<p>
[quote]
Plus, you can download a widget that tracks gas prices in your area!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yahoo has already copied it. ;)</p>
<p>ok the new macbooks are so affordable that there is no reason for argument anymore (unless your a gamer than you can complain about the graphics processor... but your a gamer so who cares). 1 year ago I would never have said this but I think apple is putting those ipod profits to work and churning out products that are both technologically competitive and cost competitive</p>
<p>i began teaching a computer concepts class using MacOSsomething or other....then the lab was converted to PC's, and I still teach Office courses using Windows. However, I have a mac at home, and absolutely love it. i have always liked the ease and simplicity of a mac--but it takes a moment or two to switch from thinking like a pc to thinking like a mac--but the basics are pretty much the same!</p>
<p>
[quote]
but your a gamer so who cares
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Only a huge segment of the computer manufacturing market. ;)</p>
<p>Ok, a bit off topic, but I noticed something funny while browsing the Apple and Dell stores online.
First, look at the picture of the macbooks:
<a href="http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/0.RSLID?mco=3E78BC84&nclm=MacBook%5B/url%5D">http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/0.RSLID?mco=3E78BC84&nclm=MacBook</a></p>
<p>Note the classic Mac swirly blue background.</p>
<p>Now look at the way the Dell laptops are pictured:
<a href="http://www.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/notebooks?%7Eck=anav&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19%5B/url%5D">http://www.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/notebooks?~ck=anav&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19</a></p>
<p>Not with the classic "windows" background but with the swirly blue Mac one! Perhaps Dell is trying to make themselves look more like Apple? (Oops..it seems I'm already developing a bias.)</p>
<p>gloaming, Macs are totally the way to go. Get thee to a genius bar!</p>
<ul>
<li>If you get viruses on your PC:
Yes, this is, in part, Windows' fault. Programmers, just like anyone else, make mistakes. There are mistakes, undoubtedly, in OS X's code as well. However, Windows has a very high market share, and therefore people spend more time looking for these mistakes. On the other hand, most of these problems are preventable.</li>
</ul>
<p>As such, you are at fault as well. You are likely running Internet Explorer, do not have a firewall or do not have it properly configured, and do not have antivirus software. If you do have these things, they are most likely not updated.</p>
<p>If you have installed protective measures and still receive assorted malware, several other things are going on. Possibly, you are running pirated software. It does not occurr to people that the people that write the hacks for Photoshop also write the hacks that could potentially damage your computer. These can be bundled together. In either case, you may be running Kazaa or Limewire to acquire your unpaid-for software. These programs are not financed by God. They often include spyware. Spyware screws up your computer.</p>
<p>If you are not running any sort of questionable software and have not recently visited any questionable websites, and still receive viruses, you may not be thinking straight. You click "Yes" to any dialogue box that pops up because you do not know any better. You open attachments on suspicious emails. It does not matter if these are from your friends; they are likely as malware-ridden as you, and some malware attacks Outlook. Emails that read "Hi, check this out, it's cool" are not natural. Tell your friends to be more descriptive. Same thing applies to any other method of contact.</p>
<p>In the highly rare event that you simply plug in your network cable and magically receive viruses, one of two things is going on.
A) You do not know where these viruses came from, and assume they just appear. They don't. See the above.
B) You are being hacked. This is a tad bit more serious. You probably have a poorly configured firewall. However, at this point, it doesn't really matter whether you have Windows or not. If the hacker is worth his salt, he can hack a Mac just as well as anything else.</p>
<p>To those who proclaim Macintosh computers/OSes incredible quality:</p>
<p>Hardware: Macs are, indeed, very well built machines. While they tend to take this to the extreme in a bad way (laser-etched shiny metal things! It <em>must</em> be quality!), there is no denying that they're quite nice. And now they even have Intel chips, so you can run other OSes on them easily. However, it is prudent to note that the <em>cheaper</em> Macbook Pro is $2000. Chances are, PC laptops at a similar price aren't likely to be junk either. (I'm only referring to laptops here. Mac desktops are a bit of a different story on some models.)</p>
<p>Software: In all my time, I have met one, only one person who could properly support Mac software. His main argument was usability. I am not sure if the average user benefits from this. Probably some. But most don't understand it. They rag on about other things, such as:</p>
<p>The Dock: if any one vaunted characteristic gets at me, it's this one. I do not like the Dock. I am not quite sure what purpose it serves that is not served by Windows' Quick Launch and System Tray do not do. However, it does take up screen real estate, and is annoyingly animated. Nonetheless, people love it.</p>
<p>In either case, it's been emulated on Windows quite well. But Apple took the liberty of sending the creator a cease and desist letter. How nice of them.</p>
<p>Prettier: Matter of opinion. I personally hate Apple's GUI appearance. Sharp > Smooth. Luna (XP Default) does suck horribly though.</p>
<p>Dashboard: Konfabulator, now Yahoo! Widgets or whatever, does the exact same thing. On either OS.</p>
<p>Finally, to those who claim that there are equivalent Mac Apps for every Windows App:</p>
<p>Find me anything like LiteStep or a media player like foobar2000 and I'll be amazed.</p>
<p>End rather longish rant.</p>