The sad part is so many people put him above reproach and the good guy in contrast to Gates in the great computer wars. Yet in comparing personal lives, Gates gives away more money than Jobs makes, and Jobs is not poor, yet he does very little as a philanthropist short of giving Apple computer discounts to schools to get more market share.
I guess you haven't heard how Jobs has worked with Bono and is working on AIDS amoung other things. Yea you could talk about how Gates gives away more than Jobs makes but then again Gates makes a lot more than Jobs. And how can you give away more than you make? Only by getting others to donate like how Buffet gave most of his fortune, about US$31 billion, to the Gate Foundation.
Of course Apple cleared Jobs of any wrong doing, who else is going to bail their ases out ?
Ah but Apple wouldn't of had to do any covering or bailing out their asses if Apple never reported the backdating to begin with. If Apple had kept it's mouth shut none of this would have happened, the only reason it's out in the open is because Apple reported it to the SEC to begin with, then started an investigation.
No. A stock option is worth $0 if expired. It has non-negative value if not expired, e.g. you can profit from owning an option even if the underlying price never reaches the strike price (that's called delta hedging.)
Yeap, all you'd have to do take out an option to sale while the stock is high.
you might also want to check out Inkscape for vector based design stuff. Render to a high-res transparent
Yea I've got Inkscape bookmarked and may give it a try once I have my computer setup. I've also got Render and several other graphics programs I plan to investigate to see if they will go what I'd like so I won't need Photoshop. One I'd love to tryout is Maya though it does 3D rendering and is not a photo editor.
You should also download the newest version of Ubuntu burn it to a CD
The new PC with Linspire came with a LiveCD so I may try that on the HP. I've also been thinking of setting up the new PC as a dualboot machine, install Ubuntu and keep Linspire.
Hey, that's great if you strap a CD player or laptop to your body when you go jogging.
Yes, when I go running, bike riding, or rollerblading I listen to a cd or tape player. I have an old cd Walkman and an even older cassette tape Walkman. I don't have anything newer, ie I don't have an iPod or any mpg player. I don't even listen to music on my PC, when I listen to music I either listen to my stereo or a radio, but I've been thinking about getting a turntable and/or a reel-to-reel tape deck. The only reason I've just been thinking about it instead of actually buying them is because I am neither independently wealthy nor do I work, I am on disability. Even if I were wealthy though I don't think I would get an iPod or other mpg player.
Based on Apple's advertising strategy, I think they're leaving the business & office suites to the suits in Redmond. If they really wanted to push an alternative to MS's Office monopoly, perhaps they should invest in OpenOffice.org (if that isn't a little too much like hopping in bed with Sun).
My, my, this sounds like an article I read a year or two ago in a business magazine, maybe "Forbes" or "Fortune". In the article the writer suggested Apple, Sun, and Redhat merge. I wish I could easily find it as I don't recall his logic but it seemed pretty reasonable. Of course expecting businesses to act reasonable is utterly...
I predict Apple will go agressively after the business market, this upgrade cycle would be the perfect time to convince businesses to 'switch', especially if iWork had all 4 expected apps, robust compatibility with office documents, and the pricetag of (MacPro + Leopard + "iWorkPro") is significantly less than (Vista capable pc + Vista + Office 2007), which seems entirely possible.
Unfortunately I can't take this as anything more than a fantasy. Mac Pros start at $2500 but someone should be able to get a PC running Vista, when OEMs ship them, with Office preinstalled for less than half than. Now if Apple were to produce a mid range Mac, between the iMac and the Mac Pro they could come close. As it is though I'm wondering what effect MS's restrictive licensing is going to have on people switching to Macs. I am a Windows user but because of MS's Activation and WGA I am switching to Macs when I get a laptop, the Macbook Pro.
you know, i'm surprised i'm not hearing more about this. i bought a portable computer to be just that -- portable. so apple nixed the 12" powerbook and forced the line to the 15" -- i am now holding onto my 12" PB with a deathgrip until apple (hopefully) gets a clue and comes out with a 12" MB pro.
does anyone have a clue why they supersized their whole laptop line? the only two things i can think of are 1) their market research suggested that people want bigger or 2) they need the space to squeeze in the extra processing/gadgets.
Until a couple of hours ago I didn't know Apple got rid of the 12" Macbook. I only saw it after visiting the Apple store online when I was told they dropped it.
to 1) i suppose i understand. i guess. no. no i don't. i thought the trend was smaller and lighter...
Me, I want a bigger, larger screen mostly, laptop. I'm not concerned about a laptop being too heavy.
to 2) i can say, give me less processing and gadgets. the small size and weight of a laptop are the biggest selling points for me.
Me, I want something I can carry with processing Power, a Larger screen, a Large hdd that's fast, and a big enough battery to power it all for hours. ie I want a desktop replacement I can take with me.
Now I realize many won't and don't ask for the same thing I do, many are like you and want something small which is why it supprized me that Apple dropped the 12" Macbook and/or don't have a smaller one.
also, what's with the glossy screens? after going through years of those shields to go over your monitor to cut glare, and other check-out lane solutions to the glare problem, the new trend is *GLOSSY* screens? OMGWTF?!?!?!
I was wondering about the new glossy screens myself. I looked at one in a store and I liked the rendition of the graphics however I wasn't able to see how well one looks in sunlight. At first I was thinking of getting a MBP with the flat or dull screen but after looking at a glossy one I decided that when I get a MBP it will have a glossy screen. In this I'm glad they give you a choice.
Yes, if you don't buy anything from iTunes to play on your iPod, you won't fall victim to the lock-in. But the topic wasn't your personal way of using the iPod. Many people buy songs from iTunes and are thus locked-in to the iPod. So the general statement holds: Vendor lock-in is working pretty well for the iPod.
There's not much lockin with iTunes. Music downloaded from the iTunes store can be burn in iTunes to CDs so there's no lockin there. There are only two way iTunes can be considered as "locked in", one is that it will not allow to burn a mix of the same songs in the same order onto more than 4 cds. And iTunes doesn't lock you into playing only songs downloaded from the store either, you can easily burn and import into iTunes any cd you want. Along with any other music you can get your computer to play, say with the tape deck or, better, a turntable you've got connected to your PC so you can use the PC to listen to the music. The only other way iTunes can be considered to have lockin is that it only allows a max of 4 different peaces of equipment to be authorized to play an iTunes downloaded song. However that can easily be overcome by burning the music to cd then reimporting it.
If Apple released OS-X for commodity PC hardware and competed againts MS, then I'd start caring. Or, if they allowed Mac clones, I'd start caring. Othwerwise, they can tank and I won't shed a tear.
The fact that they don't do either of those things is the reason Apple hasn't tanked yet. Say it with me: "Apple is a hardware company."
Apple didn't do it with OSX, but they did it with MacOS 9. This was after Jobs left and was at Next. When Apple finally brought Jobs back he stopped licensing MacOS to OEMs. He pointed out that Apple was loosing more from lost hardware sales than they were making from licenses.
They may now that they've switched. However the big reason Apple switched to Intels is because IBM and Freescale didn't release any G5s that could be placed in Powerbooks and iBooks, laptops. Instead of spend money on researching how to lower power requirements and therefore heat generated by G5s they decided to develop cpus for game consols. After Apple released G5s, I spent more than two years for them to release a G5 laptop constantly haunting Apple stores.
They're all running identical hardware, regardless of the brand name sticker on the casing, so why not push your customers into using the same OS used by the majority to cut development costs?
Because Mac users want to run the MacOS, OSX now. They don't want to run, or only occassionally want to run, Windows. I am a Windows user, I'm typing this on an HP PC running Windows ME which has been my main system for more than 6 years. At some point I may, just may, get Windows 2000 but if at all possible I will never ever get XP, Vista, or any other MS OS unless MS gets rid of Activation and WGA. If not for Apple I would switch to Linux compleatly, I've recently got a Linux box but I plan on getting a Macbook Pro.
Remember, Apple is a hardware manufacturer first and software developer second. If it takes selling Windows pre-installed to move Macs out the door... they will do it.
Apple is both a hardware AND a software business. While I can see Apple selling Macs with Windows preinstalled I can not see them getting rid of the Mac OS, instead these computers would be dualboot or Windows running in a VM. I may be wrong but I can't see what you suggest as coming to pass. There's the "be different" thing as well as not being another "Dell".
I'd settle for crossover support rather than supporting the game on OSX natively. Less code to manage too.
I'd rather see Windows software natively running on Macs in OSX than in a vm running Windows or in Crossover Mac. Get rid of the extra overhead. I am switching from Windows to Macs specifically because I don't want to have to deal with Activation and WGA in Windows. Let me run Windows apps in Mac without a vm. Crossover Mac allows you to do this however not all Windows software is supported or works.
Why the fuck would Microsoft Office be released for MAC when its OWNED BY MICROSOFT?
Why the fuck would Microsoft Messenger be released for MAC when its OWNED BY MICROSOFT?
Because MS is a conficted monopoly? Actually at one tyme MS got good sales from Mac software.
Macs are fine, but you will be spending more on Photoshop licenses and such in addition to the extra Mac cost.
Yea, I know PS is expensive. Because of that I checked some into other software and have used some. I have used GIMP as well as Paintshop Pro and I've been thinking about trying out Corel Painter. Before I do I'll at least check out MacGIMP, POV-Ray, blender, and/or others. What I may end up doing though is buying an old version of Photoshop, there are some shops in the area that sale and we occasionally have computer shows that displayers sale them as well, and there's a steep discount for upgrades to PS CS.
And yes, I'd like to do some graphic design as well as web design. I was in college until running into some problems almost two years ago working on a web programming degree (it's only a two year degree not a four year degree). However I met a number of student photographers on campus, I took a couple of photography classes myself as well as hung out in the photography rooms, and a few of them expressed interest in setting up online portfolios to showcase their work and sale some photos as well, so I've been thinking of combining both interests and designing websites for photographers.
there really is very little hardware that does not have Linux support.
I've got an HP Pavillion which I got specifically because HP was supposed to be Linux friendly. When I got it I also got a second hdd as well as another graphics card. The second hdd was to install Linux on and the new graphics card was so I could setup a dual head, er two monitors. I only found out later that the PC wasn't Linux compatible, checking out hardware compatibility databases I didn't find any distro that supported it. Graphics, the modem, ethernet, sound, and such were all built onto the motherboard. I even emailed HP tech support about it and they said a PC had to be ordered for Linux, that otherwise they didn't check to see if PCs were Linux compatible.
I do have two PCs with Linux though. The first one is a dualboot machine with a DEC Alpha cpu running NT 4.0 and Redhat. However as the builder didn't offer a modem with the 56k standard my ISP used, I didn't get the PC with one. Then because the cpu's an Alpha I didn't get much software installed so I haven't used it much and not at all in more than 3 years. Recently however, about 2 months ago, I did get a new PC with Linspire Linux preinstalled. I haven't really used it much directly, about all I've done so far is to use one of the hdds for storage. I keep saying I'll actually start using it but I haven't done anything more than play games. I got it because the PC I'm using now has been giving me troubles constantly crashing and needing to be rebooted, now I'm thinking I won't actually get to using the new PC seriously until this one finally dies. At least when it does I'll have all my important files on the new PC, which takes up about 150 GB.
Out of curiosity what is your disability?
It's a neurologcal impairment, I am a survivor of a TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury. And I do mean "survivor". That's what "we" are called, but also in my case while I was in a coma the docs told my family it would be a miracle if I lived. NOT!!! But that's another story.
Being able to do it and wanting to do it are two very different things.
Some who would like to carry the weight may not but it's no problem for me. Like I said before I used to carry 50+ lbs in my backpack. While it's been a while since I have I still carry 25+ lbs in it when I ride my bike and go shopping.
I don't see that as a problem afterall Apple makes what 4 different sized laptops, 12", 13", 15" and 17".
Actually, just 3 -- I'm pretty sure they stopped selling the 12" PowerBook.
You're right. Apple's online store lists three Macbooks, all 13", the only thing different being the cpu speed, and hdd size and rpm. With the MBP's two sizes, 15" and 17", there's only three sizes of laptop LCDs Apple has. That must be a recent change, they did offer a White laptop as well as a Black one that were different sizes.
Why not get the 21" laptop and just run Linux on it. Gphoto works with most any camera, since it supports PTP. Is there any particular functionality specific to the Mac that you need?
First I don't know if Linux will run on it, and I'm not going to buy something that expensive when I won't know if I can use it until I buy it. As for functionality, well amend that to apps then, I am seriously thinking of getting Photoshop CS. Sure I could run PS in Crossover Linux but the last version of PS that has been tested and works in Crossover is PS 7 which is old. And there are no graphics or photo editors, commercial or FOSS, with the capabilities of PS that runs in Linux. And no, GIMP isn't a replacement for PS for photographers. And I am a photographer, amateur right now but I'm hoping to become a professional photographer. As it is now that's about the only thing I could do work wise that I enjoy, I'm a TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury, survivor and am on disability.
For the love of God - PUBLIC SPACE. Anybody can track you in a public space simply by following you. I'd be more worried about credit cards which can be used to track purchase history.
True on both counts, what bothers me about tracking people in public spaces is government doing it, possibly to identify those it doesn't agree with. The political beliefs of those being tracked that are the opposite of the current admin for instance. I'm a photographer and do much shooting in public spaces, and even though I don't need to I frequently ask for permission from people I take photos of. The only tyme I need permission for this is when I use the photos for commercial purposes and the person is identifiable. At least that's the law in the US, other countries have different laws regarding photography in public. As for tracking by credit card purchases, I try to pay by cash most of the tyme just to make it harder to track me. Then what credit statements and offers I get in the mail, the statements I keep and file away while any offers I get I either use a marker to markout my name and other data then shred it or I burn it. Now I don't do this so much because of tracking but to make it harder for someone to steal my id.
h, see, I'd want a 12", 4lb (or less!) one, like the X60 I got (which was specifically due to the fact that it's the lightest convertible tablet with a reasonably-sized screen, except for the old X41).
I wouldn't mind carrying a 10 lb laptop, as long as the lcd is big, it's relatively fast, and has a big hdd amoung other things. If I can't backpack with a 10 lb laptop after backpacking and bike riding with 50+ lbs then I might as well hang it up.
I guess Apple would have to make two tablets, one for each of us, which might explain why it doesn't make any.
I don't see that as a problem afterall Apple makes what 4 different sized laptops, 12", 13", 15" and 17". They could do the same with tablets. I've been thinking about getting a Watcom tablet when I get the MBP but I'd really love to get a laptop with one builtin. On the other hand though, built in the size would be whatever size the laptops come in whereas Watcom makes bigger tablets.
My own personal machines haven't really been problematic, except for every Mac I've owned. From 'logicboard failures' (In all the years I've been using computers, I've never had a motherboard just 'fail' except when it came to mac) to the wireless card just dying a few days after I got it (and then Applecare trying to dodge dealing with it).
I've had the opposite experience to your's. I've bought two Macs used and four new PCs running Windows. My first Mac was an SE30 I bought in used in 1992. It lasted until 2000 when the floppy died. Several months later I bought another used Mac, this one's a Power Mac 7300/200. It died in January 2006, early this year, when it didn't bootup. These were the only problems I ever had with either Mac.
However it's a different story with the four new PCs I bought. The first one was a laptop I bought from Gateway in 1997. About 6 months after I got it the hdd died and had to be replaced. Then 2 weeks before I had it a year it refused to bootup and Gateway arranged to have it picked up and sent into the service center. To make the story short the motherboard had to be replaced. The third PC was another Gateway laptop I got in early 2000. It's LCD cracked three months after I got it. The fourth one, which I'm typing this on, is an HP Pavillion I got in later in 2000. Like the first laptop, it's hdd and motherboard had to be replaced in the first year. Altogether I've replaced or installed three hdds, the motherboard, and a graphics card on the HP. This leaves out one PC, my second. I got it at the same tyme as the first laptop, in 1997. It has a DEC Alpha cpu and is from Microway running NT 4. It is the only compatible PC I haven't had hardware trouble with, however because the cpu is an Alpha I wasn't able to get much software installed on it so I haven't used it much, and not at all in the past few years. Now I'm hoping to find a Linux distro I can install on it.
In all, I've bought 2 used Macs which lasted me several years before dying and 4 new PCs three of which had hardware problems within a year. From my personal experience I'd definitely say Macs are more reliable than other PCs.
You say you like linux, but it you're unsure as to whether it will work on your laptop. But you say you'd be willing to buy a Macbook. Why wouldn't you be willing to buy a linux compatible laptop? There are plenty around (you have to be looking for them - but they're not that hard to come by)
How many places have laptops with Linux installed locally? Sure plenty of them can be ordered but there are some like me who want to see and try before I buy.
I currently have one of the last 12" powerbooks, fantastic machine, OSX is great, but I wish I could run linux instead (lack of 3D support, and sleep ability currently stopping me). The next machine I buy will be linux ready from the very start.
I don't have a working laptop, the LCD on my last one broke some years ago, and what I had then, been using the past few years, and what I'm using now runs Windows however because of MS's actions I plan on making my next computer, laptop, a Macbook Pro (MBP). Because the PC I'm using now is dying I went ahead and got a new tower PC running Linux a couple of months ago but I still plan on getting a MBP.
My advice: try to buy a machine which won't restrict your OS choice entirely from the start, it'll be worth it if you start itching to switch later on.
This is the reason why a MBP is the machine to get, you can run OSX, Windows, and Linux. With any machine not from Apple you can't run OSX, not without being a hacker or knowing someone who can install OSX for you.
That said, if you want to prepare yourself for a switch in general, the best thing to do is replace as many of your current apps with crossplatform and/or opensource apps, and open or standard file formats for all your documents- OpenOffice.org, gAIM, Firefox for more common stuff; xchat ( http://silenceisdefeat.org/~b0at/xchat/win32/ [silenceisdefeat.org] - several builds don't have the $20 fee), and so forth for less common apps. Mostly, applications are interchangeable, files may not be. You need to identify any sticking points first, before the switch- this applies to any platform.
Unfortunately there's one app that doesn't run in Linux and there is not a FOSS app that does what it does, Photoshop. GIMP is good but they're still working on a 16 bit version. Nor can it do some of what PS can do. You can run PS in Crossover Linux but not CS, only PS 7 runs well.
Actually the Geeksquad where I live doesn't work on Linux. I was lucky that where I went did have someone there who knew Linux a little and he said though they weren't supposed to work with Linux he would give it a try but only after I signed an order saying I'd still pay if he couldn't get it to work. When he finished I asked him for someone who could work with Linux and he gave me an address for another place. I went there but they only had one person who was an expert with Linux and because they warrented their work he said they could not work on Linux, that if he felt they woudn't have anyone else who could work on any problems. He just said I should find a neighborhood expert.
This really supprized me as the Geeksquad is supposed to be the experts. So what I may do is look for a LUG, Linux Users Group, somewhere around here to join.
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The sad part is so many people put him above reproach and the good guy in contrast to Gates in the great computer wars. Yet in comparing personal lives, Gates gives away more money than Jobs makes, and Jobs is not poor, yet he does very little as a philanthropist short of giving Apple computer discounts to schools to get more market share.
I guess you haven't heard how Jobs has worked with Bono and is working on AIDS amoung other things. Yea you could talk about how Gates gives away more than Jobs makes but then again Gates makes a lot more than Jobs. And how can you give away more than you make? Only by getting others to donate like how Buffet gave most of his fortune, about US$31 billion, to the Gate Foundation.
FalconOf course Apple cleared Jobs of any wrong doing, who else is going to bail their ases out ?
Ah but Apple wouldn't of had to do any covering or bailing out their asses if Apple never reported the backdating to begin with. If Apple had kept it's mouth shut none of this would have happened, the only reason it's out in the open is because Apple reported it to the SEC to begin with, then started an investigation.
FalconNo. A stock option is worth $0 if expired. It has non-negative value if not expired, e.g. you can profit from owning an option even if the underlying price never reaches the strike price (that's called delta hedging.)
Yeap, all you'd have to do take out an option to sale while the stock is high.
FalconApple may have cleared him. but the SEC hasn't. I suspect Apple is only clearing him because of the speculation, rumors, and falling stock.
Maybe you didn't know but it was Apple that reported this to the SEC. If they had wanted to avoid all of this they ever would have reported it.
Falconyou might also want to check out Inkscape for vector based design stuff. Render to a high-res transparent
Yea I've got Inkscape bookmarked and may give it a try once I have my computer setup. I've also got Render and several other graphics programs I plan to investigate to see if they will go what I'd like so I won't need Photoshop. One I'd love to tryout is Maya though it does 3D rendering and is not a photo editor.
You should also download the newest version of Ubuntu burn it to a CD
The new PC with Linspire came with a LiveCD so I may try that on the HP. I've also been thinking of setting up the new PC as a dualboot machine, install Ubuntu and keep Linspire.
FalconHey, that's great if you strap a CD player or laptop to your body when you go jogging.
Yes, when I go running, bike riding, or rollerblading I listen to a cd or tape player. I have an old cd Walkman and an even older cassette tape Walkman. I don't have anything newer, ie I don't have an iPod or any mpg player. I don't even listen to music on my PC, when I listen to music I either listen to my stereo or a radio, but I've been thinking about getting a turntable and/or a reel-to-reel tape deck. The only reason I've just been thinking about it instead of actually buying them is because I am neither independently wealthy nor do I work, I am on disability. Even if I were wealthy though I don't think I would get an iPod or other mpg player.
FalconBased on Apple's advertising strategy, I think they're leaving the business & office suites to the suits in Redmond. If they really wanted to push an alternative to MS's Office monopoly, perhaps they should invest in OpenOffice.org (if that isn't a little too much like hopping in bed with Sun).
My, my, this sounds like an article I read a year or two ago in a business magazine, maybe "Forbes" or "Fortune". In the article the writer suggested Apple, Sun, and Redhat merge. I wish I could easily find it as I don't recall his logic but it seemed pretty reasonable. Of course expecting businesses to act reasonable is utterly...
FalconI predict Apple will go agressively after the business market, this upgrade cycle would be the perfect time to convince businesses to 'switch', especially if iWork had all 4 expected apps, robust compatibility with office documents, and the pricetag of (MacPro + Leopard + "iWorkPro") is significantly less than (Vista capable pc + Vista + Office 2007), which seems entirely possible.
Unfortunately I can't take this as anything more than a fantasy. Mac Pros start at $2500 but someone should be able to get a PC running Vista, when OEMs ship them, with Office preinstalled for less than half than. Now if Apple were to produce a mid range Mac, between the iMac and the Mac Pro they could come close. As it is though I'm wondering what effect MS's restrictive licensing is going to have on people switching to Macs. I am a Windows user but because of MS's Activation and WGA I am switching to Macs when I get a laptop, the Macbook Pro.
Falconyou know, i'm surprised i'm not hearing more about this. i bought a portable computer to be just that -- portable. so apple nixed the 12" powerbook and forced the line to the 15" -- i am now holding onto my 12" PB with a deathgrip until apple (hopefully) gets a clue and comes out with a 12" MB pro.
does anyone have a clue why they supersized their whole laptop line? the only two things i can think of are 1) their market research suggested that people want bigger or 2) they need the space to squeeze in the extra processing/gadgets.
Until a couple of hours ago I didn't know Apple got rid of the 12" Macbook. I only saw it after visiting the Apple store online when I was told they dropped it.
to 1) i suppose i understand. i guess. no. no i don't. i thought the trend was smaller and lighter...
Me, I want a bigger, larger screen mostly, laptop. I'm not concerned about a laptop being too heavy.
to 2) i can say, give me less processing and gadgets. the small size and weight of a laptop are the biggest selling points for me.
Me, I want something I can carry with processing Power, a Larger screen, a Large hdd that's fast, and a big enough battery to power it all for hours. ie I want a desktop replacement I can take with me.
Now I realize many won't and don't ask for the same thing I do, many are like you and want something small which is why it supprized me that Apple dropped the 12" Macbook and/or don't have a smaller one.
also, what's with the glossy screens? after going through years of those shields to go over your monitor to cut glare, and other check-out lane solutions to the glare problem, the new trend is *GLOSSY* screens? OMGWTF?!?!?!
I was wondering about the new glossy screens myself. I looked at one in a store and I liked the rendition of the graphics however I wasn't able to see how well one looks in sunlight. At first I was thinking of getting a MBP with the flat or dull screen but after looking at a glossy one I decided that when I get a MBP it will have a glossy screen. In this I'm glad they give you a choice.
FalconYes, if you don't buy anything from iTunes to play on your iPod, you won't fall victim to the lock-in. But the topic wasn't your personal way of using the iPod. Many people buy songs from iTunes and are thus locked-in to the iPod. So the general statement holds: Vendor lock-in is working pretty well for the iPod.
There's not much lockin with iTunes. Music downloaded from the iTunes store can be burn in iTunes to CDs so there's no lockin there. There are only two way iTunes can be considered as "locked in", one is that it will not allow to burn a mix of the same songs in the same order onto more than 4 cds. And iTunes doesn't lock you into playing only songs downloaded from the store either, you can easily burn and import into iTunes any cd you want. Along with any other music you can get your computer to play, say with the tape deck or, better, a turntable you've got connected to your PC so you can use the PC to listen to the music. The only other way iTunes can be considered to have lockin is that it only allows a max of 4 different peaces of equipment to be authorized to play an iTunes downloaded song. However that can easily be overcome by burning the music to cd then reimporting it.
FalconIf Apple released OS-X for commodity PC hardware and competed againts MS, then I'd start caring. Or, if they allowed Mac clones, I'd start caring. Othwerwise, they can tank and I won't shed a tear.
The fact that they don't do either of those things is the reason Apple hasn't tanked yet. Say it with me: "Apple is a hardware company."
Apple didn't do it with OSX, but they did it with MacOS 9. This was after Jobs left and was at Next. When Apple finally brought Jobs back he stopped licensing MacOS to OEMs. He pointed out that Apple was loosing more from lost hardware sales than they were making from licenses.
Falcongrave.
They may now that they've switched. However the big reason Apple switched to Intels is because IBM and Freescale didn't release any G5s that could be placed in Powerbooks and iBooks, laptops. Instead of spend money on researching how to lower power requirements and therefore heat generated by G5s they decided to develop cpus for game consols. After Apple released G5s, I spent more than two years for them to release a G5 laptop constantly haunting Apple stores.
They're all running identical hardware, regardless of the brand name sticker on the casing, so why not push your customers into using the same OS used by the majority to cut development costs?
Because Mac users want to run the MacOS, OSX now. They don't want to run, or only occassionally want to run, Windows. I am a Windows user, I'm typing this on an HP PC running Windows ME which has been my main system for more than 6 years. At some point I may, just may, get Windows 2000 but if at all possible I will never ever get XP, Vista, or any other MS OS unless MS gets rid of Activation and WGA. If not for Apple I would switch to Linux compleatly, I've recently got a Linux box but I plan on getting a Macbook Pro.
Remember, Apple is a hardware manufacturer first and software developer second. If it takes selling Windows pre-installed to move Macs out the door... they will do it.
Apple is both a hardware AND a software business. While I can see Apple selling Macs with Windows preinstalled I can not see them getting rid of the Mac OS, instead these computers would be dualboot or Windows running in a VM. I may be wrong but I can't see what you suggest as coming to pass. There's the "be different" thing as well as not being another "Dell".
FalconI'd settle for crossover support rather than supporting the game on OSX natively. Less code to manage too.
I'd rather see Windows software natively running on Macs in OSX than in a vm running Windows or in Crossover Mac. Get rid of the extra overhead. I am switching from Windows to Macs specifically because I don't want to have to deal with Activation and WGA in Windows. Let me run Windows apps in Mac without a vm. Crossover Mac allows you to do this however not all Windows software is supported or works.
FalconWhy the fuck would Microsoft Office be released for MAC when its OWNED BY MICROSOFT?
Why the fuck would Microsoft Messenger be released for MAC when its OWNED BY MICROSOFT?
Because MS is a conficted monopoly? Actually at one tyme MS got good sales from Mac software.
FalconMacs are fine, but you will be spending more on Photoshop licenses and such in addition to the extra Mac cost.
Yea, I know PS is expensive. Because of that I checked some into other software and have used some. I have used GIMP as well as Paintshop Pro and I've been thinking about trying out Corel Painter. Before I do I'll at least check out MacGIMP, POV-Ray, blender, and/or others. What I may end up doing though is buying an old version of Photoshop, there are some shops in the area that sale and we occasionally have computer shows that displayers sale them as well, and there's a steep discount for upgrades to PS CS.
And yes, I'd like to do some graphic design as well as web design. I was in college until running into some problems almost two years ago working on a web programming degree (it's only a two year degree not a four year degree). However I met a number of student photographers on campus, I took a couple of photography classes myself as well as hung out in the photography rooms, and a few of them expressed interest in setting up online portfolios to showcase their work and sale some photos as well, so I've been thinking of combining both interests and designing websites for photographers.
there really is very little hardware that does not have Linux support.
I've got an HP Pavillion which I got specifically because HP was supposed to be Linux friendly. When I got it I also got a second hdd as well as another graphics card. The second hdd was to install Linux on and the new graphics card was so I could setup a dual head, er two monitors. I only found out later that the PC wasn't Linux compatible, checking out hardware compatibility databases I didn't find any distro that supported it. Graphics, the modem, ethernet, sound, and such were all built onto the motherboard. I even emailed HP tech support about it and they said a PC had to be ordered for Linux, that otherwise they didn't check to see if PCs were Linux compatible.
I do have two PCs with Linux though. The first one is a dualboot machine with a DEC Alpha cpu running NT 4.0 and Redhat. However as the builder didn't offer a modem with the 56k standard my ISP used, I didn't get the PC with one. Then because the cpu's an Alpha I didn't get much software installed so I haven't used it much and not at all in more than 3 years. Recently however, about 2 months ago, I did get a new PC with Linspire Linux preinstalled. I haven't really used it much directly, about all I've done so far is to use one of the hdds for storage. I keep saying I'll actually start using it but I haven't done anything more than play games. I got it because the PC I'm using now has been giving me troubles constantly crashing and needing to be rebooted, now I'm thinking I won't actually get to using the new PC seriously until this one finally dies. At least when it does I'll have all my important files on the new PC, which takes up about 150 GB.
Out of curiosity what is your disability?
It's a neurologcal impairment, I am a survivor of a TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury. And I do mean "survivor". That's what "we" are called, but also in my case while I was in a coma the docs told my family it would be a miracle if I lived. NOT!!! But that's another story.
FalconBeing able to do it and wanting to do it are two very different things.
Some who would like to carry the weight may not but it's no problem for me. Like I said before I used to carry 50+ lbs in my backpack. While it's been a while since I have I still carry 25+ lbs in it when I ride my bike and go shopping.
I don't see that as a problem afterall Apple makes what 4 different sized laptops, 12", 13", 15" and 17".
Actually, just 3 -- I'm pretty sure they stopped selling the 12" PowerBook.
You're right. Apple's online store lists three Macbooks, all 13", the only thing different being the cpu speed, and hdd size and rpm. With the MBP's two sizes, 15" and 17", there's only three sizes of laptop LCDs Apple has. That must be a recent change, they did offer a White laptop as well as a Black one that were different sizes.
FalconWhy not get the 21" laptop and just run Linux on it. Gphoto works with most any camera, since it supports PTP. Is there any particular functionality specific to the Mac that you need?
First I don't know if Linux will run on it, and I'm not going to buy something that expensive when I won't know if I can use it until I buy it. As for functionality, well amend that to apps then, I am seriously thinking of getting Photoshop CS. Sure I could run PS in Crossover Linux but the last version of PS that has been tested and works in Crossover is PS 7 which is old. And there are no graphics or photo editors, commercial or FOSS, with the capabilities of PS that runs in Linux. And no, GIMP isn't a replacement for PS for photographers. And I am a photographer, amateur right now but I'm hoping to become a professional photographer. As it is now that's about the only thing I could do work wise that I enjoy, I'm a TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury, survivor and am on disability.
FalconFor the love of God - PUBLIC SPACE. Anybody can track you in a public space simply by following you. I'd be more worried about credit cards which can be used to track purchase history.
True on both counts, what bothers me about tracking people in public spaces is government doing it, possibly to identify those it doesn't agree with. The political beliefs of those being tracked that are the opposite of the current admin for instance. I'm a photographer and do much shooting in public spaces, and even though I don't need to I frequently ask for permission from people I take photos of. The only tyme I need permission for this is when I use the photos for commercial purposes and the person is identifiable. At least that's the law in the US, other countries have different laws regarding photography in public. As for tracking by credit card purchases, I try to pay by cash most of the tyme just to make it harder to track me. Then what credit statements and offers I get in the mail, the statements I keep and file away while any offers I get I either use a marker to markout my name and other data then shred it or I burn it. Now I don't do this so much because of tracking but to make it harder for someone to steal my id.
Falconh, see, I'd want a 12", 4lb (or less!) one, like the X60 I got (which was specifically due to the fact that it's the lightest convertible tablet with a reasonably-sized screen, except for the old X41).
I wouldn't mind carrying a 10 lb laptop, as long as the lcd is big, it's relatively fast, and has a big hdd amoung other things. If I can't backpack with a 10 lb laptop after backpacking and bike riding with 50+ lbs then I might as well hang it up.
I guess Apple would have to make two tablets, one for each of us, which might explain why it doesn't make any.
I don't see that as a problem afterall Apple makes what 4 different sized laptops, 12", 13", 15" and 17". They could do the same with tablets. I've been thinking about getting a Watcom tablet when I get the MBP but I'd really love to get a laptop with one builtin. On the other hand though, built in the size would be whatever size the laptops come in whereas Watcom makes bigger tablets.
FalconMy own personal machines haven't really been problematic, except for every Mac I've owned. From 'logicboard failures' (In all the years I've been using computers, I've never had a motherboard just 'fail' except when it came to mac) to the wireless card just dying a few days after I got it (and then Applecare trying to dodge dealing with it).
I've had the opposite experience to your's. I've bought two Macs used and four new PCs running Windows. My first Mac was an SE30 I bought in used in 1992. It lasted until 2000 when the floppy died. Several months later I bought another used Mac, this one's a Power Mac 7300/200. It died in January 2006, early this year, when it didn't bootup. These were the only problems I ever had with either Mac.
However it's a different story with the four new PCs I bought. The first one was a laptop I bought from Gateway in 1997. About 6 months after I got it the hdd died and had to be replaced. Then 2 weeks before I had it a year it refused to bootup and Gateway arranged to have it picked up and sent into the service center. To make the story short the motherboard had to be replaced. The third PC was another Gateway laptop I got in early 2000. It's LCD cracked three months after I got it. The fourth one, which I'm typing this on, is an HP Pavillion I got in later in 2000. Like the first laptop, it's hdd and motherboard had to be replaced in the first year. Altogether I've replaced or installed three hdds, the motherboard, and a graphics card on the HP. This leaves out one PC, my second. I got it at the same tyme as the first laptop, in 1997. It has a DEC Alpha cpu and is from Microway running NT 4. It is the only compatible PC I haven't had hardware trouble with, however because the cpu is an Alpha I wasn't able to get much software installed on it so I haven't used it much, and not at all in the past few years. Now I'm hoping to find a Linux distro I can install on it.
In all, I've bought 2 used Macs which lasted me several years before dying and 4 new PCs three of which had hardware problems within a year. From my personal experience I'd definitely say Macs are more reliable than other PCs.
FalconYea, I'm kind of supprized Apple doesn't make tablets. I'd get one myself, long as it was big like the 17" MBP which I plan to get.
FalconI'd like to bring a list of Linux desktop hardware vendors, but so far I only have two off the top of my head.
There's Microway.
FalconYou say you like linux, but it you're unsure as to whether it will work on your laptop. But you say you'd be willing to buy a Macbook. Why wouldn't you be willing to buy a linux compatible laptop? There are plenty around (you have to be looking for them - but they're not that hard to come by)
How many places have laptops with Linux installed locally? Sure plenty of them can be ordered but there are some like me who want to see and try before I buy.
I currently have one of the last 12" powerbooks, fantastic machine, OSX is great, but I wish I could run linux instead (lack of 3D support, and sleep ability currently stopping me). The next machine I buy will be linux ready from the very start.
I don't have a working laptop, the LCD on my last one broke some years ago, and what I had then, been using the past few years, and what I'm using now runs Windows however because of MS's actions I plan on making my next computer, laptop, a Macbook Pro (MBP). Because the PC I'm using now is dying I went ahead and got a new tower PC running Linux a couple of months ago but I still plan on getting a MBP.
My advice: try to buy a machine which won't restrict your OS choice entirely from the start, it'll be worth it if you start itching to switch later on.
This is the reason why a MBP is the machine to get, you can run OSX, Windows, and Linux. With any machine not from Apple you can't run OSX, not without being a hacker or knowing someone who can install OSX for you.
FalconThat said, if you want to prepare yourself for a switch in general, the best thing to do is replace as many of your current apps with crossplatform and/or opensource apps, and open or standard file formats for all your documents- OpenOffice.org, gAIM, Firefox for more common stuff; xchat ( http://silenceisdefeat.org/~b0at/xchat/win32/ [silenceisdefeat.org] - several builds don't have the $20 fee), and so forth for less common apps. Mostly, applications are interchangeable, files may not be. You need to identify any sticking points first, before the switch- this applies to any platform.
Unfortunately there's one app that doesn't run in Linux and there is not a FOSS app that does what it does, Photoshop. GIMP is good but they're still working on a 16 bit version. Nor can it do some of what PS can do. You can run PS in Crossover Linux but not CS, only PS 7 runs well.
FalconWow... geeksquad can deal with Linux o.O ?
Actually the Geeksquad where I live doesn't work on Linux. I was lucky that where I went did have someone there who knew Linux a little and he said though they weren't supposed to work with Linux he would give it a try but only after I signed an order saying I'd still pay if he couldn't get it to work. When he finished I asked him for someone who could work with Linux and he gave me an address for another place. I went there but they only had one person who was an expert with Linux and because they warrented their work he said they could not work on Linux, that if he felt they woudn't have anyone else who could work on any problems. He just said I should find a neighborhood expert.
This really supprized me as the Geeksquad is supposed to be the experts. So what I may do is look for a LUG, Linux Users Group, somewhere around here to join.
Falcon