Ed picked up Yoga

by Volker Weber

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When Ed Brill left IBM he had to return his MacBook and his iPad. Then something happened that I did not expect. He went to a store (!) completely open minded on what to get. And he ended up with a Lenovo Yoga 720:

How things have changed in 30 days.

This is my new home computer - a Lenovo Yoga 720 2-in-1. Yes, running Windows. And Outlook. And SharePoint. And Teams.

I’m as surprised as you to have walked away from Apple. I’ve still got a MacBook Air I am using for Zwift indoor cycling and historical stuff. There are two other MacBooks in the house. And iPhones and iPads.

But at Press Ganey we’re a Microsoft shop (file under: things I deliberately did *not* ask anyplace I interviewed during 2017). And in the dozen years I’ve been Microsoft-free, the kit is much improved.

My iPad was IBM’s also so I had two devices to replace. As some pointed out, I was carrying both anyway. Now? This two-in-one has a great touchscreen AND keyboard, and only weighs three pounds. It was also cheaper than any new MacBook, much less a MacBook and an iPad together.

Further, I am candidly disappointed that Apple hasn’t even scheduled me for an iPhone battery replacement, seven weeks after I opened a request. They tried to stem the PR crisis but still haven’t delivered.

I need to buy a pen and explore this new machine further. But Office 365 “just works”, and we are using so much cloud that I can do some key work tasks on this device in addition to my company issued Dell.

I loved all the products I worked on. This isn’t about that. It’s about how I can do what I need today. And for that, I am learning to love Yoga.

I was always afraid there would be drama, when Ed had to walk away from his Notes heritage. But there isn't any. Life just goes on. A tool is a tool is a tool.

Microsoft has changed a lot in the last five years. Windows 10 is getting better twice a year. If you are still holding on to your old beliefs you would be surprised.

Comments

I have to say that I agree with Ed and Volker - I have been a staunch Apple user ever since I switched from using OS/2 Warp, a long long time ago.

I've recently been using Office 365 and Windows 10 on a Lenovo IdeaPad 720S and have to say I'm impressed (it's nothing fancy, but it was affordable and has enough performance for my needs). I still have a Mac and a Hackintosh which runs dual boot Win10 and High Sierra, but I can imagine switching to a completely MS environment soon.

John Keys, 2018-03-22

I used Notes for the best part of 19 years, and was concerned that no longer using it would be like losing an arm. I was surprised at how quick this guy in his late 40s made the switch. There's still a few things that I miss, but when I try to convince colleagues how important they are I realise that they're only things I miss because I once was a Notes user (which makes perfect sense) - those things probably wouldn't occur to someone who's never used Notes.

A big difference in Ed's life now is that he's not building and selling the productivity tools he's using - he's really just a user now (although I'm sure Press Ganey have some integration somewhere). He can be more critical of the tools than if there was something sub-standard in Notes or Connections.

Darren Adams, 2018-03-22

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