I love Windows. I have always loved Windows. Windows is my friend,
my teacher, and my secret lover.
Windows provides my livelihood. Windows allows me to eat at fine
Indian restaurants, and gives me the ability to elevate my palette from
the dregs of the rail drink. But most importantly, Windows has always
allowed me to follow my appreciation for art.
Don't get me wrong, however; I live in Washington, DC, and have
never been to the Smithsonian. Likewise, I once spent two weeks in
Russia and never bothered to peruse the Armitage.
The art that I enjoy does not include Photomontage, Pointillism, or
Picasso. Instead, my appreciation of art manifests itself in the form
of pointer arithmetic, polymorphism, and preemptive multitasking.
Windows, while flawed, has always sated my thirst for computer art.
However, I was never fully satisfied with my love, for it reminded
me of the legendary
John Merrick - naive and brilliant on the inside, but
quite disfigured and misshapen on the outside. While I have always
appreciated the mind of my Windows machines, I learned very quickly
that brains would only take one so far.
I am far too young to truly appreciate the importance of the
Lisa or the Mac 128K outside of tales
of lore ![The Macintosh]()
and fading memories. In
retrospect, I realize the enormity of their impact on the computer
world, but my knowledge is secondhand and therefore tainted. Likewise,
my experience with Apple computers during my formative years leaves
much to be desired.
Allow me to modify that; the works of art created by Apple during my
formidable years had, in my opinion, the soul of a Jennifer Aniston or
a Jason Priestly. That is, I considered them to be beauties of the
highest order, but found them to be but sitcoms at heart.
My first Macintosh was a Classic, and although I found its
design and interface beautiful, I considered it little more than a toy.
While I have always appreciated the face and personality of my Apple
computers, I learned very quickly that looks would only take one so
far.
However, I was recently exposed to a phenomenon that changed my view
of the art being produced by Apple. The phenomenon that I speak of is
none other than OS X 10.1. Imagine my delight as I researched the
underpinnings of the most beautiful operating system of my lifetime. No
longer would I have to settle for a G4 Christian Slater with a baboon's
heart. I was suddenly able to supplement my eye candy with some serious
mind candy.
With the brilliance of Mach coupled with the sexuality of Aqua,
Apple has created a computational Caesar that will usher in a new era
of supremacy. This is a spectacular time to be an enthusiast of fine
art.
