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There have been a number of influential pro-Windows
types who have been switching to Mac OS X, largely
due to desperation borne of Windows' increasingly
unfriendly behavior. I have seen a growing number
of these unhappy souls who finally tried a Mac as
a way out of their Windows dilemma and discovered
how computing is really supposed to be.
I have provided some commentary on a few of these
newly born-again Mac users and why they switched.
Extra Pain?
Stewart Alsop, who has been predicting the imminent
demise of Apple for the past twenty years or so, reports
in his article "XP
Means Extra Pain" at Fortune
is so disillusioned by Windows XP that he is even
saying a couple of nice words about Mac OS X. Not
to worry... it was still only a couple of words.
As his opening blurb says...
"Microsoft Windows XP promised to usher in an
era of computing in which users suffer less. Aspirin,
anyone?"
-- Stewart Alsop
He goes on to tell us why Windows XP doesn't thrill
him too much.
"I agree with the reviewers. There's nothing
in Windows XP to cause anyone to go out of his way
to get it." -- Stewart Alsop
Some of his complaints:
"XP really isn't all that new or stable"
He points out that Win XP is the same old Win NT
with a standard Windows interface and prettier icons.
Why the relative instability (despite claims to the
contrary from the Wintel Weenie crowd...)? Because
the kernel in Win NT (and Win XP) isn't really protected
from program misbehavior... unlike all forms of UNIX
including Mac OS X, which keeps the kernel tightly
and securely protected from programmers' stupidities.
In fact, Win XP still maintains the old and touchy
Windows behaviors and keeps the same arcane requirements
for installing software. Mr. Alsop goes on at some
length describing this behavior in his article.
"Microsoft is still the same old company"
Mr. Alsop didn't want to get stuck being forced to
use MS Messenger and he had to go to extreme lengths
to edit the register (In windows, not a task for the
faint-hearted) to eliminate it. If you don't you are
constantly being bombarded with messages to register
it or die ( or words to that effect...).
"XP is not fundamentally easier to use"
Once you get past the nicer icons and prettier colors
(copied from Mac OS X' "Aqua", as Mr. Alsop failed
to note...), it is still the same old obtuse Windows
with the same irrational and clunky file management
system.
He goes on to admit (gasp!) that he has been
using Macs more frequently than ever.
"As many readers know, I've been using the Macintosh
more and more at home. Apple recently upgraded its
operating system to what's known as OS X. That is
based on UNIX. You don't have to restart your computer
all the time. Managing programs and data is even
easier than before."
-- Stewart Alsop
Translation... No more Windows headaches!
After all these years, Mr. Alsop is now slowly changing
his tune about Apple. Windows XP must really be bad
for him to do that!
Pundit Punts XP
Windows user and political pundit Andrew Sullivan
has recently decided to switch to the Mac after experiencing
a disastrous Windows XP upgrade.
Andrew Sullivan is a former editor of The New
Republic. In the last four years, Sullivan has
also worked as a contributing writer and columnist
for the New York Times Magazine, a regular
contributor to the New York Times Book Review,
and a weekly columnist for the Sunday Times of
London. He has appeared on the Fox News Channel,
CNN, MSNBC, and many other "pundit"
shows.
Okay, you get the picture? He is someone to whom
a lot of people listen. It's an influential position
from which to have an opinion, and if that opinion
switches to pro-Mac, well I for one won't summarily
toss the support.
"OK, OK, no more e-mails, please. I'm defecting
to Apple this weekend. And to all of you geek snobs:
you're right. I'm a total techie loser. Like most
bewildered and abandoned consumers of Microsoft's
horrible products. (I guess that's one corporate
sponsor I can wave goodbye to.)."
-- Andrew Sullivan
I think he may be right about losing Microsoft's
sponsorship. The Wintel Hegemony isn't generally friendly
to turncoats.
Mac OS X a Geek's Delight?
Michael J. DeMaria of Network
Computing was generally quite impressed with
Mac OS X from a non-geek user's viewpoint, a UNIX
administrator's viewpoint and a UNIX developer (or
UNIX Geek for that matter). He also knew that he was
going to get flamed for saying so, as he said in his
article "Apple
OS X Upgrade Delivers Fast, User-Friendly Unix OS".
"I know I'm going to get flamed for writing
this, but Apple Computer's Mac OS X 10.1 is what
Linux-on-the-desktop people crave: a Unix-based
OS with an interface even a novice can handle. Although
it contains some quirky parts, this free update
for OS X users delivers a much needed speed increase,
CD- and DVD-burning capabilities and some interface
tweaks."
-- Michael J. DeMaria, associate technology editor
for Network Computing
Unfortunately, Mr. DeMaria is probably right. Linux
weenies and Windows weenies alike won't like having
anyone at what is usually a Wintel-friendly site saying
nice things about Apple technology, especially if
they are telling the truth about Mac OS X.
Penguin's Eye Look at Mac OS X
Doc Searls & Brent Simmons of LinuxJournal.com
wrote an article "UNIX
under the Desktop" that took a close look at Mac
OS X. From what they had to say, despite some grumblings
from some Linux types, Mac OS X seems to have a certain
appeal.
A short version of their article: They like Mac OS
X. They don't give a hoot about the hardware: what
they like is that Mac OS X is based on Darwin, an
open source variant of BSD UNIX. They love having
all the UNIX goodies under the hood while being able
to run major commercial apps on top of it.
Some clippings from the article:
"Regardless of the technical and religious differences
that separate the many breeds of UNIX, expertise
at one ports well to another: from Solaris to HP-UX
to AIX to Linux to BSD to Darwin and OS X. If you
want to hack, the environment is there--so are the
tools and the community.
Put another way, OS X gives us the first popular
desktop OS that fits into a prevailing Linux environment
and also into the prevailing marketplace. On the
bottom, it's UNIX. On the top, it runs Microsoft
Office and the whole Adobe suite. This has its appeals.
The social effects of OS X on the Open Source
community were already apparent at the O'Reilly
Open Source Convention in July 2001, when slab-like
Macintosh G4 Titanium laptops seemed to be everywhere.
At one Jabber meeting, four out of the seven attendees
tapped away on TiBooks, including Jabber's creator,
Jeremie Miller. Terminal windows were scattered
across his screen. When we asked what he was doing,
he replied, 'compiling code while I catch up on
some e-mail'."
-- Doc Searls & Brent Simmons
Try doing THAT on a Wintel laptop sometime!
University of Texas IT Staffers Bite The Apple
Now here is a strange one...
Erik Rodriguez of the Austin
American-Statesman in his article "UT wants
Apple in students' laps" tells how the University
of Texas IT staffers made a recommendation that may
come as a surprise to Wintel Uber Alles IT
types.
The University of Texas has mandated that news students
will obtain laptop computers as part of their entrance
requirements. What is odd is that the IT department
and decision makers decided to stay with a single
platform... but instead of pushing for the usual Wintel
drek they opted for Apple.
I can only guess that this was because the Big Iron
on campus is probably UNIX and since Mac OS X is also
UNIX, the IT department wisely decided to avoid the
usual headaches caused by Wintel misbehavior, lack
of security and tendency not to play nice in a UNIX
environment. Hence... requiring the students to get
an Apple laptop was a no-brainer.
However, the Wintel Weenies and technophobes are
not pleased. The Wintel Weenies hate Apple and are
not pleased at being forced to use a better computer.
The technophobes just don't see any use for any computer
regardless of brand. I guess some people still want
to live in the 19th century.
Meanwhile... since this is Texas and Dell is the
local State brand... what did the University of Texas
IT department know that we don't?
Microsoft's technical and marketing materials claimed
that Windows XP Home Edition would allow home networking.
It doesn't. Only the far more expensive professional
edition allows networking and even then it does not
play nice with other platforms... even pre Windows
XP versions of Windows. Not only that, he discovered
that it would knock out his DSL connection and refused
to work with Windows 98 on a network. In order for
him to get a system that may or may not work as advertised,
he discovered that he had to pay out an extra $199.
He regards himself as a victim of false advertising
and "bait-and-switch" tactics. I have to agree with
him.
Fortunately for him, he discovered Mac OS X. Because
of the expensive and troublesome headaches that he
has experienced with Windows XP, he now regards the
option to switch to Mac OS X and purchase a Mac very
viable. In fact, he has already done so by getting
a Macintosh Laptop.
"My laptop running OS X has been a dream. I
don't know that I would call this an operating system
as it has been headache free, it has not conflicted
with other software, it allows quick software loads
(which are also pain free), and things just work.
This is unlike any operating system I have ever
used. It is not perfect, but it is damn near perfect.
I thought I may have problems doing my regular work
on the machine, but I can do every thing I ever
did on a Windows machine and without the damn headaches."
-- Thomas Vander Wal
He then goes on to list all of the things he did
with his PC that he now does on his Mac laptop, such
as marking up HTML, writing Word documents, coding
software, connecting and building SQL compliant databases,
use and develop Web services write Word documents,
code software, connect to and build SQL compliant
databases, use and develop Web Services, share files
and collaborate with any OS platform using Microsoft
Office, etc.
He even found he could still run his Windows OS applications
via Virtual PC to access any old Windows software,
and even run Microsoft IIS server software... something
he could not do on Windows XP Home edition. He could
also build true Java apps and network with various
flavors of Windows , again, something his Windows
XP Home edition could not do, plus he did not have
to contend with Windows' infamous security holes or
hordes of virii that infect the Windows world.
He also liked to have an op system that did everything
he wanted without having to, as he put it, "rent
my operating system" or having Microsoft invade
his privacy (read your MSN or Hotmail contract sometime.
It will raise your hair!)
His last paragraph should be seen as a clarion call
to arms. He has not only switched from using Windows
but has gone so far as to even declare war.
"My future is mine and not Microsoft's. I will
take me where I want to go and my OS of choice will
help me get there and not stand in my way. I will
let the U.S. Federal Trade Commission know of the
fraud. I will also continue to providing for support
MS applications and environments at work, because
that is my job and I get paid for those headaches."
-- Thomas Vander Wal
Well put!
A Modest Proposal...
Here's a modest proposal that might rattle a few
cages in Wintel-land... David Coursey of ZDNet's
Anchor Desk proposed in his article "Microsoft
to dump Windows? Good idea! Here's why" that Microsoft
dump the Windows operating system and emulate Apple
(once again!) by dumping an established OS and developing
a new one. Now that's odd... I was under the impression
that Windows XP is supposed to be just exactly that.
Maybe Windows XP isn't quite as "new" as we had thought...
or at least Mr. Coursey doesn't seem to think so.
Oh yes... Mr. Coursey did mention that Microsoft should do what
Apple did and build the proposed new op system on Unix.
"What's preventing Microsoft from doing what Apple
did with OS X--build a new operating system on top of open-source
Unix and a collection of industry standards? That approach doesn't
seem to have hurt Apple any, and has resulted in the very pleasant OS
X."
-- David Coursey, Executive Editor of ZDNet AnchorDesk
I forgot... Mr. Coursey has been backsliding of late. He actually
bit the bullet, got an iMac and has been using it... and likes it. I
was afraid that he might get addicted to the Mac and start speaking
well of it, even possibly dumping Windows as his primary platform...
but how was I to expect that he would go so far as to recommend that
even Microsoft should dump Windows?!
Stuffit
7 (10-18-02) Dr. Neale Monks. What purpose does file compression have
in this day of 100 GB hard drives? Is version 7 worthy of the upgrade fees?
Fireworks
MX (10-8-02) Dean Browell. Fireworks is more than just a pretty face;
The last app I needed to convert entirely to OS X delivers in upgrades and
features as well...
Dreamweaver
MX (10-8-02) Joel Davies. Not being satisfied with just carbonizing it's
product, Macromedia made sure that Dreamweaver MX was the killer app for web
design.
SliMP3
(9-6-02) Pat St-Arnaud. The SliMP3 is a small, simple and elegant network
devices that connects to any audio component with RCA inputs and lets you
browse, search and play music directly from your computer's MP3 collection.
Voyager
III v.3 (8-16-02) Dr. Neale Monks. Carina's Voyager is the grandfather
of Mac planetarium programs, but does it still have what it takes to keep
up the current generation?
CodeWarrior
8 (8-16-02) Douglas A. Welton. Doug dives into the latest version of this
robust multi-platform programming tool.
STM
Sports Backpack (8-9-02) Pierre Igot. How will this backpack designed
for the "global digerati" stack up when Pierre puts it to the test
with his mobile digital lifestyle?
Scope
Driver (8-2-02) Dr. Neale Monks. An alternative to the 'point and click'
telescope control paradigm: a powerful list-based utility for Autostar and
LX200 telescopes.
Apple
Final Cut Pro 3.0 (7-19-02) Michael Tate Jones. Tate reviews the video-editing
powerhouse Final Cut Pro 3 and sizes up its competition. Does Final Cut Pro
3 hold its ground?
Strata
DVpro RME (7-16-02) Matt Frederick. Matt Frederick. Matt takes a comprehensive
look at Strata DVpro, Strata's pro-level non-linear editor for digital video.
Stargazer's
Delight (6-28-02) Dr. Neale Monks. Looking for a viable shareware alternative
to the big commercial astronomy software packages? Neale may have found one.
TheSky
(6-21-02) Dr. Neale Monks. Neale takes a look at the easiest to use planetarium
program for the Mac.
NI
FM7 (6-21-02) Matt Frederick. Matt takes this software replica of Yamaha's
DX7 synthesizer for a test drive.
The
Digital Universe (6-14-02) Neale Monks. Planetarium program, astronomy
encyclopaedia and space flight simulator all rolled into one - could The Digital
Universe be the ClarisWorks of astronomy software? Neale Monks takes a look.
After
Effects 5.5 (5-31-02) Michael Tate Jones. Tate reviews the OS X native
version of After Effects and likes what he sees.
InDesign
2.0 for Non-Professional Designers (5-24-02) Pierre Igot. In the second
part of our review of Adobe InDesign 2.0 for Mac OS X, Pierre Igot looks at
InDesign from the point-of-view of the non-professional designer - and finds
plenty to like.
Corel
Graphics Suite, Part 2 (5-24-02) Dean Browell. CorelDraw returns in full
force and Corel R.A.V.E makes its debut.
Corel
Graphics Suite, Part 1 (5-17-02) Dean Browell. CorelDraw is back, and
it's brought some powerful friends that makes this Suite worth the look...
OmniGraffle
2.0 (5-10-02) András Puiz. Analog napkins are so 20th century --
this gem from OmniGroup knows (almost) all about diagramming. András
Puiz wishes all Mac developers developed a similar understanding of Aqua,
and of Mac OS X in general.
Watson
(5-03-02) Michael Tate Jones. Tate discovers a 'Swiss Army Knife' for OS X...
it's called Watson.
