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Submitted by THX 1138 on
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Tip, tricks, questions, what's new in technology......

crabgrass

You Mac users don't attract the attention of many software writers, period.

the software that does get written is top-notch.

I only use (want and need) just so many apps, and the ones for Mac tend to be better than the multiple choices for Windows anyway. (If I wanted to do nothing but play games, I'd probably get a PC for it, but then again, I'd probably just get a PS2 or Xbox for that anyway).

I mean, how many apps do you have or even want? What apps do you have do things you need that you can't get done on a Mac?

for instance, do you have a media player that rips and plays MP4s?

Wed, 08/13/2003 - 9:18 AM Permalink
crabgrass

Let me know how that works out for them.

Will do.

The iPod has already been picked up by many major retailers. When iTunes gets ported to Windows I would guess that will make some sense.

One of the things about Apple is that while their customers are smaller in number, they are fiercely loyal...something you don't really see too much of with PC manufacturers.

Wed, 08/13/2003 - 9:24 AM Permalink
Muskwa

You got that right, crabs. I started out on a Mac, but the places I've worked have all had PCs so I've had to use them instead. I've always preferred the Mac. If the company had played their cards right, everyone would be using Macs instead of Windows PCs.

Wed, 08/13/2003 - 10:03 AM Permalink
crabgrass

just as the world had Chevettes and Corvettes, Toyotas and Rolls-Royces...so too does it have Macs and PCs. One isn't better or worse per se, just different for different tastes, needs and wants.

To some people, an Art Museum is a waste of time and space, while others feel a world without them would be a much lesser place to be.

Who's right?

Who cares?....find a computer you like and that does what you want it to do and buy it.

Me, I just love Apple products...always have...ever since I saw that first little Classic with the 5" b/w screen and the 3.5" floppy slot and MacDraw built right in (with it's turning on and off of each pixtel). I loved that little dude right there and then...just like I love my Graphite iMac DV SE now.

If someone has this love for Windows...fine. If they don't have this love and don't want to have such a feeling about their computer, that too is fine. I use XP at work. It's okay...I don't love it like a Mac, and I have a lot of frustration with it, but I get a lot of work done with it too. To me, it feels sorta cheap and dirty as opposed to a Mac's elegant and smooth design. I can see how some people might actually like this feel ( and to tell the truth, I like it a bit sometimes as well)...I can also see how a person who likes this quick and dirty feel and has gotten used to it might find the smooth elegance of a Mac to be unappealing.

I will tell you this though...Apple has certainly done a lot of things very right recently...OS X is a tremendous system that has closed the gap that Windows had opened up (and yes, OS 9 was lacking compared to XP, how much I didn't realize until I started using OS X) in the OS wars (not only closed it, but in some ways passed it up)...and the iTunes/Apple Music Store deal are an incredibly strong new approach to the way we use music and the internet.

Wed, 08/13/2003 - 1:43 PM Permalink
THX 1138



I'm guess I'm with you Crabby, to each their own.

If you want to use Mac, good for you.

I haven't used a Mac in years so I can't really say much on the subject.

Anyway, I hate to admit this to Rick, but I got hit with that damn worm today at work.

Wed, 08/13/2003 - 7:20 PM Permalink
Torpedo-8

JT has worms?

Wed, 08/13/2003 - 7:32 PM Permalink
THX 1138



Yeah, MS Blaster worms.

Wed, 08/13/2003 - 7:35 PM Permalink
Luv2Fly

I'm not a big computer buff as you all know. I know how to get it to do what I want most of the time ;) The rivalry and product loyalty is baffling to me, you go with what you like.

Reminds me of the time I was with a guy who was drunk, we were in a biker bar when he yells "Harley's are oil leaking pieces of shit" I thought, oh goody, I so wanted my demise to be in a biker bar. Instead, after the dirty looks 3 or 4 guys stood around and drank beer and tried to argue with this drunken idiot on the product advantages of a Harley. I sat their thinking "I'm so glad the guy i'm with and them don't know I have a Honda sitting back in MN. Then I said oh, look at my watch, gotta go.

Product loyalty an be fervent in some folks, BTW what's with the people that do all the free advertising for Polaris, Artic Cat, HArley etc. with the little cartoon guy peeing on a chevy symbol ? I don't get it.

Wed, 08/13/2003 - 7:35 PM Permalink
Torpedo-8

I'm trying to picture Rob in a biker bar.

Thu, 08/14/2003 - 7:50 AM Permalink
THX 1138



Have you ever seen Rob?

Thu, 08/14/2003 - 7:09 PM Permalink
Rick Lundstrom

I can't get e-mail at one adderss today. The server is in Toronto, and the power's probably down there.

Fri, 08/15/2003 - 6:18 AM Permalink
THX 1138



Come to find out, I didn't actually have the virus, but was being affected by people on the network that did.

Fri, 08/15/2003 - 12:49 PM Permalink
THX 1138

F.U.

Mon, 08/18/2003 - 5:27 AM Permalink
Torpedo-8

fold the sick s.o.b.

Mon, 08/18/2003 - 7:28 AM Permalink
Muskwa

I thought it was funny. [No offense to you, Rob :^)]

Mon, 08/18/2003 - 9:46 AM Permalink
THX 1138




Just for you, Rick

Apple ships new Power Mac G5

http://news.com.com/2100-1042-5064990.html

Apple is counting on the new machines to improve Power Mac sales, which have lagged in recent quarters. Last quarter, the company sold just 156,000 Power Macs, down from a peak of more than 400,000 a quarter in early 1999, and down from 211,000 units sold a year earlier.

Tue, 08/19/2003 - 5:37 AM Permalink
Rick Lundstrom

I've been following the G5 story.

Sales have probably lagged recently because people have been holding out for the G5. And, face it, a G-series Mac is expensive. The G5 is starting at $2K. They'll sell a bunch because there are people in the world who won't have a decent night's sleep until they get one.

But Apple has brought the price of Powerbooks down and has brought a bunch of peripherals and gadgets. That's what they have been marketing.

Tue, 08/19/2003 - 5:57 AM Permalink
Clue Master

Any of you get this new E-mail virus today? What a pain. I know a few of us here did. My brother is still getting 100 e-mails an hour. At least it expires 9/10 if the fix isn't out by then. I still have '98 so the msblaster didn't affect me but this thing sure did. It doesn't come up when scanning for viruses either. Oh well. Delete city.

CONSUMERS COPE WITH SOBIG

Tue, 08/19/2003 - 8:10 PM Permalink
ares

i'm not sure which virus it is, but i think its sobig that actually goes through your hard drive and looks for email addresses embedded in files therein.

Tue, 08/26/2003 - 6:10 AM Permalink
Clue Master

That's the beauty of a Hotmail account. Too bad we can't have an extra mailbox out by the road for that junk mail. I'd only need to go out there once every 2 weeks if I had one. Unfortunately, the person who had the actual virus, had my regular e-mail address on file. It's better now regardless. Just the regular spam.

Tue, 08/26/2003 - 8:05 AM Permalink
East Side Digger

Sun, 09/14/2003 - 3:33 AM Permalink
East Side Digger

Fri, 09/26/2003 - 3:54 AM Permalink
Frosti

I no speak Mac.

Fri, 09/26/2003 - 4:41 AM Permalink
East Side Digger

Fri, 09/26/2003 - 4:53 AM Permalink
THX 1138
THX 1138



You could also get an external USB/Firewire drive instead.

Fri, 09/26/2003 - 5:58 AM Permalink
East Side Digger

Fri, 09/26/2003 - 9:04 AM Permalink
crabgrass

it comes with a 80gb ultra drive is it worth the $140.00 to up grade it to 160gb? I will be using it mostly for Graphics

am iMac is a good machine for Graphics work.

the amount of storage can be handled in a couple of ways. The one you ask about is probably a good idea. More is always better. The only real question is if 80 GB more is worth $140. To have it for the primary drive, probably. Buying from Apple is generally a little more expensive, but you get good quality. Figuring the value isnt as simple as figuring how much more you get and what it costs. Since we are talking about the main drive, you also have to consider what it is worth to you. You are going to have to consider that no matter what you do, you are going to be buying a primary drive from Apple. To buy a bigger one yourself instead of from Apple for the primary drive isnt a good value, since you would be most probably paying more than $160 for and then you have the 80 GB with nothing to use it for (if you have another computer than can use the old 80 GB, then buying your own becomes a better value). This alos involves getting it installed, which is some of that your extra $140 would be for. Now, if you dont mind doing it yourself and have another machine that could use the 80 GB drive, then get the 80 GB, buy your own larger drive and install it yourself. I personally feel that the extra $140 is probably a good investment. That much more space on the primary drive is going to make the machine itself get you a good deal further down the road before you start to consider other storage options....which brings us to the other storage option...

Another way to handle it is to get (an) external firewire drive(s). This also will provide a good solution to any storage issues. I have a 120GB external myself and I love it. One of the great advantages of external storage is that you can take your work to another machine, plug it in and there it is. Its portable. If you are doing a lot of graphics, eventually you will be considering this anyway. The extra drive space on the primary drive will only keep this from happening sooner. If you know you want extra storage that is portable anyway, then the value of the $140 for the bigger primary drive decreases.

It all depends on what you need and how you are going to use it.

If you can forsee doing any project that may require more space than the 80 GB (minus the OS and all your programs and other files), get the bigger primary driver. You dont want to get to where you have to split up a single project between two drives. Otherwise, get the 80 GB and put the $140 towards an external drive.

I like my Mercury external drive a great deal.

Fri, 09/26/2003 - 9:15 AM Permalink
crabgrass

Thanks THX, I checked again and it's only $100 for the upgraid.

more is better.

Fri, 09/26/2003 - 9:15 AM Permalink
East Side Digger

Fri, 09/26/2003 - 2:13 PM Permalink
crabgrass

Thanks crabgrass I am getting it from the apple store as they have a student discount, I think for now I'll just get the bigger hard drive as I only need it for school for the next couple of years.

it should do good for you well beyond that.

that's one of the things about Macs costing more...they tend to last you a longer time before you need to get a new one.

are you getting one of those 17" widescreens? that's a really nice computer.

160 GB is a hell of a lot of disc space. Consider that the iMac DV SE I got a few years ago had 13.5 GB and that was more than the regular models.

Fri, 09/26/2003 - 2:47 PM Permalink
East Side Digger

No only the 15" with the combo drive. is there alot of difference besides the screen and the drive, I did not think that I would need a dvd burner.

Sat, 09/27/2003 - 2:22 AM Permalink
crabgrass

No only the 15" with the combo drive. is there alot of difference besides the screen and the drive, I did not think that I would need a dvd burner.

not a lot of difference, no. besides screen size and hard disc space.

and if you don't need a DVD burner, there is no need to get that model.

sounds like you are getting what you need.

Sun, 09/28/2003 - 7:43 PM Permalink
East Side Digger

Mon, 09/29/2003 - 3:13 AM Permalink
crabgrass

my pleasure.

hope you enjoy your mac.

Mon, 09/29/2003 - 6:12 AM Permalink
East Side Digger

Sat, 10/11/2003 - 4:14 PM Permalink
crabgrass

you can probably shop around and find cheaper ones, but I really like my Mercury external hard drive

Sat, 10/11/2003 - 6:41 PM Permalink
East Side Digger

Sun, 10/12/2003 - 2:32 AM Permalink
THX 1138



Crabby, those prices don't seem bad.

Sun, 10/12/2003 - 7:32 AM Permalink
crabgrass

Otherworldcomputing is a good outfit.

Sun, 10/12/2003 - 10:32 AM Permalink
East Side Digger

Tue, 10/14/2003 - 2:12 PM Permalink
crabgrass

you mean the firewire external hard drive...yea, that should be no problem.

make sure you get one with both firewire and a USB2 though, since most PCs have the latter and not the former...unless his PC is fitted with Firewire too.

but yea....you should be able to hook it up to a PC, pull anything you like off it's hard drive and take it back to the iMac and use it (if it's a compatible program. Also, he should be able to download Mac programs on his PC even if he can't use them on his PC...so yea...as far as I know, that's exactly what you can do.

Wed, 10/15/2003 - 5:23 PM Permalink
East Side Digger

Wed, 10/15/2003 - 6:44 PM Permalink
crabgrass

welcome to the apple family

Wed, 10/15/2003 - 8:44 PM Permalink
East Side Digger

Thu, 10/23/2003 - 8:07 AM Permalink
THX 1138



You probably had/have some sort of spyware on your PC.

Thu, 10/23/2003 - 10:39 AM Permalink
East Side Digger

Thu, 10/23/2003 - 1:02 PM Permalink
crabgrass

The one thing I have noticed while on the net is no pop ups they were so bad on my pc that I could hardly stay on any site without my pc freezing up.

Safari kills pop-ups.

Thu, 10/23/2003 - 2:00 PM Permalink