To Apple or Not to Apple! (Part5 of 5)

Ok here it is, my final review of the iMac G5 and Mac OS X.
To see the first 4 parts you can click the links below!

Part1
Part2
Part3
Part4


To Apple or not to Apple! (Part5 of 5)
(or Apple iMac G5 from a PC Guys perspective)

Written by Will Wagner
http://weblinksnewsletter.net
Wednesday, March 08, 2006

This 5-part review sure has been an adventure. Right up front I want to provide a hearty thanks to those who offered encouragement, feedback, and praise. You all seemed very interested in what I had tried to write about. It has been a true learning experience for me, and has helped me understand a lot more about computing interfaces, especially non-windows and other windowing operating systems in general. In this, the final part of my review, I want to provide some final feedback, wrap up my personal experiences, and give you my recommendation. That sure is a lot to do, so lets get started!

The Intel iMac Core Duo has essentially made the iMac G5 obsolete. Not in the sense that it does not or will not work, but more so in the sense that Apple has set a future course towards Intel computer ships. Older G5 hardware will be obsolete in perhaps 6-12 months. Those interested in the Mac will have to consider getting the Intel version before attempting to purchase any G5. This is a good strategy, if you plan to purchase an iMac today; the Intel version is the clear way to go. This is the future. But should you? More to come on that shortly!

Lets look at all the negatives surrounding using the iMac and Mac OS X. Yes, Mac faithful, there are a few drawbacks.

Bad:
· I saw no easy way to back off of updates installed by Apple. Microsoft Windows has the Add/Remove software option in the Control Panel. Apple needs something, even some basic scripts via menu, to uninstall software for non-technical users.
· There is little to no commercial software available in the retail chain. I mean that you cannot walk into WalMart and purchase a software package or game for the Mac.
· The goofy one button mouse is stone ages behind the 2 or 3 button mouse. It has to go to eBay and you will need to purchase a real mouse.
· iTunes (and iPhoto) uses a proprietary database for cataloging your stuff. I really see no need for this. I would prefer a more open architecture for file management of your private materials. iTunes is a widely used application, but only because it is the only package to use with the iPod, not because it is the very best software.
· Not all of the settings are easily found and set in Finder. You have to manually modify the scripts or use a 3rd party tool for advanced features and settings. I know that Windows is the same with many of its hidden features. I have yet to figure this one out, unless they are leaving an opening for 3rd party developers. Oh and thank goodness for them!
· Heat! Heat! Heat! My iMac G5 gets hot. No wonder Apple has switched to Intel. I hope the new iMac has addressed this problem. The G5 has plenty of fans; they are just always set on low speed. Just not enough air flow! How hot is it, roughly 165F under constant load.
· .Mac is one of those extras that is disguised as an option, buy the entire OS is built with the assumption you will sign up and use .Mac. There should be a way to replace .Mac with your own personal webspace or site!
· It is not easy to see how much space a file is using. Allow us to put that info under each Icon as an option. Yeah you can choose a different view to display details, but I like the Icons view. In Windows you can click on a few files, and the total size is displayed at the bottom of the Explorer bar. I miss that! (There are 3rd party free utilities that serve this function, but Apple needs to supply it)
· Keyboard shortcuts are not shown on screen, in the menu. I admit the funky combinations are powerful, but for a newbie, I have to have a list of them plastered to my wall. Just put them in the menu!
· Thanks to Microsoft, flip4mac has given us libraries to open and save Windows Media files and formats to MOV. Apple should have supplied this one, perhaps in a conversion tool, but since M$ has deep pockets; all the Windows profits have gone to something worthwhile. Even if it is clunky.
· The iMac monitor base cannot be raised, only tilted. Why? Every other monitor manufacturer gives this ability. I can only imagine that since the iMac is so heavy, Apple felt that the neck and computer would not stay extended over a long period of time due to vibrations. Hence only a tilt neck is included. Apple is the innovator, get real, and fix this one.
· USB ports on the back? What gives? I have a few USB devices, and would like at least one on the side or somewhere we can reach it more easily. I have to admit one on the front would look like crap. I can give Apple some credit here for looks over function.
· iMac doesn’t come in a Cinema display? It should. I want a monster monitor with no cables like the iMac! There would only be demand for it if it were fast and top of the line hardware, like iMac.
· In Mac OS X you simply cannot change the size of the little close button icons or maximize/minimize button icons. You must be able to allow users to adjust sizes of these things. When you go hi-res these things are TINY! It takes me 3 clicks to hit it, and I am pretty accurate with the mouse clicks. I never have this trouble on Windows! Windows allows adjustments of visual queues and button sizes.
· The Dock on OS X is not as usable as the Taskbar on Windows. Don’t get me wrong; I think its appearance blows Taskbar away. I just like the way all open programs show up on Taskbar. Not many people like this as much as me, but I want to see all the programs I am running grouped together. The Dock shows little arrows on running apps, but that’s lame for an OS proud of its graphics capabilities. If the App is not minimized, it won’t show up on the Dock, too.
· Multiple desktops are a feature on just about all the Major UNIX operating systems. Apple dropped the ball here. 3rd party to the rescue! Unix gurus want multiple desktop utilities.
· The Mouse cursor can be resized, but the jaggies show up like Paul Bunyan’s favorite tree destroying saw. Again, for a supposed graphical OS, it should be a smooth transition if you resize the arrow. In Windows, no such problems! Matter of fact you can change the cursor all together! Nope, not on Mac OS X. Third party utilities provide this, but why should they need to?
· I was able to drop an audio sound into the default folder for my default sounds, but what about startup music or shutdown music. Windows does it, now! Not Mac OS X. The option should be there for user fun and configuration.
· Apple includes only lame OpenGL screensavers. Give us more eye candy! At least 3rd party developers have many out there for free, but you have to search.
· Installing software is not standardized. Sure most of the time you can simply drop into the apps folder, but some apps have an install script, others don’t. Why make the user drop the software into the Applications folder, allow them to right click on the app they want to install, and have the system copy it. I bet this could be done in Automator or through Apple Script. But make our lives easier; include the script on the file context menu.
· No Audio Input port, only Audio Output. This is supposed to be a users multimedia system, but no input for sound? Wack!
· No Newsreader is included. What? That is a deep hole that needs to be filled. A basic newsreader is very important to my online experience.
· If you like to label CDs, I suggest that you don’t use them in the iMac CD/DVD drive. They could get stuck. Since the unit is hot anyway, the label could spin right off the disc.
· OS X is built specifically to run on Apple hardware, so it is more stable. But not perfect. During a reboot that some virus scanner software recommended, the system hung up hard, and the fans whirred full speed. I had to power it off to get it back!
· Oh and the hardware is one solid main board, not much to upgrade inside, except memory or hard drive. Don’t expect to buy any add on cards or internal capture devices, no such thing! This could be a good thing, easier for users to manage, but your iMac system could become obsolete faster than a normal desktop, which can grow with your needs.
· My Creative Web cam wouldn’t recognize when I plugged it in. Why? It is no wonder that the iSight is now included in the iMac. One less issue to deal with!
· Unix file permissions and ownerships get screwed up every time you install software. Why? This sure seems like a major bug to me. You have to run the permissions correction tool periodically.
· Mac Icons are not easy to change, and your main foundation icons cannot be changed. On windows you can change almost any icon anywhere.
· Mac software, which can be found, is expensive! No wonder people prefer Windows. You may not get world-renowned software, but who cares for a few dollars we could toss it in the trash if we don’t like it. Most Apple applications hover around $100 but some are much more.


Well I wanted to be absolutely honest on my criticisms on the iMac and Apple OS X. I didn’t hold back, and really feel that these issues are mostly things that can be addressed easily. Actually, I see no reason keeping Apple from doing all of them cheaply. We know I can be a critic, what about the items that I really like about the iMac and OS X?

Good:
· Great sounding speakers! The size alone would make you think they would be only good enough for whisper music. In fact the speakers are great for standard speech and audio. I love the fact I don’t need to purchase extra speakers or hardware. Plus the fact that they are built right in.
· Talk about Hardware, the iMac is gorgeous! Flat, streamlined, simple, aesthetically pleasing, well designed, compact…. On and on! The iMac is simply the best looking and best designed computer, and that before you even turn it on!
· I found that the iMac was a great system for viewing DVDs. I simply love the DVD player software in my iMac. This iMac looks like a TV, and plays DVDs with magical quality. I could be at my desk working on a project, reading mail, or doing paperwork, and view DVDs easily, they sound good, and the screen is sharp and clear. A bit costly for a simple DVD player, but at least it does other things too.
· The iMac boots very quickly! Blows Windows away, not even close. If I were to compare equal plain vanilla systems, I think it would be a little closer, but still no contest! I even reloaded my PC do be more fair, the iMac still seems much faster at bootup.
· Even though the USB and Firewire ports are on the back, they are all lined up together, in a row, very uniform. On any given PC the jacks and connectors are all over the back of the system, and never next to each other.
· Mac OS X is Unix, and not just any Unix, but BSD. This means it is rugged and built to run. If you like Linux, you should love Mac OS X.
· Since OS X is Unix, there are many ports or conversions of Linux software now being ported to OS X. This equates to a lot of free online software, which happens to be very useful.
· The slot load CD/DVD player and burner is kool. No tray, nothing to worry about, CD simply slips into the side of the iMac cabinet. It is easy to use, and clean looking.
· I cannot say enough about the keyboard. I truly appreciate the sound controls on the keyboard, volume, mute, and eject key for CD drive. Very user friendly once I discovered them. No such thing exists on the PC, except in aftermarket keyboards that add extra expense. I guess in the long run; since the PC is cheaper, these may break even with each other, but the iMac includes them, score one to Apple.
· I upgraded the memory from 512Meg to 1024Meg (1 Gig). This process was simple, easy to do, only 3 screws to unscrew. They never popped out, they stay attached to the unit so they don’t get lost. Pop the memory into the slot, click the ends onto the memory and close up the cabinet. Easy upgrade!
· I was pleasantly surprised to find much freeware and shareware software on the Internet. Even though you cannot find commercial software in the stores, there is plenty of it online, tucked away at your favorite Mac sites.
· Mac OS X was simple to update via the Apple assistant. Took one click to allow my Mac to check for updates. They appeared, and you hit ok. The updates all install, then your computer asks to reboot. In the Windows world you have to reboot on some of the patches right away, one at a time, then check for updates again, what a PC time waster! XP has come a long way to helping correct this, but it is behind the iMac on this one.
· I hooked up my PC printer and it just worked, the driver was already in there. No fancy features like on the PC but at least it works. Windows has been pretty good at hardware detection over the last many years too though.
· I like the Finder program manager / file manager. It is simple to use, and fully object oriented. That means you can drag files to applications, or drag files to printers.
· I currently have my iMac tell me the time every hour. My Mac speaks! I like this feature. I can also have the Mac say anything from a file I want. This feature can also help you navigate the OS if you have sight troubles.
· Mac Icons are very colorful, sharp and attractive! They are sharp even if you grow them to the largest size, as big as a Quarter.
· OS X comes with a wide array of applications, utilities, and programs. If you didn’t want to purchase anything else, you don’t have to.
· Searchlight is fantastic! Type in a word, and the system will search the whole darn system for references to that word. Bookmarks, files, folders, mail messages, music, photos. Everything!
· It is easy to drop an application to the Dock for future use, and even easier to remove one. Drag file to or off the Dock, that’s it!
· The iMac comes with Bluetooth and Airport wireless built in! I use Bluetooth for the keyboard. I know many cell phones today have Bluetooth. Not to mention PDAs. That’s a fine standard feature, one Apple has been wise to include.
· An Ethernet 10/100 jacks in included for wired networking. This I prefer for privacy!
· The widgets are nice little utilities. I prefer Konfabulator, but the built in Widget engine is kool too.
· The Background Image on the desktop has more options. You can tile and stretch, but they are oriented from the center, not from the top left corner of the screen. This is much more advanced and intelligently designed. You don’t have to hit the OK button, like discontinued IBM OS/2, the change just happens.
· Smooth! This one is rather hard to express, but the Mac and OS X seems to run smoothly and present an aesthetically pleasing experience. The actions on the OS are not choppy. When you open windows they quickly fade in or animate from the Dock. Windows has this feature, but it seems like a resource hog on the traditional PC.
· I prefer the 2-button mouse, and as dirty as it seems, I took a Microsoft Mouse, plugged it in, and it worked great. Any 2-button mouse would work, but I got the same one that my PC had. It is USB, and never skips or hops, it just runs reliably. I can say on Windows 2000 there was an issue where the mouse would abort and you had no pointer. Never saw that on Windows XP.
· There is game support on Mac OS X. Quake 3 comes to mind. I have found enough games for my tastes. I prefer small quick 1st person shooter games. I have several Flash files that are games, like PacMan and Asteroids, Tetris, and even Batman. The current Flash player is available for Mac OS X, a huge plus.
· Safari is feature rich, and solid. It has never choked on a web page, which I visited. Safari just runs well. Tabbed browsing has grown on me too, since you cannot see all your separate Safari web page windows running in the Dock. There is a hidden setting you can use, I think, to show all jobs running, but that would get cluttered. Apple took the correct approach here.
· Even though the front of the iMac looks funny, the screen is on the top third. I like the space for sticky notes below the screen. This is a great place for reminders and notes to myself. I don’t use the software sticky notes application, which is included. With space for real notes, it is easier for me.



Well, as you can see I have found much good, and bad about my experiences. Seems to me that the iMac is not perfect. Matter of fact, I see much room for enhancements or changes. The hardware is a winner, many of my problems surrounded the software interface. As a PC guy, I would love to see Windows XP run on an iMac. I like Windows XP, it is the first really reliable OS that Microsoft has given us. However, I like the iMac overall too!
For this review, since day one, I have had the iMac sitting next to my PC. I admit, the PC is more centered, and the iMac is just to the right. I have attempted to use the iMac for much more than just browsing the Web, but it is best suited for browsing, E-Mail, and general Internet related usage. Strangely enough, no newsreader was included. Some modern browsers include newsreader function. Apple needs to include a newsreader.
I have found that the iMac and Mac OS X in general can do all of the things that the Windows XP counterpart can. Matter of fact, there are utilities for almost anything out there you wish to do. I do have some very specific programs and utilities on the PC that I wish I had on the iMac. I am sure they will eventually come, or perhaps I will come across a similar application or script. But no major show stoppers.

Recommendation:

Finally, here comes the major zinger of whether I recommend the iMac and OS X, or not.
1. Yes I do. I fully recommend the iMac for your Internet and computing needs. I felt that if my PC crashed and went south, I could use and enjoy the iMac for my computing needs.
2. Now how about the question, “Would I Switch from the PC to Mac, and never look back?” No. I would not. For some things I still prefer the PC. I prefer my music on the PC, in MP3 format. MP3 format is more widely used and supported. But the iMac is a great companion to the PC network, it easily integrates, and can serve as a second system, web server, or just to get various things accomplished while you wait on your PC to do other things. But be careful of .Mac. Be wary of what you purchase on extended agreements or subscription services. Keep in mind that anything on someone else’s server can be searched through or copied. Your privacy is at risk.
3. If I had to choose right now and select only one platform to use, I would have to stay with the PC. I know so much more about the PC and the underlying file structures. Previous versions of PC software count, but in todays connected world you can find any application you need on the Net for cheap or commercial fee. Software is just no longer a factor.
4. If you are new to computing, or don’t know a heck of a lot about the PC in general, or the inner workings, I feel that you would be a better candidate to switch to the iMac. It is a fantastic platform for computing, Internet, and content creation (like video and DVDs). It does it all very well, and builds high quality output. The PC does it all, but is sometimes slow, sloppy (poor output) and prone to lock ups.

Finally:

Go out and purchase an iMac. I think you will really enjoy the experience as I have done. Whether you need or like the iMac will be based on many personal factors, and preferences. I just don’t see a clear-cut argument for or against either platform. I don’t mind seeing competition though, and Microsoft needs more of it. But Apple would score more adopters as an open platform, which seems important to more people today, if they would create software that doesn’t hook you into their formats and ways of doing things. Make software that is well integrated, but open! This is probably why Linux is gaining so much ground on the desktop, at work and at home.

Thanks for reading, good luck in your review!

Live Simpsons Intro by Fans!

This is very funny, and I wonder why this hasn't been done earlier. These fans went and created the Simpsons TV show intro via LIVE scenes. Really kool to see in live footage, versus the original cartoon version. Check it out!

Hilarious Monkey Mail from Careerbuilder.com

My cousin dropped me some email formatted by this site. The gag is that you create a monkey, type in some text, and it talks. I like the Simon voice best. I was sending notes and junk all night! I guess I am an Internet Junkie afterall. To really waste some time, and get some laughs, try it for yourself! Listen to this message from me!

Unusual Catchy Video - Maeken Toranzu - Koi no Maiahi Chiwawa

Here is a link to a catchy video I found on Google Video and YouTube. Take a look, dance a little, then realize that the main female character looks alot like the main male character! Coincidence, nope! But still a catchy and fun video to watch. Look out Britney!

John Dvorak says Apple will Adopt Windows?

John C. Dvorak has always been one of my favorite pundits! He is one who seems to love controversy. And in his true style he has announced that he believes that Apple will eventually kill off Mac OS X and adopt... Windows. Article Courtesy of PC Magazine.

To Apple or not to Apple! (Part4 of 5)

To Apple or not to Apple! (Part4)
(or Apple iMac G5 from a PC Guys perspective)

Part 4 of my 5 Part White Paper on my experiences using an iMac from a PC user experience has been released. Part 5 will be forthcoming this weekend, with a Wrap Up and recommendation for those who want to know if they should take the plunge.

Part1
Part2
Part3


To Apple or not to Apple! (Part4)
(or Apple iMac G5 from a PC Guys perspective)

Written by Will Wagner
http://weblinksnewsletter.net
Thursday, February 16, 2006

Well, with the announcement of the newer Intel iMac, my review of the G5 seems to now be very old and outdated. Better get my butt in gear and finish this review! Apple sure does do business via Internet time, it seems that Microsoft is in delay mode for all of their products in comparison. Sure says a lot for a smaller company (Apple) compared to the behemoth (Microsoft). The latest G5 with the remote was released only a few months ago. Now the iMac, like I have on my desk, comes with an Intel chip inside. Oh well, I have my thoughts together, and have made an attempt to speed up the release of these last 2 parts. Part 4 which you are reading now, will cover real productivity, and Part 5 will be my recommendation or lack of. I guess the review will be more of a wide perspective of Apple and Mac, versus just simply this iMac G5, but I will try to be specific in my views on both topics. I anticipate the final part to be out in less than a week. I feel that you can get a bargain sale price on the iMac G5 right now, so if ever there was a time to purchase one for your own review, that time could be now. More on that in Part5!

What Have I done?

The title doesn't really imply "Oh no, what have I done!" but rather, "“Ok I have an iMac, not what have I done, with it?"

As far as productivity software goes, I have fully tested AppleWorks. AppleWorks, as you may recall, is the productivity suite that is bundled with the Mac OS X Operating system. Wow, is it simply jam-packed with templates and options. There are templates for web pages, newsletters, letterhead, greeting cards, signs (for sale), banners, awards, postcards, posters, and calendars. Like I said jam-packed!
In AppleWorks you get a paint program, much like Paintbrush on Windows. The single most amazing drawing tool (to my simple mind) is the triangle tool. Sure other apps can draw circles and squares, but I have never seen a tool that can draw triangles. Hmm, I could envision usage for this, such as creating cool Halloween pumpkins hand crafted for a greeting card. You can also paste a pattern into the background or just about anywhere. Change the colors, and create unusual backgrounds. Now I admit, this is not Photoshop, but it is a cool tool that goes a long way for the price of bundled software. Save the image as a BMP, PNG, TIFF, TGA, JPEG and a few others. Noteworthy, you can also save in ClarisWorks format, which indicates to me that this part of the package is a direct licensed copy of the real ClarisWorks.
You also have Assistants that walk you through a few choice documents. Certificates, envelopes, calendars, business cards. All in all some very useful items. Major format styles are covered too, word processing, spreadsheets, line drawings (a second program other than paint), presentation software, and finally a database utility.
This AppleWorks application has really grown on me. As a PC guy I recognize these tools are commercial quality. They are not flashy in any stretch of the imagination, but very useful and complete. Beats the large price tag for Microsoft Office.

Apple has packed some fantastic Internet Utilities inside the Mac OS X. I have been using the Mail application on the Mac and comparing in parallel to my PC. Mail is full featured, has a spell checker, rules "wizard” to set various sorting options as messages come into your Inbox. I couldn't find a Vacation Message option, but I suspect you could create a rule to email all recipients you are away. But the clear best feature Mail has to offer is the Bounce capability. This means that if you get junk from someone, you can reply with a bounce message. This means that the junk mail sender gets a server type message saying unknown recipient, and that can get you removed from the Spam list. Kool!
How about if you want to avoid someone, just bounce the message back. You could also redirect the message, which is better than forwarding. When it is redirected, the original sender remains intact, versus a forwarded message, which gets your address in the From Field. I see this very handy for those with multiple mail accounts where you may wish to reply from a specific account or service, back to this sender. Kool #2
You can also edit and cater the button menu to your liking. Place all of the buttons you frequently use, such as Get mail, New, Reply, Reply to All, Print, Redirect, etc. There are buttons to change the font ala IE for font increase and decrease, on the fly. Highly configurable, and easy to use package overall. You can even drag the default set back to the toolbar to get back to the original setting. Yes it is that easy!
I have to tell you, I really don’t see any major drawbacks with this commercial grade and high quality Mail program. It has all the normal features plus what I outlined above.

I use the bundled Safari web browser to surf the net. It is fantastic too! There is a modern Flash player, which I feel keeps your sites looking like they do on the PC side. But on top of that compatibility you get so much more. Safari is an RSS newsreader, which just makes plain sense. RSS is built on the web server structure, so why need a separate reader?
Block Pop Ups! Surf PRIVATELY if you like! Your History is kept in the menu, which breaks it down by days on which you browsed. The Bookmark editor looks just like the Finder file Manager, so it is easy to use as well.
How about this one? You can open all your bookmarks at one time. Yes, each Bookmark child menu has a listing to Open in Tabs. This executes each bookmark in the current drop down to open in Safari. Now as you might expect, I did this on my large bookmarks section, and nearly 50 bookmarks opened all at once. It worked great, with only a moment of wait to begin using the bookmarks. If you are working on several projects, I like this option to open all the pages at one time.
Safari is fast too. It runs as fast as the Gecko engine on Mozilla. Not sure which is faster, I suspect Mozilla, but it is peppy. Not to mention you can also watch all of your file downloads and activity via the separate Activity and Downloads boxes. I can download many files at once, and they show status all in one place. WasnÂ’t sure I would like this, but I actually do. Makes for less screen clutter. I was even able to pause or stop a download, and click on it and it would pick up where it left off, for large files. Awesome features that users love, and they are all here.
I imported all of my Bookmarks, by the way, and have them on my Mac now as well as in Netscape on the PC. Even though I don’t use all of them all the time, and prefer the Google bar for finding pages, it imported flawlessly.
Another fine application that is unique to the Mac OS X, even if they are not glamorous, for an Internet junkie like myself, they are critical to making the iMac useful for me.

I dabbled with iTunes. I realize the market of the iPod, so I won’t spend too much time here. I myself like iTunes for what it can do. It catalogs and sorts your audio library, allows easy burning of CD media and music, and allows you to purchase some great songs and videos for cheap. I am not a fan of having to be forced into any package that requires me to use it to do simple burning of music files. But on the PC I had to get third party software to allow me freedom as well. To simply play audio files or downloaded content, I prefer QuickTime or the free VLC Player.

iPhoto is the software that handles all of your photos and allows you to view and preview them, then print or share. I imported 4600 items into iPhoto and it choked. Not right away, it seemed to import, but while managing some photos, moving them or indexing them, basically sorting them to other folders, iPhoto locked up. Now I did dump a lot of photos. so I give it that.
I don’t care for iPhoto that much. Like with my music, I simply prefer to place my files into my own folders and sort system. I don’t mind a viewer of sorts, but have no need for a separate library to catalog my photos. I can view them in the Finder. So no thrills for iPhoto, but I can see why it is nice to have for those people who are not keen on file management and direct manipulation of files and folders.

iDVD is awesome though. It was simple and easy to create some really professional DVDs. I had a few troubles getting my real content on the DVD at first, being lulled into thinking the nice animated intro menus linked directly to content. It didn’t for me. But once I got the hag of making links to content and the real movie, I got it. Bottom line is it is not as easy to use as everything else on the iMac. But once learned, it does become effortless to create a nice high quality DVD. Oh and the templates in iDVD are incredible!

iMovie HD beats many of the movie making packages I have seen though. The drag and drop features are cool, and I could actually simply record voice via the internal mic, and add some of my own commentary to the video.
The effects are abundant. Probably more than a “basic” package such as this really needs. But they are there if it strikes ya. Normally you should stick to one particular wipe style, so the audience is not distracted, but for creative genius, you can do almost anything.
Better yet Make a Magic Movie. This means that you select footage, place a default scene transition between the scenes, and send to iDVD to create. This thing then creates the DVD for you, and does a good job! Keeps ya from doing all the planning and creation for simple family DVDs you want to get out the door while your family is waiting to take a copy home.

GarageBand is the now very famous musical creation application in OS X. It comes with some demo music, which you can edit and mess with to learn how to use GarageBand. I am not very musically inclined, so struggled at first. But I then figured out how to edit and create new tracks and musical instruments. Now I did take music in school, played the guitar for a half semester, tuba for a year, and drums (bass, snare and cymbals), and recorder (flute like thing) but my ability to really create was very limited. I was never really that good. I have to admit I was better at lip sync or air guitar.
Nonetheless, this application is awesome. For those of you who have musical ability, this tool brings to you all instruments you could want. Drum rhythms, guitar riffs, various different keys that can be inserted as individual notes, via midi keyboard (or like me, by using the on screen keyboard with mouse). It is a lot of fun to use, and tinker with, and I plan to invest much more time to create something, no matter how lame it may be.
Oh if you do actually create something worthwhile, send it to iTunes, and burn it to a CD. That may be one of the best features.

QuickTime comes with OS X. QuickTime is the video player. I just had to finally purchase the PRO version so I could record and view MOV files full screen. For $30.00 it is a bargain. I must say that Windows Media Player has many of these features, and is free. So that has to be taken in consideration.
Once you go PRO you can record any audio and video you wish to. In a previous section I noted how liquidly smooth the size adjustments are for movie resizing, 2x and back to 1x. Grab the window and move it, and note just how smooth and clean the video remains while it is moved.
QuickTime is a very well written and refined package, especially from a few years ago. Back then I had all kinds of troubles with it on Windows 95. Finally I see it has matured into a viable recoding application that we were waiting for.

So what have I done? Basically I have used the major packages to create music (bad music), create cool DVDs from movie clips, listen to free pod castings on iTunes, and read my mail. I actually prefer Safari to any browser I have tested or use today.

In addition I have downloaded several free software programs for the Mac OS X. There has always been an insistence that there is no software for the Mac. Well, you can’t buy software in any store, YET. But you can get Mac software for free, via shareware, and via commercial terms on many sites across the net. There seems to be plenty of software.
I have purchased Toast 6 Lite via eBay. I am looking for a good deal on Toast 7, and plan to grab that soon. But this Lite version allows me to easily wipe rewritable cd disks. It can be done via the disk utility, but easier via Toast.
I also purchased a Slots game, which was on sale, from CompUSA. This was more for my wife, to acclimate her to the iMac. She likes the iMac, but could care less what I have on the desk. She just wants it to work, and it does.
I also added Konfabulator, which is now called Yahoo Widget. I like this better than the Apple widget engine, since I can place widgets directly on my desktop. I found some hacks, which enable you to drag your Apple widget to the desktop, but it stays on top by default and is difficult to close the widget. I use the Activity Monitor to close wayward apps anyway, so thatÂ’s the solution! But I encourage you to grab the Yahoo Widget engine, FREE. It really dresses up the desktop and can make it very useful. Whatever widget engine you use, Widgets are an integral part now of any OS. When will Microsoft come up with this idea? Lets hope not!

Finally, I would be inept at reviewing the iMac if I didnÂ’t mention the Unix frame underneath. Unix is the backbone of the Internet, as well as the phone networks. It is used by engineers to do real work, and is very popular in the Linux flavor across the Internet.
Now we have Unix underneath the famed Apple platform, and I like that idea. I donÂ’t know a lot about Unix administration, but I can use the command line for viewing permissions and using basic commands.
For those out there who want Unix, the Mac is no doubt a compelling option. Based on BSD, the version out of Berkley Unix. Mac OS X boasts the Mach Micro kernel. Unix experts like to use various different kinds of script languages, and all of the major versions are supported. Perl, PHP, TCL/TK, Ruby, and Python and Korn Shell. Heard of Microsoft Vista doing 64 bit addressing? OS X already does that. Woa!


Wrap Up!
(Next - Final Issue Part 5 Wrap Up! available at http://weblinksnewsletter.net)

Hulk Hogan Anthology DVD

Big news for Hulk Hogan and Pro Wrestling fans, the list of feature matches for the DVD on April 4th, 2006, has been leaked to the net. Looks good as seen at Lords of Pain.net

More on Hulk Hogan at the WWE site!

Liberals Devalue King's Legacy at Funeral

Jimmy Carter, Rev Joseph Lowery (who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Martin Luther King Jr.), and Bill Clinton smeared the memory and legacy of Dr King, as well as Coretta Scott King, during Mrs. King's funeral. Leave it to this bunch, who whine and complain about tactics, not enough for poor, and slow response to Katrina, but refuse to accept responsibility for their part in all of that. They attacked President Bush at a persons funeral! Unbelievable, and the media misses it. They actually ignore it. George H. Bush was correct in stating that "Anybody that shoots at the president of the United States at a funeral, I just didn't appreciate that." And any citizen who respected the legacy that both King and his wife brought to civil rights would also recognize that it was inappropriate!

Hear an interview with George H. Bush and what he thought of this, from CBS News!

FREE Remote Display Software for Mac and PC

I just had to step in here and post this one. I got the latest PC Magazine Solutions Email Tech Newsletter from Anil Hemrajani. The entire article topic was how to connect to your PC from Mac or reversed! Be it Windows, Mac OS X or Linux, it just doesn't matter! I thought this would be a great tool to use while testing the Mac during my 5 part series on the Mac from a PC Users Perspective. I LOVE this kool utility! You can't BUY a cooler software package, one that offers real options in multi-platform processing setting. I can now run anything on my Mac, which is via remote display from my PC. Read the article for yourself, and I urge you to check this one out, and give it a try!

John Kerry - Man Of Mystery

From the Network of College Conservatives, a very funny image of John Kerry. Seems that Kerry wants to declare peace and sign a treaty with terrorists! Amazing!

Beastie Boys Fun

One of my favorite bands/groups has always been the Beastie Boys. I have felt that they always try to stretch their music while making statements about just what is going on out there. Now I may be digging deep, but their latest project is a motion picture, with a group of fans taking the video. Due out in March! Caution Adult Language!

Cringely on Bush Wiretaps

Robert X. Cringely has stated his 2 cents on President Bush, and the technical truth about spying on your terrorist enemies! He says: "several hundred NSA communication intercepts wouldn't have qualified for submission by the DoJ to the FISA court, and some of those might not have qualified for FISA court orders even if they had been submitted".

Olesker Resigns Due to Plagiarism!

Long time Liberal Sun Newspaper columnist Michael Olesker has resigned short of his 30 year anniversary with The Sun Newspaper. I now see that not only Olesker had been unnecessarily rude, but also lazy! Olesker has been on the attack against popular Maryland Governor, Bob Ehrlich, using various statements, facts and figures that now must be called into question. Ehrlich sued The Sun in 2004, and won in Federal Court, however the liberal newspaper has appealed. This is a glorious day for Marylanders, which says go ahead and speak out, but be accurate, truthful, and use your own material.

The article says: Ehrlich Press Secretary Greg Massoni said in an e-mail detailing the ban that Nitkin and Olesker "are failing to objectively report on any issue dealing with the Ehrlich-Steele administration."

Examples of the Plagiarism is shown in the WBAL website at this link.

PC Cooling: Submerged in Oil

I just have to pass this one along. These techies in Germany have outlined, with images, their high end PC cooling experiment, by submerging the PC in Cooking Oil. Awesome way to look at things, though I may not do this myself. Now I don't have to since they did it for us.

See how they did it!

To Apple or NOT to Apple (Part 3)

To Apple or not to Apple! (Part3)
(or Apple iMac G5 from a PC Guys perspective)

Part 3 of my 5 Part White Paper on my experiences using an iMac from a PC user experience has been released. The Holidays sure took a beating on my free time! In addition to work, school, and various chores around the house, I had little time to refine my thoughts and get them out to you in a timely manner. Rest assured Part 4 & 5 will be forthcoming.

Part1
Part2


Written by Will Wagner
Monday, January 9, 2006

So Far…

My experiment into the World of Apple and Mac OS X has been, I have to admit, a lot of fun. My initial fears associated with the change from one platform to another, one operating system to another, and one whole computing interface to another, have been quelled. I have found that Apple has spent a lot of time and effort into making the Mac easy to use, easy to operate, and less hassle to maintain. In the first few weeks, and then months, which I have been compiling data for this “white paper”, my Mac has been solid, mostly responsive, and easy to understand. In that same time my PC has hung, failed to write a CD properly creating a “coaster”, and my network connection failed to operate several times, forcing me to “fix” the network settings via a Windows button in the preferences. Since I am a highly skilled PC person they were all easy to correct, or to try again, but meanwhile my Mac was sitting there patiently waiting for me to get done with the PC and come back to be able to do something.

Granted, I was, and still am comparing a PC that is a tiny bit older than the iMac, but not by that much. My Windows XP system has had the benefit of tweaks, personal hacks, Norton Utilities and various enhancements via the registry. No such customization was really done on the iMac. Now in this period of time, I have learned several things about my iMac. There are many hidden settings to change the look and feel here and there. But I still feel some major enhancements are missing, or at least I have not stumbled upon the more advanced stuff yet.

I hope to give a general Conclusion later on in Part 5 that will address whether one should switch, or at least consider the iMac during a new purchase. It may not sound like it, but the jury is still out on that one.


Bundled Application Listing

Time to take a look at what kind of software and applications are bundled with the iMac and Mac OS X in general. You will recall this is not the new iMac. This is the previous generation iMac with everything the current one has, except that cute remote that looks like an iPod, and the built in iSight camera.
Lets go alphabetically, shall we? Apple has bundled many applications, some you have already paid for, and some that nag you to register each time you run them.

2005 World Book - Nice application, fun to look at, polished and feature rich. Nice for the kids, and a good excuse for them doing Homework on the iMac. But every PC I have ever gotten comes with an Encyclopedia also. Minus the nag screen.

Address Book - Complements the Email package, mainly used to keep track of phone numbers, and email addresses. But don’t underestimate this partial package. It has several hidden features. Like being able to map the address listed for your current entry through MapQuest. Another very cool feature is you can have your iMac speak the details on this entry. Yes the computer can talk to you, and it does it well.

AppleScript - This software package allows you to run scripts or batch files via the menu. I have not experimented much with this feature, but think it will be used by me as I become more familiar with OS X and find a need to browse the web for information on it. There are many example scripts to test out, and I urge anyone with a Mac to do this.

AppleWorks - Suite of Productivity tools, word processor, Spreadsheet, tools reminiscent of Microsoft Office, but this is free and included in the operating system package. Great feature!

Automator - Much like AppleScript, this is a menu driven graphical interface used to automate processes and execute programs in your given preferences. You select actions from a list of choices for various programs. I don’t know of any program in the Windows world that does this, besides the older Macro Recorder, which has long been discontinued.

Calculator - This is easy a basic calculator application is included. Just like the Windows counter part.

Chess - This is way better than Solitaire, a Chess game is included with OS X, and yes, again it says the moves so you could leave the room for a moment and know when it is your turn.

Dashboard - This is possibly the most popular and highly marketed application. Dashboard is the Widget engine in OS X. It can be quite useful. My only complaint is that it resides on a separate workspace, instead of placing its objects onto the desktop like other well-known Widget programs. Konfabulator comes to mind, now owned by Yahoo, which gives PCs a dynamic useful tools base. Konfabulator wins hands down.

Dictionary - This is another useful application, which allows you to type a word into the program, and it searches for your meaning. I must admit though, I rarely use a dictionary in normal everyday usage, thanks to Microsoft word. Still nice to have for the kids.

DVD Player - Simple enough, the icon looks like an iPod. This app plays DVDs very well, in full screen mode.

Font Book - Mac OS X uses this application as the Font Manager, same as Windows.
Garage Band - This program is hailed as one of the most useful and enjoyable applications included in OS X. Garage Band is just that, it allows one to create music and audio clips for special projects. It takes some getting used to, and is not as intuitive as I would like it to be. But you can dig in right away and begin to tinker around. The thing I do like is that what you enter on the keyboard can be made into any sound when changing the instrument. Fun! I haven’t created any great masterpiece, but this app brings a powerful tool to the family desktop, which could boost musical creativity!

iCal - This application is a Calendar scheduler. Works much like the Calendar in Outlook on the windows side. Nice that it is a separate application, versus a bundled program that requires email to be open. It stands alone quite well.

iChat - One of the most widely used applications today is the chat program, and Apple provides this one that can easily interface with AOL Instant Messenger.

iDVD - This application is a solid DVD authoring tool, bundled with Mac OS X. Windows provides Movie Maker, but nothing as awesome as iDVD. I must say that the intros in iDVD are commercial quality if I ever did see some. Nothing compares!

iMovie HD - This application is a tool used to create content for your DVD movies. It appears to be as nice and clean as the other applications I have looked at. I really like the robustness of the drag and drop. It doesn’t skip a beat. Again, another strong application that makes the Mac OS X worth every penny. I can’t import Windows Media files though, and I feel this is a feature that would be needed for those PC people in a dual computer environment. Perhaps there is a way, and I am too novice yet to have found it.

Internet Connect - This program helps you to setup various modern connection types. I never actually used it since I have broadband. But you could setup your modem connection to your Internet service provider, a Bluetooth or airport wireless connection.

iPhoto - Nice application for cataloging your digital pictures, from your digital camera. Many cameras have their own programs bundled with the camera, but still nice to have this application for those who want a solid Apple designed program to ensure system stability. I would keep it!

iSync - Used to sync your personal files and settings to your roaming .Mac account. I am not using this at this time.

iTunes - What can I say, if you don’t know what this application is, perhaps you should go back to notebook paper and pencils to write letters. Get out the old Records too! iTunes is currently the most popular and widely used music database and ordering system for tracks of commercial artist created music. Usually best associated with the iPod. I like this application for streaming music. I would prefer to enable MP3 as the standard versus ACC format. But I understand ACC enables digital rights management. It is hard to sell music if you cannot control it. In the PC world you have far more choices as to how to manage your music. Free and commercial applications are flooding the net. Windows actually wins this round but by no effort by Microsoft.

Mail - Guess what, this is the mail application. It too is a separate application, and I love this. Mail is simple, easy to use, and clean.

Preview - This image viewer is very simple, but serves the purpose. Earlier, in a previous section, I hinted that it doesn’t allow for easy deletion of the viewed image. However, you are able to adjust the image properties, brightness, saturation, contrast, even sepia, which is usually an advanced option. Use Preview to make a snapshot of the current window. Nice feature!

QuickTime Player - Plays QuickTime movies. I must say that this Mac version is so smooth and fast, it is really amazing. I plan to upgrade to Pro so I can create and save MOV files.

Safari - This is the Apple answer to web browsing, and I have to admit, it is solid. Feature rich menus allow clearing of cache and history very easily. Years ahead of any competition. I am not aware of any special plugins like what Firefox uses, but Safari doesn’t really need them to be good. Fast and solid web browser technology here!

Sherlock - This web based information finder is quite nice. You can search on just about any topic. Though you could use Google, and I normally do, the interface is the well-known Mac feel usable and easy to navigate. For point and click, it really is exceptional. There is even an eBay search section, which I find interesting. This takes you from the eBay site and brings searching to one window. Also search the Internet via Sherlock to get results from many websites at one time. Google is missing though, that’s bad.

System Preferences - This icon is the application that is exactly like the Control Panel in Windows. Change all your settings here.

TextEdit - This is a simple text editor, like Notepad.

Utilities Folder - This folder houses the core system diagnostics, disk managers, and printer utilities. You will also find the Command Line application called Terminal here. For those Unix people, run the Console app to see all Unix style messages. The Screen grabber is here too. Some of the most useful applications I have seen reside on the Mac. This folder beats out Windows without a hitch. Windows just doesn’t include all of these cools utilities. Usually you need a third part program to do what some of these can do, or have to revert to Dos to use the Windows versions when there is an equivalent.


Since my previous issue of this “white paper” I have added many utilities myself. Many or all are free for personal use. For instance, I have added VLC. This program is a simple audio file and video file player. I like it because it is FREE and it is small and loads quickly. It also keeps no database. If I want that I can use iTunes.


Microsoft has provided an Office Test Drive directory, complete with clipart. I also plan to get Office if I can find a cheaper price for the package. Even though AppleWorks is included, I would prefer Office. Like many computer users, I am accustomed to its layout and options, and use it frequently at work.


Next Part 4: What Have I done?

HGTV Dream Home

Yes, time again for the 1 Million Dollar Home giveaway from HGTV, only this year it is valued at 2 Million! It is located in North Carolina, and a beautiful mountain view home! If I win, I have to come up with a gimmick to be able to pay the taxes. I am accepting donations now!

Happy New Year

This site says on Dec 31, you will be able to catch all of the LIVE webcam action from Times Square New York City. They have 12 webcams running at the same time on this New Year's Eve. Worth checking out! You can even see the 2005 Footage from a year ago in Windows Media format.

Write to Santa Online!

Netscape and AOL have provided a keen service for writing letters to Santa Online. Save that $.37 cent stamp and give this a try!

eBay Games and Items

I just posted some new items along with a complete Nintendo 64 Game system online at eBay. Just in time for Christmas. I combine shipping of small items for single shipping price. Take a peek and see if there is anything you may like.

Top 100 Best Products of 2005

PC World has a Best of List on their site. The Best 100 Products of 2005. Look through the list to see what you should consider using, or perhaps you already are using all of the 100 items listed.