched some YouTube and posted to Twitter once—all these things could very easily be done on my regular Window's laptop but I didn't want to use that.

I had all the want and drive to use this lovely designed machine, and none for the one that has been ever so faithful to me. My laptop runs Windows 8, it's edited multiple music videos and has basically pulled me through university, being strong enough cope with all design tasks in the after hours when I wasn't in the studio. I have nothing against my laptop and for the price I paid it's an outstanding piece of kit, but there is one problem; it's not pretty.

The shell of my laptop is completely made of plastic and is chunkier than a Pro-trump Texan. My laptop runs Windows, which is an operating system that I know better than my family's birthdays, but unfortunately it runs Windows 8. Windows 8 is horrid, and my laptop's physical design isn't much to leer at, so 8 just seems to drag it down further.

On the other hand, we have this MacBook air. It's made of sleek, matte, smooth metal. The keys light up, the trackpad has about 30 different features and from a full metal shell, the sound quality is fantastic. I love the design as a whole, the aesthetics are top notch—explaining why every student that studies under the title of 'designer' owns one.

The thing that makes this MacBook so desirable is quite important. It's operating system.
For me Windows operating systems are highly functional and I don't need them to be pretty because they do everything I need, and I can fix them if ever I need to. Mac has always been about aesthetics, making things work by being beautifully designed. But windows have noticed this and tried to emulate that mantra, making some strange hybrid of functionality and aesthetics to suit everyone; but as always, when you try to please everyone, you please nobody.

I can't stand the current Window operating systems but I deal with them because they are the most accessible for me at the moment, but now I've got my chance to turn towards Aesthetics. But there is a difference, where Windows XP was just functionality and did it incredibly well, Mac have always pushed great aesthetics and slowly it's making them more functional.

Everything on this lovely computer is clean and well designed, everything works seamlessly and makes perfect sense. I've always argued with design that you should choose functionality over aesthetics but they are creating one by excelling at the other, and that is something beautiful.

Gaby asked me if I was writing a blog post, she said 'Are you writing about how much you like my new Mac?' and that's exactly what I've done. I love it. I've been bitten by the Jonathan Ives bug.