How to Turn Your PC into a Mac

An anonymous reader writes "CNet is running a Mac fanboy's idea of a nightmare feature entitled 'Mock OS X: Five ways to make your PC more like a Mac'. While the idea of turning my PC into a Mac-like machine does get my juices flowing, I'm not sure the user experience would be exactly the same but I'm going to spend this afternoon trying it out anyway. "To borrow a metaphor from Spartacus, some people like oysters and some people like snails. Except what if there was a way to make your snail do some of the cool things oysters can do, like make pearls? And what if you could make your PC do some of the cool stuff that Macs do so well?"" Seems to me that this would be a lot easier if step one was install linux...

Comments

DIY?

[telchine]

I haven't RTFA, but by any chance does this involve giving the retailer twice what it's worth for the system and then using a screwdriver to prise off a mouse button or two?

Re:DIY?

[sm62704]

I'd have modded this comment "funny" (as it was obviously intended) rather than "troll". OTOH I'd have modded the summmary "flamebait" for it suse of the phrase "Apple Fanboy". Actually the whole summary was rather trollish; if the summary was a comment and I was modding I'd mad it "Troll".

I'm not an Apple user; I run XP and Mandriva dual-boot and don't even have an iPod, but that summary was a troll. And the word "fanboy" is flamebait whether you're commenting on Apple, Microsoft, Linux, Be, Sun, or any other OS, company, or organization.

Is a bit of civility in the article summary too much to ask? I wish "drinking from the the firehose" was more like modding than a simple "yes/no".

Taco usually does a better job of editing than this (running jokes aside) but hay, it's Monday after a 4 day weekend. I'll cut him some slack.

-mcgrew

Re:DIY?

[PopeRatzo]

Why not just buy a mac? seems the easiest option to me

Not if you've only got $900 to spend.

Re:DIY?

[toQDuj]

If you've only got 900 dollars to spend, perhaps you shouldn't be focusing on getting a new pc... Especially since you won't get more than 500 euro's worth of pc ;).

Re:DIY?

[omeomi]

Am I the only one who's tired of the PC being cast as the boring office-machine while OSX is fun? Or, as the article puts it, "ancient HP WageSlave 486s in strip-lit spreadsheet farms across the world". Not that I give a crap about which OS is more fun...I'm just tired of hearing the same message repeated over and over again. Yeah, I get it, Apple wants me to think PCs are for work, and Macs are for fun.

Less is more. War is peace. 2+2=5.

Whatever.

I'm currently typing this on a Mac, but seriously, gaming has always been way better on the PC than on the Mac, and while OSX comes with better entry-level multimedia-creation tools, on the professional front, I can't think of a single OSX application that doesn't have a comparable Windows-based competitor. It's not like anybody serious about movie or music making would use iMovie or GarageBand, anyway.

Re:DIY?

[omeomi]

Or they would use Adobe Premiere / Adobe Aftereffects for video on the PC, or Cubase (Mac and PC), Sonar (PC Only), or ProTools (Mac and PC) for Music...

Re:DIY?

[omeomi]

Running cubase or protools on mac vs the pc is exactly what got lots of pros going for the mac.

I run both on both Windows and OSX, and I've never had a problem.

Re:DIY?

[Cal Paterson]

Am I the only one who's tired of the PC being cast as the boring office-machine while OSX is fun?

Am I the only tired of the PC being cast as a Windows machine? There are a whole host of operating systems that run on IBM PC's. In fact, OSX is one of the one operating systems that does not.

If you mean Windows, say "Windows".

Re:DIY?

[Anonymous Coward]

Bullshit, plain and simple. You can't get a usable entry level Mac that doesn't suck (I.E. Mini with no display, kb, mouse, speakers, etc) for less than $1100. Entry level PCs can be found for around $600 with everything you need to use them. Apple fans may have some points to brag about, but price will never be one of them.

Re:DIY?

[Mister Whirly]

Yeah. I sure wouldn't want to slight the rather large percentage of PC owners who are running OS/2. They would both really be pissed.

Re:DIY?

[omeomi]

Am I the only tired of the PC being cast as a Windows machine?

I said PC because I meant PC. I didn't specifically mention Linux, but when talking about games, I said "PC". To me, that includes Linux, because you can run a lot of Windows games on Linux using Wine. I only referred to Windows when talking about professional multimedia creation tools, because that is an area where Linux is seriously lacking.

Re:DIY?

[omeomi]

Do not forget Apple's own Logic Pro/Studio. Forget Cubase, if you are serious or professional you'll know it's a prosumer app.

You don't know what you're talking about. I am a professional, and among the other professionals that I associate with, Pro Tools is the clear industry standard among a certain group, namely, those who do more recording than they do composing. Among composers, Logic, Cubase, and Sonar have about equal distribution, with a few others like Digital Performer thrown in. I do like Logic, and would probably use it if it were still cross-platform, but it isn't, so I generally don't. However, to act like Logic has any significant features / capabilities that Cubase doesn't have is just plain wrong.

Re:DIY?

[omeomi]

Could you explain this statement a little more please? I'm not sure the difference between a recordist and a composer?

Well, within the music industry, recording of bands at record studios tends to be done on Pro Tools, partly because it's rock solid, and partly because it's what everybody else uses. If you're recording the Axl Rose / Slash reunion album, and you only get one take before they kill each other, you don't want there to be a glitch that ruins the take. Also, in a record studio, you often have an engineer who may not know anything about writing or performing music, but knows a heck of a lot about recording it. For composers who work, say, on video game or film music, or even a lot of electronica producers, a glitch (often caused by overloading the capabilities of the computer) doesn't always make much of a difference, and might even be a gateway to a new creative idea. The composition tools of Pro Tools have never quite measured up to Logic, Cubase, or Sonar, so a lot of us go for those programs instead, especially since they're less expensive than Pro Tools. Are you saying a composer does more before hitting the studio than the other group, which goes into the studio with more basic ideas and works up the tunes from those live?

Not at all. I'm basically looking at it from the perspective of the guy behind the computer. If you're an engineer at a record studio, your primary concern is getting the best recording possible. Glitches are a no-go. You're not really a part of the compositional process. If you're a composer who's producing music entirely "in the box", you might be more interested in greater creative expression, and less in stability. Not that any of these programs are unstable, but Pro Tools does a better job of not letting you over-extend the capabilities of your system, thus causing problems.

WTF

[Anonymous Coward]

Next time I see tripe like this on the firehose I'm going to throw a negative on it, instead of just ignoring it. Get stardock and window blinds? I mean seriously ...

A better idea...

[jamar0303]

Or, instead of just replicating the look, you can put some real work into it and get the real thing- OSx86. Of course, apparently it's illegal in some countries- at least it's not in mine.

Re:A better idea...

[sm62704]

Of course, apparently it's illegal in some countries- at least it's not in mine.

Drugs, gambling, and prostitution are are illegal in mine, but that never stopped me from smoking pot, making bets, or getting laid. In fact, my favorite hooker lost a bet and now owes me a joint and a blowjob.

If my politicians weren't for sale to the highest bidder I'd have a bit of respect for the law. If the government wants my respect they're going to have to be a bit more respectable. If the USA ever stops being a plutocracy I'll obey the law.

-mcgrew

Snails and oysters... not a moral choice

[Anonymous Coward]

Crassius: Do you eat oysters?
Antoninus: Yes.
C: Snails?
A: No.
C: Do you consider the eating of oysters to be moral and the eating of snails to be immoral?
A: No, master.
C: Of course not. Its all a matter of taste, isnt it?
A: Yes, master.
C: And taste is not the same as appetite and therefore not a question of morals, is it?
A: It could be argured so, master.
C: Um, thatll do. My robe, Antoninus. Ah, my taste includes both oysters and snails.

Or how sexual preferences can become a topic in a Mac / PC comparison...

Re:Snails and oysters... not a moral choice

[Hal_Porter]

Or how sexual preferences can become a topic in a Mac / PC comparison... Actually it comes up pretty frequently.

Re:Snails and oysters... not a moral choice

[TheRaven64]

Or how sexual preferences can become a topic in a Mac / PC comparison... Actually it comes up pretty frequently.

I found the hardest part of becoming a Mac user was telling my parents...

Re:Snails and oysters... not a moral choice

[ArsenneLupin]

Do as I do... when the conversation (again) moves to the "you're so old, and you still don't own a PC" subject, tell them "hmmm, there's a reason why I haven't bought a PC yet, and maybe someday I'll tell you".

At first they won't react and understand the obvious implications, but don't worry, this will kick off a thinking process ...

Then, a couple of months later, your father might probe "... hmm just let's discuss about your computing plans. Do you ever plan to buy a computer? Just don't buy the first computer that you might find on the shelf... yadadi yadada... if you plan to buy a PC or <hushy voice> a Mac?<hushy voice> carefully think about whether that box is worthwhile..."

And then you can just blurt out, "yes, indeed, I prefer Macs, but never dared to admit so..."

Way #6

[morgan_greywolf]

Way #6: Install Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon. It includes most of this stuff right out of the box and the rest can be added right from Synaptic.

This would be a good thing for Apple

[rolfwind]

It's always been resistant toward going to the middle-low and low-end market in terms of price. In the 90s, they experimented with licensing out their software and letting generic makers market hardware bundled with it -- but it cannabalized their own sales.

I wonder if they could make it work differently today -- if they stipulate that the manufacturers couldn't make any hardware over $500 or so. Just to catch the low-end market for marketshare but not having the support headaches and losses that cheap manufacturers often bring.

Even in the PC market there are higher-end manufacturers (Lenovo/IBM laptops) so why not apple? With the price ceiling in the contract, I can't imagine the other manufacturers will put out a pretty package that will compete with Apple directly but one for budget conscious consumers that Apple could never have hoped to catch anyway.

What about the other way around?

[garcia]

My father just bought my mother a 17" Macbook because he couldn't find a laptop he wanted to buy for her that didn't require you to buy Vista and then downgrade to XP later.

My mother despises MacOS and can't "figure anything out." Now while I don't care for MacOS myself I tried to explain some things over the phone to her so that she would at least be able to use it for the time being until my well-meaning father can figure out what to do to fix things for her. She pretty much was being unreasonable about the whole thing and said over and over, "I'm 57 years old, I don't want to learn something else."

My question for all of you is how, when I'm there at Christmas, do I make MacOS X more like Windows so that she's more comfortable with using the OS?

Re:What about the other way around?

[Thornburg]

Umm, use Boot Camp to install Windows XP? It even lets you dual-boot, you don't have to trash the Mac OS to do it.

Re:What about the other way around?

[isa-kuruption]

Yes,

Start by adding a cronjob that crashes the machine every 2.5 hours.
Second thing to do is to install some spyware.
Finally, you want to buy her a more-than-one-button mouse.

Good luck!

Re:What about the other way around?

[rolfc]

I think you should find another mother! That way you would be more comfortable.

Re:What about the other way around?

[TobyRush]

My question for all of you is how, when I'm there at Christmas, do I make MacOS X more like Windows so that she's more comfortable with using the OS?

Install BootCamp with Windows XP.

However, if you're looking to keep her on MacOS because of the security or something else, then you'll need to figure out what specifically she's missing from Windows. Often, with casual users, it's just interface stuff that throws them for a loop, and that can be pretty easy to solve. Does she miss contextual menus (i.e., right-clicking in Windows?)? Get her a two-button mouse or show her the multi-touch trackpad capabilities (like two-fingered click = right-click). Does she miss the Start menu? Set up a folder in the dock with her favorite stuff.

Of course it may be that she just doesn't like using computers, and is using the MacOS/Windows thing as an excuse to avoid them...

Re:What about the other way around?

[Serious Callers Only]

If you want a Vista experience this applescript should do it - set it as a folder action on her Documents folder :


on adding folder items to thisFolder after receiving addedItems
      repeat with anItem in addedItems
          tell application "Finder"
        display dialog "Are you sure you want to proceed?" buttons ["Allow", "Deny"] default button (random number (1)) + 1
          end tell
      end repeat
end adding folder items to

Re:What about the other way around?

[krunk7]

She pretty much was being unreasonable about the whole thing and said over and over, "I'm 57 years old, I don't want to learn something else."

I had to put up with tons of phone calls to support windows, clean of viruses, etc. my mother and father's windows computers. One of my main tasks when I came home to visit was "Look at the computer for a while", which means try and make it run like new.

I bought them a Mac about 2 years ago. At first, I got the same response. Endless whining about not wanting to learn something new. I simply told them that I was their computer "advisor and repairman", this was a lower maintenance, lower risk machine and if they chose to go back to windows they'd be on their own from here on out. Stick with mac and I'll be their free tech support bitch again.

Took a month or so, but now they'd never use windows again. In 2.5 years, I've received 4 phone calls. Two of them were a broke cable modem. The cable company kept telling her "it was a mac thing", but a surge had killed the modem. After insisting they replace the modem, everything worked. One of the calls was to ask me how to get from Hotmail to Gmail + Apple Mail.app. The third was to ask how to connect the internet, which used to be quite the support call with windows. Yes, I can do it quickly but trying to get a 55 year old woman who learned computers relatively recently to "Go to start, Right click Network Icon, blah blah" proved quite the trial often involving a couple of reboots and head scratching on why the hell it wouldn't come up. With her new Mac my only support advise was "Plug in the wire that looks like a huge phone plug on the end into the only place it'll go on the back of the computer".

My only point being, she comes to you for advice because she knows no better. If she's going to be stubborn, then return in kind. Just tell her you'll never help with computer issues again if she doesn't put minimal effort into learning her new one (I mean really, 99% of the effort is learning two new icons: Safari & Mail). Little does she know you won't really be doing any tech support whether she stays with mac or not. ;)

Re:What about the other way around?

[samkass]

One of the nice features of Leopard (MacOS X 10.5) is that it's really, really easy to do screen sharing and show them stuff remotely from another Mac. If you're in a video chat with them via iChat, just select the button that requests screen sharing. It will ask the other user for permission, and if they grant it it will open up the firewall and set up a VNC connection with their machine as the server. You'll still be chatting with them, too, but the chat will shrink to the corner of the screen. No need to wait for Christmas.

Re:What about the other way around?

[pikine]

I successfully converted my mom to use a Mac Mini this summer. One time she mistakenly hid the dock. She panicked and called me, but she didn't know what it's called. All she said was "the icons disappeared."

I ssh'd into her computer and ran OSXvnc server (now Vine server) tunneled over ssh. I noticed the problem and fixed it for her on the phone while she watched what I was doing. The most difficult part was to figure out what her IP address was in the first place.

She didn't have to learn any new icons. Both Skype and Firefox icons look the same. She uses Yahoo! Mail and Gmail, so she didn't have to learn anything new.

That's silly

[sm62704]

I didn't RTFA (I must not be new here) but people don't choose Macs because of any of the Apple's features. People choose Macs for stability and freedom from viruses and other shitware (the reasons we wipe Windows and install Linux) and because some high end graphics programs either aren't ported to Windows or are ported badly.

The best way to make your Windows more "like a Mac" is to install Linux for its stability and freedom from shitware. That said, if I ever buy another whole computer (which I haven't done since 1987, I just upgrade parts as needed) It will be a Mac.

I'm amused by the car commercial where they're touting its bluetooth, "powered by Microsoft". No way in hell I'd buy one, just because it's "(under)powered by Microsoft." ! I've been using Microsoft's OSes and programs for a quarter of a century, and they used to be the best quality out there. The quality has been declining for all that time, IMO right now Microsoft's OSes and programs are by far the very worst either on or off the market.

-mcgrew

Re:That's silly

[juiceCake]

People choose Macs for stability and freedom from viruses and other shitware (the reasons we wipe Windows and install Linux) and because some high end graphics programs either aren't ported to Windows or are ported badly./

Of course many of us run Windows free of viruses, malware, and shitware, and with high end graphics program that are ported to Windows, and ported well. We edit video, create books, posters, illustrations, animations, etc. We also realize it's no longer the early 90s.

Re:That's silly

[kklein]

That said, if I ever buy another whole computer (which I haven't done since 1987, I just upgrade parts as needed) It will be a Mac.

Be careful. I bought a Mac laptop because I couldn't stand the thought of living in a Vista world and I actually have to do things with my computer so Linux isn't an option. Now the Mac is starting to take over my entire computing life. I have put my work-provided computer in my filing cabinet because that MacBook plays better with the Windows domain than Windows, hits the wi-fi when I'm elsewhere on campus every time, and comes home and goes right to work here as well. It's astonishing how good it is.

I'm not particularly averse to setting things up but... I can't complain about not having to!

I'm now eying a MacPro for my home computer because right now I just don't even want to turn my XP computer on anymore, but that's where I have my music, etc., so I have to.

I kid you not, this time last year I was mocking the Mac something fierce. Now I'm recommending it to anyone who asks. It's like running Linux, but with developer support and it doesn't look like ass and you don't have to edit text files just to make it boot right (as of Ubuntu 7.10, I shouldn't be using this complaint anymore, though).

Re:That's silly

[mdb303]

people don't choose Macs because of any of the Apple's features

Really?? I guess I must have been imagining it, then, when I chose to use Macs due to their superior UI, their Unix core, their high quality bundled applications, their superior hardware, etc., etc.

Duh.

Re:That's silly

[donscarletti]

I've been using Microsoft's OSes and programs for a quarter of a century, and they used to be the best quality out there. The quality has been declining for all that time

I call bullshit on that. In 1981, when MSDOS first came out there were plenty of advanced UNIX systems with multi-user capability, multitasking, memory protection, device abstraction etc. In 1984 the Mac was released which had a user friendly graphical UI and multimedia abilities while windows wouldn't be common for another 8 years. Now with something like Windows 2k3 server you at least have something that won't crash on a protection fault and will remain responsive most of the time. I wouldn't use it for anything serious, but for general user-desktop use it works fine. Sure, you either have to fork out the price of another two computers, pirate it or get an academic version like I did, but it generally works pretty well. Back in the late 90s of course you had a choice between running Win9X which would run your desktop applications but would provide zero fault tolerance or security or NT4 which simply wouldn't run the bulk of the consumer software that was still coming out but still seemed to get PWNED by a new worm each week. At least with NT5 and Vista there's a single platform you can run your games and consumer apps on so you don't have to go without memory protection to be a home user.

Re:That's silly

[ToasterMonkey]

Right, I suppose that's Linux's excuse also. Security is so poo-poo on Mac OS X and Linux that they're only safe because they aren't big enough targets. uh huh.

Look man, Windows security _was_ horrible.... nonexistent. Mac OS X and Linux are not in some security Dark Age just because they haven't had widespread attacks. If/when malware and viruses come to these platforms, they are plenty prepared. There wont be a repeat on the same scale as some older Windows attacks. Vista will have an easier time this generation too. Think where OS security will be however far into the future you think Mac OS X or Linux could be 'big enough' targets.

Some malware can already be adopted to any platform. Trojans, installed to user's home directory, and replication done by using the client's mail application, all while throwing out dozens of pop-up confirmations. The kind of attack vector which will probably exist for another 10 years or so in computing.

There will always be bugs in system software, but as far as being a serious compromise to security, they get fewer and further between. Too many different layers today for the nastier types of stuff that used to fly in the past.

Re:That's silly

[tooslickvan]

People chose Macs for many different reasons. Some may pick them for stability and freedom from viruses but I suspect most purchase them for other reasons because it would require that the buyer is educated on these things. The percentage of home users who buy computers who know computers is small. Most people buying Macs are probably buying them because their friends recommended them, the case and UI look cool, or because they were in the Apple store already to buy an iPod.

Re:That's silly

[CaptDeuce]

I didn't RTFA (I must not be new here) but people don't choose Macs because of any of the Apple's features.

There is some truth to that. TFA featured Windows equivalents of the Dock, Exposé, Dashboard, Spaces, and -- for lack of a better term -- window & desktop skins. None of those will convince Average User to pick any OS over another.

People choose Macs for stability and freedom from viruses and other shitware (the reasons we wipe Windows and install Linux) and because some high end graphics programs either aren't ported to Windows or are ported badly.

While you do cite stability I would instead describe the reasons people choose a Mac as:

• It is easier to use
• It Just Works

Malware and bloatware is gravy. Aside from viruses, most users take everything else that is evil for granted and are often incredulous as to all the crap (including viruses) that is missing on the Mac; you virtually have to show them a working Mac before they can fully grasp the reality.

Ask your Average User who has any sort of clue why a Mac would be a good choice (and I have asked many over the years) and the typical response is that "it's easier to use" (seriously!) and something like "isn't it good for graphics?"

Easier to use refers to the interface. The Mac interface is (generally) simple, clean, and intuitable (the amount of intuition spread across individuals of the human population is not constant). A person left alone with a Mac will often be able to perform basic tasks with little or no help. Which leads to...

"It just works" means that the Out of the Box experience is virtually painless. The most troublesome is configuring email; it can be for me too but I know what information I need and manage to find it though some ISPs [coughroadrunnercough] do their best to make it difficult to find.

Installing software and peripherals most often goes without a hitch and using them continues to do so. I've known countless numbers of Windows users who simply give up using printers, scanners, mice, and whatever else you can think of; fewer than Mac users to be sure.

Re:It seems like all this does...

[riffzifnab]

Just get a second drive if you want to play with linux. Back in the day I used to play around with drive resizing and there is a high probability it will end in tears (but then what doesn't?). Besides, another hd = more space for your (totally legal) music, etc.

UI Enhancements

[CFBMoo1]

UI enhancements like this scare me. There were a couple of computers that came in to the shop when i worked for a college campus RESNET that flat out refused to work with Cisco's network access software. Apparently the UI enchancement replaced a key OS DLL file that the Cisco stuff needed and wasn't compatable with the Cisco stuff. In order for that person to use their computer on our network we had to uninstall their UI software. Be careful what you purchase for UI enhancements.

Fiberglass lotus body

[WindBourne]

Does anybody remember those fake plastic/fiberglass car bodies that you could put on top of various chassis? IIRC, there was a ferrari body for a VW frame. This reminds me of exactly that. It has a similar look, but where it counts, it is still a disaster.

"one issue divides the world more than any other"

[slick_shoes]

Hurm...slightly ridiculous hyperbole given Apple's pathetic market share.

misses the point

[xirtam_work]

What makes Mac OS X special is not the glitz and glamour on the surface, it's what's underneath. The Cocoa framework for Objective C is head and shoulders above the MFC/Win32 programming approach. it's built on BSD and Mach and is now officially a Unix certified OS. It's built in a logical and elegant way. You can run Linux/Unix apps on it. X11 is included, although an optional install. OpenGl and Aqua make it beautiful to look at. There are literally hundreds of reasons why I prefer it, but won't go into them here.

Simply skinning XP with an' aqua' style skin and adding a dock does not make it anything like OS X. Any more than putting a Ferrari shell on top of a ford doesn't make it a Ferrari.

Re:#6 - duct tape the right mouse button

[mattgoldey]

Some jokes never get old. This isn't one of them.

Every Mac desktop now comes standard with a Mighty Mouse. It has two regular mouse buttons, plus the ability to squeeze the sides of the mouse for a 3rd button. It also has a mini trackball on top that allows the user to scroll in two directions and click it for a 4th button. Every button on the Mighty Mouse is fully configurable within Mac OS X.

In addition, even before multi-button mice were standard issue, it's not as if they were ever really needed in Mac OS. Right-clicking is just not all that common. Mac OS is just not designed around the right-click the way Windows is.

Even further... if you didn't want a Mighty Mouse, or if you have a Mac that didn't come with one, any standard USB mouse will work on a Mac, so you can have as many buttons and wheels as you want.

Why?

[DrXym]

There is nothing wrong with either XP's or Vista's look and feel. Why the hell would you want to make it look like OS X? It seems that if you absolutely love the look of OS X that the best way of obtaining it is to buy a Mac.

Wait, that's no mere Apple fanboyism!

[Ai Olor-Wile]

This is actually an advertisement for Stardock disguised as Apple fanboyism. The only paid product really indicated is the miserable dock application of the same company, which has much better and completely free alternatives. With the exception of Expose and Spaces, I'm pretty sure the author's entire range of features can be delivered by Stardock software.

I also like how they avoid mentioning that you could just crack uxtheme.dll yourself, which is what FlyAKiteOS does, and theme to your heart's content, instead opting to plug WindowBlinds, which is again inferior due to sluggishness. (The author doesn't even mention WB's one user-attracting point, which is that it themes every control, even the stuff that XP themes don't touch.)

Good Christ, that's painful

[Sockatume]

I for one do not welcome our metaphor-mangling CNET overlords.

I've used most of these programs...

[Neitokun]

ObjectDock is garbage, Konfabulator sucks up system resources, and DeskSpaces looks no different than YDOM, which made my system thrash like no tomorrow. (Granted, I don't have a 3D card) I wonder how much StarDock paid to get top billing...

Re:#6 - duct tape the right mouse button

[0xdeadbeef]

Oh, great and wise Apple guru, what other objects does that action work on? Because so far, I've only found it on the Dock.

And how is my mother supposed to learn this? Right-click is non-destructive (unlike several meta-click combinations on the Mac) and it takes seconds to discover.

from a boomer here

[Anonymous Coward]

Ask her if your dad got her a new top of the line mercedes if she could "figure out" how to drive it.

She sounds like she just wants to run some applications and *not* an OS. Which is what most people do. Just show her how to run the probably few applications she needs, after that there isn't any need to "figure out" anything. You see this all the time really, business or personal, people learn a few applications and that's it, the rest of the machine never gets used (like bloated linux DVD distros, who the hell uses 5,000 applications??? I defy anyone to actually admit to running that many applications, I'll call em a liar to their face. I load up a new distro then start paring it down, even just the full CD distros have way too much crap on them for most people)

With that said, I have run into folks who really can't "figure" stuff out, it just isn't in their skill set, by the time they are in their 20s, that's it, their brain shuts off and they go into maintenance mode. It is neither bad nor good, just is, so no sense fighting it.. Just is is all, you'll have to determine based on other examples if your mom falls into that category. I happen to know another lady of your mother's (mine also) age group, just a little bit older, who has an imac she got and can't figure it out either, point her to user guides and forums, etc, no dice, nothing works, just can't garner any computer mindset.

It does too much stuff!!!

And that's whats wrong with computers, and apple, and windows, and "desktop linux", all of them, and why there needs to be computing appliances, not that they do stuff, they do too much stuff! It's turned into one size fits nobody!

And here's another example of how a lot of computer makers don't get it, people want an appliance for the most part, but computers are designed and built and sold by computer enthusiasts. There needs to be just a modular computer appliance for the other 99.999% of the population, the potential customer gets a checklist of normal apps with descriptions, "surf the web" chat with friends" "watch movies" play games", a "what would you like to do?" thing, that gets checked off and only that is what the appliance "does" with big fat buttons that work with one mash and that's it, even directly on the keyboard or better yet just a blank machine with plug in applications as hardware modules. A little strip that took some sort of bog standard usb things that are preloaded, something like that, plug right into the side of the keyboard say. And don't over burden it, more than half a dozen things would fall back into general computer usage, but for those who can get buy with half a dozen or under major apps-an appliance would be loads better, especially if loaded a ram disk image and was instantly clean and new after every fresh boot. Eliminate that trojan malware crapola.

The only reason internet appliances never caught on was because they were underpowered over priced junk and they did stupid stuff like "no mouse included" like webtv. I honestly think there is a market for such a device as long as nerds didn't design all the aspects of it. Underneath, yes, out on the surface where the customer touches it, get them nerds away! Not even *close* to their skills.

I should actually make these things thinking about it, huge untapped market because previous efforts were dumbed down near computers, a real appliance would be just as powerful as a regular computer (really should have 5 times the RAM though standard, each plug in module gets its own gig 0 ram say), just designed as an appliance. I have no idea why some smart guys haven't bingoed to this yet, except that they are all geeks so they think everyone wants to be a geek or something. Even Jobs doesn't get it because he's a geek. He almost gets it, but too far gone into it now, can't step back and walk in a non geeks shoes any longer.

Saw the same thing with cellphones and the amazing shrinking screens and buttons while the population ages and gets shakier fingers and crappier ey

Re:honestly - where's the OSX86?

[nano2nd]

Hackintosh would have been the way to go with this rather than the turd polishing recommended in TFA.

Can I run my MacOS Apps

[davidwr]

When I can insert a commercial Mac DVD or download a Mac .DMG installer disk, run the installer, and run the apps, then I'll have a PC that looks and feels like a Mac.

One of our favourite features of OS X is the dock"

[dpbsmith]

I stopped reading the article right there.

"Looking" like is not "more like"

[foldingstock]

Unlike OSX, running all that crap on Vista or XP (stardock, "myexpose", etc) will significantly slow windows down. You can't bolt on a load of [poorly designed] third party apps and say its more like OSX.

Linux can run IE, that doesn't make it "more like windows."

an MS fanboy's misunderstanding of Mac OS X

[Tom]

TFA clearly shows why MS and everyone of the same mindset will never copy Apple: They focus on the entirely wrong things.

Sure, Expose is nice, and the dock is better than the stupid taskbar (hey, what isn't?). But that isn't the point.

The really good things about OS X, that you can't emulate with a couple shareware tools, or choosing an OS X like skin/theme. What sold me on OS X is that things just work. It really is that simple. Plug in some USB device, it just works. No annoying "looky, hardware!" wizard. You need something, anything (text, picture, diagram) from one app in another - drag & drop. Just works. On windos, it sometimes does, sometimes doesn't and the rest of the time gives you something you didn't expect (like the URL of the picture, or weirdly formatted text).
The list goes on pretty much endless, and it all boils down to the computer doing what you want and expect it to do, instead of being a fairly accurate simulation of a wild beast that needs taming before you can use it, and where you should still never let your guard down.

And that is the point, the nice GUI and useful additions are just icing on the cake.

Tried mac for a while now back with windows.

[greywire]

Yes, that's right. My previous job provided me with a macbook pro for the 6 months I was there. I had to give it back when I took a much better job that provided me with a windows (vista..) notebook.

I hadn't used a mac in many years. I used to be an Amiga guy. So I really wanted to be alternative pc guy again. I really wanted to be convinced to switch to mac. I wasn't. Maybe my brain has just turned to mush from the years of being mainstream pc-clone guy.

What I liked about mac: the hardware is simply a work of modern art. Its a fabulously engineered machine. If I could afford it, I might buy one just for that reason and run windows on it. Unfortunately I cannot. Macos is, obviously, at its core, a superior OS. Sure its based on UNIX which was invented what, a whole decade before windows? So for what it does, it does extremely well. I love the near instant ON stand by mode, even though it runs the battery down it can last days. Dashboard is kinda cool, but I rarely used it, same thing for expose. Installing apps is great, usually just copying a folder into applications. Nice. Parallels is genious, especially coherance mode. Why can't the windows and linux versions do that?

Fortunately for the mac, parallels is the only thing that made the mac bearable. Strangely, windows seemed to run better in parallels that it did directly on a pc (starting up faster, etc). Maybe that is just a testament to the apple hardware. But I simply couldn't do without some windows software I have grown used to, not to mention just having a much wider selection of things when I go looking for new software. I hate the finder, its worse than windows built in file manager, which also sucks, so I use directory opus (so I am making my pc more Amiga-like). This is huge for me.

What I like about windows: the task bar. Sorry but I just cannot get used to the all-iconic mac ways. The dock or whatever its called is just confusing to me. I hate it. I like the textual windows task bar. I like the window previews in vista. I like the start menu even though it requires constant management to keep it from becoming cluttered by every program installing stuff on it. I like the menus on the windows not at the top of the screen (I've always hated that on the mac). windows runs on cheap hardware.

Summary:

Mac pros: what it does do, it does better. Parallels. Easy application install. Standby that works. Smooth but otherwise useless bling. Beautiful hardware. More secure.

Mac cons: expen$ive, feels like a toy with limited options to protect me from myself, limited software selection

Windows pros: task bar, cheap, more software, doesn't limit your options, directory opus file manager

Windows cons: grossly inefficient design, buggy, ugly, standby is worthless, insecure, too long between major updates.

* note: vista is largely excluded for me. It's total F*cking crap and I am about to revert to xp. I admire the concept behind the new composited desktop (an Idea I thought of years ago, and apparently isn't that hard to implement since linux and mac both have it). In theory, readyboost is neat idea. Doesn't seem to help though. If I had the choice between only Vista and Macos, I might choose macos, but only because I can run XP in parallels on the mac.

yeah. you *can* put a lipstick on a pig.

[porky_pig_jr]

still you wouldn't want to kiss it.

Re:Who cares?

[cayenne8]

I'd say...save a bit longer...$600 for a system just is NOT really practical, at least not for very much use.

Why not save up a bit more. You could get a nice iMac.....and with VMWare...well, then you'd have the best of all worlds. You could run OSX apps, you could run windows stuff virtually, and you have a pretty easy run with open source software on OSX too.

This way with a little more $ upfront, you have all the OS'es you want to run, all the apps you will need for awhile, and a system that actually will hold its value for awhile.

Re:#6 - duct tape the right mouse button

[juiceCake]

Yeah, in Windows, you absolutely need to right-click.

No you don't. You don't even have to use the mouse at all.

You don't have to hit ALT + Keyboard Shortcut for several menu options either, but you can.

Re:600 US$ Mac

[PopeRatzo]

You can get a Mac mini...

I use professional PCI audio hardware for my digital audio workstation, so a Mac Mini is out. I've used the firewire and USB hardware, like the M-Audio Fast Track Pro and the Mbox from digidesign, and I much prefer having the card in the case. I just can't seem to get the same responsiveness from the external gear, nor can I use nearly as many audio and midi tracks and effects. I've spent a few thousand dollars on my specialized audio hardware, and I'm not going to replace it all with firewire stuff just so I can run a Mac Mini which is so much less powerful than the machine I built for myself. Unfortunately, for me, it's either the Mac Pro or a PC. Since I've got a kid to put through school, I just can't justify the additional expense of the Mac Pro just because it's a little cooler than my XP Pro system. I mean, an Aston Martin DB9 is cooler than my Subaru, but I can't justify the additional cost for that either. I've sat in a DB9, and I can tell you for sure that the Aston Martin's interface is cooler than my Subaru's too.