Why are Macs More Costly, or Are They?

Lockergnome has a nice article on comparisons of the cost of a leading brand PC to the Mac Pro. The comparisons are to HP and Dell systems. Mac Pro is the high end Apple offering.

Now that you see the reason of Apple’s pricing, let’s move onto ownership. One big difference between a Mac and PC is the life they have during ownership. After you get a Mac, you might start realizing that the cost you paid for it will soon save you much in your wallet. The first thing you will come to notice is the software. Software on the Mac side is normally cheaper. I believe that the amount of software you buy for your computer can eventually equal or surpass the cost of the computer. Well this is just one reason why a Mac can save you money.

Interesting discussion on cost of ownership. Might be worth a thought when you are ready to purchase a new system this holiday season.

Wow, another Mac Leopard problem!

I see a new Leopard problem just about once every 2 days. This is a big one in my mind. Makes me glad I didn't upgrade to 10.5. As I stated earlier in a few posts, Leopard has had way too many issues. At that time there were 15 or so, now there has to be 20. Apple MUST correct these issues, and has tried with their latest patch to 10.5.1. But they are beginning to learn the pains of being successful. The more who use Apple computers, the more people who will be vocal and speak out. Oh and take their new OS through paces that Apple can not do themselves. I welcome Apple as a true contended to the Windows dominance. They still have a few things to augment. They need to lower the price of their computers, especially to grasp PC switchers. Perhaps they should market their low end iMacs as an alternative to the low end PC. Or better market the mac Mini as a direct PC replacement. For instance, add the stupid keyboard and mouse, and market it to supplant the PC box in a 30 day challenge promo. I just don't think they have done a very good job in this area. Marketing is good at Apple, as far as getting the word out about iPods. But they need a little more effort in the desktop area.


I think it is time for Apple to allow Mac OS X the ability to run on any PC platform. Windows dominance has been done with applications on top of their Windows operating system. Apple could do the same thing, especially since the iPod is the major stock pusher, not the Mac hardware. Still I do understand that Apple makes a double sell on the OS and the hardware when someone purchases an Apple computer. Perhaps they could ramp up the price of the OS, maybe double it, for the run anywhere version. I think this move has come and the time is right while Vista flounders. It will not be long before Microsoft gets their act together and fixes Vista. Once they do that, their 90 percent coverage advantage in the desktop software will really shine.

Dell XPS ONE, kinda like iMac, but BETTER!

Yeah, I am an Apple iMac guy right now, but this computer from Dell is a winner! It offers many features that the iMac does, integrated speakers, built in webcam, all in one design, one cord, wireless internet. But this new PC offers something the iMac lacks! Wow, a TV Tuner! It has a glass base, and is black. Looks great, has FULL feature remote, not just a one button remote like the iMac. It has the same Intel Core Duo 2 (Extreme version), 2 gig of memory... on and on. Did I mention the 8 slot memory card reader and USB slots on back and side. This is simply awesome! It really is a pound for pound winner when placed against the iMac. Only problem, it doesn't run Apple OS X. You gotta stick with Windows. But if you like Windows or have to use it, and don't want to switch to Apple, then this is my candidate for "Weblinksnewsletter Must Have". Dell has outdone itself, taken Apple's idea and made it even better. I want one for sure!

Star Trek Movie Room

This is a fun movie theater room. I would love to do this one day, make my movie theater room into the set of a Star Trek TV show. Thats what this home owner did. You can note the Trek-like seating and the bar off to the side, complete with Trek lighting techniques.

Vista Death - Mac OS X Glut!

Lockergnome hooked me up with a very interesting article from John C. Dvorak (as I have said in the past, one of my fav tech writers). Johns says that we are experiencing a Vista Death watch. He explains that Vista is nowhere near as popular as the installed base of Mac OS X users, and is a mere sliver of the installed base of Windows XP users. XP users are so fed up with Vista that they are moving back to XP. Windows just seems unable or unwilling to concentrate on their "core" software business. Vista is a gluttonous OS, and this should be expected, it is huge, has too much eye candy, and is expensive.

Now, I have been a Mac user for a few years now, so that qualifies me as being an advanced user, based on my system admin background in the PC world. Mac OS X for once, has followed in Microsoft's footsteps. They have placed all kinds of eye candy in OS X 10.5 Leopard, that the advanced user sees the functions as getting in the way. This software feature glut, I call it, has crept into the Mac OS. It was always standard with Windows.

Ok point: Apple has taken an incorrect detour with this last iteration of Mac OS X Leopard. They have decided that features and eye candy are more important than stability and bug fixes. Don't believe me? Take a look at the RSS feed (feed://docs.info.apple.com/rss/macosx.rss) from Apple on the sheer volume of bugs in 10.5. Not to forget that complaints on the semi-transparent menu bar, and the Dock. Oh Spaces, the virtual screen manager has many people worked up too, and Time machine is a little buggy, even if it is kool.

Apple should never follow Microsoft, but Apple should listen to us. I would prefer to see these cool new features have an ability to be toggled off. Mac OS X Tiger is sturdy, fast efficient, and gets the work done. Leopard is eye candy, and chock full of extras. I don't mean to be rude, but 10.5 should have been a 10.4 feature pack. Thats all it really is.

I see both Microsoft and Apple in trouble on this war to settle the eye candy debate. Vista is indeed so plum full of eye candy that gets in the way of doing work, email and web browsing, that many just can not take it anymore, and are dropping it for XP. I opted to pass on Leopard because of the same reasons. It didn't offer me a single thing I needed. Not one thing! Sure, it looks cool, and has many new tools and features, but nothing I can not life without. I would love a new iMac, but would load 10.4 on it if it would allow me, and I suspect it would.

Both of these companies have upped the ante. Not long ago, within the last 2 years, Apple always sold their OS based on speed, efficiency, and user experience. However Leopard took some of that away. They decided to please some, instead of everyone. Why not release each program as a small iTunes download?

Why not be able to purchase just Time Machine? If thats all one needs, sounds viable to me. How about Bootcamp, I want that as an extra, but don't need it, since I run Parallels. Let me but it for $20.00 if I want it. Or maybe give me a "triple choice". Buy any three software packages for a reasonable price, maybe $30.00.

Both companies are still entrenched in the old way of doing business, even though Apple is somewhat ahead in the Music category, they lack in many other places.

Booker T Joins TNA Pro Wrestling - Leaves WWE

This is a huge acquisition for TNA Pro Wrestling. One of my all time favorite in ring performers, as well as one of my favorite mic workers, Booker T, has jumped from WWE to join TNA. Booker T is a highly decorated and well respected pro wrestler, who was part of the old WCW, many Independent circuits, and lastly lately WWF/WWE. WWE talent seems to be very interested in TNA options, one of which is less travel and equal pay to what the famed WWE often pays performers.



One of the best things that has happened to pro wrestling, is this new competition. It gives wrestlers a real bargaining chip, it gives them more leverage for less travel and better working conditions. And since I am really into TNA right now, this will make it much more fun, watching Christian Cage, Kurt Angle and Booker T. WWE has to be concerned. All TNA needs now is Kane and Shawn Michaels. May never happen, but we can dream.

Global Warming Greatest Scam in HISTORY!

Straight from the ICECAP Blog from the Founder of the Weather Channel. Reposted here for record:

By John Coleman
"It is the greatest scam in history. I am amazed, appalled and highly offended by it. Global Warming; It is a SCAM. Some dastardly scientists with environmental and political motives manipulated long term scientific data to create an illusion of rapid global warming. Other scientists of the same environmental whacko type jumped into the circle to support and broaden the “research” to further enhance the totally slanted, bogus global warming claims. Their friends in government steered huge research grants their way to keep the movement going. Soon they claimed to be a consensus.

Environmental extremists, notable politicians among them, then teamed up with movie, media and other liberal, environmentalist journalists to create this wild “scientific” scenario of the civilization threatening environmental consequences from Global Warming unless we adhere to their radical agenda. Now their ridiculous manipulated science has been accepted as fact and become a cornerstone issue for CNN, CBS, NBC, the Democratic Political Party, the Governor of California, school teachers and, in many cases, well informed but very gullible environmentally conscientious citizens. Only one reporter at ABC has been allowed to counter the Global Warming frenzy with one 15 minute documentary segment.

I do not oppose environmentalism. I do not oppose the political positions of either party. However, Global Warming, i.e. Climate Change, is not about environmentalism or politics. It is not a religion. It is not something you “believe in.” It is science; the science of meteorology. This is my field of life-long expertise. And I am telling you Global Warming is a non-event, a manufactured crisis and a total scam. I say this knowing you probably won’t believe a me, a mere TV weatherman, challenging a Nobel Prize, Academy Award and Emmy Award winning former Vice President of United States. So be it.

I have read dozens of scientific papers. I have talked with numerous scientists. I have studied. I have thought about it. I know I am correct. There is no run away climate change. The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic. Our planet is not in peril. I am incensed by the incredible media glamour, the politically correct silliness and rude dismissal of counter arguments by the high priest of Global Warming.

In time, a decade or two, the outrageous scam will be obvious. As the temperature rises, polar ice cap melting, coastal flooding and super storm pattern all fail to occur as predicted everyone will come to realize we have been duped. The sky is not falling. And, natural cycles and drifts in climate are as much if not more responsible for any climate changes underway. I strongly believe that the next twenty years are equally as likely to see a cooling trend as they are to see a warming trend. See John’s full blog story here.. See John’s forecast blog on the KUSI site here."

Baltimore Votes Democrats As Usual

The Democrats won unanimously, as well as Dixon, Democratic Incumbent for Baltimore Mayor. Seems that Baltimore is just thrilled with the crime, death toll, murder rate, and budget crisis. Baltimore will not improve until party lines are crossed and business friendly leadership comes to Baltimore. The results from the voters, rolled over to Democrats as usual, even though under Democratic rule over the last 35 years, nothing has really improved for the impoverished and the poor. Guess we will have plenty more of the same for the next many years to come. Oh well, it is no wonder Baltimore is crumbling from within. The last mayor who actually did good for Baltimore was Schaefer.

New iMac is WOW! Georgeous!

I must say that I have been very critical of new Leopard Mac OS X and the new iMac keyboard, but here are some very positive views abut the new iMac itself. I took some quality time out today to really check over the new iMac at COMP USA who had an older one and a new one on display, so I could analyze them side by side. I must admit that the new iMac is gorgeous. The screen resolution is the sharpest and clearest computer screen I have ever seen. The older Intel iMac is nice, but not even close to the fine dot pitch and clarity that the new aluminum Intel iMac has to offer. It is thinner, sleeker, and really looks good. It also seems to run a bit faster and smoother. I have to highly recommend the new iMac, even if I choose to swap out the keyboard and mouse.

Mac OS X 10.5 = BUGGY!

I have been keeping an eye on the bug reports straight from Apple's RSS Feed, and I am really sort of surprised that so many BUGS and problems are already popping up. Seems to be at least one or two a day. It is a safe bet to hold off for a few months until they all get worked out!

The problems range from hung systems at login, permission issues, account permission issues, invisible backup sets, inability to backup, and even a BLUE SCREEN after reboot. Yes the dreaded Blue Screen of Death, which is well known to Windows users. I see 12 problems listed over the last week. Thats just the ones that Apple has announced, and are able to correct. There are more than likely many more yet undocumented or misdiagnosed issues.

feed://docs.info.apple.com/rss/macosx.rss

Inspirational Young Man and his Dad!

Born without eyes, this young man is in a marching band and a musical genius. What an inspirational story, and proof that we can do anything. This young man brought tears to my eyes, as well as the actions of his dad! May god bless them both.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qTiYA1WiY8