I'm running Panther on both my G4 PowerBook and my Dual proc G5.
It's certainly nice. But is it better than Jaguar ? To be honest, not that I notice. Expose is kind of nice - but despite everyone else's raving about it I just can't get excited about it. Very pretty and clever eye-candy to be sure, but the only feature of it I use *at all* is the "clear everything and show me the desktop" f11 function.
People get excited about the coloured labels. Huh? Can't say I have - and I haven't used them at all and I can't see myself using it.
Now one thing I do like is the updated Finder. Do I think it's any faster ? Nope. Although it doesn't suffer from spinny-beach-ball-syndrome at all, which is nice. But then i'd call that a bug fix. The thing I do like about Finder is the list of places to go (Home, Applications, etc) that now appeat in their own panel. Although I am still getting used to it, I like that.
I do use the encrypted home directory on my PB and that makes me feel a bit happier (I can now carry those Confidential and Restricted documents on my laptop;-)
The Journalling file system was a no brainer and I feel very smug:-)
So overall am I happy with what I got for my 114 (one full copy for 99 and another for 15) ? Yes actually I am - doubly so when I see spot the internet machine at work (secure site, so no-one's "work" machine can be connected direct to the 'net) getting clogged with spyware and crashing just because it's now sharing a connection over a wlan I get this warm feeling:-P
They don't make the same mistake as the BBC's Doomsday book project where they stored all the data on quickly obsoleted BBC Micro controlled laser discs using a proprietary format - woops! A real pain for them to recover it only a decade later.
Microsoft, with their market share and cold hard cash, couldn't convince people that tablets were a "good idea" but some minute outfit, using an OS that's has the most arcane GUI of any of the major OSs is going to succeed ?
Oh dear, you are a confused little bunny aren't you. Bet you were fooled when Microsoft renamed "Unexpected Application Errors" as "General Protection Faults" weren't you and Bill told us there would be no more UAEs!
but the problem is far smaller than on mac
Mac's don't have DLL hell. How can it be smaller than "it doesn't exist" ?
The follow on consequence for this is that Mac's tend to hold their value - and wintel boxes don't. Check out eBay and compare a G3's prices against a Pentium 1 (if you can find one).
Fallacy one. How many different word processing/spreadsheet/paint packages do you use ? how many does anyone need? There's a slection of the best from free to costly available on the Mac. Some of the best aren't available on Windows...
Fallacy two. OSX (and Linux and Unix) aren't just more secure because not so many people hack them - they're more secure because they're built that way. They don't by default execute attachments when you read email, they don't leave ports open all over the place etc etc. OSX has fewer security problems because its built that way and Windoh!s isn't.
Edward
Little boy, I've probably been working with personal computers since before you were born.
If I want to use a good GUI I use Aqua.
If I want to true power of the command line I fire up Terminal and lo and behold I have the power that is Unix.
What do you get on your Windows PC ? A mediocre GUI and an underlying OS that desperately wants to be Unix but just doesn't get it.
I'm surprised anyone ever gets anything done on a Windoh!s PC - what between the blue screens, hanging, waiting for it to boot, viruses and trojans. Or maybe there's only actually 10 Windows PCs in the whole world actually been used at any one time - the rest are redundant backups or are being re-built/de-loused.
Reading some of the comments I've come to the conclusion that they just don't get it.
Despite the review, the point of a Mac is not the horsepower (and comparing completely different CPUs using gigahertz is just stupid).
The point is: Macs and OSX just work and they're beautiful! If you don't value quality then you won't value a Mac.
But please, don't bore the rest of us with your attempts to justify sticking with an inferior product.
"Yeah my Ford Ka is just as good as any Ferrari - it can do the same speed in town AND does more miles to the gallon! That means my Ka is better than a Ferrari!".
The difference is at least the Ka owner pays a lot less for his car. The pee cee users PAY THE SAME PRICE and get an inferior product ! Got to love Michael Dell and Bill Gates. And people say Apple is great marketing company.
Using a fountain pen rather than a roller-ball is like using C++ or Java rather than VB. Sure if you're used to VB you'll create crap using C++/Java, but if you know how to use the tool the results and significantly superior.
Or it's the same as the difference between a Mac user and a PC user. The former values quality is prepared to pay for it, the latter doesn't and isn't.;-)
I have a big, fat, Mont Blanc fountain pen. Best pen ever.
Dont bother with a skinny one, and be careful as some of them seem to leak, but if you pick one that's good then you'll love it. No idea how much they would cost now, mine was about 300 10 years ago.
Sorry but neither the RIAA nor CDs count as cool in any way shape or form. 15-20 years ago CDs were cool in a geeky way because they were rare. Now they're uniquitous, mass-market and not cool.
Slashdot Mirror
You did of course mean to write "Is it worth the $199 for the family pack ?" didn't you.
I'm running Panther on both my G4 PowerBook and my Dual proc G5.
It's certainly nice. But is it better than Jaguar ? To be honest, not that I notice. Expose is kind of nice - but despite everyone else's raving about it I just can't get excited about it. Very pretty and clever eye-candy to be sure, but the only feature of it I use *at all* is the "clear everything and show me the desktop" f11 function.
People get excited about the coloured labels. Huh? Can't say I have - and I haven't used them at all and I can't see myself using it.
Now one thing I do like is the updated Finder. Do I think it's any faster ? Nope. Although it doesn't suffer from spinny-beach-ball-syndrome at all, which is nice. But then i'd call that a bug fix. The thing I do like about Finder is the list of places to go (Home, Applications, etc) that now appeat in their own panel. Although I am still getting used to it, I like that.
I do use the encrypted home directory on my PB and that makes me feel a bit happier (I can now carry those Confidential and Restricted documents on my laptop ;-)
The Journalling file system was a no brainer and I feel very smug :-)
So overall am I happy with what I got for my 114 (one full copy for 99 and another for 15) ? Yes actually I am - doubly so when I see spot the internet machine at work (secure site, so no-one's "work" machine can be connected direct to the 'net) getting clogged with spyware and crashing just because it's now sharing a connection over a wlan I get this warm feeling :-P
Eat Crow boy, eat crow!
They don't make the same mistake as the BBC's Doomsday book project where they stored all the data on quickly obsoleted BBC Micro controlled laser discs using a proprietary format - woops! A real pain for them to recover it only a decade later.
Microsoft, with their market share and cold hard cash, couldn't convince people that tablets were a "good idea" but some minute outfit, using an OS that's has the most arcane GUI of any of the major OSs is going to succeed ?
I don't think so.
Is a rabidly pro-Microsoft and anti-Mac site. Just check the tone of previous stories.
You can't believe eveything you read on the 'net!
So buy a Mac. Or install Linux, or BSD.
Windoh!s isn't the only OS you know.
Oh dear, you are a confused little bunny aren't you. Bet you were fooled when Microsoft renamed "Unexpected Application Errors" as "General Protection Faults" weren't you and Bill told us there would be no more UAEs!
Mac's don't have DLL hell. How can it be smaller than "it doesn't exist" ?
Didn't you notice I was using my iPod before I bought a Mac ?
I didn't buy a Mac to use with my iPod I bought a Mac because I was so impressed with the iPod.
They should be scared.
August 2002 I bought an iPod. Loved it so a month later I bought a PowerBook, my first ever Mac.
September this year I bought a DP G5.
And I plan to replace my wife's PC with a Mac sometime soon.
Without the iPod I would never have even considered a Mac. Microsoft should be scared.
"It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the SCO" - with apologies to Churchill.
Try reading the article you provided the link to and you might find your answer!
Someone mod' the parent down, -1 dumbass.
The follow on consequence for this is that Mac's tend to hold their value - and wintel boxes don't. Check out eBay and compare a G3's prices against a Pentium 1 (if you can find one).
Edward
Two fallacies in one post - way to go.
Fallacy one. How many different word processing/spreadsheet/paint packages do you use ? how many does anyone need? There's a slection of the best from free to costly available on the Mac. Some of the best aren't available on Windows...
Fallacy two. OSX (and Linux and Unix) aren't just more secure because not so many people hack them - they're more secure because they're built that way. They don't by default execute attachments when you read email, they don't leave ports open all over the place etc etc. OSX has fewer security problems because its built that way and Windoh!s isn't. Edward
Bet you're having a Homer moment right now.
Little boy, I've probably been working with personal computers since before you were born.
If I want to use a good GUI I use Aqua.
If I want to true power of the command line I fire up Terminal and lo and behold I have the power that is Unix.
What do you get on your Windows PC ? A mediocre GUI and an underlying OS that desperately wants to be Unix but just doesn't get it.
I'm surprised anyone ever gets anything done on a Windoh!s PC - what between the blue screens, hanging, waiting for it to boot, viruses and trojans. Or maybe there's only actually 10 Windows PCs in the whole world actually been used at any one time - the rest are redundant backups or are being re-built/de-loused.
Yes. powering down is something you HAVE to do with a Windows PC, when what you'd prefer to do is just sleep it.
It's called a PowerBook.
My 15"PB is ready to use in about 2 seconds and I just close the lid to shut it down. And mine isn't even the latest version.
I know you were hoping for help in justifying the, expensive, mistake you made. Should have bought a PowerBook.
Maybe you could find a sucker on ebay ?
640K is enough for anyone.
Sorry, had to be said.
Reading some of the comments I've come to the conclusion that they just don't get it.
Despite the review, the point of a Mac is not the horsepower (and comparing completely different CPUs using gigahertz is just stupid).
The point is: Macs and OSX just work and they're beautiful! If you don't value quality then you won't value a Mac.
But please, don't bore the rest of us with your attempts to justify sticking with an inferior product.
"Yeah my Ford Ka is just as good as any Ferrari - it can do the same speed in town AND does more miles to the gallon! That means my Ka is better than a Ferrari!".
The difference is at least the Ka owner pays a lot less for his car. The pee cee users PAY THE SAME PRICE and get an inferior product ! Got to love Michael Dell and Bill Gates. And people say Apple is great marketing company.
Edward
So buy one of the cheaper ones, the 1.6 or the 1.8 single proc boxes.
They're comparably priced to a similarly specced pee cee, but they run OSX not Windoh!s
Let's see:
1. It's the fastest most powerful desktop computer in the world.
2. It's certainly the most usable and stable.
3. It has the beautiful Aqua UI.
4. It's a superb Unix workstation.
5. It comes in a gorgeous aluminium case.
What the hellkind of a Geek are you ? Get back to your pee cee and "Management Weekly" web site.
Edward
Using a fountain pen rather than a roller-ball is like using C++ or Java rather than VB. Sure if you're used to VB you'll create crap using C++/Java, but if you know how to use the tool the results and significantly superior.
Or it's the same as the difference between a Mac user and a PC user. The former values quality is prepared to pay for it, the latter doesn't and isn't. ;-)
Edward
I have a big, fat, Mont Blanc fountain pen. Best pen ever.
Dont bother with a skinny one, and be careful as some of them seem to leak, but if you pick one that's good then you'll love it. No idea how much they would cost now, mine was about 300 10 years ago.
Edward
Sorry but neither the RIAA nor CDs count as cool in any way shape or form. 15-20 years ago CDs were cool in a geeky way because they were rare. Now they're uniquitous, mass-market and not cool.