In order to resolve the USB boradband modem problem on the MiniDell I mentioned earlier, I had to:
- Un-install the modem driver
- Un-install the AT&T management software
- Reboot
- Re-install the driver
- Re-install the management software
Ah, Windows. It’s like I never left.
(I should note that in 2+ years of using modems like this on my Macs, this problem has never happened; further, in 10+ years of using Macs, this sort of take off and nuke the site from orbit problem-solving approach has been applicable maybe once or twice ever, as opposed to standard operating procedure. Sigh.)
The FIRST day I got my Dell laptop this fall, it crashed. I had my new Mac for two months at that point and realized it had not crashed once. I hate to be a convert but I guess I am.
The gap in obvious software quality between the two platforms, both within “Mothership” projects from Apple and Microsoft internally as well as tools built by external providers, is really striking.
The only source of instability I’ve found on the Mac has been the overlap between USB device removal and wake from sleep / go to sleep — I’ve learned to make sure that my machine is completely awake and idle when removing or adding USB devices. If I pull my broadband modem, or a mouse, with the device asleep, it’s reasonably likely (say, 10-20% of the time) that the machine won’t wake up right. It’s annoying, but avoidable.
So, obviously, I have this tiny Dell as a prop, and my MBP as my real machine I use when nobody from Redmond is looking.