BBC NEWS | Business | Apple Macs: Objects of devotion — This is quite an interesting article, worth reading whether you are an Apple devotee or not. The author really hits on something, that Macs may indeed be better than their Wintel counterparts, but a lot of “it” is just a sociological phenomenon. Yeah, I now count myself an Apple devotee and yeah, I often have to stop myself from trying to rub it in to my Wintel colleagues, especially at a university whose IT department is focused solely on Windows and nothing else. I rant about ignorance and lack of experience, and I think I have a point because like one of the comments toward the bottom of the above-mentioned article, I work in both worlds and have done so for many years. Most of the non-Apple people I know, and many of the Apple people I know, have had no real experience living in the other world. Anyway, I’m not sure if my thoughts are leading anywhere except to state that this article resonated with me. I can see the positives, as well as the negatives, of Apple’s “cult of the Mac.”
Tag Archives: Microsoft Windows
MacWorld keynote
MacCentral: Apple posts MWSF keynote webcast – a post from MacCentral, highlights the availability of Steve Job’s keynote speech as MacWorld SF. I watched most of it late last night while lying in bed, unable to get to sleep. It was interesting for me to notice some rather important glitches in Jobs’s presentation, perhaps as bad or worse than the much derided glitches during Bill Gates’s Consumer Electronics Show speech using Windows. I haven’t heard anyone guffawing (virtually) over Jobs’s presentation problems yet. Interesting. Anyway, in spite of those glitches, it was well worth the time to watch in order to get a better sense of some of the new features coming with the next release of OS X, Tiger, in the first half of this year, as well as to look at demos of new hardware.
“Rock solid” Mac OS X
I couldn’t agree more with David Pogue’s description in his New York Times column of the “stealth benefit” of the new iMac G5, OS X, as “rock solid.” Mentioned in MacMinute. It really amazes me that more people aren’t clued into the fact that OS X, as Pogue says, is “100 percent free from viruses, Trojan horses, spyware and all the grief that comes with them.” Even in my own small academic library, the grief of dealing with Windows is very real and ever-present. The amount of effort and upkeep it takes to maintain our PCs (even just our library staff PCs) on Windows XP is absolutely ridiculous. Why should I have to worry about (and spend my time or a student’s time installing and updating) third party software to detect and remove spyware, adware, and more? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Another example is the infamous WinXP Service Pack 2. Don’t get me started on that one…
What annoys the heck out of me is that our university’s IT department is completely sold on Windows and it seems like if they had their way, all Mac computers would be banned from campus. I fully understand the desire to maximize limited resources by trying to be as uniform as possible with a computing platform, and I also understand that Wintel equipment is significantly cheaper to buy and all, but just about everybody I speak with in that area is totally ignorant about Mac computers and OS X in particular. In fact, anyone with whom I’ve ever spoken about the Mac (yes, I do try to evangelize) is openly hostile to Macs. Another example: I’m on a university-wide strategic technology, planning, and assessment committee. Recently this group went through a prioritization exercise to determine what issues should be top priorities for the near future. One of those issues on the lengthy list of possibilities was Mac support. The end result of the survey? Mac support came in dead last. I think I was the only one in the group who put it in the top ten.
OK, sorry, rant over. But wait, there is one more thing that I can’t resist mentioning: I can run just about any WinXP program on my Mac (using Virtual PC) — and easily communicate and play nicely with our Windows network at work at the same time. Top that, Microsoft.
Grokker, a new type of web search engine
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Some time ago, I read about Grokker, a new type of web search engine that presents results visually in cluster maps (think something like Venn diagrams), rather than in a long series of search results to page through one by one. Put in simple terms, the idea behind Grokker is to enable the searcher to more readily find the desired information that might be buried in web pages on the umpteenth page of search results from a standard search engine. More recently, I downloaded a free 30-day trial version for Mac OS X (they also offer a Windows version) and used it to find relevant information on a particular topic in Google that I was struggling to find using the regular Google interface. I am quite impressed with it, although I am not sure yet whether or not I want to fork over the $49 they charge for a production version of the software. If you want to see the future of search engines, or at least one model for that future, I suggest you download a copy yourself and play around with it. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I think you’ll like it.
Yes, we bought one
Yes, we bought a PowerBook G4 15″ laptop while visiting Apple’s Indianapolis store this past weekend. I have had a bit of buyer’s remorse but what pushed me over the edge to decide to go ahead with the purchase was something Michele said as we were outside the store, debating what we should do. She basically said something to the effect that if we bought it, at least we would guarantee that we’d use it. That has so far turned out to be quite true. The new laptop is already in high demand! Along with the laptop, we bought an Airport Extreme Base Station (802.11b/g) and it is SO COOL to be able to move freely around the house and yet still have high speed Internet access.
A few other factors or reasons for buying this now:
- greater demand on Internet/computer access at home (Keegan wants to be online more, so does Michele)
- laptop provides needed flexibility for Michele while she’s coping with the children during the day (e.g. the iMac is located at the other end of the house from the living room)
- if I have to do work at home, which is quite often, the laptop enables me to be nearer to the rest of the family yet go upstairs to our bedroom and shut the door when absolutely necessary
- I plan to begin my PhD next fall and felt that this would be a good tool to have for that
I am really impressed with this machine’s capabilities. They are simply incredible. When I took it to work for the first time yesterday, it took me about 10 seconds, max, to get it set up to use our wireless network there, and about 10 minutes, max, to set it up to quickly and easily browse the Windows network in use at Taylor.
Read It on a Dream: The Library Musical
A friend (thanks Jane J.!) sent me a link to “Read It on a Dream: The Library Musical.” As the opening statement describes this mini movie (available in Quicktime or Windows Media), “Sometimes, you are moved by such a strong emotion that you can only express it through song. As we learn from musical theatre that emotion can swell up anytime: in a corner deli, on a playground, in an open field–even at the library.” It’s pretty funny to watch. I’d love to know where it was filmed. The stunned and stupefied looks by fellow students as two other students suddenly stand up in a library and begin singing this musical number are priceless! I think this idea has merit; spontaneous singing could be just the ticket to liven up the dull, boring library. I’ll have to talk to my director about this great idea I have…<grin>.