Use a Mac for a month?

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• Jack Tse - Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - link

  long time reader here (i use both platforms)
  
  i just hope you don't get bogged down with the mac hardware, the real reason to buy a mac is the OS.
  
  i make a living with computers and I think OSX is a real and legitamate reason to switch.

• GL - Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - link

  Mac_user,
  
  This is Anand's web site. Not Paul Thurrott's. There are a few reasons I don't think Anand will approach this experiment the same way Mr. Thurrott would.
  
  1) Anand has proven time and time again that he's willing to fairly review products that other people would overlook. For instance, one of the first articles (if not THE first) Anand did was about the AMD K6, long before it was fashionable to consider AMD as a real option. Back when he did his article, you were more likely to see a Cyrix 6x86 in a PC than a K6. He gave the K6 a fair shake and that fact that I've seen him accused of partiality toward both Intel and AMD elsewhere on the Internet, is pretty good proof that he's anything but partial.
  
  2) Mac OS X is not Mac OS 9. Old school Mac users no longer need to resort to lying or conveniently turning a blind eye to reality. It doesn't need misinformed comparisons to beta software to get a good reputation. Mac OS X is good enough to stand up on its own. It speaks for itself.
  
  I'm not confident enough to start wagering bets that Anand will love OS X as much as I do. But I just don't think there are any glaring weaknesses in the OS that would be deserving of a bashing.
  
  It's funny that I brought up that K6 article because 1997 was an inflection point in the computer industry. The CPU market has never really been the same and we now have new options. I think we're at a different inflection point right now regarding Apple. So it's almost fitting that Anand is right here, being a part of this inflection point like he was back in 1997. You know, AMD never did take away Intel's crown, and I don't think Mac OS X will ever take away Windows'. But nobody questions your choice of an AMD CPU these days let alone mocks you for going that route, and I think in the future the same will be said for Mac OS X. AMD didn't really butt heads with Intel until the K7. Similarly, when OS X 10.4 comes out, I think we're in for some good ol' competition with Microsoft the likes of which we haven't seen in a long time. In the end, that is what really matters and is better for us end-users.

• Ben - Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - link

  I would wait for the next revision of the G5s to come out. The current version has issues with the power supply and has been out for quite some time. Check out http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/ for more information on timing.

• seden - Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - link

  I just wanted to say that i think this is a great idea and i'm looking forward to hearing about your experience. I'm thinking of doing the same thing when i get the $$.

• Thomas - Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - link

  mac_user is one of the ignorant few, much like those from the hardcore PC world that wont consider a mac for even consideration.
  
  I personally applaud your decision, Ive read your webpages since the "old" days (4 years ago..?), and about a year ago began a slow transition from multi-Ghz PCs to my puny 933Mhz G4.
  
  GL, those are some AWESOME tips. I never knew about the auto-completion, that blew my freakin mind!
  
  and anand, check out the "core" software that comes with the system. Its a stretch of the mind to consider that an operating system comes with applications as well thought out as anything commercial, and work together seamlessly.
  
  Get a superdrive. Make a movie, play with it, burn it, watch it on TV.
  
  Have fun, I look forward to reading your experiences.

• Mac_user - Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - link

  I have an idea, when you are done bashing the Mac and
  showing all the Windows lemmings how superior the PC
  is running Windows, you can then tell us all about that
  vaporware called "LONGHORN" and when it's going to
  come out.
  
  Here is an amusing link to follow for all you WIndows losers.
  
  http://www.winsupersite.com/images/showcase/aero-0...
  
  Now that is "advanced"
  OMG That is so funny!
  
  Looks like 3.11 Windows for Workloops.
  
  See you suckers!

• PorBleemo - Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - link

  Anonymous #13:
  
  On behalf of ViRGE I think that your accusation is a bit unjust. Being as Apple is the actual brand name (not PowerMac) I don't think he had any intention of offending ANYONE religiously. He was just trying to find an interesting project name.
  
  -Por

• ViRGE - Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - link

  And while GL's on the subject of "firsts," some advice on the machine configuration itself:
  
  1) Don't forget the words "student discount," the default student discount is $300 off the dual 2ghz, and your school may make you elligable for more.
  
  2) You may need to be careful about memory here. To my knowledge, there hasn't been a huge memory compatibility test for the G5, so some of your sticks may not work. I don't anticipate you won't be able to find something, but it's nessisary to keep that cavet in mind. Also, the G5 is dual-channel, so you'll need pairs of sticks.
  
  3) Hard drives are SATA on the G5, so if you add anything, it's going to need to of course be SATA; standard HDs will suffice here, there's no such thing as a "Mac HD" ;-)
  
  4) Default video card on a dual 2ghz is a Radeon 9600 Pro, which is fine for all general tasks, but obviously, may not be suitable if you want to do gaming(Halo on a Mac; woot). Unfortunately, you can't drop in a PC video card, so you're stuck with Apple's prices here if you upgrade to the 9800 Pro.
  
  5) Even though they cost extra, go with the AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth modules right now, especially if you have a WAP lying around the AT Labs. They can be installed seperately, but it's just easier to get them installed now.
  
  6) As GL said, go with a multi-button mouse. The 1 button mouse is nicely designed, especially for new users, but just like with PCs, more buttons than default is better. Most Mac users I know tend to go with Microsoft mice.
  
  7) Unless you're planning on returning the machine after a month, grab an Applecare Protection Plan(this can be purchased now, or any time in the next year). It's unlikely the machine is going to break any time in the 3 years the plan covers, but the plan pays for itself if something does. It also boosts the resale value, if nothing else.
  
  As an aside, a couple of additional reccomendations just for general "fun" use:
  
  8) Grab an iSight camera, they're fun little things. iChatAV works very well with them, and if you get Vinney 1 too, well... I'm trying to leave this discussion PG-rated ;-)
  
  9) I'm particuarly impressed with Keynote(Apple's version of PowerPoint on steroids), so you might want to take a look at that.
  
  And one other note: Apple's video cards come with 2 connectors, DVI and ADC. If you really want to be spiffy, get an Apple LCD so you can use ADC; it provides the video signal, along with power and USB. Otherwise, if you're sticking with a normal monitor, you're fine; they include a DVI->VGA adaptor.
  
  Good luck.=)

• GL - Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - link

  This just made my day:-) I think what will make this experiment very interesting is that I know you're a level-headed guy and will give a thoroughly objective look at the situation.
  
  One of the first things I'd recommend when you get your new computer, is to install the Developer Tools. Make sure to go through the custom install and select the optimization & profiling tools like CHUD. I think you will find them to be very helpful even though you (probably) won't be doing development.
  For instance, I used one of these tools, an OpenGL driver monitor to figure out why my Exposé animations were getting choppy after about 10 windows or so were open. I posted about this, this morning here: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=...
  
  Oh, and first thing you should do is run Software Update. I think this actually happens automatically, but it's been a while since I purchased my Mac. The new version of Safari and Java are out. They come with some nice improvements and bug fixes. For instance, included in the Safari update is a feature that, IMHO, was inexcusably absent - the ability to tab between elements in a webpage. The Java update includes LiveConnect, which would have been great to have in 1998 but for the few things that happen to use it in 2003 is nice to have.
  
  I think it would be neat if you focused on the general experience as a whole. There are some concepts in OS X that threw me for a loop when I first used it. For instance, why was it that when I closed a program's window, it didn't actually quit the program? Why was it that all these programs I wanted to download were distributed as disk images? Drag & drop installs/uninstalls? These were a few things which were a nuisance to me because they were different. But I've slowly grown to love them. In fact, I now actively avoid programs that stray from the tenets of drag & drop installs/uninstalls, wherever possible.
  
  Anyways, I'll leave you with a list of some of the lesser-known things that will make you go "coooool" when you first use your Mac:
  
  1) Load up Safari. Go to a web page with a text area element such as the forums. Press <control> and left click, or if you have a multi-button mouse, right-click in the text area > Spelling > Check Spelling as You Type. Now spell rediculous in a text box form element and note the squiggly red line. OS X has system-wide spell checking so any Cocoa and many Carbon applications can make use of this feature.
  
  2) Forget if squiggly has one or two Gs in it? Type "squig" and hit F5. OS X has system-wide auto-completion.
  
  3) Press <shift> while minimizing a window or activating Exposé. OK this is just vain:-)
  
  4) Plug in a multi-button mouse and start right-clicking!
  
  5) Press Command (the apple key) + <shift> + 3. Look on your desktop and you now have a PDF screenshot. Press Comment (the apple key) + <shift> + 4 and highlight (by dragging) a segment of the screen you are interested in. Now look on your desktop for the PDF segment shot.
  
  6) Use this spam-avoidance technique in Mail - http://bereskin.typepad.com/panther_weblog/2003/11...
  
  7) Open up System Preferences, go to Speech and enable the Apple speakable items. Then say "Switch to Safari". Substitute Safari for the name of any other app. If you have some contact info in your address book, say "Phone for <name in your address book>". Watch...and remember the next time you're not in front of your computer but have picked up your phone and don't know a person's number. Now, go make up your own speech commands. My personal favourite custom command is "Dim the lights" which I scripted to minimize all apps to the dock, pull up iTunes with a fullscreen visualization and start playing some romantic music! This is a must when you're feeling especially geeky with your fiancé.
  
  8) Speaking of fiancé, type <option>+<any letter> and watch how easy it is to type special characters. Slightly easier to memorize than how Windows does it.
  
  9) Go to System Preferences, click on International, and switch your language to Français. Now launch an app like iCal. Or, if you have the default install of the OS (which I recommend), logout and back in, then load Finder and look how your root directories' names have changed. Revert back to English before you accidentally delete a fichier!
  
  10) Learn to love Folder Actions: http://www.apple.com/applescript/folderactions/.
  
  That should keep you busy for a bit and show you a bit of breadth in the OS! I don't have a G5 but there are some cool hardware things you can do with a G5 if you install the CHUD tools.
  
  Enjoy!

• Dan Weigert - Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - link

  Try to catch a comedey club while you are there..
  
  Dangerfields is at 61st and 1st and always a good show.
  
  Dan