Posted on 06/20/2005 8:42:07 PM PDT by quidnunc
Not since Walter Mondale suggested that he might raise taxes have I had such a terrible, sick, sinking sensation deep in the pit of my stomach.
Things like the Michael Jackson verdict, using Christina Aguilera’s music to torture prisoners at Gitmo and the rising cost of gasoline are inconsequential compared to Apple Computers’ abrupt surrender to Intel.
This is serious business. To put things into perspective, my devotion to the Macintosh is of an intensity similar to Paul Greenberg’s feelings for "the South."
This has been going on since 1987. I think my first Mac was called an SE, and it had one full MB of RAM and two floppy disk drives. There was no internal hard drive, so you had to save whatever you did on floppies.
Of course, there was a keyboard and the trademark mouse. IBM people just detested the mouse. Somehow, using that thing made traditionalist computer geeks feel less professional and superior, but Mac people never cared. We just wanted to get our work done.
I paid $3,400 for that first system, and that was in 1987 dollars. We’re talking real money, folks. There was not much software for the Macintosh, but Mac-Draw and MacPaint made ordinary people into (drum roll, please!) MacArtists. The word processing program was known as—what else?—MacWrite, and it set the standard for a decade.
All the while, IBM folks were scrambling to learn weird and incomprehensible codes. Life was good.
After awhile, I decided to add on a 20 MB external hard drive. That cost $400, but it was so much more convenient than shuffling all those dadgum floppies. I vividly recall the serene sense of empowerment derived from possessing such unprecedented storage capacity. The 10-inch screen and processor fit in a case, and the display was black-andwhite.
Mac users become personally involved in the life of their computer and are always trying to improve its operating environment. In due time, I also expanded the RAM to 4 MB, and that probably cost $300.
When you pop open the case of one of those old Macs, the signatures of the original design team are represented on the interior surface, including that of Apple’s founder, Mr. Steve Jobs, the traitor.
Jobs may someday be excused for crossing over to the dark side, but those of us who have come up through the ranks are not happy people. While we were paying more for a more stable and useful operating system, those rascals on the other team were stealing the clever desktop analogy. They even added a mouse.
We went through a lot to stay loyal to the superior computer. My present iMac G3 is the first Macintosh I have ever owned that had an internal modem. Friends, this little puppy has a 500-MHz processor, which was scalding hot when it was new three years ago. If you watched the Apple commercials, you know that it was registered as a national defense secret or something like that. That is one reason this switcheroo is so bewildering.
The iMac G5 desktop computer is a thing of beauty. Its PowerPC processor is an engineering triumph, except for one little thing. It’s too darned hot. That really matters on laptops, which are supposedly the biggest selling models.
Macintosh has been held back one full generation with a G4 PowerBook, which is just a cat’s hair slower.
It is a business decision for Apple to make nice with Intel, but I don’t have to like it. Usually, when I am informed that some action was purely a "business decision," I have just gotten the shaft, so excuse the skepticism.
When you think about brand loyalty, remember Macintosh, "the computer for the rest of us." Its superior operating system and amazing stability have far outweighed the expense and inconvenience, but it would be nice to see the corporation display a tiny bit of sensitivity to the folks who consistently give this company a 3 percent share of the personal computer market. That may not sound like much, but Steve Jobs seems to be doing OK.
We mere customers are now left to wonder about whether our software will work on the next generation. Should I buy a Mac to replace this aging G3? These are also provocative business decisions.
Memo to Mr. Jobs: Change is always bad. Uncertainty is worse.
FYI
Some people are too loyal to the components over the functions.
I believe they're called fanboys.
I can help you out here, Pat.
*STEVE* wants you to buy a new computer now.
*STEVE* also wants you to replace your new computer and all of it's software with a newer Intel computer and software next year.
Remember, *STEVE* is all knowing and powerful. You must do what he asks.
Muhahahaha! Come over to the Dark Side, Pat...this GUI business is just a passing fad. If you can't do it in CP/M it isn't worth doing.
I remember toying with the CP/M terminals in high school, in 1984. I had only recently seen WarGames and I decided to impress a fair lass on the terminal next to me by accessing the directory where school records were kept.
We agreed that changing them would be very bad, but she was in awe of my prowess.
She married someone else, alas, but I finally found me a geek of my own. ;O)
I owned a
SE
Performa
iMac
Moved to a Dell Laptop.
Mac's suck. Folks who keep the company on life support with a mere weak pulse of 3% of a nornal 100% are just asking to be left out in the cold in the software availability world. Developers don't like to waste there time on a limited market.
What a Macmoonie weenie.
BSD unix... uhm, err... OSX doesn't care what processor it is running on.
Stevie don't care if you buy a Mac between now and next year. His IPod sales together with MiniMac sales to unsuspecting Windows users will carry him through till then.
AHA! There's the problem.....Arkansas. Nuff said.
On the otherhand, mac users will buy ANYTHING that will run on a Mac, even if it's a garbage space invaders game, just so they can fill the empty CD oganizer nailed to the wall beside their Mac someone had bought them for Christmas 10 years ago....
Maybe, maybe not; iPod sales will be a declining share of the market.
Doesn't matter though - this Macmoonie weenie is demanding "corporate sensitivity" and he wants it NOW! Or whenever it's convenient; weenies aren't much able to back up their demands.
You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.
Cell phones are already taking that market over, plus give you a couple mins of video recording as well as pics, email, web page etc. What can't cell phone do these days?
LOL!
I know we finally got a version of the Cisco VPN client that works (supposedly) on OSX.
Maybe others will take up the slack ;-)
As an Arkansas resident I can attest that Pat Lynch is a socialist. That being said- I love the article- I have been a Mac guy since 1989- I now own 4 (I love Tiger) and I have been loyal except for that dark period when I got a thinkpad with Windows 98- thanks goodness I came around. I think without Apple there would be no Rush Limbaugh. Thanks goodness for Apple!
Pretty much.
It's sad that some people aren't as impartial as the OS.
True from a logical standpoint, but where will the arguments go that said Macs had superior performance because of their processor?
Huh?
Ummm... get reception here in the house...
"Not since Walter Mondale suggested that he might raise taxes have I had such a terrible, sick, sinking sensation deep in the pit of my stomach. "
No need to read further. He outed himself as a liberal. His comments won't make any sense and will be biased and full ofpropaganda.
I owned a 128K, 512K, SE and a Performa before I finally got fed up with Apple. Went to a Gateway and haven't been happier.
<< I paid $3,400 for that first system, and that was in 1987 >>
Around that time, for around Seventy-Five Hundred Australian Dollars, I bought my fourth Apple and second Mac: an SE-30.
Much upgraded and fitted with many mod cons and bells and whistles -- and, most importantly, with Hellcats Over The Pacific! -- it still works.
What is a "Mack"?? does it come with Fries?
Windows to Run on Intel Processors
By Russell Skingsley
Redmond , WA - Microsoft announced today at a press gathering that Windows XP will be ported to work on the Intel range of x86 processors.
Microsoft denies that this has anything to do with recent announcement from Apple Computer at their worldwide developers conference.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was enthusiastic about the move today as he described one of the largest moves in the operating system's history.
"We want to show the world that we can innovate just as well as Apple, this is not about copying them, it's just coincidental."
He described the process by which developers will be able to make the transition. "Anyone who is using our current set of development tools will be able to recompile for Intel and be working within years"
Microsoft will be offering a developers' transition pack that consists of an Intel Pentium 4 based PC with a prerelease version of "Windows for Intel" for $99,999. Ballmer justified the price tag by stating that developers "who make serious money from Windows" will want to be on this transition early in the development cycle. "And besides, there's a 'where's Clippy?' coloring book inside every developer pack," said Ballmer.
When Mr. Ballmer was asked from the press gathering whether Bill Gates had been consulted about this "move" he became agitated as he said that he "need not consult Bill on every little technical issue."
Apple has suggested a two-year time frame for their switch to Intel. Microsoft is not so optimistic, they believe that their transition will take 5-7 years due to the plethora of different hardware implementations they must support.
"Moving from one processor to another is easy", he said, "Moving from one processor to that same processor, well, that's difficult."
Related News
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Microsoft's AntiSpyware Tool Removes Internet Explorer
Microsoft Granted Patent for Creating Insecure Software
Kinda.
It cooks [Deep fries, if you prefer] winDOS operated boat anchors [Also known -- since the term was invented by and stolen from Apple, "PCs"] and eats them for breakfast.
<];^)~<
PING!
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
all your os are belong to us
"Of course, there was a keyboard and the trademark mouse. IBM people just detested the mouse. Somehow, using that thing made traditionalist computer geeks feel less professional and superior, but Mac people never cared."
This guy doesn't know what he's talking about. I was using a Mouse Systems optical mouse in the early 80's before there was a Mac. So were all the other PC users I knew at the time.
Macs will have superior performance on your processors too. ;)
Mac+
IIsi
Mac SE30
PowerBook 100
PowerBook 140
PowerBook 165
PowerBook Duo 230
PowerBook Duo 2300c
iMac
PowerBook G3 bronze
iBook G4
iMac G5
No Wintel
I like my Mac. I could care less what processor it uses. Having Unix under the hood makes my life easier and the GUI is super nice to work with.
I use my computers to advance my programming knowledge--I have 3 different processors (Power PC, Intel, Sun) running them. All can run Apache, Tomcat, Ruby, and just about anything else I decide to fiddle with.
This guy needs to grow up and buy a clue.
what?!
You posted the whole article!
,(:>)
>>On the otherhand, mac users will buy ANYTHING that will run on a Mac
I haven't had to buy any software for my Mac. Everything I need is in the OS, or available on Darwin Ports or Fink or as a tar file.
Do you just use your computer for gaming? Because I can't think of much that is available for Windows that won't run on Macs other than high-end, cutting edge games.
You seem to have an intense hatred for Macs. Why people like you give a hoot, I'll never know.
What a WHINER! They're only changing processors.
I have used them since shortly after they came onto the scene. They work.
I do not now, nor have ever, owned a WinTel machine. I have used some. I will continue to use Macs.
If you don't like them, you can say so. But, please stop making snide, irrelevant remarks about the users. It does nothing to advance your image... and makes you look like a child.
Past Macs I have owned-
FatMac -1984
SE
SE 30
II ci
II cx
LC
Outbound (3rd party early powerbook w/Mac+ rom)
PB 140
PB180c
660AV
880AV
IIvx
Centris 6360
PB 5300c
G3 Desktop
G3 iMac
PB G3 Wallstreet (2)
G4 Desktop
PB G4 Titanium
PB G4 17' (Aluminum)
G5 sgl processor
...and some others...
Present Home Airport Extreme Network-
G3 Indigo iMac- sys.9 (wired to net)
G3 Desktop server- sys 9, 10 Airport
G4 Desktop- sys 9, 10, Airport
G5 Desktop- sys 10, Airport
G3 Wallstreet- sys 9 (wired, when necessary)
G4 PB- Sys 10, Airport
Cable Modem
OfficeJet 5510xl
Have a nice day...
I mean, if you go with Windows you get Microsoft along for the ride. You also get an amazing variety of hardware and software. If you go with Apple you get fewer options all the way down the line.
In my opinion, this is about the stupidest decision Apple could have made. What's laughable is that Jobs actually thinks OSX is so wildly superior to anything out there that it's worth betting the farm on.
Most engineering programs don't run on the Mac.
I understand that it is to be proprietary.
What's funny is Apple would make a killing porting it to the PC platform.
They still want to be in the hardware business. That was the same mistake they made back in the 80's. Had they ported their operating system to the PC then they'd be the Microsoft of today.
On the otherhand, mac users will buy ANYTHING that will run on a Mac, even if it's a garbage space invaders game, just so they can fill the empty CD oganizer nailed to the wall beside their Mac someone had bought them for Christmas 10 years ago....
Such bitterness - let me guess, you were abused with a Mac mouse as a child, or...you're a Windows fanboi?
It wasn't a choice.
The Power PC chips are at their end.
Provide a means for a decent conversation, you know, their primary function. Blackbird.
This Mac nerd sure is depressed. I think he should just hit CTR-ALT-DEL and end it all right now.
I still don't get what Apple is doing. What can they offer that Microsoft can't on the Intel platform? The answer? A snazzy GUI on top of BSD subsystem?
That "snazzy GUI" is the guts of the issue. Try it out, you might see why it's so importtant.
I mean, if you go with Windows you get Microsoft along for the ride. You also get an amazing variety of hardware and software. If you go with Apple you get fewer options all the way down the line.
This is somewhat untrue, it's gotten VASTLY better the last couple of years. There are very few peripherals at CompUSA that won't work with a Mac - many times the box fails to mention it'll work witha Mac, or that Mac drivers are available on their website, or, they don't need drivers for Macs. Software? Outside of engineering and CAD, most of the important titles exist, or there are equivalent titles available. Most of the software issues are games, and stuff nobody really buys anyway - like the 40 different versions of family tree software. The *good* ones were ported to Mac.
And then, on top of that, we've got Final Cut Pro, Motion, Shake...
In my opinion, this is about the stupidest decision Apple could have made. What's laughable is that Jobs actually thinks OSX is so wildly superior to anything out there that it's worth betting the farm on.
Have you tried Mac OS X, especially the current build, Tiger? I somehow think you have'nt, if you say that. The "Mac" has evolved from hardware tightly integrated into an OS, into a platform, and it runs rings around Windows in many, many areas. I doubt it'll ever capture more than 25% of the market, but I think they can reach that goal, now that the Intel factor is in place.
All of the current comments about the Intel migration are identical to the PPC migration Apple made years ago. We've been through this before.
CTR-ALT-DEL is a Windows thang, useless on a Mac. :)
I've been a Mac user since the Mac II, before that I had an Amiga, and I've used Windows machines since version 1, that my father ran, and the PC Jr. running DOS before that. Right now I own a dual 2ghz G5, a G4 Cube, a 2.8 ghz Toshiba laptop running Windows XP, and Wallstreet and Lombard Powerbooks sitting in a drawer, because I can't decided what to use them for.
I've been hearing the usual idiocy for the whole time "Macs suck!" - yeah, well so do you, Sparky - anyone who blurts that out like they have tourettes is instantly put on my /ignore list, so babble away, buddy. I indulged in the OS wars for years, before realizing how pointless it is, and it's the same damned eternal arguement between Chevy and Ford gearheads.
I have to say, tho, the only place I encounter the same kind of bitterness, sneering elitism and boorish behavior of the anti-Mac crowd is with liberals.
Me, I judge people by what they can DO. Anyone can go buy a computer, be it a Mac, or a Windows machine. I use my computers to create artwork for rock bands, get paid a decent amount of money to do it, and I have a lot of fun doing it. I'm a Photoshop junky, have been since version 1 (before it was called Photoshop), and I'm going to get my Expert Certification this year, finally - I've been putting it off, I havent had time. I'll put my Photoshop skills up against anyone. I'll put my Illustrator skills against anyone.
What's that? Macs suck? What do you do with your computer? Surf the web, answer e-mail, play games? Sure, Macs suck, buddy. Now go away, and come back when you can DO something with your computer.
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