That is an interesting problem. Although we currently have over 200 Dell desktops, none of them have OEM versions of Windows installed. My school has licenses for XP and 2000 and the usual server stuff. I'll have to ask my coworker tomorrow how that all works. I always just assumed that Microsoft offers bundled licenses for schools that are independent of whatever machines we are using (since we go through them so quickly). I really doubt there is a physical copy for each machine. Most likely, we have one copy and stuff on the server. Also, I know our Dell prices are in the low hundreds for full systems (like $250-$400), so I'm pretty sure that price doesn't include a WinXP/2000 license for each machine.
Maybe my next research project will be figuring out how to get cheap XP (or maybe Vista) licenses for a 100% Intel Mac based school. Or maybe Apple is already working this in their Education channels. I'll have to contact our rep.
There is something called "drag" lock where you click down with your finger, lift up then click and hold down. This locks on an icon or a window and lets you move it around the screen, even when lifting your finger off of the pad (to allow movement across a big screen, for example), but I turn that one off. YMMV..
One finger held down and drag draws a visible gray selection box, but I assume it would do the same with two fingers. When you put two fingers down (I'm not sure how to talk you through it, I just know how to do it be feel), depending on how you do it, you get either the right click or you can invoke scrolling the screen up and down and right and left. For me, they are automatic motions, but I can't actually think how to explain how to do it to someone else (and my MacBook is upstairs at the moment).
That's too bad! I thought maybe the other option was that you were having sex with other girls other than your (at that time) girlfriend... Not as hot as the girl/girl first choice though...
If I remember correctly, in October of 98, Apple had an anti-trust case filed against them because DRM used to limit music to only be played on their own products.
Uh, how could Apple have been sued for using DRM to limit music on their own products, when they didn't even have a product to play it on in 1997/98? They weren't selling content then, nor did they have any type of media player. If you are talking about Quicktime, there wasn't a pre-iTunes Quicktime Store to buy movies or songs, so what are you talking about? Are you revising history, or just making stuff up now? Posts like yours are why I have a hard time taking the anti-DRM crowd seriously...suddenly, DRM is to blame for everything...
Right-clickable trackpad: when you are mousing around with your finger, you can tap the pad with a second finger, and it invokes a right-click contextual menu. Likewise, you can tap the pad with a single finger to invoke a single or double click. It takes a little bit of coordination, but once you get the hang of it, you find yourself rarely using the mouse button.
In addition to gaming, right click is useful in browsers, photoshop. dreamweaver, Finder, etc.
For cryin' out loud...THUS the right mouse button on every Mac desktop system sold. I don't know about your left and right simultaneous click, because I don't use the mighty mouse (third party mice are generally always better anyway). If anyone wants to rip the mighty mouse, please don't rip it for not having a right mouse button, when it obviously does. Allow me to help...how about the fact that in MY hands, the right mouse button doesn't always register for some reason: a problem my wife doesn't have.
But Safari DOES support two-button mouse functionality. Right click a hyper link in Safari: Open Link in New Window..New Tab...download...add link...copy link...etc. I guess I still don't understand your point.
Apple is already selling tons of Macs to its base, so sure, there is no need to tout the ability to run Windows. But Apple is trying to expand their base by getting Windows users to buy a Mac and still be able to run Windows. Apple probably thinks if they get a WinXP user in, they will hopefully learn to like OS X much better and become a new member of the Mac user-base. Therefore, it would be nice for a tech article to point that out.
As someone who works with computers in Education, what you have said here is more truthful than any of these other insulting posts will ever acknowledge. When entire school districts (cough, largest school district in the US, cough) is in the process of paying lawyers to get out of a Dell lease program so as to free up money to buy all Intel Macs, it is worth mentioning in an article. In five years, when Apple has closer to 25% market share, the single easiest thing to point to for the increased share will be the ability to run Windows on a Mac (with the possible halo-effect of the iPod). The best part is that people are buying Macs just for the comfort of knowing they can run windows, and not many people actually find the need to run Windows like they thought. Informally, at my school, of the 10 of us that have purchased Intel Macs, only two of us actually have a Windows partition. I'm about to lose that one too, as soon as Parallels comes out with their newest version allowing 3d graphics.
Apple can now remove the #1 reason cited for potential buyers not buying a Mac (software incompatibility/Windows). They mostly addressed #2 (too expensive) with the pricing of the Intel Mac stuff lately. #3 (believe it or not) "can't find a retailer", is still a problem, but more stores are starting to carry Macs. Even the military exchange stores are carrying Macs (first time since mid 90s).
I think Apple *slightly* missed the boat here. Sure, the Intel graphics are fine for me (my MacBook is my portable Mac, leaving me more money for my desktop one), but many switchers are buying MacBooks for the price point, only to be disappointed that they can't play super-popular games like World of Warcraft. The MacBook is right in the price range of students, and students play plenty of games.
Single-button thing may suck on a laptop (if you HAVE to have that physical button), but you can't say it extends to OS X, since OS X supports multiple button input, and all new macs come with the mighty mouse (4 clickable buttons and a scroll wheel). This is such a tired argument, that it is more stupid for people to even bring it up than it is to say it is stupid for defending it. The only legitimate gripe is, again, the lack of physical right click. The software addresses this, however, with the right-clickable trackpad (which I prefer anyway, as do many people, once they start using it).
If Apple added $100 for a second button, the Apple-Bashers would have a field day! I, on the other hand would pay them $100 to remove a second mouse button if it had it. The solution, then is somewhere in the middle. Why not get rid of the button altogether and have the user have the ability to right or left click based on where they touch where a button would be. One button people could make the whole area a single click, and two-button fans could make it a left/right clickable area (kind of like the mighty mouse, but on the laptop chin).
Someone else already mentioned the second finger as a right click, which I use exclusively. Actually, I use the tap-click anyway, so I don't even need a single button, let alone two buttons. Don't forget the two-finger scroll function too! I bet they add the iPhone style two finger zoom in/out function on the next generation as well.
Seriously, if you're a gamer, get a desktop; if you're a 3D artist, get a MacBook Pro; but if you're someone who wants a fully-featured laptop for $1500, just give up on your 'I have to have the pro level gear' attitude and get the black MacBook. You'll be glad you did.
Very well said! The only thing I would add is that the MacBook might not suffice for people wanting a slightly bigger screen (15") and higher resolution. Even with the 13.3" display on my MacBook, I wish the native resolution where one more setting higher.
If your 30 days are up, hit eBay before they have enough time to pull themselves away from eBay for 2 seconds and learn of the new books coming out...Mac portables sell very well on there.
I don't understand. You say you aren't convinced that a lock-in really exists, which is the same point I'm making. They complain about lock-in (if it even exists) in a thread that is in response to a "technical review". Someone else said it better than me..something along the lines that the fact OS X only runs on Apple hardware is not relevant in this type of review.
So if my statement is bizarre, so is yours? What do you mean "golden cage"?
People will argue the merit of this article until they are blue in the face, but even with the many things wrong, he did get some things right (512mb of ram anyone?). The wrongs: freeware is readily available, and in my experience, better than the glut of crap available for PC.
Wrong#2
for anyone switching over from a Windows XP setup, the spotty peripheral support means that it's likely that you'll have to replace one or more peripherals to find ones that are Mac compatible.
...
s
Wow, this is so far from reality! I've lost count of the number of peripherals I had problems with (or couldn't get to work altogether) on either of my WinXP PCs that are now being used by any one of my Macs (ethernet card, Old Ass AGP Voodoo III card, usb card reader, usb hub, SDRAM chips!!, Kodak EasyShare dock, Sony Digital 8 firewire video camera, HP all-in-one printer/fax/scanner, to name a "few".) In one of the sickest ironies of all time, my preferred mouse on my Intel iMac is a Microsoft optical mouse that XP just refuses to recognize. In all of 1 second (plug in usb cable), I was using this mouse on my iMac. Another 30 seconds I had all the buttons programmed to do cool Exposé tricks.
The last part I'll chalk up to being "wrong" is his claim that OS X is somehow DRM laden. Even it if were, a few examples would give credibility to this claim. I know there is the whole "trusted platform" thingy that prevents easy hacks for installing OS X on a PC, but to a Mac user, name ONE instance where the DRM is even a noticable issue? Is this because it is such clever DRM, or the fact that there probably really isn't any underlying ominous DRM, other than a bit of code to prevent using OS X on other hardware?
Enough with my anecdotal evidence already and get back to the overtly biased 'net articles!
Well I wasn't implying that I myself am perfectly legal either;-) I just get tired of the people who use their PCs 95% of the time for illicit activities, then justifying that as being better, when, like you stated so well, it is not really legitimate. I could be a wise ass and just state the obvious, that it is EASY to find Mac versions of illegal copies...*.dmg is a good starting search term using Xtorrent or Acquisition (heh, love the name), or maybe *.sit... It has been a VERY long time since I've looked on torrents for Mac specific software, but I do recall it being VERY easy to search ONLY for mac versions of stuff.
Don't forget when you sell your Macbook on eBay in 2 years for about 2x more than an equivalent Dell laptop, you'll recover more of your investment towards your next Macbook. I've done this for years, once even selling a Wall Street era Macbook for more than I bought it for a year earlier (bought and sold on eBay).
Pure nonesense. I went through a similar IDE host adapter problem and the solution was to pay $49 for a PC formatted Maxtor? adaptor and download a little utility that flashed the rom to make it work with OS 9. Of course I COULD have taken my Mac to an authorized dealer and paid $100 just to drop it off to them, then paid $129 for a similar ide adapter, but I chose to go to OfficeMax and spend $49 and about 10 minutes of my own time to fix it.
Or how about this gem (albeit anecdotal, still 100% true)...
I somehow convinced Apple's help line guy over the phone to dispatch a repairman, who came to my house and swapped out the dead hard drive....in my Motorola Starmax clone...seriously. Apple didn't scream or holler one bit, chalking up the problem to a recent OS 8 upgrade, and not bad hardware from Sea Quest or Motorola.
Or the time my 2nd generation iPod died 14 months into its lifespan (not battery related)...Apple honored the 12 month warrantee by not only sending me a new (refurbished) iPod, they also sent me all the return materials I needed with postage. It took a day for the box, and about 4 days for my replacement iPod to show up.
I don't blame Apple for charging more, nor do I expect them to charge less than the competition. If I can't do it myself, I'll pay Apple to do it, otherwise I'll do it myself for much cheaper. 15 Macs later, I've had one IDE adapter problem and one recalled motherboard from a mid 90s Performa all-in-one that didn't even have the flaw that other machines were having. Apple not only replaced the motherboard for free, they upgraded the 66mhz cpu to something around 100 for free.
So to answer your question, yes, this is the kind of company I will continue to patronize.
Why is it that any time Windows people bring examples of superior Win freeware to the table it is always software that is either a: irrelevant to the mac (spyware removal, antivirus, file management, etc.) or b: used for illicit purposes (porn, hacking, pirating, ripping dvds/music, drm removal, etc.)
So because there are 5,250 bittorrent options available for WinXP, and only 50 for the Mac (one of which is all you'd ever need), the MS platform is somehow superior?
Yeah but you are locked-in by the hardware! If you buy a Mac, you are FORCED to use OS X, Win, or Linux! Gasp! The only choice you don't get is buying other hardware that only runs one or two of the three.
I wonder if the "lock-in" crowd will ever get it? Don't want to be locked in to a good product? Ok, your choice...buy a Dell and enjoy your MS Experience. Why come to a Mac OS party and complain about Apple Hardware lock-in?
Slashdot Mirror
Is there an article in there, or is it just all ads and a giant pop-up? The dog commercial is cute too, but what about the article?
Maybe my next research project will be figuring out how to get cheap XP (or maybe Vista) licenses for a 100% Intel Mac based school. Or maybe Apple is already working this in their Education channels. I'll have to contact our rep.
There is something called "drag" lock where you click down with your finger, lift up then click and hold down. This locks on an icon or a window and lets you move it around the screen, even when lifting your finger off of the pad (to allow movement across a big screen, for example), but I turn that one off. YMMV..
One finger held down and drag draws a visible gray selection box, but I assume it would do the same with two fingers. When you put two fingers down (I'm not sure how to talk you through it, I just know how to do it be feel), depending on how you do it, you get either the right click or you can invoke scrolling the screen up and down and right and left. For me, they are automatic motions, but I can't actually think how to explain how to do it to someone else (and my MacBook is upstairs at the moment).
That's too bad! I thought maybe the other option was that you were having sex with other girls other than your (at that time) girlfriend... Not as hot as the girl/girl first choice though...
Right-clickable trackpad: when you are mousing around with your finger, you can tap the pad with a second finger, and it invokes a right-click contextual menu. Likewise, you can tap the pad with a single finger to invoke a single or double click. It takes a little bit of coordination, but once you get the hang of it, you find yourself rarely using the mouse button.
But Safari DOES support two-button mouse functionality. Right click a hyper link in Safari: Open Link in New Window..New Tab...download...add link...copy link...etc. I guess I still don't understand your point.
Apple is already selling tons of Macs to its base, so sure, there is no need to tout the ability to run Windows. But Apple is trying to expand their base by getting Windows users to buy a Mac and still be able to run Windows. Apple probably thinks if they get a WinXP user in, they will hopefully learn to like OS X much better and become a new member of the Mac user-base. Therefore, it would be nice for a tech article to point that out.
Apple can now remove the #1 reason cited for potential buyers not buying a Mac (software incompatibility/Windows). They mostly addressed #2 (too expensive) with the pricing of the Intel Mac stuff lately. #3 (believe it or not) "can't find a retailer", is still a problem, but more stores are starting to carry Macs. Even the military exchange stores are carrying Macs (first time since mid 90s).
I think Apple *slightly* missed the boat here. Sure, the Intel graphics are fine for me (my MacBook is my portable Mac, leaving me more money for my desktop one), but many switchers are buying MacBooks for the price point, only to be disappointed that they can't play super-popular games like World of Warcraft. The MacBook is right in the price range of students, and students play plenty of games.
Single-button thing may suck on a laptop (if you HAVE to have that physical button), but you can't say it extends to OS X, since OS X supports multiple button input, and all new macs come with the mighty mouse (4 clickable buttons and a scroll wheel). This is such a tired argument, that it is more stupid for people to even bring it up than it is to say it is stupid for defending it. The only legitimate gripe is, again, the lack of physical right click. The software addresses this, however, with the right-clickable trackpad (which I prefer anyway, as do many people, once they start using it).
If Apple added $100 for a second button, the Apple-Bashers would have a field day! I, on the other hand would pay them $100 to remove a second mouse button if it had it. The solution, then is somewhere in the middle. Why not get rid of the button altogether and have the user have the ability to right or left click based on where they touch where a button would be. One button people could make the whole area a single click, and two-button fans could make it a left/right clickable area (kind of like the mighty mouse, but on the laptop chin).
Someone else already mentioned the second finger as a right click, which I use exclusively. Actually, I use the tap-click anyway, so I don't even need a single button, let alone two buttons. Don't forget the two-finger scroll function too! I bet they add the iPhone style two finger zoom in/out function on the next generation as well.
If your 30 days are up, hit eBay before they have enough time to pull themselves away from eBay for 2 seconds and learn of the new books coming out...Mac portables sell very well on there.
So if my statement is bizarre, so is yours? What do you mean "golden cage"?
Maybe I should upgrade to Vista then...
Wrong#2
...s Wow, this is so far from reality! I've lost count of the number of peripherals I had problems with (or couldn't get to work altogether) on either of my WinXP PCs that are now being used by any one of my Macs (ethernet card, Old Ass AGP Voodoo III card, usb card reader, usb hub, SDRAM chips!!, Kodak EasyShare dock, Sony Digital 8 firewire video camera, HP all-in-one printer/fax/scanner, to name a "few".) In one of the sickest ironies of all time, my preferred mouse on my Intel iMac is a Microsoft optical mouse that XP just refuses to recognize. In all of 1 second (plug in usb cable), I was using this mouse on my iMac. Another 30 seconds I had all the buttons programmed to do cool Exposé tricks.
The last part I'll chalk up to being "wrong" is his claim that OS X is somehow DRM laden. Even it if were, a few examples would give credibility to this claim. I know there is the whole "trusted platform" thingy that prevents easy hacks for installing OS X on a PC, but to a Mac user, name ONE instance where the DRM is even a noticable issue? Is this because it is such clever DRM, or the fact that there probably really isn't any underlying ominous DRM, other than a bit of code to prevent using OS X on other hardware?
Enough with my anecdotal evidence already and get back to the overtly biased 'net articles!
Well I wasn't implying that I myself am perfectly legal either ;-) I just get tired of the people who use their PCs 95% of the time for illicit activities, then justifying that as being better, when, like you stated so well, it is not really legitimate. I could be a wise ass and just state the obvious, that it is EASY to find Mac versions of illegal copies...*.dmg is a good starting search term using Xtorrent or Acquisition (heh, love the name), or maybe *.sit ... It has been a VERY long time since I've looked on torrents for Mac specific software, but I do recall it being VERY easy to search ONLY for mac versions of stuff.
Don't forget when you sell your Macbook on eBay in 2 years for about 2x more than an equivalent Dell laptop, you'll recover more of your investment towards your next Macbook. I've done this for years, once even selling a Wall Street era Macbook for more than I bought it for a year earlier (bought and sold on eBay).
Or how about this gem (albeit anecdotal, still 100% true)...
I somehow convinced Apple's help line guy over the phone to dispatch a repairman, who came to my house and swapped out the dead hard drive....in my Motorola Starmax clone...seriously. Apple didn't scream or holler one bit, chalking up the problem to a recent OS 8 upgrade, and not bad hardware from Sea Quest or Motorola.
Or the time my 2nd generation iPod died 14 months into its lifespan (not battery related)...Apple honored the 12 month warrantee by not only sending me a new (refurbished) iPod, they also sent me all the return materials I needed with postage. It took a day for the box, and about 4 days for my replacement iPod to show up.
I don't blame Apple for charging more, nor do I expect them to charge less than the competition. If I can't do it myself, I'll pay Apple to do it, otherwise I'll do it myself for much cheaper. 15 Macs later, I've had one IDE adapter problem and one recalled motherboard from a mid 90s Performa all-in-one that didn't even have the flaw that other machines were having. Apple not only replaced the motherboard for free, they upgraded the 66mhz cpu to something around 100 for free.
So to answer your question, yes, this is the kind of company I will continue to patronize.
So because there are 5,250 bittorrent options available for WinXP, and only 50 for the Mac (one of which is all you'd ever need), the MS platform is somehow superior?
I wonder if the "lock-in" crowd will ever get it? Don't want to be locked in to a good product? Ok, your choice...buy a Dell and enjoy your MS Experience. Why come to a Mac OS party and complain about Apple Hardware lock-in?