Mac Challenge Follow Up
- 2002.06.11 - Tip Jar
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Reader response to last week's report on the results of the Mac Challenge has been overwhelming. Next week's column will be devoted to printing some of your responses and experiences.
I have also received a great number of requests for more information on the Challenge, specifically an approximation of the use each application received on each platform. I hope this additional information will be beneficial in evaluation of the results.
Software
Microsoft Office: Word and Excel were used daily on both platforms. PowerPoint got a brief workout on the Mac and was used several times on the PC.
Web Browsers: Internet Explorer was the primary browser on both computers and was used daily. Netscape 6 was installed primarily to test the browser in each environment. Netscape was used very sparingly, not being launched more than twice on either computer.
Outlook (PC) and Entourage (Mac) were used heavily on a daily basis.
iTunes (Mac) and WinAmp (PC) were open and playing music in the background virtually all the time the computers were in use.
The following programs, while not being used daily, were used on a frequent basis (3-5 times/week) on both platforms:
- Adobe Acrobat
- LimeWire
- Fetch (Mac)
- SmartFTP (PC)
These programs were used a little less frequently (1-2 times/week) on both computers:
- Civilization III
- Roxio Toast Titanium (Mac)
- Adaptec EZ CD Creator (PC)
Photoshop, Claris Home Page, and Macromedia Dreamweaver were used four times on the Mac.
Photoshop, FrontPage Express, and Macromedia Dreamweaver were used once on the PC.
Other Clarifications
The PC was off for a single 8-day period and the Mac for a two-day stretch. Otherwise, they were running 24/7.
What do you think of the results now? Click on my name above and email me your thoughts. We will print selected excerpts next week!
Another Indispensable OS X Ware
A while back, we wrote a column dedicated to a review some "must-have" OS X shareware. Alert reader Kyle McKay pointed out one we missed, SharePoints.
In Mac OS X, by default you are limited to sharing only what is in
your public folder in your home directory. SharePoints makes it easy to
add or delete share points, as in the Classic OS Finder. We are in
favor of anything that eases the transition to OS X.
Steve Watkins is the Vice President for Information Technology for a mid-sized bank and also an attorney. He has been a Mac user for about ten years. He has owned some PCs along the way - but always came back to the Mac. If you find Steve's's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
Recent Practical Mac Articles
- 5 things Apple is doing right in 2008 - and 5 it could do better, 03.24. Apple has made great strides in the past five years, but there are still a few areas that need to be addressed.
- MacBook Air a compelling option for the true road warrior, 02.22. Although it's not intended as a desktop replacement and has a few shortcomings, the lightweight MacBook Air with its 13" display could be the perfect field computer.
- Mailsmith a simple, powerful, spam fighting alternative to Apple Mail, 04.23. Mailsmith is bundled with SpamSieve, integrates with Address Book, and has very flexible scripting tools combined with elegant simplicity.
- Can your spam with SpamSieve, 02.02. "Right out of the box, SpamSieve exceeded the accuracy of the Apple Mail filter I've been training for over a year."
- More in the Practical Mac index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: Centris 650, Feb. 1993 - The replacement for the Quadra 700 has room for an internal CD-ROM.
- List of the Day: Old Mac MP covers 604-based multiprocessor Macs and clones.
- September 7 in LEM history: 98: Banner exchanges - 00: Tips from the Mac manager - Getting a Mac job - 01: Apple and the gray market - Repositioning the 'Books - 04: Tray loading iMac a good choice for OS X? - Pismo CPU upgrades - 06: Mac mini value equation - Setting up a Mac Classic II - Putting the Intel transition in perspective - 07: Region free DVD viewing, - My Newton - Solving Mac disk and hardware problems - 2 apps every MacBook should have
Recent Content on Low End Mac
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- Another Free POP3 Provider, Recharging a Dead PRAM Battery, Current Kanga Value, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.03. GMX email now available in US, Panasonic UJ-841S drive won't burn discs, restoring a dead PRAM battery in a Pismo, and thoughts on Kanga value today.
- Best eMac Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 09.03. Used 700 MHz Combo, $120; 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $150; 1.42 GHz, $349.
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- Psystar Strikes Back, Countersues Apple, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 09.03. Psystar is trying to paint Apple as a monopoly and force it to license the Mac OS.
- More links in our archive.
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