Software: Switching from PC to Mac

MacBook Pro 15"

A few months ago, I wrote a post about the details of software licenses for a couple of applications I wanted to use on both a Mac and a PC.  I had just purchased an Apple MacBook Pro (with 15" screen) for use at Prism Risk Management and for use on some other projects.

My original intention was to replace the Dell system with an Apple system, and thus I decided to transfer some of my files and applications over to the MacBook.  One particular issue I had was with Adobe, which will let a user have two licenses for Acrobat Pro; however, both licenses have to be used on the same operating system platform.  Ergo, I could not split my Adobe Acrobat X Pro between my Dell Latitude and my MacBook Pro (I won't get into details about VM Fusion, which is worth another post entirely).

From what I've experienced, you wouldn't need Acrobat Standard on a MacBook.  Mac OS X appears to handle a lot of basic PDF reading and publishing.  This is moot, though, since Adobe only makes Acrobat Pro for Mac OS.   I wanted some of the more advanced Acrobat features on the MacBook though, including Acrobat's OCR functions.   Thus, I decided to see if I could switch my package of two Acrobat X Pro licenses over to the Mac version (then, if necessary, put the cheaper Standard version on a Windows platform).

This is possible, if you are willing to be persistent with Adobe.  I didn't realize this up front, as I was initially told that my request wouldn't be very complicated.  In reality,  it took me several phone calls over two weeks to accomplish the license switch.  Furthermore, even though I had bought three editions of Acrobat online (first a full version, then two upgrades), Adobe decided to ship a CD to me which contained the Mac upgrade version of Acrobat X Pro.  Because I there was no prior version of Acrobat on my MacBook, I had to call Adobe back for an override code.  In my situation, Adobe seemed to approach Acrobat for Mac and Acrobat for PC almost like different products, as opposed to variations of the same product.  I'm assuming this, and that said approach accounts for why switching from PC to Mac version was a lengthier process than I had anticipated.

In hindsight, it probably would have been more efficient just to pay the $450 for a full version of Adobe Acrobat X Pro for Mac OS.  Moreover, Windows 7 Ultimate does not include all of the PDF conversion functions of Mac OS (MS Office, though, will save/publish documents into PDF form).   Thus, if you continue to use Windows and Mac computers (a subject for another post) then you will eventually need to get another version of Acrobat for the Windows computer.

Software: Same Program, Different Computers

MacBook Pro and Dell Latitude

Photo: by WDFloyd's iPhone


I've been working on a new screenplay idea, and I like to work on screenplays using Final Draft.  While checking the Final Draft site to find out about options for transferring my user license over to my new MacBook Pro, I discovered that Final Draft's publisher will allow users to operate Final Draft on two computers at any given time.  So, instead of deleting Final Draft from my Dell Latitude after installing said program on my Mac, I now have it set up on both systems.

Inspired by the prospect of cheaply loading up my Mac with copies of software I've already bought, I made a quick visit to the Adobe site to see about Acrobat X Pro and Photoshop Elements 8.  Turns out if you are the primary user of an Adobe product, under your license you can add a copy to a home or portable computer so long as you don't operate them simultaneously; however, said provision only applies to using the same platformed version of the software from work on your home or portable system.  Or, put another way: you can only extend the license from a work Windows OS to another Windows OS or a Mac OS to another Mac OS.   If you are like me, with a PC of some sort for your office (which although is a laptop, is docked and basically functions like a desktop) and then a portable Mac, you cannot use your already purchased Adobe product on the Mac platform (and, vice versa).  If I want to run my Acrobat X Pro or Photoshop Elements 8 on my MacBook, then I'll have to set up the parallel Windows platform and run it through that.   [note: if you have a Mac and you want to run an Adobe product on the Mac side and on the PC, you will need a separate program with separate license for each platform on your one computer] 

Anyway, these are things to keep in mind if you're a dual PC and Mac user.