Microsoft is one step closer to ruling the world....

Don't tell me to piss off, young man.

I don't visit MSN. I read an article about it on News.com, slashdot.org, yahoo.com, etc.

I don't really hate Microsoft, I'm just tired of them. I'm tired of using Microsoft products. Tired of all their problems. I don't like how they are constantly trying to dominate everything having to do with computers. Sure, every one trys to get ahead or whatever, but Microsoft... I don't know. I'm just completely fed up with them. I guess it's just a personal thing. Macintoshes have problems as well. So does *nix. I've only been around Windows problems though, and I don't want to anymore. So I want a change to learn something new.

And the Mac, I don't know. They just really appeal to me. Because they are so pretty and simple. They aren't all about how many megahertz they are, or trying to get this off brand ethernet card to work with this modem and that soundcard... You just plug them in, and for the most part, use them. Techy 'under-the-hood' stuff is just a bore to me. I would rather be entertained by the windows whooshing to and from the little bar thing, and having transparent menus, etc. I just want to join the little group of Mac users and do something different. "Think Different" I guess.

To me the whole debate is just about personal opinions, and each person's wants and needs from their computer. Neither is really better. It's just what you like best.

is mac OS's stable like linux stable?

and as far as "age expectancy" how long
can an apple laptop last, run smoothly assuming
u don't install every version of Mist or some other
game ... : )

I was also thinking of getting a Mac...
an iBook i believe, i'll get the link:

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/73/wo/ZyfFi20VRaX7WS7EA61/3.7.0.3.30.1

i'm not to sure if u guys can see it tho, i think it uses
cookies or something.

but i've not ventured into the Mac world since i had a powermac
(i think that's what it was called) i had that back in the fifth grade, it was hella expensive, and it sucked. sad to say.

What are benefits of having an apple, would i need to get a apple version of Photoshop?

well i can't think right now...but deker can u post a link or something i wanna see what yours looks like : )

I don't actually have a Mac either. I just read a lot about them until I can afford one. I'm going to get the Titanium Powerbook though.

http://www.apple.com/powerbook/

I don't know about Mac being anymore stable than anything else, since I haven't used it extensively. I'm sure others would be able to answer that question better. OS X is supposed to be very stable though, as it runs on a form of Unix at the core.

Yes you would have to get a Mac version of Photoshop, and every other program you use. PC programs are not compatible with Macs. You can get PC emulators on a Mac that will emulate windows though. It's just slower.

To me the benefits are not having to mess with getting the computer to work as much, and just using it instead. Also they look really cool. The OS is better in my opinion. Or more interesting anyway. It's really fast with Vectors, as it has a special chip that does nothing but calculate vectors I believe. Don't know the specifics of that. Most artists use a Mac, so it would be easier to collaborate with 'most' artists. Video is usually done on Macs...

But again, most of that is just opinion. I guess you really just need to decide what is right for you, and what you want out of your computer.

Oh and Matt, I read that that legacy mode is worthless...

http://gamespot.com/gshw/stories/flat/0,12880,2819455,00.html

deker...

How about pasting that email I sent you below here? If I get motivated I'll spend some more time expanding on some of the points I made.

For the eleventy-seventh time, for people who don't listen anyway :(

I play with a G3 at school during my webdesign class. Since by the instructors standards, I am far more advanced than the subjects the class covers, I get all this free time.

I can say that the only thing that bothers me about the mac is the mouse. I just dont like a single mouse button. BUT there is a fix for this, since just about any USB mouse ( even microsoft mice ) work under a mac.

I just don't have the funds to buy one.

If I bought a mac, it would be more for it's functionality than it would be for its appearance. OS X does look smooth, but as Utopian pointed out, not everything is supported just yet.

The following is a personal communication between Utopian23 and myself, Deker. I am letting the rest of you view it out of the kindness of my heart, so that we may all gain knowledge from his well written article. I don't expect compensation for my trouble, but if you feel the need, please feel free to send me your credit card number to make a donation to the Titanium Powerbook fund. Thanks.

------------------------------------------------

(--Deker, you're the best. It's an honor to know that this message will actually be written to your hard drive, and burned into your retinas. I really love the way you dance. That sig of yours really gets my goat going. And the Spiderman tights! Ah! Those are adorable!--)

Mac vs. PC? wheew....that's a big topic.

I've used mostly Macs since the mid '80's, and though I can maneuver quite handily around in a windows environment, I think I'd be at a loss to do any kind of troubleshooting in the event of driver conflicts etc. And it seems to me, anecdotally anyway, that there seems to be more system configuration, tweaking, reinstalling and troubleshooting under windows than there is on Macs. I've read quite a few well–researched discourses backing up this statement as well...I just don't have any URL's handy right now. Simply put, I pretty much just install stuff and it works. I have NEVER had to remove and reinstall any Adobe application, and those are the ones that pay my rent. The same holds true for almost everything else I use and rely on. And that's the way I want things to work. I wanna plug **** in and hit the "Go" button and start working. No fuss, No muss. I've had a few problems over the years, but rarely have I needed to call anyone (that person would be my older brot!
her who first turned me on to Macs. Now I help him with stuff!) for help. If you can keep a windows system up and running, the Mac OS should be a breeze after learning the way it does things.

As for getting a Ti Book for designing, well...I wouldn't mind one for use while traveling, but I'd make sure I had a separate monitor I could plug into it while at home. Yes the whole package is really nice (my brother just got one and is quite happy with it...but he doesn't do a lot of graphic work. When he does, he uses his G4 tower.

The Mac OS also integrates color workflow (via ColorSync software that enables consistent color from scanner and camera, through the montitor and on through to Imagesetters, laser printers and inkjets) much better (by leaps and bounds) than windows, and there also seem to be far fewer problems with fonts and PostScript printing. If you're serious about proper typography, the Mac OS simply does things that are quite a pain under windows. Perhaps things have changed or will change with XP, but I simply couldn't abide all the other crap that Microsoft is trying to get away with as they rewrite their OS.

If you decide to go with a Mac, keep in mind that as time goes by, you'll be able to upgrade your software from the windows versions to the Mac versions simply by paying for the upgrade charge, as opposed to paying full price. For instance, if you have a legal, registered windows-version of Photoshop 6, you should be able to get the Mac version for $170. If you find there's a piece of windows-only software you simply can't live without, you can install Virtual Windows. The G4s are fast enough to run windows stuff fairly well under emulation mode.

As always, the more RAM, the better. I've never talked to any windows-user who complained about buying a Mac, as long as they gave themselves time to get used to it and to understand the way it works.

Does that clear anything up for you?

Cheers! (-- Love, --)
µ23

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Please note: anything in between the "(--" and "--)" tags may or may not have actually been said by Utopian23 in the original message. The call is yours....

i recently went to apple's site, and i was wondering, why
is the ibook 1k bucks cheaper then the powerbook G4...

and as far as the mouse, what do u do since there IS no right click?

is there a limit for mac as far as internet connection? cable/dsl
etc?

and finally where can i read up more on this stuff : )

thanx

PC = CRAP
MAC = CRAP

PC = CRAP

MAC = CRAP

So how is it that you use a computer. Whether you install linux on a pc or windows, it's still a PC.

So which do you use?

Thanks for your valuable input though.

The G4 Powerbook is much more powerful than the iBook. It can hold more ram, has airport (wireless networking) built in, faster processor. the screen on the iBook is about 12 inches. The screen on the TiBook is 15.2 inches. Basically the iBook is focused on consumers and students, while the TiBook is more aimed at power users and business people/professionals.

You have to hold down a button on the keyboard to right click. It's either ctrl or command. I don't know which. Or you can just hold down the mouse button. I think there are also some two button mice that do it automatically, so it would be just like a PC.

No, there is no limit on cable/dsl. It's just like a PC.

Here's a special Google search engine just for Macintoshes:

http://www.google.com/mac.html

And look at www.maccentral.com. And of course www.apple.com. Then search for stuff on google.