Mac Myths
From Matt Kuhns
Charles,
First of all, let me add my own compliments to those which you
have already received regarding your
Loewy-Jobs article [on Applelinks]. Wonderful
reading.
The main reason I write, however, is to offer up a few comments on
your Low End Mac article addressing Mac
Myths.
I was really pleased to discover Apple's new "Special Message to
Windows Users" page, and I hope it will be followed up with more
efforts. In your discussion of Mac "Myths" which Apple left out,
however, I think you were a bit quick to dismiss the significance of
the Build-Your-Own computer potential on The Dark Side.
Many of my friends are computer engineers, and nearly all of them
have built their own system. It isn't just because they're hardware
enthusiasts, either. The Build-Your-Own factor also ties in with
cost. For a consumer, I think the Macintosh is an excellent value,
but for someone comparing the cost of off-the-shelf parts and their
own (free) labor to Apple's premium-priced integrated systems, the
price gap becomes much larger.
For their own part, I agree that such people aren't terrifically
significant given Apple's position as a consumer/creative
professional company. But Apple's standing with engineers has ripple
effects beyond just engineers.
I believe that engineers and IT employees have a significant
influence on consumer computer purchases. Not only by virtue of
selecting what system consumers will encounter at work, but also
through personal recommendation; many people seek out computer advice
from their friends or relatives in IT/engineering, and they end up
getting advice from people who have little interest in Apple.
With Mac OS X's BSD core, and the paternalistic "features" in
Windows XP, right now seems like a better opportunity than ever for
Apple to earn some respect among engineers. But the closed
architecture is, I think, a real sticking point.
I recognize that "making the whole widget" is intrinsic to what
Apple Computer is, though, and that it's unlikely anyone but Apple
will be building Macs in the foreseeable future. But I believe Apple
still needs to do something more to address their perception among
the technical market if they want to win over the consumer
market.
Matt Kuhns
http://edgeofspace.net/pages
- Hi Matt,
Personally, I would love to be able to buy parts from Apple and
build a custom system configuration. I even wrote a The Road
Warrior column some time ago proposing a modular, upgradable
PowerBook.
I agree with you that while the raw numbers of people who would
actually custom build a Mac are minuscule, the influence of such
folks in the IT world massively transcends their proportional
demographic, and that Apple would do well to accommodate them. I'm
not holding my breath, though.
Charles
Macs, Myths, and Conformity
From Andrew
You forgot what is probably the single most important reason why
people buy Windows PCs, which is that they already own a vast
software library. Having to buy MS Office again, Photoshop again, and
whatever else they use regularly again simply adds too much to the
price of a Mac to make most people other than new users make the
switch.
Of course other reasons also exist. Many people (I am not one of
them) want to play all of the latest games, and Windows still has the
edge here. In my case, it's a matter of hardware availability. I use
a 3.4 lb, under 1 inch thick laptop, something that after years of
lugging 8 lb behemoths will never give up. Maybe Apple will offer an
under 4 lb (much under) laptop, and hopefully at about the same time
that my version of MS Office (2000 Pro) and Windows (also 2000 Pro)
are getting too behind the times that I would be upgrading anyway, if
that happens, I would look seriously at switching.
I think there are many with similar reasons for using Windows.
Windows 2000 and XP (I agree, the activation sucks) are every bit as
good as OS X, and much better than OS 9. They are
different, and to someone who uses one, the other will seem
cantankerous.
Otherwise, great article.
Andrew
- Hi Andrew,
You have a good point about the cost of replacing software. It
would be great if Microsoft and other makers of cross-platform
applications would allow registered users of current versions of
their software for one platform to swap for the equivalent
software for the other platform for a reasonable service fee.
Can't agree about Windows XP being functionally as good as OS X.
It's still Windows - better than previous versions perhaps, but
with all that Microsoft angularity (and I'm not just talking about
activation). I still think OS 9.x beats both XP and OS X from
a user friendliness and slickness perspective, although not in raw
power of course. However, OS X is Unix and XP isn't - a
major shortcoming on XP's part. Also, I haven't installed XP, but
reportedly it's the usual Windows install horror show. Somebody on
The Register even said that the Mandrake Linux distro was easier
to install. OS X is a piece of cake.
Charles
Fear of using a Mac
From Niels Ommering
Hi Charles,
I read your article, and I liked it, but there is more to the fear
point, I think. There are a lot of people working on computers who
don't really like working on them, mainly because they don't know
their way around on a computer. Now, if you were such a person, would
you rather
- work on a machine that functions as it should, and
when you crash the machine hear from everybody "how did that
happen?" or
- work on a machine that has apparent errors, and when it
crashes you hear "just press reset, that's normal"
Now for a bit of paranoia, did Microsoft implement those bugs on
purpose? Just to sell more licenses?
With regards,
Niels Ommering
- Fascinating speculative theory, Niels. ;-)
If more people used Macs, there wouldn't be as many folks who
don't like using computers. If I had to use a PC with Windows, *I*
wouldn't like using computers.
Charles
Compatibility and the Mac
From Marion
I am a local rep at Circuit City for Apple (I think this has been
mentioned in our previous correspondence). Yesterday I went there and
discovered that the two mice that had been connected to the iMacs
were gone (as in vanished into thin air). I asked the manager to
borrow a mouse from another computer. He said "You need a USB,
right?" Upon my affirmation he handed me an HP mouse. I had complete
confidence that it would work without incident and hooked it up. It
did work.
But even I was surprised that the right button brought up
contextual menus and the scroll wheel worked as well.
How's that for compatibility?
Marion
- Pretty good, I would say. Even in the pre-USB days, I always
thought the "Macs aren't compatible" rhetoric from the dark side
was ironically amusing. After all, Macs could read PC disks,
operate on PC networks, and even run Windows in emulation or Linux
natively. Macs - not PCs - are the "compatible computer!"
Charles
Thanks for Bible Software Review
From Andrew Zirschky
Charles:
Thanks for your review of Bible software for
the Mac on the Low End Mac website. I'm a pastor and avid Mac
user, and it's good to know about all the Mac Bible software
available. Unfortunately, the selection still pales in comparison to
that available on the Wintel platform, but it's growing. I was at
Macworld Expo this past week and was excited to see the makers of
Accordance proudly displaying their product.
Regards,
Andrew
- Hi Andrew,
Glad you enjoyed the article.
Charles
More on Bible Software for the Mac
From Tony Petito
Missed it the first time. Thanks for the second. Emailed it to
about four pastors who I am sure are going to be very grateful. Did
not know there was an OS X one now available.
- Delighted that it was helpful.
Charles
Go to Charles Moore's Mailbag index.
