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Welcome to my Macintosh advocacy page. Though I've been a multi-platform (PC, Mac, just about every type of Unix) user for years, I've found that the general public seems to have more misconceptions about the Macintosh platform than anything else. Over the years, this page has proved to be helpful for people new to the Macintosh platform. I provide a set of basic links, which contain news, helpful utilities and updates to download, and other information that might be of interest. In addition, I often link to various editorials pertaining to PCs and Macs. In the past, I've linked to as many performance benchmarks as possible, but most of my older links have gone bad. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.


All links are ranked by my preference for that category. Many other web sites exist for each category. If you don't find them here, they're probably not worthy of making my list!

News

MacSurfer's Headline News
Welcome to MacCentral!
The Macintosh News Network
MacInTouch Home Page
The Macintosh Resource Page

Rumors

Think Secret
Mac OS Rumors
AppleInsider - Insider News and Rumors
Mac Edition
As the Apple Turns

Games

MacGamer
Inside Mac Games
Clan MacGaming
Apple - Mac Games
Macgamefiles.com - Macintosh Games Downloads

Resources / Facts / Downloads

Version Tracker
MacUpdate: Macintosh Software & Games
MacFixIt.com: Troubleshooting for Mac OS X
Pure Mac
The ULTIMATE Macintosh
MacKiDo
Mac Design Online
MacAddict
MacHome
MacTech
www.apple-history.com
O'Grady's PowerPage
deal-mac. News on Macintosh prices.
OSXFAQ - Technical News and Support for Mac OS X
Macs vs PCs
Mac OS X vs Windows XP

Miscellaneous Links and Editorials

Hide Your IPod, Here Comes Bill (02/02/2005)
Leander Kahney of Wired News discusses how nice the popularity of the iPod, even with Microsoft employees. Apparently, Microsoft's management is having a hard time with the fact that their own employees reject Microsoft based music players in favor the Apple's iPod.

"To the growing frustration and annoyance of Microsoft's management, Apple Computer's iPod is wildly popular among Microsoft's workers."

"So popular is the iPod, executives are increasingly sending out memos frowning on its use."

"The Microsoft manager said he's heard from several executives who dutifully bought Microsoft-powered players, tried them, failed to get them working, and returned them in favor of an iPod. He went through the same experience, he said."

Stunning iMac G5 is a marvel on the inside, too (10/05/2004)
MIKE WENDLAND of Detroit Free Press discusses how nice the new iMac G5 is. Besides the normal review of features, he gushes on with praise about this machine. I've found this type of review to be common for the new iMac G5. Also, I'm finding more people recommending Macs, not just because they're better machines - they are, but also due to the obvious security issues, etc.

"This new iMac is so elegant, so efficient and so enjoyable to use that I've wanted to hold on to it for as long as possible."

"The new G5 iMac is the finest personal computer I've ever used, hands down. Nothing comes close. If you have ever thought of switching from a Windows-based PC to a Mac, this is the deal-clincher. It is simply a stunning machine both to look at and to use."

" like this machine a lot. And because Macs -- for a variety of reasons -- are as close to immune to viruses and worms as you can get, the new G5 is now my top recommendation for anyone considering a new computer."

Windows desktop stranglehold slipping (10/05/2004)
David Frith of Australian IT news service discusses how some are starting to realize the problems with Windows and how Macs are a superior alternative.

"Straw 1: When the White House's former top cyber-security and anti-terrorism expert, Richard Clarke, visited Australia and new Zealand recently, he carried an Apple Macintosh, not a Windows machine."

"Straw 2: Daryl Forrest is a US-based developer of software for Microsoft Windows. Here's what he recently told USA Today newspaper: "I have moved all non-work-related computing to a new Apple Power Mac G5. I like Windows XP, but the risks are too high these days. It's sad that it has come to this.""

"Straw 3: Walt Mossberg, the veteran IT writer for the Wall Street Journal, tells his readers: "If you use a Windows personal computer to access the internet, your personal files, your privacy and your security are all in jeopardy. An international criminal class of virus writers, hackers, digital vandals and sleazy businesspeople wakes up every day planning to attack your PC. The most effective way to avoid viruses and spyware is to simply chuck Windows and buy an Apple Macintosh." etc, etc.

Apple sells supercomputer sequel (06/21/2004)
Stephen Shankland of C/Net's News.com discusses the details of Apple's latest super computer cluster. Apparently the high performance, high reliability and low price of the Virginia Tech Mac based supercomputer has been getting people's attention. This new supercomputer built from a cluster of Mac G5 Xserve machines is expected to rank as the second most powerful computer in the world when it comes on-line.

"A U.S. Army contractor has purchased a $5.8 million, 1,566-server supercomputer from Apple Computer, a real-world cousin to an academic system that briefly appeared high on a list of the most powerful machines. "

"In November, a machine called System X with 1,100 dual-processor Power Mac G5 workstations climbed to third place on the Top500 list of the most powerful supercomputers. On Monday, Huntsville, Ala.-based Colsa announced it's buying a larger system called MACH 5 to run Army simulations of the aerodynamics of flight much faster than the speed of sound."

"System X, which vanished from the most recent list for upgrades, had sustained performance of 10.3 trillion calculations per second, or "teraflops." The Colsa system, made of dual-processor Xserve G5 machines, is expected to reach about 15 teraflops when it's up and running this fall, said project manager Mike Whitlock."

PCWorld.com Best of 2004 (06/22/2004)
What can you say when a heavily biased PC based magazine, PC World, rates Mac OS X the best operating system? When the competition acknowledges the fact, there's nothing more to say!

" Panther's sleek interface and reliable performance are impressive. Although we aren't suggesting that you ditch your hardware and buy a Mac, Apple deserves credit for raising the bar for OSs. And we hope Microsoft is paying attention as it works on the next Windows.

New Multimedia Suite For Windows Is a Step, But Can't Beat Apple's (06/17/2004)
WALTER S. MOSSBERG of Wall Street Journal discusses the competition to Apple's iLife multimedia software (music, dvd creation, movie editing, etc.)

"Earlier this week, I got an e-mail from a reader that said: "As a PC user who juggles multiple applications to complete multimedia projects, I'm jealous of the integrated approach" of Apple's iLife programs. "Is there any product on the PC that comes close to the integrated solution you've discussed so many times for the Mac platform?"

"Overall, I found Media Creator to be significantly inferior to the Apple suite. It's harder to use, less consistent in the way it works, less well integrated, and it fails to display the same delicate balance between power and simplicity that is the real strength of the Apple software."

Xbox 2 in 2005 (06/15/2004)
IGN.com discusses the details on the latest consoles from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Just as the original Xbox was based on PC technology, the Xbox 2 is based on technology used in Macs. In fact, Microsoft appears to be shipping Apple PowerMac G5 systems to developers to get a head start on development.

"The "Xbox 2" will use PowerPC based architecture similar to the chipset powering Apple's G5 computers. That being the case, Microsoft's early "Xbox 2" development kits have been little more than modified Apple G5 systems pre-packed with "Xbox 2" emulation software. "I heard [Apple CEO] Steve Jobs found it pretty ironic and funny that Microsoft has been shipping Apple systems to developers," one studio source joked to IGN on the subject."

The PowerPC G5 out-shoots the Pentium 4 in a battery of tests. (06/06/2004)
The latest upgrades to the G5 Macs, now up to dual 2.5Ghz systems, continues to compare favorably as compated to high end (expensive) PC Workstations.

"The PowerPC G5 processor dramatically accelerates performance in real world applications. When compared head-to-head against PCs in a large series of Photoshop tests, the dual 2.5GHz, dual 2GHz, and dual 1.8GHz Power Mac G5 systems ran the 45 filters 98%, 82%, and 66% faster, respectively, than the 3.4GHz Pentium 4-based system, and 75%, 63%, and 48% faster than the dual 3.2GHz Xeon-based system. Additional performance tests reveal similar performance gains for professional film, video, music and audio creation, and scientific analysis of genetic research."

Growing pains hit Dell's customer service (02/20/2004)
John G. Spooner of CNET News.com reports on recent customer satisfaction surveys from Consumer Reports. Not suprisingly, Apple comes out on top, again.

"The March issue of Consumer Reports, which came out last week, included a survey of 4,100 consumers, who gave Dell 62 points out of a possible 100 for its support on desktop PCs. Although it still managed to top competing brands Hewlett-Packard and Compaq, which scored 54 and 51, respectively, Dell's rating represented a decline from the magazine's last desktop support survey, published in June 2003, in which it received a 64. Apple Computer led the pack, with 74 in the recent survey, while Gateway scored 61.

According to the survey, Apple took first place in every category, including: Desktop repair history, Frequency of inoperable failures, Overall satisfaction, Best Tech Support, Most Knowledgeable Staff, Phone System Experience, Web Support Satisfaction, Laptop repair history, etc.

The World's safest Operating System (02/19/2004)
Mi2g, one of the foremost authorities on computer security describes which operating systems are safe and which are not. To those well versed on the topic, this comes as no surprise.

"London, UK - 19 February 2004, 17:30 GMT - A study by the mi2g Intelligence Unit reveals that the world's safest and most secure online server Operating System (OS) is proving to be the Open Source family of BSD (Berkley Software Distribution) and the Mac OS X based on Darwin. The study also reveals that Linux has become the most breached online server OS in the government and non-government spheres for the first time, while the number of successful hacker attacks against Microsoft Windows based servers have fallen consistently for the last ten months.

Your Small Business Computer Alternative (02/02/2004)
Kevin Ledgister of OS Views.com discusses how OS X is one of the most over looked, yet ideal business solution the industry has to offer.

"There are several reasons why Macs will cost your business less overall:

1. No viruses on the current Mac platform running the latest operating system. Compare this to over 80,000 viruses on a Windows PC all of which require expensive IT staff to patch, inoculate, and eradicate.

2. Reduced support calls. With an easier-to-use interface and true plug-n-play, Mac users tend to do more with their computers, improving productivity, and quickly become experienced users, easily solving their own problems. In my surveys of businesses and institutions, it is not uncommon to find a single Mac technician supporting hundreds of Macs. Most businesses plan for one technician for every 50 PC's and in many cases, that is stretching the limit.

3. Longevity. Several research firms have studied the difference in platform life and in every case, reported longer life cycles for the Macintosh platform over the PC. A longer life cycle saves you hard cash as you need not replace your computers as often, or can re-use them in other ways."


If You're Getting Tired Of Fighting Viruses, Consider a New Mac (10/23/2003)
WALTER S. MOSSBERG of Wall Street Journal discusses the pathetic state of security on Microsoft Windows based systems. By contrast, he notes how reliable and secure Apple's Macintosh based systems are. I'm always amazed by how many people tolerate the garbage Microsoft delivers.

"For consumers and small businesses, the burden of using Microsoft Windows just keeps getting heavier. After growing easier to use for several years, Windows PCs have taken a giant step backward because they are so insecure. "

"Almost every week, they are supposed to install patches to the already patchy operating system to plug these security holes. And every few months, it seems, Windows users must quake in fear as some horrible new virus is created by the international criminal class that constantly targets Windows. "

"But for consumers and small businesses, there's a simple way out of this endless morass: Buy an Apple Macintosh computer. There are no viruses on the Macintosh's excellent two-year-old operating system, called OS X. And the Mac is a terrific computer -- as good as, or better than, Windows for the typical computing tasks important to mainstream users. "

"First, the Mac OS X operating system is built on Unix, an industrial-strength operating system used in business, science and education. And OS X doesn't enable users -- or hackers who hijack user accounts -- to alter certain core files and features of its Unix underpinnings. By contrast, Windows XP users are given "full administrator" privileges that viruses and hackers can usurp to do damage. "

Windows Not Trustworthy (10/20/2003)
Bob Cancilla of eWeek discusses the sad state of computer security with Microsoft based operating systems. This has become a common issue with Microsoft and makes me wonder why anyone would run their business on such a fragile platform.

"Frightening as it is, this latest security flaw is only one of many that have appeared since Microsoft launched its corporatewide Trustworthy Computing initiative last year. As Microsoft continues its march toward trustworthy computing, more people are finding themselves on the losing side of the relationship. "

"The continuing parade of security patches is leading many customers to the conclusion that they can't trust Microsoft to give them secure software. Windows Server 2003, software aimed at big corporate customers and part of Microsoft's line of Trustworthy Computing products, already has a major flaw that seriously compromises computer systems and affects most versions of Windows. Even the Server 2003 patch Microsoft issued was buggy. "

"Microsoft has sent out hundreds of security bulletins since the late 1990sin fact, there were 72 patches in 2002 alone. This rate of patches continues in 2003."

"It would cost about $3,300 per corporate server to test and deploy all 72 of the patches Microsoft issued in 2002. For a company managing 100 servers, that's more than $300,000. "

Apple's iChat AV vs. MS's Messenger 6 (07/15/2003)
Edward C. Baig of USA Today compares Apple's iChat AV to Microsoft's Messenger 6. As always, it seems that it takes Apple to do it right.

"Apple recently unveiled a clever program titled iChat AV, and even in its "public beta" form, it blows away the competition. "

"Best of all, iChat AV requires no configuration beyond installing the actual program and plugging in the camera. "

"Holding video and audio conversations via Microsoft's free MSN Messenger 6, which arrives Thursday, required a lot more effort. "

"(regarding Messenger 6) Alas, the audio was sometimes choppy and sometimes entirely absent. I had to go into my router and turn on a security setting called the Virtual DMZ before either party could be heard.

The video didn't measure up to Apple's standards, though you can use any camera, USB or FireWire. You can display video in three different-sized windows but can't enlarge them or go full screen. "


"Microsoft's latest provides some welcome improvements. But compared with the ease of iChat AV, Messenger 6 is for the dogs. "

Apple Unleashes the World's Fastest Personal Computerthe Power Mac G5 (06/23/2003)
Though many publications covered this event, the most information can be read from Apple's site.

"WWDC 2003, San FranciscoJune 23, 2003Apple today unleashed the world's fastest* personal computerthe Power Mac G5featuring the world's first 64-bit desktop processor and the industry's first 1 GHz front-side bus. Powered by the revolutionary PowerPC G5 processor designed by IBM and Apple, the Power Mac G5 is the first personal computer to utilize 64-bit processing technology for unprecedented memory expansion (up to 8GB) and advanced 64-bit computation, while running existing 32-bit applications natively. "

"On a test of 45 commonly used actions, Adobe Photoshop ran twice as fast on the Power Mac G5 than on 3.06 GHz Dual Xeon workstations; "

"Logic Audio on the Power Mac G5 can play nearly 40 percent more tracks with reverbs applied than Cubase SX running on a 3.06 GHz Dual Xeon workstation "

"Genentech Blast runs up to five times faster on a Power Mac G5 than on a 3.06 GHz Dual Xeon workstation. "

Many other performance examples were provided during the introduction. For more details regarding how the tests were performed, etc. visit this link: Performance White Paper

Keynote Vs. PowerPoint (01/30/2003)
Paul Maidment of Forbes compares Apple's Keynote to Microsoft's Powerpoint. Microsoft has had years to create competent presentation software, yet it takes Apple to innovate and show Microsoft how it should be done (as usual).

"How does Keynote stack up against PowerPoint? The snapshot summary of our head-to-head user test of the two programs is that they fundamentally do the same thing, and do it well, but Keynote does it with a superior elegance and simplicity of use that is Apple's design trademark. "

"The novice presenter will easily produce the more stunning-looking slideshow using Keynote. A seasoned colleague for whom style is as important as substance will feel as if they are using a powerful graphics program rather than a presentation one thanks to Keynote's graphics layering and pixel-precise positioning tools. "

Apple Steps Up the Speed (02/01/2003)
Troy Dreier of PC Magazine compares Apple's machine that was introduced 6 months ago to the latest and greatest PC of the current day. Considering Apple is due to introduced new Power Macs this month, the timing of such a comparison is suspicious and highly favors the PC. All the same, the Mac system (1.25 Ghz) more than held it's own against the best PC (3 Ghz) machine.

"We also ran cross-platform tests (using Adobe Photoshop) to see how the top Mac compares to a new 3.06-GHz Pentium 4 PC with Hyper-Threading. When applying a Gaussian Blur filter, the machines ran neck-and-neck. But on all other tests (Sharpen Edges, Unsharp Mask, Despeckle, Convert to RGB Color, and Resize Image), the 1.25-GHz Power Mac G4 (with its large cache) outpaced the P4."

Make Mine Mac (February 2003)
Michael J. Martinez of Klipinger.com discusses how "Lower prices and better software have made switching from a PC practical. The following quote pretty much says it all...

"When it comes to video, pictures and music, Apple's TV ads hold true: Getting a PC with Windows to deal with such media files is cumbersome and involves downloading and tinkering with software and drivers -- like dancing with an elephant, and the elephant is leading. But you'll feel like Fred taking Ginger for a whirl with Apple's multimedia software programs: iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto and iTunes. And that ease of use applies to using a Mac in general; the Mac OS operating system is far simpler than Windows.."

Apple's iPhoto superior to new Windows offerings (01/14/2003)
Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal discusses the current state of digital photo software. As usual, Apple creates a market with a new type of product and then it's time to "send in the clones". It's just too bad they can't get it right. The two PC programs reviewed were Picasa from Lifescape Solutions and Adobe Photoshop Album.

"Apple Computer, as it often does, broke new ground a year ago in personal computing. Apple launched a new software program for its Macintosh computers called iPhoto. Ever since, Windows software designers have been scrambling to catch up. Last week, two major iPhoto-type programs for Windows made their debut. "

"So, these are very different programs. Both do the job, but Picasa is quicker and simpler. Alas, neither is as good as iPhoto. "

Tech trend: Gateway mimics Apple in retail stores (10/21/2002)
SAM DIAZ of the Pioneer Press notes Gateway's shift in retail strategy. A couple years ago, all of the PC makers were claiming that the end of the PC was near. They claimed that the future was in slim clients and set top boxes, etc. At the same time, Apple claimed the future is strong with home computers and demonstrated how they will be come the "Digitial Hub" for other electronic components. Now, years later, Gateway tries to coin a phrase similar to Apple's. Of course, they just recently followed Apple's lead with flat panel LCD monitors. What's next?

"If you go into an Apple store, you'll see cameras and printers and those sort of things," Enderle says. "Apple has carved out a large space but has largely been hampered by the fact that its market share is small."

Instead of just admitting to coping Apple's "Digital Hub" strategy, the clever folks at Gateway go on to say:
"What we're doing is specializing in all of the peripherals and electronics that make up the digital home, everything that connects to a PC," says Greg van den Dries, a senior vice president with the San Diego firm."

Apple leads pack with DVD software (10/20/2002)
Julio Ojeda-Zapata of BayArea.com compares the DVD authoring experience on both PCs and Macs. To no surprise, authoring DVDs on a PC pales in comparison to doing the same on a Mac.

"Apple Computer leads the pack with iDVD, its best-of-breed consumer program for easily producing professional-looking movie platters on Macintosh machines. If you're shopping for a computer and plan to do lots of DVD authoring, you really should get a Mac."

Intel, PC Makers Sued Over P4 Performance (08/16/2002)
(PC World) It seems that not only are Intel's competitors aware of the MHZ myth, but now, even Intel's customer's are aware of Intel's marketing deception. For years, consumers have used the microprocessors clock speed (MHZ) as a general measure of performance. Intel's Pentium 4 design sacrifices performance for high MHZ ratings. Sadly, the masses of PC users have purchased P4 based systems, hoping for a faster computer. Most were disappointed.

"Customers seek class action status in charge that vendors misrepresented the power of Intel's top chip."

"The plaintiffs claim the companies deceived the public when marketing Intel's flagship processor and allege that it is "the material fact that there is no benefit to consumers in choosing the Pentium 4 over the Pentium III." The complaint alleges that "the Pentium 4 is less powerful and slower than the Pentium III and/or the AMD Athlon." - no kidding! Anyone who's technically competent is aware of this situation.

Why buy a PC when you can have a Mac? (07/28/2002)
David Saraceno of The Spokesman-Review compares the user experience of a Windows XP based PC to a Mac running OS X. Not surprisingly, the Mac experience is much better.

"Simply, the Macintosh is the best computer built today -- bar none. I've used them both, and based upon personal experience, PCs running Windows XP can't hold a candle to the elegant user experience provided by a Macintosh running MacOS 9 or OSX. "

"PCs are still "plug and pray." Windows users all know what I mean. Windows/PCs have weak software/hardware integration, and device control of peripherals is still a turkey shoot.

Despite the hype of "plug and play" Microsoft has espoused over the last four years, it's still iffy trying to get this scanner, or that digital camera to work on a PC.

On the other hand, Apple's systemic control over hardware design and operating system makes the Mac the easiest computer to configure with peripherals such as scanners, cameras, printers and a host of other devices. That's a fact. Period. "


"Have you had a virus lately? PC users know what I mean. How many times has the latest, greatest, insidious PC virus ravaged your e-mail, word processor, or address book? Experts estimate that there are at least 50,000 Windows viruses out there, with new ones arriving every week. On a Mac, there are less than 60. You choose. In fact, Symantec doesn't ship an Auto Protect version of Norton AntiVirus for MacOS X. Reason? No OS X viruses have been reported. Hmmmmmm."

Full Disclosure: Sick of Blue Screens? Get a Mac! (07/25/2002)
Stephen Manes from PC World discusses Apple's "Switch" advertising campaign and ponders the thought of switching to the Mac platform.

"Then there's innovation. The 3.5-inch floppy disk drive? First seen on the original Mac. Wireless networking via 802.11b (Wi-Fi)? As AirPort, it rolled out first in Macs. And Macs had built-in ethernet when it was a mere add-on for PCs. Although these technologies weren't invented at Apple, it committed to them long before they trickled down to Windows.

Some things were invented at Apple, including one advance now in every Mac: FireWire. Too bad the high-speed port (aka IEEE 1394) has been slow to catch on in PCs, in part because of the even slower-to-arrive copycat USB 2.0 standard. And the Mac is often far more elegant: Thanks to Apple software, editing digital video or burning a DVD on a Mac is almost a pleasure. On PCs, it's almost always a pain."

"Windows users just get used to annoyances that Mac users don't have to put up with. Exhibit A: the Registry. That nightmarish Microsoft innovation means it's far easier to move applications between Macintoshes than it is to go through the grueling reinstallation process that keeps PC users clutching their current machines rather than upgrading."


Are Mac users smarter? (07/22/2002)
Ian Fried from C/Net's News.com reports on an official study which indicates Mac users are more web savvy, are better educated and have more income than PC users on average. To anyone familiar with the difference between PCs and Macs, this should come as no surprise.

"Those who surf the Web using a Mac tend to be better educated and make more money than their PC-using counterparts, according to a report from Nielsen/NetRatings. "

Baltimore Sun: The vaunted Pentium 4: more hype than zip? (06/27/2002)
Mike Himowitz of the Baltimore Sun discovers the truth behind the "Mhz Myth". The Pentium 4 was designed for high MHZ, not high performance. This concept is explained by others in the technical community such as Apple here as well as AMD, Sun, etc. Basically, the Pentium 4 breaks down each instruction into many smaller instructions. Processing these smaller "sub" instructions allows the chip to run at a faster clock rate. Intel doesn't tell you that less actual work gets done per CPU cycle using this method though. In the end, Intel ends up with a chip that runs hotter, is less efficient, but fools the naive public into thinking they are getting a much faster system. As a general rule of thumb, a 1 GHZ Pentium 3 is equivalent to a 1.5 GHZ Pentium 4. Most people of a technical background have been aware of this. However, Intel has been able to take advantage of the unknowing masses that think MHZ is an absolute measure of performance, when in fact, MHZ is a very relative measure of performance only to a specific chip architecture.

"I was surprised when a new Pentium 4-based computer running at 1.8 GHz crunched the numbers only 12 percent faster than my 18-month-old Pentium III machine, which runs at 1 GHz. Another new P4-based machine was actually 12 percent slower than the old PC. All the computers had plenty of memory available."

"Intel likes to sell the clock speed of its chips, since it's something consumers think they understand. That speed is measured in cycles per second - actually in megahertz, or millions of cycles per second (MHz) and gigahertz (billions of cycles per second). The problem is that different processors do different amounts of work in each clock cycle. That's why it's hard to compare the true speed of chips from different manufacturers based on their specifications alone.

Apple has had this problem for years. The Motorola-built G4 processor in Apple's high-end Macintoshes is often faster than Intel's P4 in real life. But because it processes instructions differently (and more efficiently in some cases), the G4's official clock speed is far lower. AMD's Athlon chips, which compete directly with Intel in the PC market, are comparable to the P4 in performance but also operate at slower clock speeds. "


Wall Street Journal: Apple Beckons Windows Users, But Doesn't Make Sense for All (06/20/2002)
Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal looks at Apple's new advertising campaign which attempts to attract PC users.

"Most home Windows users tempted to switch to a Mac could do so without losing anything, and might well gain. Macintosh computers are the best-designed computers on the market, and handle every common computing task as well as, or better than, a Windows PC."

"Another bonus to using a Mac: You won't have to worry much about viruses, because almost none are written for the Mac. Even if you receive a Windows virus via e-mail on a Mac, it can't run on your computer. And Apple hasn't built into the Mac the odious "activation" feature Microsoft uses to force Windows users to get permission to use the operating system."

Macs better value than PCs - official (06/13/2002)
Noted research analyst Gartner found Macs are up to 36 percent more cost effective than competing PC products.

"Gartner found that Macs cost $1,114 to support per year, while PC-based systems cost $1,438. Macs also needed less technical support and hardware and software costs were lower, the report explains."

Fortune: XP Means Extra Pain (04/29/2002)
Stewart Alsop, a veteran Windows, sounds off with his opinion of Microsoft Windows XP. Here's a few quotes:

" I agree with the reviewers. There's nothing in Windows XP to cause anyone to go out of his way to get it. In fact, I wonder why such an amazing giant of technology as Microsoft--which argues vociferously for its right to integrate new technology into its operating system--can't do better than this. XP was supposed to finally replace old-world MS-DOS with a modern, stable platform that can be modified for new technologies without the pain and suffering we all experienced in the past."

"As many readers know, I've been using the Macintosh more and more at home. Apple recently upgraded its operating system to what's known as OS X. That is based on Unix. You don't have to restart your computer all the time. Managing programs and data is even easier than before."

DVD lovers burn out (04/24/2002)
Newsobserver.com takes a look at DVD burning solutions available for PCs and Macs. Here are quotes about the most popular PC and Mac DVD burning solutions:

" The software: We hate the Sonic MyDVD program that HP includes for making movie DVDs. MyDVD lets you create menus with buttons that are later used to navigate a disk's contents using a TV remote, but the software's canned design options are cheesy-looking and can't be modified much. MyDVD also "captures" video from a camcorder, but we had trouble doing so without glitches that forced us to start over. A software "patch" didn't help."

" The software: Apple's iDVD 2 program is the best consumer-level DVD-burning software available. Its advantages include animated backgrounds and buttons along with slick still-photo slide shows and "background encoding" that does much of the disk-burning work behind the scenes. Resulting disks are professional-looking, unlike many PC versions. "

Mac OS X works rock-solid on Macintosh system (04/22/2002)
Mark Kellner, of the Washington Times, takes a look at Mac OS X. Here's a quote:

" But when compared with every version of Microsoft Windows that I've used since 1986, including the rather good Windows XP, Mac OS X is a winner of an operating system."

Q&A: Java creator Gosling says .Net falls short of expectations (03/30/2002)
This article discusses the differences between Microsoft's ".NET" to Java. As always, there is a common theme where a great deal of research goes into a fine product like Java, then Microsoft attempts it's own "clone" of the technology and tries to pass it off as some sort of innovation. Here's a quote from James Gosling (the creator of Java):

"Q: Some corporate users have expressed an interest in using .Net for the front end and Java on the back end. How does that strike you?

A:
It's certainly the case that Microsoft pretty much has an absolute monopoly on the client. Certified and convicted. And so in some sense that makes it sort of easier for them on the client end. I think these folks would be amazed to discover how easy it is to write client software on the PC in Java. That works very well. And from a personal point of view, I personally actually read the [Windows] XP license and decided I couldn't sign it. So I've been shifting over to Mac. "


ZDNet: How Apple's iMovie made me a Spielberg - in just one hour (03/20/2002)
This article compares the out of the box movie making experience between the entry level iMovie on Mac OS X versus the (laughable Microsoft copycat technology) Windows Movie Maker found in Windows XP. Here's a quote:

"As I've already told you, if you're buying a computer mostly to do digital photography, buy a Mac. Well, here's another recommendation, based on my own recent hands-on efforts: If you're buying a computer to make digital home movies, buy a Mac."

NetworkComputing.com: Hardware or Software? Wading the Video Stream (03/18/2002)
This article compares the three major players (Apple, Real, Microsoft) in the video streaming server market. Here's a quote:

"After we spent weeks in arduous testing and watching our favorite movie over and over, our numbers showed that Apple's Darwin Streaming Server 4 and QuickTime Player 5 package deserves top honors. Apple proved it could deliver a robust server and client that performed well. Its images beat the competition over a range of bandwidths. Best of all, the software is free, regardless of which operating system you're running."

ABCNews.com: Killer Apps: New Macs Set to Conquer PC Market (03/14/2002)
Another industry analyst acknowledges Mac OS X's overall superiority to Microsoft's Windows XP. Here's a quote:

"While Windows XP is a serious upgrade to Windows 98 and Windows 2000 users, Mac's OS X - with its much better graphical user interface, including the Aqua bar that lets users see images and documents in thumbnail representations, as well as the way OS X handles dragging and dropping of files, images, music, etc. - makes OS X the superior system bar none."

Apple iMac reviewed by PC Magazine (02/22/2002)
To save you the time of reading the whole article, the beginning and ending paragraph pretty much sume it up:

"If the crowd in our labs is any indication, Apple has a success on its hands with the new iMac. Even jaded veterans of the platform wars stopped by to admire the machine's innovative design, attractive hardware complement, and excellent software bundle. "

"We'll be curious to see how many converts the flat-panel iMac makes (and how many people in our labs actually buy one). In any case, the new iMac is sure to have a strong influence on computer design throughout the industry. It's an exceptionally well-designed product at a reasonable price."

ZDNet: How schools are tricked into using PCs--when Macs are better (02/11/2002)
This article discusses the pressures school districts are put under to standardize on the Wintel platform, despite the false economies involved with this decision, let alone the lack of academic benefit from it. Here's a quote:

"THE TOTAL AMOUNT of staff time required just to keep these machines functional is an order of magnitude higher than what we experienced with the Macs. It almost defies belief. Worse, the false economy of PCs is mostly buried under a ton of paper somewhere in the yearly budget document. In our case, personnel costs come from an entirely different piece of the budget pie than computer hardware. "

Apple Releases Apple/Genentech BLAST, Significantly Accelerating Protein and DNA Searches For The Biomedical Community (02/7/2002)
Okay, so not everyone is doing complex protein and DNA searches on their home computer. If you were to use this important tool the scientific community, you'd be glad you're using a Mac considering how much faster it is than on a PC. Here's a quote:

"Apple/Genentech BLAST provides improved accuracy and speed over the standard NCBI BLAST, depending on search parameters such as the nucleotide match-length. For certain common searches this version enables a dual 1-GHz Power Mac G4 computer to deliver more than five times the performance of a comparable 2-GHz Pentium 4-based system running the standard NCBI BLAST."




Made on a Mac! Last updated: March 1, 2005

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