So recently I took the decision to switch to a MacBook Pro, having used Windows based computers for over 10 years. Well, when I say recently, I've been curious for a year or two, but that curiosity was heightened when I finally got to use a MacBook as part of a work training day, which is somewhat ironic considering I work for a Microsoft partner school.

So far the switch has generally been okay, small things initially caught me out, like close, minimize and maximize buttons being on the left, and the fact they function slightly different compared to Windows.
And then there was the quite literal headache of long use causing me eye strain. Having tried tweaking various settings, like lowering the resolution (the default 1920x1200 on a 17" screen is initially a shock to the eyes), changing font rendering and size etc I've found the best way so far to overcome it is simply to reset all the settings and just get used to it.
Despite this minor set back, I didn't quite appreciate how wonderful the hardware design is until I had to use various Windows based laptops.

Having overcome these initial issues, now comes the biggest challenge yet... adapting from Corel's Paint Shop Pro to Adobe's Creative Suite (specifically PhotoShop and Illustrator).
Currently it's the equivalent of trying to draw with my feet; I'm aiming for the same outcome as drawing with my hands, but the interface is different. My emotions differ daily depending on how things went, having gone from highly satisfied, all the way to considering sticking with traditional drawing methods, or worse yet, considering giving up on artistic pursuits completely.
The whole experience has left me somewhat disillusioned with digital art, I've never found it particularly intuitive, and you're ultimately at the mercy of software houses ensuring they keep updating for changing operating systems and hardware. In the case of Paint Shop Pro, Corel seem to have changed who it is aimed at, resulting in a product that's resource hungry with no added benefits for me.

Anyway, whilst I try and get this software business figured out, I plan to upload the last works I created in Paint Shop Pro over the coming days.