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CITIZEN JAMES
Mac user, podcaster, photographer and musician.
Articles Posted: 27; Links Seeded: 28
Member Since: 1/2006Last Seen: 5/20/2007
Member Since: 1/2006Last Seen: 5/20/2007
58 Comments
PrintBuying a new computer in the sales? Torn between an Apple Mac and a Vista ready PC?
News Type: Other — Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:00 PM EST
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Microsoft's much anticipated update to the Windows operating system, was never going to meet it's already twice delayed release date of Jan. 2007, if any of the things which needed doing to make it genuinely better than Windows XP where ever going to get done. Consequently many of the major features which developers, business and gamers alike had hoped Vista would feature won't be appearing any time soon, if ever at all.
The billions of dollars Microsoft wasted to get into this mess, versus the growing dissatisfaction with their existing operating system, runs in stark contrast to the rise in popularity of Apple computers.
When Apple switched to the Intel microprocessors in 2006, it made a reality something which Apple users had long waited for, so-called virtual machine software which enables Apple hardware to run Windows, Linux and other x86 dependent software, inside it's own UNIX based Mac OS X.
This and the platform's notoriety for stability, usability and striking good looks has resulted in the largest leap in market share for the platform, in 2006 alone, that the company has seen in it's entire history and projections for 2007 look set to increase the profile of the platform even higher.
Naturally this means there are a lot more Mac users out there and those who are still considering the switch, who might benefit from a crash introduction to some of the features which veteran Mac users have come to know over many years; the little details which have made Mac the OS of choice for graphic artists, scientists, photographers and musicians the world over, since 1984.
System settings.
The "problem" with Mac OS X, to anyone used to doing things the Microsoft way, is that at first it can seem a little too easy. You're left wondering if perhaps you might have missed something or forgotten to click OK somewhere along the line.
When I came back to Apple computers, after years of being given no choice but to use a PC, I hadn't seen OS X before. The last time I'd used a Mac the OS version was System 7 and things where very different.
I remember spending a good ten minutes looking for the folder in OS X which held all the shortcuts to the icons in the dock at the bottom of the screen. Assuming, from a Windows indoctrinated point of view, that some esoteric control panel or hidden system folder held the key to removing and adding icons to it. Then a light flashed on in my head and I remembered - "This is a Mac". And sure enough, adding and removing icons to and from the dock is as simple as dragging and dropping - doh!
Then there's those times when setting up options in a program you can't get used to not having to click "Apply" every time you want something to take effect. In fact, getting used to everything just working without much of a fuss at all can be real problem for people who've only ever thought of a computer as Windows.
Take a look at the System Preferences window under the Apple menu. There might at first appear to be less in there than you're used to seeing - but that doesn't mean everything you need is missing, waiting somewhere on-line to be downloaded, installed - then restart, blue screen, "Cannot find driver, please do what you've already tried 20 times before" - No! With OS X, the Apple System Preferences panel is a more logically laid out tool than the show you everything, give you nothing style which Windows has used since 1995.
Compare the ease of access to system settings in OS X to the rigmarole of setting up a none American keyboard and regional language in Windows, for example. You have to jump through hoops; right clicking on this and that, choosing "Properties" for the language bar, select "British Keyboard", click "Apply" - then restart two or three times and all just to put the @ and £ symbols where they're supposed to be on the keyboard - ridiculous!
With an Apple computer, you plug the keyboard in and low and behold, it just works. It "knows" you're British because it sees the USB identifier of your keyboard and doesn't get in your way any more than asking you to click "OK" when you first plug it in.
Installing and uninstalling applications.
New to Mac users find it hard to believe that applications can be moved wherever you feel like moving them. There is no "Program Files" folder as such, and what there is, the Applications folder, is really there more for convenience, than a hard and fast place where apps must be kept.
That's because all the files which make up an application are stored inside a UNIX directory with a .app extension, analogous to a Windows .exe file. Mac OS X sees .app files as applications, when in actuality they are a UNIX directory, which contains all of the files needed to run the application.
If the application needs to refer to a file outside of the .app directory, such as one which remembers global settings, Mac OS by default looks for this file in the Preferences folder - a system folder in your Library directory. Since the Library directory is always where it should be OS X doesn't need to hide it from you - because if you do choose to remove anything from it OS X simply creates a new preferences file, rather than asking you to peck around to find the missing file it's looking for.
This is another good example of how, just because OS X is easy to use, that doesn't mean you're locked away from touching the underlying guts of how it works. This is thanks to UNIX being very robust and powerful when it comes to protecting limited user accounts. You need to enter a root password before any real damage can be done to essential system files.
This is a handy thing to bare in mind if, heaven forfend, you need to reinstall or uninstall an application - although removing the Preferences file isn't always necessary to do this. The more usual process of uninstalling an application is no more difficult than dragging the .app file into the trash - it really is as simple as that.
Again, in Windows Vista, Microsoft have attempted to copy the way Mac OS X securely isolating regular user accounts from gaining administrative root access to the whole system. Unfortunately in true Microsoft style the program to base Vista on entirely new code was scrapped in favor of sticking with the same code base which gave us Windows XP and there is a massive flaw in the way Vista tries to do this, which many hackers and security experts have already exposed, just months before Vista is due to be handed over to the general public.
Three machines in one.
As mentioned above, now that Apple use the Intel chip, other operating systems, such as Windows 98, XP and Vista as well as most of the major Linux distributions like Ubuntu and Fedora, can all be run on Apple hardware right alongside Mac OS X. But why should you care about that? Surely that's just something "computer people" or "fan boys" say to convince you to buy a Mac, that in reality ends up not working properly, right? Wrong!
The new generation of Intel chips are designed to, very simply put, have a dual personality. They can juggle many millions of tasks, given to them by two or three different operating systems at the same time.
Special software called virtual machine technology "tricks" the operating system installed inside of it into thinking that it has the sole exclusive use of one cordoned off area of your total available system. So, it tells the virtual version of Vista you're running on your Mac that it has, say, 1 GB of RAM and a certain kind of video driver, this and that amount of hard drive space and so on.
Vista is completely oblivious as to the fact that it is in fact running on a machine which is simultaneously running OS X and Linux (if you so wish to run three operating systems at once).
Because the Intel chip has pipelines optimized to run such tasks you don't ever feel like you're stretching things too far. Windows runs as smoothly as you'd expect a 10 year old operating system designed by philistines to run - which is surprisingly well, considering the odds.
At the end of the day..
Aside from the overwhelming relief of finally being treated like an adult by your computer, when you look back on your purchase in a year or two year's time, you'll still be using a better computer than any of your Dell or Sony using friends.
I'm not about to use the term "Future Proof", because it incurs a second hand car salesman image - but from the point of view of your operating system at least, it is true. OS X Leopard, due out sometime in Jan. 2007, sights some of the greatest achievements in software engineering among it's ancestors.
Bill Gates himself once said that the Mac represents the real standard by which all others are set and if Vista is anything to go by that looks set to remain true for many years to come.
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{"commentId":452789,"authorDomain":"Nycam"}
Great article ; )
{"commentId":452789,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"Nycam"}
- 7 votes
#1 - Sat Dec 30, 2006 7:41 PM EST{"commentId":456125,"authorDomain":"JROO"}
What is the bottom line? Apple Mac or Vista ready PC?
{"commentId":456125,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"JROO"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":456285,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
for the vast majority -
you will be better served with a mac.
how ya like them apples?
{"commentId":456285,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":456317,"authorDomain":"JROO"}
tschreck,
I just push keys and expect things to happen. I just need the tool... not a hobby.
I need to buy a new laptop soon. No graphics, CAD or game use. All the normal mid-size business needs and personal use. I'd like it to be much faster than I need it to be.
Going Mac... Does that "fully" take into account that I live in a PC world?
Are there enough advantages for me, a limited user, to cross into the darkness and buy a Mac? Especially when I have no real issues with the PCs I've been using for years?
{"commentId":456317,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"JROO"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":456371,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
jro-
a $1100 mac laptop will suite you just fine. there is no normal software you cant run on it and it will open a new world of productivity for you. you might be amazed that after a short learning curve, you will have in your hands a tool that does what you need to in an intuitive fashion and almost makes work a little more fun.
you can even lod windows on the machine if you wish.. i know a few folks who have done so, only to take it off later because they found themselves never actually using the windows partition.
connecting to a wireless network is seamless, and plug and play actually means plug and play.
you'll find that you'll have more time to work because you spend less time getting the computer do do as you command.
sure there will be a short learning curve, but in no time at all, you will be happy about thinking different.
i hope this helps
ps. no pc's were harmed in the making of this post.
{"commentId":456371,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":456590,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
jro-
did you get the email i sent? very important..
thx
{"commentId":456590,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":456611,"authorDomain":"JROO"}
I'm in.
{"commentId":456611,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"JROO"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":453115,"authorDomain":"nfxmedia"}
Good points. I really appreciated the reference to how the computer treats you opposed to the other way around. The release Leopard will not likely be released in January 07 but 2nd Quarter of 07 - more likely between March and June.
{"commentId":453115,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"nfxmedia"}
- 2 votes
#2 - Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:14 AM EST{"commentId":453254,"authorDomain":"janeway77"}
I discovered this too. It just makes no sense to buy a Windows PC today-- it's a one trick pony (ok, 2 trick if you count Linux). The choice to buy an Apple is especially true if you are buying a top-tier computer since, remarkably enough, the Apple is cheaper than a Dell.
I bought a Mac for my kids to use at the house. My goal? To protect my kids from Spyware, Ad-Ware, Mal-Ware, and other "ware" dangers. I also wanted them to be able to use the computer without the risk of them deleting something and crashing the entire system (super easy for a pre-teen to do). Leo LaPorte likes to say that "unless you are willing to invest the time and effort to become a computer network security expert, you have no business running Windows at home." I couldn't agree more.
I took the Mac to the office to use for a day or two so that I was familiar with it. I came to the conclusion really quick that the Mac was much better than the PC. After that, I began phasing out the PCs at the office, and we are now all Mac. I now tell my friends that they would be happier if they were using a Mac.
Mac's greatest benefit is that it works. Simple as that. PCs promise great stuff, but they crash and become infected so frequently that they rarely deliver what is promised. i have never, NEVER, lost work or data as a result of a Mac Crash. Not even once.
You'd be foolish to buy any computer over $1000 that isn't a Mac.
{"commentId":453254,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"janeway77"}
- 4 votes
#3 - Sun Dec 31, 2006 7:37 AM EST{"commentId":453397,"authorDomain":"cqtech"}
Michael, if it is not prying...
What sort of business are you in?
What applications and uses of the Mac did you find more helpful in office use?
It might be helpful if others could better identify with your own experience.
{"commentId":453397,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"cqtech"}
{"commentId":453717,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":453721,"authorDomain":"janeway77"}
Michael, if it is not prying...
What sort of business are you in?
What applications and uses of the Mac did you find more helpful in office use?
Glad to share...
I have two vocations: I'm a Christian church minister at a medium-large congregation (a couple hundred folks), and I also work as a Judge Advocate with the Army (military lingo for lawyer).
For my church work, i run Logos Bible software through Parallels, NeoOffice for word processing and spreadsheets, Sound Studio 3.0 for audio recording and editing, Garage Band for Podcast creation, iWeb for the church webpage, Photoshop for graphics, Indesign CS2 for newsletter creation, and Keynote for presentations.
I use Microsoft Office for Mac (reluctantly) for my Army work.
There you go. Hope it helps.
{"commentId":453721,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"janeway77"}
{"commentId":453266,"authorDomain":"tromba"}
Even below $1000, there's the Mac Mini -- if you already have a monitor, USB keyboard and USB mouse, the Mini is a great option, too. Starting $599, its still quite a good computer.
{"commentId":453266,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tromba"}
- 1 vote
#4 - Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:41 AM EST{"commentId":453722,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":453327,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
Windows runs as smoothly as you'd expect a 10 year old operating system designed by philistines to run
awsome! (in my best cartman voice)
i often tell my friends looking to buy new computers..
"if i want to work on a computer, i'll sit down in front of a windows box.. if i want to get something done on a computer, i'll use a mac"
it is that simple.. they work.
{"commentId":453327,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 2 votes
#5 - Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:10 AM EST{"commentId":453724,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":453355,"authorDomain":"Marriage"}
Great Article! One minor quibble with the preference file part, I can remember trashing preference files in OS 7 with no harm done than to get an otherwise misbehaving app to work right. Us it again and presto there is the new preference file. Perfect!
{"commentId":453355,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"Marriage"}
#6 - Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:43 AM EST{"commentId":453726,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":453387,"authorDomain":"cqtech"}
I hope you don't mind if I disagree with a few of your points?
Windows Vista was delayed more than twice in its development; the path of which, in some respects, was similar to the trials and tribulations that Apple went thru in the many years of attempts at a next-generation OS that came in the transition from System 7 and the Motorola 68000 series of CPUs, thru the short lived licensing period and the days of the PowerPC. That aside, it is incorrect to imply that it was a loss of features that caused the last delay leading up to the decision to release Vista commercially in January; it was specifically because the developers of the OS decided they wanted more time to make it genuinely better than Windows XP.
Rather than try to argue with your point by point, I will grant that setup for users is easier on the Mac, in no small part due to the more stringently enforced guidelines placed on developers and designers of applications on the platform. I cannot directly say if plug and play for keyboards is any better on Vista, but the interface itself has been simplified to change regional layouts all within one dialog (and doesn't require any restarts, at least to add UK English Language and Keyboard layouts).
Again, in Windows Vista, Microsoft have attempted to copy the way Mac OS X securely isolating regular user accounts from gaining administrative root access to the whole system. Unfortunately in true Microsoft style the program to base Vista on entirely new code was scrapped in favor of sticking with the same code base which gave us Windows XP and there is a massive flaw in the way Vista tries to do this, which many hackers and security experts have already exposed, just months before Vista is due to be handed over to the general public.
That is simply not true. The functionality to separate user account to different administrative levels has existed in Windows since at least the early days of Windows NT. You may fault Microsoft for not fully applying that ability outside the enterprise space until now, but it is by no means a copy of OS X. The code based upon Windows XP was scrapped in 2003, in favor of the much improved base of Windows Server 2003, leading to one of the more significant delays in the development process.
I would like you to please post a cite of this massive security flaw that you say has been exposed in Vista. If it is based on the same story that was presented in the NY Times article, that has been thoroughly debunked by the site betanews.com, who found that many of the claims made in the article were speculative at best; and an attempt to actual test the written code on which the flaw was said to be based found that it wasn't even written properly enough to be capable of running on Vista at all. (After they corrected the code so it would run they found that, while a flaw does exist, it is not only not possible to use said flaw to gain access to the system, but you pretty much have to already have access to the system to expose the flaw in the first place).
The ability to run virtual machines over which an OS can be loaded has existed on Intel chips since the mid 1980s, it is only within the past few years that the systems overall have been robust enough to make running multiple OSes feasible at the consumer level. It is as much tricking the OS as it is attempting to give every OS an equal share of the overall power inherent in the CPU.
Any OS run in a virtual engine is technically oblivious to its state, Mac OS, Linux, Windows or other alike, unless that OS is willing to make additional checks of its own to test that condition. Which most OSes have no real reason to do so. Painting this as a Vista limitation is a bit disingenuous, don't you think?
Windows runs as smoothly as you'd expect a 10 year old operating system designed by philistines to run
I have yet to find an operating system that is worth turning into a religious debate. I would say that Windows (from the current versions origins) is more appropriately a nearly 20 year old operating system originally created by Mainframe and Mini-computer designers (original talent from IBM, DEC and MS combined). Take that as you may.
I think you and I have both seen Apple's growth long enough to have witnesses their low points as well as their highs. Right now they seem to be on a path of success, but that does not mean they have perfectly addressed all aspects of computing need to the point where they can be seen as clear and away from the benefits offered by thier competitors platforms. Particularly in areas that they have yet to address.
I would be foolish to buy any computer of any price that does not suit my needs and/or goals; and while I can honestly admire the style, aesthetics and functionality of the newest Macintoshes, they do not yet support what I wish to do with a computing device. That may change after this next Macworld, and I am looking forward to seeing what is announced at and around that show.
I think that right now is a good time to include a Macintosh in your choices for a new computer system; I also think that the coming year will offer a better time for consideration of computers in general, than we have seen in several years.
{"commentId":453387,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"cqtech"}
#7 - Sun Dec 31, 2006 11:15 AM EST{"commentId":453419,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
Cary-
from the looks of your column, it seems you are very much a microsoft apologist.
if it's not prying, how much of your income is related to selling microsoft?
happy new year!
{"commentId":453419,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":453434,"authorDomain":"cqtech"}
None (at the moment). The bulk of my present income is generated from helping people with problems generally far removed from my computer interests.
That still does not address the inaccuracies in the article. Misinformation from either side does little to benefit the overall decision process.
While my main systems are running Vista, and the bulk of my experience is in PC based systems, I am looking forward to evaluating several Linux distros and other technologies in the coming year. And I am quite honest when I say that if Apple is willing to introduce a Mac version of the type of computer I am currently saving up for, then I will be favorably inclined to include that system in with my other choices.
I will refrain from asking your affilation, I would hope that on newsvine we can enter a mutual discussion beyond the point of dismissive labels.
A Happy New Years wishes to you and yours.
{"commentId":453434,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"cqtech"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":453500,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
well crafted response!
like i said, i was going by what i read in your column.
which "type" of computer are you looking for? i too am waiting for something from apple that will meet my needs in the coming years.
{"commentId":453500,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":453543,"authorDomain":"cqtech"}
A Tablet PC primarily. I like the idea of having something portable enough to take outside away from the normal distractions of work or home, but I am from a generation that is still used to writing my thoughts down, and I am hoping for something that can accommodate my weak attempts at being artistic. I know Macs can support Wacom drawing pads very well, and I suppose I'm being finicky, but I like the idea of that all-in-one solution.
I have my eye on a few specific models, but going on past experience, as soon as I decide "this is what I think I want" some new model or technology is introduced that would cause me to regret having made a purchase. I think this next year will be a good period when the various technologies I am interested in seeing come together to present the system that I hope will carry me over for a few years.
Right now I have a pretty good standard laptop, that I found by periodically visiting local pawn shops until I found something that suits my needs for now, until I can work up the income to pay for the dream machine.
There were some rumors earlier in the year about Apple looking into areas that implied an interest in the Tablet PC market. I am normally not one to follow rumors too closely, but I am hoping this one pans out if for no other reason than it might make some friends who have owned Newtons in the past very happy.
{"commentId":453543,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"cqtech"}
{"commentId":453784,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":453851,"authorDomain":"cqtech"}
They are, I grant you, not there yet - but to suggest anyone else is even close to having an OS X killer is, frankly, deluded
I don't recall suggesting any such thing. I was merely trying to point out there are areas in which the Mac does not yet address all the needs of a PC user. Some people seem to want to claim overall success without looking into those areas as well.
I am talking about low points that included Apples collaboration with IBM in the development of their next-generation platforms. Not all of the decisions made during the ages of Scully and Spindler can be laid at Microsofts feet.
If you wish to discount the examination by betanews, then we will have to await an evaluation by credible impartial analysts. Meanwhile I see no lack of online posters who seem to paint the same article as if it is a new exploit found every day.
WinFS was announced as no longer shipping with with Vista in August of 2004. Long before your claims regarding the delay to January of 2007, which (iirc) was announced in March of this year. The first paragraph of your article as stated is incorrect.
Yes, I do happen to know that, since there was no outstanding feature drop issue as of the date of the last announced delay, then the stated reason that it was being delayed to further address security issues is valid. Unless you wish to refresh my memory with some other information that closer matches the dates at hand.
You may be confusing the announcement in July of 2006 that the WinFS project itself had been reduced in scope and was being rolled into a later server product. Otherwise we may have to reexamine where the delusion you speak of sets.
{"commentId":453851,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"cqtech"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":454013,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":454063,"authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
"flawless security"
That's not really true, though. There have been numerous QuickTime flaws that impacted both PC and Mac users, including the recent MySpace hack. Safari has had issues, and there is always the wonderful wireless driver exploit. Run MS Office? I don't have to explain that one. Also, remember that many exploits are purely pilot error, and it's almost as easy to have your identity stolen via a Mac than a PC (no activeX on the Mac is an advantage in this area, to be sure).
At around 10% of market share, it simply hasn't paid to exploit Macs, especially when there is oh so much low hanging fruit out there already. If Mac gains market share, or if Vista really is more secure, then Macs will be scrutinized a lot more closely. Is the Mac more secure than Windows? No doubt, but it's certainly not flawless by any means.
{"commentId":454063,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
{"commentId":454076,"authorDomain":"cqtech"}
James, I was initially delighted to see your article, because at the heart of it I think we agree on the principle of the idea that right now is a great time for someone purchasing a new computer to add serious consideration of Apple as one of the brands that they would benefit from owning.
It seems that at that point we diverge on our approaches.
I could actually provide you with that credible explanation further explaning the decision to delay the retail launch of Vista, but I get the impression you are not really interested in knowing.
If I am correct at reading the time of your reply, I should be wishing you a Happy New Year right now. So I will do so, and a safe night on to tomorrow, and tomorrow.
We may strongly disagree from our differing points of view and experience, so let me sign off with a sincere hope that Apple does continue on the road of success thru this next year. I do look forward to seeing what announcement come out of this next Macworld, just as I look forward to the same from CES. I think (I hope) we will both be pleasantly surprised by what is to come in the next month and beyond.
{"commentId":454076,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"cqtech"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":454118,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":454507,"authorDomain":"cqtech"}
I am trying to find a concrete (reported) example, because the reasons I accepted back then were based on second hand reports and feedback from testers and consultants I had dealings with at the time. One example I have is from a PC World article from last March
Windows Vista went RTM (release to manufacturing) on Nov 8th. Typically there is a window of a week to a month after such a release where the final code is made available to partners, developers, computer manufacturers and the shipping services that create and stock the retail packaging for the product. Or rather, the code is available almost immediately, but it may take a little extra time to deliver it thru proper channels.
To simplify the rest of a long explanation, releasing that close to the holiday season was viewed as possibly giving an unfair advantage to direct to market sellers and computer makers, while big box stores and in store computer sales would have been penalized for the additional delay they would need to get fully stocked on Vista packages and systems. (This is an issue that has gotten MS in hot water with partner companies in the past).
I think they chose to take a hit on what sales they could have made over the holiday, on the risk that they would make it up later on widespread delivery of the OS and new applications thru all their market segments.
And yes, It also provides computer peripheral makers and application developers with time beyond the business debut of the new products to work on updating and improving their products on the finished Vista bits, to be delivered thru the Windows Update service around or on the retail launch day. So there was an additional motivation to a delay beyond the actual effort to finish Vista.
I admit this is based as much on personal experience as some small knowledge of operations between MS and their partner companies, and the bureaucracy involved. I can accept it if you wish to view this as anecdotal.
---
Are you by any chance going to attend Macworld?
{"commentId":454507,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"cqtech"}
{"commentId":454660,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":454867,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":459871,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
{"commentId":459871,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":461371,"authorDomain":"cqtech"}
Thanks, I will remember to check back on that after the ninth.
{"commentId":461371,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"cqtech"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":453546,"authorDomain":"vassleer"}
I have used both macs and PC's and I think that each has strengths and weaknesses. Being able to run XP on an intel based Mac has really closed the gap between the two to make it easier to run much of my software on either machine.
My only remaining problems with Macs are the expense of upgrading hardware and the systems lack of support for top end video cards (as I am a gamer). I like to keep my PC very close to the "bleeding edge" for gaming purposes - which is simply not possible on a Mac. And their total lack of support for the top end nvidia cards is inexcusable.
My problems with Microsoft are too numerous to list here - but at least I can upgrade my damn PC and play the games I want to play! So until Macs fully catch up I will continue to do my work on a Mac and play on my PC.
{"commentId":453546,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"vassleer"}
#8 - Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:37 PM EST{"commentId":453794,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":453565,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
i've heard the table rumors as well, and one thing apple is good at is making a big splash, even when you think you know what the next big thing might be.
as a person who draws ALOT (graduate architecture student) i can tell you with some authority that drawing on a tablet (pc or wacom like device) is completely removed from drawing on a paper with a pen or pencil. it is so far removed that i myself would consider them completely different activities. one of my colleagues invested in a tablet pc and within a month had sold it off. i don't want to turn you off of such a device but rather help set expectations.. if you want to develop drawing skills, a reasonable but not too sharp number 2 pencil and some nice toothy paper will take you further than anything else on the planet. well that and actually seeing what it is you are drawing (as opposed to what you "think" the subject looks like.)
i sold my 15 in powerbook and am hoping that a 12 in macbookPro will be in the offerings this time around.
a big slab of VRam and a intel core 2 duo in a small form factor will have me writing a check faster than gwb can clear brush.
i worked as a systems engineer in the IT industry for many years, doing global infrastructure and desktop projects for a european electronics company. after working with ms for years, it will be a very snowy day in hell before i buy another microsoft product. i have yet to find a task that i need to do that cannot be done without microsoft's help.
:-)
{"commentId":453565,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 2 votes
#9 - Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:53 PM EST{"commentId":453770,"authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
Mis dos centavos,
I've used Vista quite a bit (this is being written on a Vista box). I've used Mac for the past couple of years, which I actually just passed to my wife (15" Powerbook). My favorite OS? Ubuntu with Beryl. But all have good and bad points.
Also, I have to admit that I really didn't like my experience with the Mac. A FileVault bug destroyed pictures I hadn't copied onto my server, and my computer was once updated with an Intel patch, though I was running on a PowerPC, necessitating a re-build, are just two examples. The new laptop I got would've been $1200 more if it was a Mac, and that's just not worth it. Plus, Macs have been the target of increased security attacks, and they will continue to be so. But, considering it's the end user's actions that are often responsible for attacks then, the OS is sometimes irrelevant.
Ubuntu has the most software available for the best cost, and most of it is just as good as Office or iTunes or whatever. BUT, I can't game on it. So bleh. With Beryl turned on, it's easily the best at desktop management. Not even close, really.
Windows? Well, I can game on it...
My dream computer is Ubuntu with a VM session of Windows XP (Vista is OK, but the driver support is sorely lacking) so I can game. Oh, and it needs to be able to run hardware natively (KVM, for example). Macs are OK, but I can live without. I simply didn't see a huge functionality difference between XP and Mac.
For the record, I'm in IT Security. I guess I should thank Bill Gates for making my job easier as a pen-tester, or harder an an administrator. I'm not sure. :-)
{"commentId":453770,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
- 2 votes
#10 - Sun Dec 31, 2006 4:57 PM EST{"commentId":454070,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
bigfatdrunk-
while i agree with you that windows is for games, i'll also caution any readers that linux (whatever flavor you choose) is not for the non geek out there who just wants to use their computer.
to me linux is a fun hobby, kind of like the heath-kit television my dad built when i was a kid. it was a great tv, but a real pain in the ass to build and fix unless you really knew a ton of crap about tvs.
my aunt has no desire to learn a ton of crap about computers and was happy to spend a little cash to get something that worked out of the box and that if she needs it i can help her over the phone.
if indeed you are a brainiack that loves to tinker, by all means try linux.
as for your comment regarding security issues, i'm confident that apple handles the problems as fast as i need them to handle it, and truthfully im not really paranoid enough to worry about them.
i know you will want to lecture me about it and you POV is appreciated but really its just not important to me. you are used to jumping through hoop after hoop in the name of security, i being a mac user choose accept the minimal risks.
{"commentId":454070,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":454089,"authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
Hoop after hoop in the name of security? Ummm, not really. Windows releases patches, Mac releases patches, and *nix has its packages. You stay updated, you surf smart, you stay secure. It's all really the same regardless of the OS.
If you have been using Windows and you want to try something different, Ubuntu is just as easy to learn as Mac OS. And it's cheaper. You're right that most *nix and *BSD flavors aren't for the weak of heart, though.
My wife has used OS X and Ubuntu over the past 18 months or so. When I asked her about her Ubuntu experience (this evening), she said it was fine. OS X? Fine. Which did you like more? Her response kinda sounded like "nyeh" with a shoulder shrug. I feel pretty much the same way. My favorite OS X app? Himmelbar. Second favorite? Quicksilver. Neither are built into the OS.
{"commentId":454089,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
{"commentId":454122,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":454154,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
hehe so it appears that you make your living providing IT security and yet you seem to make it sound trivial..
does that mean your job is on the bubble? i doubt it.. :-D
when i say hoop after hoop im talking about the constant battle to keep viruses and spyware/ walware at bay. yes if you are all smart about how you surf, it's really not so much of a problem, but most people are not that smart about it and their pc's are more infected that hooker's box at a vegas convention.
everyone uses the old excuse that it's just not worth it to write malicious code for macs because of market share and to a point it may be true, but another pertinent fact is that it is also much more difficult to hack a sensibly configured unix system. there will always be more effort directed toward the low hanging fruit that is a MS file system.
im sure your wife has a great experience with linux.. it also appears she has one smart geek there to help her.. that can't hurt.
im a big fan of quicksilver as well!
:-)
{"commentId":454154,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":454189,"authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
yeah, jeez, I didn't mean for it to come out that way :O - or whatever the right emoticon is. The problem is, of course, that I don't have a single beer in me. So, please allow me to remove that foot from my mouth: Mac security is definitely better. There *are* still issues, though,
What I worry about, as somebody who has recovered about 15 Windows boxes and *2* Macs after attacks (never found the root cause, though they were definitely pwn3d), is that there will be a level of security complacency if someone buys a Mac. Just because you have a Mac does not mean you can visit warez and pr0n sites and expect to stay clean forever. People still have to do the fundamentals. Whenever I do a pen-test, and the target claims I won't find anything wrong with the network/app, I know I'm in. If they say they think they are good, it's gonna be a challenge. Paranoia is good, at least that's what the voices in my head tell me.
Himmelbar on Win or Linux: Not that I know of, and it's definitely the shiz-nit. Quicksilver: Google Desktop Search. I really did not like Spotlight, which is why I used Quicksilver.
One other point I would like to make is that I am increasingly divorcing myself from the OS concept. All I really need is Firefox to do what I want to do: surf, email, office applications, etc. I can store files online (gmail or box.net). Since I work in so many different OSes, but I need my files everywhere, the OS has really become background noise except for tech work and gaming. It's probably why I'm just so "nyeh" about them all at this point. Oh, but I do like my iPod.
Aren't y'all (tschrek and Citizen) young and handsome and cool? Shouldn't you be out so I can live that part of my vicariously through y'all? Me? I'm washing diapers.
{"commentId":454189,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
{"commentId":454372,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
well i may be handsome (the gf tells me that) but i am by no means young! with a foot of fresh snow and the temps in the teens, i had no plans to venture out with the drunks (no offense) for nye.
was in bed by 11 my time.
:-)
{"commentId":454372,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 2 votes
#11 - Mon Jan 1, 2007 9:12 AM EST{"commentId":455472,"authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
hmm... interesting indeed. my dell notebook just so happened to die on me this weekend (the mobo is shot, which is nice) so I'm potentially in the market for a new notebook. my roommate immediately suggested i go for a macbook instead of the cheap HP i was considering.
i'm still not entirely sure what i want to go with... my only real experience with macs was freshman year of high school on old-school macs -- you know, the square boxes before everything started to look nice. i'm going for inexpensive (under $1000) but still able to work as i need it. i'm a web designer by trade, would you recommend i go for a mac (having no experience whatsoever) or stick with a windows machine? i imagine i already know the answer, but still.
{"commentId":455472,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
#12 - Tue Jan 2, 2007 8:52 AM EST{"commentId":455585,"authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
I have a confession to make. After playing with Vista on my desktop and my laptop over the past couple of weeks, it's really not that great. Aeroglass is nice, but it's not killer. The security is better, but if you know what you're doing on XP (aka use a firewall, av, Firefox instead of IE, etc.), it's almost annoying. The built-in DRM stuff is total BS. I see no compelling reason to update from XP to Vista, especially when considering the outrageous upgrade cost *to* Vista (unless you get one that's Vista ready). For the record, I ripped Vista off the desktop this weekend and put XP back on.
Unless you're into hard-core gaming, I'd ***gulp*** have to agree with citizen and tschreck and go with the Mac. I'm "sold." I mean, the Mac is fine, though I don't think it's all great and wonderful. For the price, it's the better deal. I also recommended the MacBook to two friends this morning who happened to ask for a rec. Because I'm comfortable with it, I'll continue to spend the bulk of my time in Ubuntu.
{"commentId":455585,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":455596,"authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
Hmm... thanks. I do have a few games installed, but I'm not particularly a gamer and they're pretty low-end as far as most of the gaming world is concerned (I've got things like UT2k, Jedi Academy, etc), so that's not a problem. I do need a lot of office-type software -- I have XP Pro and MS Office 2003 installed -- so I need to find suitable replacements if I switch (how is Office for Macs? any good?) otherwise I'll stick with OpenOffice.
And I'd say I have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing on XP, so if you say Vista is a headache for experienced users... I'm curious as to why. Did they make it so "user-friendly" for novices that they made it a nightmare for the rest of us? (speaking of Firefox... I'm stuck using my work computer, and we're forced to use IE... gah.)
{"commentId":455596,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
{"commentId":455597,"authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
oh... and i forgot to add that i do intend to be switching back and forth between operating systems. i want to get myself familiar with at least one linux distro in the next year -- i think most likely FC3 since i have a copy somewhere in my CD binder.
{"commentId":455597,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
{"commentId":455606,"authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
Many games are crossing over into the Mac realm, so unless it's pure cutting edge stuff, you may not miss much. Plus, if Parallels can eventually emulate DirectX, you got that going for you. Oh, and there's always Boot Camp.
I have to admit that I've really enjoyed my limited exposure to Office 2k7. As far as differences between the MS and Mac versions of Office, if you're comfortable in one, you'll be comfortable in the other. I wound up using OpenOffice quite a bit on the Mac, though.
Perhaps I was too harsh. Well, maybe not. You are constantly prompted when you want to do almost anything, and it became annoying. I'm talking about opening programs, installing anything, etc., you are prompted with "Are you sure? Really, really sure?" It might have the opposite impact than what it was designed for as I think it'll numb many users, and you'll just hit Continue to get the damn message off the screen.
I moved to Ubuntu from FC4, and I couldn't be happier with that decision.
{"commentId":455606,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"bigfatdrunk"}
{"commentId":455618,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":455625,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
neoOffice is a good distrib of open office for mac. works well for me. for the most part i use Pages and keynote, the iWork suite and they do most of my wp and presentation tasks very well.. i hear a ss app is in the pipeline for iWork 07 and if so, it will be pretty rare that i open NeoOffice again..
{"commentId":455625,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":455643,"authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
Citizen James -- any recommendations for a good Mac program to use for webdesign? I usually just use Notepad, but textedit (is that the right name?) on the Mac is annoying the way it saves and such. I had to help my roommate put together a really basic couple of web pages, and it was a hassle to get the pages to save properly as .htm files, etc etc. suggestions?
my other concern with buying a new computer right now is the pending OS releases. ms and apple are both releasing new systems soon, so if i buy now i'll be behind the curve... again... and i'd rather avoid that. of course, it could be unavoidable depending on what i hear back from the service techs at Dell.
{"commentId":455643,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
{"commentId":456024,"authorDomain":"cqtech"}
tigerblade,
Did they make it so "user-friendly" for novices that they made it a nightmare for the rest of us?
Not really, from my usage. Its pretty similar to the change from Windows XP to XP Service Pack 2 in regard to what experienced users can expect, there are several features designed to offer more protection on the user account, but they can be turned off and or tweaked to be less intrusive. There are even several freeware apps floating around to assist in doing that, if you don't want to search for online guides.
Considering this is a departure from all the years when a program could do just anything it wanted on the system, I having a few warnings with the knowledge that I can turn them off if they really start to get in the way, can be a somewhat appreciated change for some users.
The only programs and installers that I have seen trigger UAC are ones that request a higher level of user access to run, even when they don't really need it. One recommendation I have seen is to disable or dial down UAC while getting your initial computer setup together, then dialing it back up to a good blend of safety and comfort for continued use.
This may seem a moot point if you choose to get a Mac, but I hope the information may prove valuable for someone else.
{"commentId":456024,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"cqtech"}
{"commentId":456065,"authorDomain":"spiffie"}
I usually just use Notepad, but textedit (is that the right name?)
Get TextMate. It's pretty widely considered the best programming and markup text editor for the Mac.
{"commentId":456065,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"spiffie"}
{"commentId":457024,"authorDomain":"hearditonthe"}
{"commentId":457040,"authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
If you mention to them that you're switching to Mac from Windows they'll probably throw in a rebate, or even a free upgrade to Leopard when it comes out.
ha! really? that's awesome... i wonder if the in-store salespeople would do the same. in any case... i'll probably be visiting a store soon just to see what's available anyway. perhaps i will wait until after MacWorld though, thanks for the heads-up.
{"commentId":457040,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
{"commentId":455518,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
for a web designer it seems an easy choice..
the one reason why i do not yet own a macbook (as opposed to a macbookpro) is that as an architect, i have a requirement for lots of vram to run 3d design programs.
the only pain is running parallels to test internet exploder, but it is in fact not at all difficult to do.
welcome to the world of mac!
{"commentId":455518,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 2 votes
#13 - Tue Jan 2, 2007 9:54 AM EST{"commentId":456986,"authorDomain":"tschreck"}
at the risk of being accused of self promotion, i have posted a link to a guide to switching that might help.
:-D
{"commentId":456986,"threadId":"64564","contentId":"497149","authorDomain":"tschreck"}
- 2 votes
#14 - Wed Jan 3, 2007 11:04 AM EST{"canLink":false,"threadId":"64564","isPrivate":false}
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