Steve,

The Intel-powered iMacs are aleady out and the new MacBook laptops are due later this month. Don't know how soon the hackers will have the software solution you're looking for ready.

How are the pup and the kid getting along?

Yak

Can someone who wordprocesses on a Mac using MS Word share those documents with someone who is using MS Word on a PC and vice-versa?

If you're concerned about gaming on the Mac, it's an interesting situation. Most big games come out for Mac, maybe a year or so after they come out for PC. For example, there was a Mac version of X-Wing and Tie Fighter.

A few gaming companies (Blizzard) release their games simultaneously for Mac and PC. I play World of Warcraft on a Mac.

What the Mac really misses is the smaller, more niche or inventive games that come out for PC. For example, if you liked Planescape: Torment (imo, the finest computer RPG ever made), it was only available on PC.

So depending on what types of games you play and your patience level, Mac gaming might be just fine.

Of course, you could also look into Microsoft's Virtual PC. It's supposed to be decent, though I haven't tried it myself.

Marc: Yes, the Mac Word version is fully compatible with the Windows version.

No Microsoft Access though in Mac Office, just Windows, Excel, Powerpoint, and Entourage.

But if you're using Word with the Mac you're missing out on Nisus Express, which is the greatest pure word processing program ever.

One thing you should do is call the software companies and ask for crossgrades. Some companies will only charge a S&H fee if you send in the original software installation CDs - all you have to do is call and ask. Besides the money you spend not having to pay the anti-virus companies and anti-spyware companies (not to mention the time devoted to PC maintenance and cleaning up and keeping it secure) will go a long way to paying for the switch.

Once you have that Mac, you'll wonder why it took you so long!

You should also check out this thread at the OSx86 Project site

http://forum.osx86project.org/index.php?showtopic=8699

It's an open source effor to get Windows apps to run on Wine. They just got the latest version of the Wine running on one of the new Intel iMacs. It's still early, but check out the screenshot, which shows the butt-ugly WinZip running in a regular OS X desktop like a waana-be Mac application. And at native speeds.

I also highly recommend checking out the local Apple Store. They have a lot of free classes every week, including ones that are devoted to digital photography and pro apps. If you are lucky, some of them will be taught by a local pro and best of all, they are totally free.

Anyway, congratulations on making the decision! You will not regret it.

A great screenshot of Wine running on an Intel Mac. The guy is running Pinball, Minesweeper, and Solitaire.

http://forum.osx86project.org/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=1365

As I said, it's still early, but I have a feeling it won't be long before we'll see the big apps like Office and Photoshop running successfully in Wine.

No Microsoft Access though in Mac Office, just Windows, Excel, Powerpoint, and Entourage.

No VBScript, either.

As a Microsoft exec put it, "That's not a feature our (Mac) customers have been asking for". :D

Well, I doubt it will be long until some very decent PC emulation software and / or dual boot solutions are available.

According to people who have taken 'em apart, the MacTels use Intel motherboards. It may be possible to just install Windows on an appropriately-formatted partition.

Haven't tested it myself- I'm waiting for a MacTel Mini.

NOte that Mac OSX may not be quite as secure as you hope - one reason for the lack of exploits could be the relatively small population

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/08/apple_vulnerability/
"On a good day, Apple doesn't even make it to Microsoft's level of security awareness," Beale said.

Relatively small populartion?

OS X has been on the market now for more than 5 years. There are now 20+ million ACTIVE users of OS X.

You think that in 5 years of time with an active user base of 20 million, NOT ONE hacker in a million has thought, "Hmmm, no one has cracked OS X yet. I could make a big name for myself if I did!"

The Register article is tripe. Sure, one day, someone somewhere will eventually crack OS X, but to somehow hype up its "security vulnerabilities" as being a bigger worry than Windows? There's one word for that: propoganda.

Just remember. 5 years on the market, 20+ million active users. Zero viruses. Zero spyware. Zero exploits in the wild.

The law of probabilities say that there should be at least one of SOMETHING by now, but all this beating around the theoretical OS X security bush is just so much theory at this point.

Bottom line? OS X has proven, in the real world, to be way more secure than Windows.

(BTW, when Microsoft distributed a mere 100,000 copies of a Windows Vista beta some months ago, a virus exploiting the Vista beta appeared almost immediately. So much for the false argument of "relatively small" numbers protecting a population)

TO: rosignol
RE: No VBScript?

"No VBScript, either." -- rosignol

Big deal.

AppleScript is there and AppleScript is MUCH easier to work with than VBScript. At least last time I looked.

Four lines of code to perform a simple action in VBS took only ONE line in AS. AND the AS code was natural language as opposed to the computerese of VBS.

Regards,

Chuck(le)

Dude, you're usually so rational, but somewhere along the line you got infected with the "Macs are cooler, because they just are" meme.

Face it, now that Macs are going to be using Intel processors, the transformation is complete: Mac's ARE PC's. They are PC's running FreeBSD, with only one Window Manager available, called "MacOS".

In a year, hackers will have the Window Manager called "MacOS" running on PC's.

Adobe has recently stated that they aren't going to issue an universal binary relase of Photoshop until the next major release sometime in 2007.

Bummer, eh. Supposedly there will be a universal binary version of Aperture in the next month or two.

The so-called "unsecure" nature of Windows is just wishful thinking, largely spread by the Mac jihadis (those who mutter "Apple Ackbar" and jump at your throat whenever you mention the flaws in their faith), who can't get over the fact that their elitist boxes never really made it.

Figures

"This bulletin provides a year-end summary of software vulnerabilities that were identified between January 2005 and December 2005. The information is presented only as a index with links to the US-CERT Cyber Security Bulletin the information was published in. There were 5198 reported vulnerabilities: 812 Windows operating system vulnerabilities; 2328 Unix/Linux operating vulnerabilities; and 2058 Multiple operating system vulnerabilities."

Raid Over Moscow. Never could finish that. No saves, tough game.

Macs are for people who can't handle reality!
The fun is in poking a key and not knowing what will happen next.
I have built my own computers from scratch since 91 and the upgrades. I am serious most of my enjoyment with the computer is not the individual programs but getting the system to run properly, which is not a problem with Macs. Analogy: Macs = Buick Skylarks with automatic transmissions, gets you from A to B and with the right accessories, with some zip. PCs = kit cars usually you get from A to B but you know how it is done.

I think you'll like the switch. OS X is much more fun to use. Think of a whole computing environment like iTunes and the iPod.

I won't join in any platform bashing, but I will say that as a daily user of both Windows and Macs, I'll spend my own money on the Mac. I'll be glad to use XP, and it generally does a good job, but I'll let my employer take care of buying it and maintaining it. My own money and time are better spent on the Mac platform.

Try Virtual PC.

May not be everything you want graphically, but it would seem worth a try at about $70.

Get the Mac!!!!!!!

I bought a Mini the weekend before Christmas - I LOVE it.

GET THE MAC!!!!! You won't look back!

Haven't read any of the comments.

Just want to say welcome home.

Used both platforms in my teaching and found the Mac to be my favorite. Unfortunately schools have started to look at the start-up costs only and my former school switched to Dell last Sept. They have had close to half their machines go down since. We used to have maybe one or two Macs fold in a year. Mostly do to child abuse.(Abuse by a child, that is.)

Writing this on my PowerBoook G4 and loving it.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say this is precursor to a VodkaPundit PODCAST ???

Also, it may be possible to run 2 simultaneous Operating Systems on your computer and boot from either.. developers are trying it as we speak. (see link)

http://windowsxp.onmac.net/blog/

Aren't you an engineer or something? Blasphemy, I tell you!! Any engineer will tell you that PC's are the way to go. I believe we even took an oath or something upon graduation. Something about using nothing but PC's. Unless of course a Unix main frame is around with a Pascal or Fortran compiler. (Did I just date myself?)

I'm kidding (mostly). The East Coast Engineer bias is real when it comes to computers though. Until recently I would never have considered a Mac. I was deluded to think that I would still use AutoCAD, etc at home. Now all I do is email, shop, blog, rip music and play games. All things a Mac does quite well I understand.

Just a quick comment... I downloaded iTunes for my PC, and I HATED it. It changed everything on my computer related to music files, and I couldn't uninstall it fast enough.

The so-called "unsecure" nature of Windows is just wishful thinking, largely spread by the Mac jihadis (those who mutter "Apple Ackbar" and jump at your throat whenever you mention the flaws in their faith), who can't get over the fact that their elitist boxes never really made it.

Heh.

My wife has an old Dell. When she moved in and I hooked it up to my home network, it nearly exploded; there were literally hundreds of dormant spyware and malware apps sitting on her hard drive waiting for a fast connection. But she's stubbornly hung onto it since then (a decision made easier since she now has live-in tech support).

Last weekend, I ran a virus program (no Mac equivalent, because there are no Mac viruses) to disinfect her machine against the Kama Sutra worm, and it stopped synching with her Palm. For a planning-obsessed descendant of Mennonites, *that* was the last straw. Took me three days to get the friggin' thing working again, but she finally rewarded me with the glorious words, "Okay, the next time this happens again, just get me a Mac."

I don't quite understand what the "iTunes revolution" is. Maybe you can explain what you mean? I have an iPod (I love it) and I use iTunes also, but there are a quite a few programs that have the same (or more) features as iTunes. That is, unless you meant its integration with iTMS.

I think you'll be happy with a mac, but game support is iffy. It really depends on the genre of games you like to play. Macs obviously cost more, but you gain aesthetics and (arguably) a better user experience.

Macs also benefit from 'security through obscurity'. Worldwide, Apple has less than a 2.0% marketshare in desktop computing. It's just not worth virus writers' and script kiddies' time to develop Mac worms.

In my experience, a Windows XP computer can be just as secure as a Mac, it all depends on the user. Do you use a firewall? Do you keep up to date on security and application patches (Windows Update)? Do you avoid installing malicious spyware and malware? If the answer to these questions is "yes", then you shouldn't have issues.

YES.YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIMILATED.JOIN US,OURS IS A SUPERIOR CULTURE.

Good show, don't be PC.

Macs also benefit from 'security through obscurity'. Worldwide, Apple has less than a 2.0% marketshare in desktop computing. It's just not worth virus writers' and script kiddies' time to develop Mac worms.

I don't think this argument holds water any more, given the considerable press that OS X's relative invulnerability has received over the last couple of years (to say nothing of nyah-nyah messages just like this one in the online world).

Add to that the strange hatred of all things Mac in certain corners of hackerdom, and I suspect that we would have seen a destructive Mac virus/worm by now if it were easy or even medium-hard to write one. There have to be plenty of malicious nerds out there who'd love to become "famous" as the guy who managed to break OS X's virus-free status. So far, they're still striking out.

Will:

You might be right, but there have been thousands of viruses that have affected BSD or applications running on BSD in the past. That's why I think that asserting Mac OS is more secure is a bit naive (or at least premature). I like Macs. I'm not trying to flame them or their users. It's just that I believe the main reason why Macs are generally trouble free is there isn't a massive pool of poorly written adware or outright malware that has been developed for them. Similarly, there isn't a massive pool of bad hardware and poorly written drivers that Apple has to support.

Most people have bad experiences with 'Grandma's Dell' because Grandma trusts most internet sites and programs she downloads. This type of evil software isn't nearly as prevalent on the Mac platform.

That said, I don't use IE or Outlook Express on any of my Windows-based workstations. :)

Pft. The idea that there are no Mac viruses is silly. They're out there, just comparatively rare (and at 2% of the total population, one would expect they'd have trouble spreading).

Heck, I remember the Macs in the computer labs as U of H were positively infested in the early 90's. I pretty much burned any floppies I took to school after I used them.

I must say that I agree 1000% ! Well, maybe 999% , since I never really wanted to own a Mac in the past. And I have never had a problem with Windows, ever. Although the slow boot ups are kind of annoying...

But like you, the iPod changed all of that. And I too want a MAC for Photoshop, video editing, and music. And after seeing the displays live and in person, I have pretty much decided that my next “PC” will be a PowerBook. And you just open it up, and it turns on, and close it, and it goes to sleep! That will save me 20-30 minutes a day.

For the record, I am one of those “biased East Coast engineers”. I can’t run my engineering apps on a Mac, but that’s OK. I’ll keep my Windows PC and notebook for work. The PowerBook will be for play. Any real work I get out of it will be a bonus.

And also for the record, when I saw my first iPod, I did what any reasonable American would do, and bought $10k of Apple stock. And since that’s worth about $50k now, I can finally afford a PowerBook! Oh, and I might just be a little more biased in Apples favor now, too….

COMMITMENTPHOBE!

I've seen the type-- one of my best friends constantly drooled to me about how Macs were so cool and how he hated Windoze-- for over 10 years he did this without getting a Mac. Well, I finally convinced him and he's like "Why didn't I do this before?"

There's no time like the present. Give yourself a happier life. Don't worry about all the software you'll throw out: Buy the Mac TODAY, use it for whatever you can, file share with your PC for a while and watch your usage of the Mac go up and your usage of the PC eventually go to nothing.

Howard Dean, a die-hard Leftie, couldn't say something nice about GWB if he had to. Analogous to this is the attitude of die-hard PC users toward the Mac. A good many of them, like Dean, don't know whereof they speak.

I'm in my eighties. I'm not interested in having to pick spyware fleas off my Mac dog. My better half runs a Dell and watching her have to jump through those hoops is enough to insure that I'll never run anything but a Mac.

PS: Photoshop is a dream on a Mac. I don't know what it is on a PC and I don't give a damn either.

I loaded iTunes (for windows) when I got an iPod a couple months ago, and it sucks. It doesn’t allow simple intuitive operations like copy-paste, and it tries to take over you system just like %$##& quicktime. All the files on your iPod go into an giant unstructured bit-bin called the library, which reminds me of the time when I found out my (previous) idiot boss had 3,000 files in his C:\ root because he didn’t understand folders. Then I found out iTunes ACTUALLY MODIFIES THE MP3 FILES ON YOUR COMPUTER! Naturally, I could find no explanation of what it was doing or why.

Now I write-protect my MP3s, and I use iTunes strictly to update my iPod and nothing else. God forbid I would let it talk to the internet. The iPod is awesome hardware-wise, but still rather primitive in functionality. It’s not very good for listening to, say, long podcasts because you tend to lose your place a lot (yes, I know about the resume-from-last-stop checkbox – it doesn’t work very well). I think the thing was designed strictly for teenagers to listen to three-minute pop songs in no particular order.

The whole experience didn’t exactly tempt me to go Mac.

TO: Blaine
RE: Gonna Have Me Some Fun

"The fun is in poking a key and not knowing what will happen next." -- Blaine

To have no errors. Would be life without meaning. No struggle, no joy. - Haiku Error Msg for Windows

With searching comes loss, and the presence of absence: "My Novel" not found. - Haiku Error Msg for Windows

Three things are certain: Death, taxes, and lost data. Guess which has occurred. - Haiku Error Msg for Windows

The code was willing. It considered your request. But the chips were weak. - Haiku Error Msgs for Windows

Yesterday it worked. Today it is not working. Windows is like that. - Haiku Error Msg for Windows

Windows XP crashed. I am the Blue Screen of Death. No one hears your screams. - Haiku Error Msg for Windows

No keyboard present. Hit F1 to continue. Zen engineering? - Haiku Error Msg for Windows

Errors have occurred. We won't tell you where or why. Lazy programmers. - Haiku Error Msg for Windows

Generally speaking, I don't seem to encounter such errors.

Regards,

Chuck(le)

Used to work in web design shop with a couple of Mac cultists. They were as ardent believers in the Mac as any religious fanatic is about his or her religion. I had just recently changed from a Mac to an HP PC--a brand not exactly known for its reliability. But the entire time I was there (about a year) my PC didn't break down once, and they were always bitching about their Macs giving them trouble, having to do complete reinstalls, etc. Not suprisingly, these problems did nothing to shake their blind belief that Macs were infallible.

I'm still using my HP today, four years later. It's a had a few hiccups, but nothing too bad. I've got nothing against Macs; my first computer was a Mac Plus (if you don't count my TI-994A). But the idea of them being trouble-free is just a myth, largely the result of a brilliant marketing campaign and a (small) cult of true believers.

"All the files on your iPod go into an giant unstructured bit-bin called the library,"

Actually, they go into a structured bit-bin, by artist, with each album in its own directory inside that directory.

So I have /Music/Santana/Supernatural, or the like.

Cirby,

I think that's an option in iTunes. You can choose Organize My Files, or no. Don't remember what the default is.

Heck, I remember the Macs in the computer labs as U of H were positively infested in the early 90's. I pretty much burned any floppies I took to school after I used them.

Sure, the old Mac OS was certainly susceptible. I ran into peksy nVir infestations all the time under OS 6 and 7. The AutoStart worm around 1995 was a nasty one, too.

None of the above affect OS X, though. AutoStart was the last meaningful malware I can recall on a Mac.

cirby-
I know I can sort by pre-defined fields like artist, album, etc...; that's just like sorting my C:\ root by date, size or file name as far as I'm concerned. I can't define my own categories.

For instance, I have some text-to-speech mp3's that all have the same artist/album information. It's going to get messy if I ever collect a lot of them.

I wonder what your problem is in editing movies on a PC. I run Vegas Video and do it painlessly and groovily, all the time. There's nothing to it.

"I’ll keep my Windows PC and notebook for work. The PowerBook will be for play. Any real work I get out of it will be a bonus."

Meanwhile, I draw with AutoCAD. I plot to PDF and e-mail to clients. Time passes. In a bathrobe, I walk for four seconds to the mailbox to harvest checks.

My ray of sunshine peeking through The Endarkenment.

You don't necessarily need to invest in a lot of replacement software.

Instead of supporting Mr. Gates and Micro$oft, you can download NeoOffice (http://www.neooffice.org/). NeoOffice is a Mac port of OpenOffice. It is not as slick as M$ Office, but includes word processor, spreadsheet, presentation and more. It can read and save M$Office-compatible files.

Another Freeware is Gimp.app (http://gimp-app.sourceforge.net/) which is an image manipulation program similar to (but, perhaps not as extensive as) Photo$hop.

(BTW, I use Wintel boxen at work, and Macs at home. And, I'm saving my pennies for one of the new MacTel boxes. It would be interesting if I can have it dual boot in both MacOS and WinOS.)

ArtDOdger.

Are you not aware you can create your own folders and sub-folders in iTunes??? They're called 'Playlists'.

You might want to do some basic research before you shoot off like that. Otherwise, you look like an ignorant fool. Or an idiot boss....

Right, NukemHill.

And you can create smart playlists, specify criteria like artist, category, etc., and every time a new song is added to the library it will automatically be added to the smart playlist. Super cool.

I have lots of playlists. How could you conflate folders with playlists? A file may appear in many playlists, or none at all. If I wanted delete all the items in a playlist to make some room, I would have to hunt them down one at a time in the library and delete them there, as far as I can tell (and I did hunt for this).

Obviously, I'm a neophyte. I'm sure there are lots of tricks I don't know. But some programs are easy and intuitive to learn, and iTunes is not one of them. I guess I did shoot off – I seem to have touched a nerve with some apple cultists.

Just a note to the OpenOffice supporters. Due to the incompatibilities WITHIN the Microsnot Orifice product line it is possible to create a OO document that kills dead the MSWord of the reader.

Actually it is possible to do bizarre things with Word between Mac and PC which are nearly as bad but adding OO into the mix causes really exciting things that aren't supposed to happen like blue screens of death.

Add me to the list of those who don't "get" iTunes. My MP3s were already categorized by artist and album. I already had playlists. I have an iRiver instead of an iPod so I don't get anything out of it's easy sync abilities. Aside from the ability to easily buy music online, it just seems to be another Uber program trying to take over my computer.

There's got to be something to all this hype. What am I missing?

I've beend developing applications for the Windows platform pretty much my entire professional life. Last year, I bought my first Apple computer in over 20 years. I've never regretted it. I program using C# during the day, and then go home and use my iBook. It's, IMO, a much better machine and a much better OS than any version of Windows/DOS I've ever run. It doesn't get in my way. I've compiled Linux from scratch, slipstreamed Windows 2000 and XP upgrades into install CD's, managed multi-node Windows server clusters, and done just about everything short of writing a hardware driver or a kernel from scratch for the Intel platform. I've never enjoyed any other computer, except for my first C-64, as I do this iBook.

But man, I can't believe you dared to compare OS X to Windows in public. Talk about a holy war. You might as well have drawn a cartoon about Mohammed.

"How could you conflate folders with playlists?"

(cackle) I'll bet I know: somebody never understood "directories".

TO: LNS
RE: Breakage

"I was there (about a year) my PC didn't break down once..." -- LNS

Interesting report. The distaff reports EXACTLY the opposite. Things like having to have the IT-pukes come by and reinstall the OS once a month.

"...and they were always bitching about their Macs giving them trouble, having to do complete reinstalls, etc. Not suprisingly, these problems did nothing to shake their blind belief that Macs were infallible." -- LNS

In the meantime, I operated the USWEST White Pages Computer Lab, 12 Macs running 24/7/365, from 1995 to 2003, and we didn't have any problems, except an occasional monitor blowing out because some yutz of a construction crewman severed a power line while they were building Parkmeadows shopping center, directly across I-25 from our home office.

Regards,

Chuck(le)

OpenOffice is a bloated chunk of shit. If you get a mac, I recommend you stick with Microsoft Office. It's very good (and even created by a separate development team at MS).

Billy,

I have never had any problems editing video on my Windows desk top PC, and I even get by OK with my notebook. I guess I should have been more clear about that. My notebook is a top of the line Dell, about 2 years old. Its display is OK for most video work, but it just doesn’t cut it for HD. And ditto for Photoshop.

What I am really looking forward to with a PowerBook is a top notch LCD that will allow is portable.

Others:

As far as running Apple-centric software on a Windows PC, well, things can be a little different, for sure Photoshop runs perfectly, but it took me a while (months) to figure out some of the set up parameters and file location stuff to get it optimized. I think there is a similar situation with iTunes. Some of the set up stuff is non-obvious. But once you figure it out, you can make it do just about anything you want to do. In talking with some Apple-freak friends, they don’t seem to have those issues.

And what do I like so much about iTunes? I think the Apple compression routines blow away MP3 and even MP4. Now there’s not a whole lot a difference between MP4 in some other software and AAC in iTunes, unless you’re playing them through a hi-fi system or using high end earphones (which I do). And the Apple lossless, is just about perfect, except for the humongous file sizes. But that’s why they make 60 Gig units.

Another great feature of iTunes is its integration with the Apple Store. Browsing, buying, and copying to the iPod is too damn easy. And it’s just plain fun. But if all you are doing is downloading MP3’s from other sites, or ripping and burning from CD’s, you’re not going to experience all iTunes has to offer.

"adding OO into the mix causes really exciting things that aren't supposed to happen like blue screens of death."

I very much doubt this, do you have an example that demonstrates this behavior (crashing the OS by loading a file in Office)? It's sounds like FUD.

TO: tshog
RE: Gee...Thanks....

"If you get a mac, I recommend you stick with Microsoft Office." -- tshog

I put their 30-day demo on my Mac last March and had to do a complete brain-wipe of the machine in order to regain control. This was after several weeks and hours-talking to Apple Tech Support.

Yeah...that's it....go poison your computer.

Regards,

Chuck(le)

P.S. Not to mention supporting the Communist Chinese suppression of freedom of information via Microsoft being 'in bed' with their Dear Leader.

I'm back... I've been in IT for 9 years. I just simply reached the breaking point with WinDoze. I'm still pretty wet behind the hears, but I've given away my XP box and my Fedora machine has been offline since then, but I'll still hang onto it.

Again, make the jump!!!!

I've been in the IT field since 1980 and have used a wide variety of operating systems running on everything from teeny tiny boxes all the way up to some hefty, room filling, iron. It's not bias but many years of personal, often painful, experience that makes me believe that MS Windows, in all its flavors, is an utter abomination.

Stephen, buy the Mac and then sit back, relax, and enjoy using a system that "just works".

I just finished trying out all the major music programs for my PC and I definitely don't agree with you on iTunes.

In fact, after all I'd heard, I was really disappointed in iTunes - as a completely objective user that expected to pick almost any other player, I came away deciding that Windows Media Player does a far better job than anything else I've tried - WMP is certainly much better than iTunes.

Maybe the results would be different if I valued the iTunes music store, but with allomp3.com selling a comparable selection of completely legal MP3s (with NO DRM!) for a tenth the cost of ITMS, why would I ever want to pay Apple's ripoff prices? (I use PocketTunes on my Treo as my music player, so the iPod support in iTunes is worthless to me and others that want open music players that let us buy our content just once for life.)

As both a player and more importantly a manger of a music library, WMP easily clobbered iTunes, RealPlayer, and several others, including MusicMatch and WinAmp.

The iTunes interface stringently limits the ways that you can find your music by categories, and I found its ID3 tag management capabilities to be both primitive and buggy compared to WMP's. Anyone who knows me knows I have a fairly strong anti-Microsoft bias, but I have to hand it to MS here: WMP is a *very* well-done program. Put WMP and iTunes side-by side on the same music collection and I can't see many people preferring the Apple way, if they're willing to be fair.

Chuck,

Buying a Mac does more to support the Chinese economy than buying Microsoft software.

About 60-70% of the components in a Mac are made in China, by Chinese labor, using Chinese steel, copper, plastic, glass, etc. And I know this for a fact, because I once worked for the company that manufactures most of Apples product.

Personally, I don’t have any problem with any of that. But to imply that buying Microsoft products somehow supports China more than buying Apple products is just plain wrong.

TO: jmaster
RE: Buy a Mac. Support the Chicoms?

"Buying a Mac does more to support the Chinese economy than buying Microsoft software." -- jmaster

All one can do, is all one can do.

If I can avoid companies that kowtow to the suppression of freedom, do you suggest I should kowtow instead?

There's some kinda logic.

Why don't we all just become Muslims, just to insure we can drive our cars?

Oh well...we each have to choose the path we shall follow.

Good luck, jmaster.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
P.S. What does the 'j' stand for?

"but with allomp3.com selling a comparable selection of completely legal MP3s (with NO DRM!) for a tenth the cost of ITMS, why would I ever want to pay Apple's ripoff prices?"

Because allofmp3.com is, quite frankly, ripping off the artists and publishers. They claim it's legal, but that because their local (Russian) copyright laws have some loopholes you could drive trucks through, and in-country licensing fees are dirt-cheap - but only for people who live in Russia.

From the site:

"The user bears sole responsibility for any use and distribution of all materials received from AllOFMP3.com. This responsibility is dependent on the national legislation in each user's country of residence."

In other words, no, it's not legal for someone in the US or most of the world to "buy" songs from allofmp3.

Now Chuck, you shouldn’t have got me started on the China thing….

I hate the commie bastards. But I am of a firm belief that the best way to fight them is from within. And that means increasing trade and business ties, lifting the Chinese standard of living, and let nature take its course. And the vast majority of Chinese folks I deal with feel the same way..

The company I mentioned previously, which builds most Apple equipment (and Dell, and Compaq) is owned and managed by some Taiwanese, ex-Chinese. And to a man, they are staunch anti-communists. One of their 10 guiding principles is to “win back the motherland” by demonstrating that communism does not work in the long term, and that capitalism and democracy must eventually take its place. They were one of the first electronics manufacturers to set up shop in mainland China, and they have done quite well there. Last I heard, they were the largest non-government employer in the main land, with about 80,000 employees.

The communist government there is getting weaker and weaker every year. The Party is not well liked, and is looked upon as being extremely uncool by most people under 30 or so. But they still must be dealt with. They take their cut, not unlike organized crime in some industries here. If you want to do business there, you do it with a wink and a nod, and maybe payoff or two. Its a fact of life

I am not saying you shouldn’t buy a new Mac (Please do! I’m a shareholder, remember). I am saying that everyone who does any kind of business with China has a little blood on their hands, and is in effect, supporting the government. But hopefully, its only temporary, and the long term payoff will be worth it.

Now as far as what “j” stands for, its the first initial of my first name. I have a very unique name, and I am somewhat well known in my field. My current employer lost some business a few years ago because of an idiots reaction to political postings I made elsewhere on the web. It was total BS, but since then, I have tried to remain somewhat google proof. That’s as far as I would like to go here, but drop me an email if you would like to chat further on that subject….

TO: jmaster
RE: Naming of Names

"Now as far as what “j” stands for, its the first initial of my first name. I have a very unique name, and I am somewhat well known in my field." -- jmaster

Okay....

As long as it didn't stand for 'Jump'....

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[God is alive....and airborne-ranger qualified.]

P.S. I don't care if you're a shareholder in Apple. As long as your NOT a shareholder in Microsoft, Google or Cisco.

Ya savvy?

As soon as the Mactel Mini comes out, as soon as it comes out...

?

PeeCees are definitely where it's at if you're into games. But I mean, how old are you now, Stephen? It's probably no longer emotionally necessary for you to get the latest game the instant it is released, or upgrade your video card every six months, presuming it ever was for you.

I support both PeeCees and Macs (mostly Macs), so a lot of folks ask my advice on this kind of thing. if they're over 25, I tell them to buy a Mac for their computing needs and get an xBox or PlayStation if they want to play games, especially if they a humongous plasma TV to leverage :) The truth is that Microsoft is in both businesses now, so how long juiced PeeCees remain the platform of choice for gaming is getting to be a bigger and bigger question.

I'm biased toward the Mac, I admit it, but I give credit where credit is due: MS has done a tremendous job making PeeCees usable over the years. XP isn't too bad. But after you use your new Mac for a while, go sit back down in front of Windows. The first thing you'll notice is how crummy the mouse cursor tracks. All that development Bill Gates put into Windows and using the Windows mouse still feels like playing Pong. Also, you'll notice that in spite of vast improvements in the Windows GUI over the years, compared to your Mac, Windows will seem very— well, ugly. Everythiing from menus to typefaces will just look cheaper and shittier on the PeeCee. You'll wonder to yourself how you previously spent so many hours of your life staring at something so dogshit ugly. But don't worry, when it happens, you'll think it's funny.

yours/
peter.

Oh yeah, true story: a couple of Christmases ago when my hard-headed little brother was telling me about some huge spyware misadventure he had recently had, I would nod my head and frown at all the right times, but the truth is that after I got home from the Christmas party, I had to look up "spyware" on Wikipedia. Being a Mac user really does have some bright spots.

I just ripped a Bobby Darin CD. Drag and rop, yo.

I fully agree that the iPod itself is a great piece of hardware. It's beautifully designed and has a wonderful user interface.

As for iTunes, what's so great about it? They sell songs and albums for download and have links to streaming radio. That was something really great 3-4 years ago, but that's just bare bones service these days.

I personally prefer pay-per-month music subscription services like Rhapsody (which I subscribe to). I can buy music for download and listen to streaming radio, like iTunes, but I also can listen to their entire music library (not just 30 second slices) over the computer. If I ever get a compatible digital player (alas, the iPod is not one of these creatures. Steve Jobs' control issues at fault here) I can move up to the "To Go" service and have UNLIMITED downloads from their ENTIRE library for only the monthly fee.

I don't know about you guys, but having full access to a music library beats buying one song at a time any day.

I'm a Mac user and have been since I bought a Mac SE in 1987. I use a PC at work. Both systems have good and bad points and PCs are better at some things.
If you decide to buy a Mac, be prepared to have some trouble adjusting. The menu bar is in a different place and the window controls are different, Applications keep running even if all their windows are closed. Mac users switching to a pc will have the same problems. Be sure you want to put up with the aggrievation.
On the other hand no one has discussed one of Apple's strengths, which is longevity. I am typing this on my G4/400 to which I have added a second hard drive, memory and a usb2 card. I bought it new in early 2000. It runs fine. As does its predecessor, our backup system, a Performa 6400 with a G3 upgrade card I bought in1996. Neither will play new games but they do fine for my needs. Our quadra 900 is 15 years old and is still used for the ancient games that amuse me.
I hope you try a Mac. I enjoy mine.

TO: Peter Jackson
RE: Games

"PeeCees are definitely where it's at if you're into games." -- Peter Jackson

I wish I had TIME for 'games'. However, one thing I have noticed is that the games that make it to the Mac realm are definitely 'winners'. So I can pick from the best of the best of the best.

If I had more time for games I might be interested in having a plethora of such that I would only play a few times before focusing on those that were REALLY good.

As it is, I seem to find myself focusing on several great one anyway:

Stronghold — highly realistic
Civilization (Call to Power)
Ghost Recon
SimCity4
C&C: Generals
TacOps
Harpoon3

I might get some kinda flight simulator, if Logitech would stop d------ around and come out with a good joystick that was programmable on the Mac.

Regards,

Chuck(le)

I came to the same conclusion after I went through HELL with DELL with a computer less than 6 months old.

I don't have a whole lot invested in MS compatible software - pictures are in an universal .JPG format, I use iTunes, the family tree... that's the only thing that might suffer.

My next computer will also be an apple.

(*)>

Take a look at the darwine project:

http://darwine.opendarwin.org/

Its opensource, so its free, and it seems to be almost totally up and running.

Strangely enough, one of my biggest gripes about Windows is the File Browser. I have a Mac at home (that I'm on now) and love that when I'm browsing for something I can go to column mode and be flying in between layers of folders and subfolders.

When I'm at work, and really need to be doing that, I can't. It's double-click, change the folder view to "Details" rather than "Icons" (and I STILL haven't figured out a global command to get Details as the Default_, then double-click again, change the view... double-click...

I wouldn't mind it so much, except that when you're working with 112 files with long names that don't differentiate until 10+ characters in, "Icons" don't show enough of the name to be useful.

And what really gets me is that I work with a photography studio. You'd think that Macs would be the better choice, but the major program we use is made by a company who chose to go strictly with PCs so we're locked in. (And we use Access quite a bit. Somebody who actually knows programming would have to tell me whether equivalent operations could be done on a Mac.)

Several years ago, Lileks compared using a PC to waking up every morning and finding a slug in your shower. After a while, you don't even find it strange, you just keep a box of salt in your bathroom and kill the slug as part of your morning ritual.

It's just the little things that you have to do all the time that wear you down. I, for one, am sick of salting slugs.*

*In my case, killing ants might be a better analogy. Stupid ants.

TO: B. Durbin
RE: Killing Ants

"*In my case, killing ants might be a better analogy. Stupid ants." -- B. Durbin

I think James 'the Bleat' Lileks mades a similar analogy about his similar situation; Mac at home, Windows at work. However, he likened it to killing slugs. Sort of like his daily morning toilet; step into the shower, kill the slugs, take shower.

Regards,

Chuck(le)

B. Durbin - you can make 'details' view sticky with tools->folder options->view tab->"like current folder" or "apply to all folders" button (or similar -- they seem to change the exact sequence from version to version).

A reality check for those who recently bought a Mac and wondered why they hadn't done so ages ago: It's because until the advent of OSX, the Mac sucked donkey balls. It couldn't multitask and crashed on an effin' dime. As a longtime graphic designer, I've spent over a decade cursing Steve Jobs' name, family and anyone unfortunate enough to look like him. OSX dealt with most of my complaints, but the sheer amount of pain I've endured at the hands of Jobs' Tinkertoy computers still leaves me flinching involuntarily every time I touch one of the damned things.

Mind you, I recently ditched Windows, too -- for Linux, of course. But then, fifteen years ago, I would have made fun of both PC and Mac users from the safe confines of my Amiga...