“…Millions of us have grown comfortable with XP and don’t see a need to change to Vista. It’s like having a comfortable apartment that you’ve enjoyed coming home to for years, only to get an eviction notice. The thought of moving to a new place — even with the stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and maple cabinets (or is cherry in this year?) — just doesn’t sit right. Maybe it’ll be more modern, but it will also cost more and likely not be as good a fit. And you don’t have any other reason to move.
That’s exactly the conclusion people have come to with Vista. For most of us, there’s really no reason to move to it — yet we don’t have a choice. When that strong desire to stick with XP became obvious in spring 2007, major computer makers such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard quietly reintroduced new XP-based systems (but just to business customers, so as not to offend Microsoft). Come June 30, however, even that option goes away.” Read the full story and sign the petition at InfoWorld.Com
Apple’s computer sales in the US have grown considerably from last year - at 60-percent unit growth and 67-percent revenue growth - granting it 14-percent of all computers sold for February. According to AppleInsider, Apple’s laptop systems saw the largest growth, representing a 64-percent increase in units sold, and 67-percent increased revenue, suggesting strong acceptance of the company’s new ultra-portable, the MacBook Air. Read the full story on AppleInsider.Com
Most consumers seeking a new computer this holiday season will buy a Windows PC. And yet judging by the questions I get, many would-be buyers are considering a Macintosh for the first time, possibly because they’re smitten with the iPod, or because of Apple’s clever Mac guy/PC guy TV ads.
I’m a Mac guy, too, though not one who believes bashing Windows is a prerequisite. So consider this column a primer on switching to the Mac. Read the full article on USAToday.Com
I had an epiphany yesterday while I was in the local Best Buy on my lunch break picking up a purchase for myself. I suddenly found myself able to put into words what my gut has been telling me for months.
I was watching mid-day, week-day shoppers as they were browsing around the computer department eyeing desktops, and notebook computers. Most of them looked like Parents or Grandparents shopping for their kid’s school computers or getting a head start on Christmas shopping for the grand-children. As I watched these people toy about cluelessly with the Vista loaded hardware looking like they barely knew how to operate a trackpad, I felt that familiar sinking feeling that I’ve felt so many times before in the same situation. Read the rest of this entry »
“Will retailers and OEMs put a little Vista coal in this year’s holiday stocking? Windows Home Basic and integrated graphics SKUs could lead to surprises—as in uh-ohs, not wows—for some holiday shoppers”
“…OEMs and retailers operate under the presumption that “the mainstream consumer doesn’t need huge graphic capabilities, especially since so many notebooks tend to be the second or third PC in the house,” Baker said. “The idea is that people who want that higher level of graphics are willing to pay more for it.” Read the rest of this entry »
… And yet, you’re not buying an Apple computer. Most of the world isn’t. There is probably a single overwhelming reason you’re clinging to Windows. Macs are expensive. This is what you’ve been told, and in your research, it’s seemed to check out. If they acknowledge it at all, Mac fans will rationalize the higher prices by noting that you’re paying for quality. Buying a Mac, folks say, is like buying a BMW (Apple CEO Steve Jobs regularly compares the Mac’s market share with that of German luxury cars). But what if you don’t want the BMW of PCs? What if you can only afford a Chevrolet?The present article is an attempt to prove to you that, on price alone, the Mac is not the BMW of computers. It is the Ford of computers. I am not arguing that the Mac is cheaper only if you consider the psychic benefits conferred by its quality. Rather I’m going to illustrate something more straightforward: Even though you may pay a slight premium at the cash register for a Mac over a comparable Windows PC (a premium that gets slighter all the time), it will cost you less money — real, honest-to-goodness American dollars — to own that Mac than to own that PC. Read the full article on The Machinist.
…“You can build your system for a lot less than a real Mac and get the performance of a top-dollar Apple machine. This is fact and a lot of the real Mac users will deny, but it is fact. My machine runs a e4300 Core Duo Processor over-clocked to 3.40 GHZ. Where can you get a 3.4-GHz Mac? It will cost you a fortune. I have 1066-MHz DDR2 memory. Where can you get that on a real Mac???”
“Why run OS X? Well, when you are just used to Windows, it is like living inside a house and not experimenting the whole world out there. Once you get out of it, it is just amazing. Mac is just that: You just feel like glued to the computer. Everything is just beautiful, the interface, the stability. Once you experiment it, you don’t want to go back to windows. Trust me.” Read the full how-to guide on OSx86Scene.com (found on MacUser.Com)
This post has been read by 901 unique visitors since being posted. (as of Nov 16 2007)
Looking for the fastest laptop for Windows Vista? Is it time to retire your old laptop and get a new laptop that will be able to run Vista? PC World has some advice…
“The fastest Windows Vista notebook we’ve tested this year is a Mac. Try that again: The fastest Windows Vista notebook we’ve tested this year–or for that matter, ever–is a Mac. Not a Dell, not a Toshiba, not even an Alienware. The $2419 (plus the price of a copy of Windows Vista, of course) MacBook Pro’s PC WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 88 beats Gateway’s E-265M by a single point, but the MacBook’s score is far more impressive simply because Apple couldn’t care less whether you run Windows.” Read the full story at PC World.
…Well its been only a day since the Mac OSX Leopard was released officially by Apple and the hackers have managed to create a patched DVD that everyone like you and me can use to install Leopard on PC’s without having to buy a Mac. Please note the tutorial that I am going to post is still experimental and things might not work the right way simply because it is still early days in hacking Leopard to work on PC’s. Well if you don’t mind your PC getting screwed then go ahead and try out this tutorial. Read the full article on DailyApps.Net (found via CultOfMac.Com)
The Unofficial Apple Weblog reports: …with the recent gains Apple passed an important milestone. Apple has a larger market capitalization than IBM, meaning simply that Apple is now the most valuable computer hardware maker in the world. Let me say that again: Apple is, as of this writing, trading above $185 per share giving it a market cap of $161b, compared to IBM at $153b, HP at $133b and Dell at a measly $65b. Read the article on Tuaw.Com
It’s not enough to just buy a new computer with great specs and good looks. You need to know if the manufacturer will stand behind its product, be it your always-powered-up desktop, your travel-abused notebook, or the ink jet printer that delivers something to hang on the refrigerator. For almost 20 years PC Magazine has asked our readers to rank the vendors they use, and this year is no exception. [Spoiler Alert: Apple wins.] Read the full article on PCMag.Com
Dell is testing the waters with a Linux-equipped notebook computer, in a challenge to Microsoft and Apple. Dell’s Linux PCs are cheaper than computers with Microsoft’s Vista operating system because Dell does not need to pay a licensing fee. Read the full article on NYTtimes.Com
So how is Vista’s real world usage doing? According to W3Counter - An internet traffic monitoring site, the operating system has only picked up 3% of the market and lags far behind XP. See the chart.
While they’re only the third strongest seller of computers in general, nearly one out of five laptops out there have that signature Apple logo riding the back of the display. When you think about it, Apple’s laptop offerings are, dare I say, quite common. It’s also an homage to the masterful transition to Intel chips. Where would Apple’s laptop business be if PowerPC chips still powered them? In the toilet. Read more.
Not since Windows ME or Mac OS X 10.0 have I observed a more troubled consumer operating system. This is a difficult post to write, because I really don’t want to beat on Microsoft about Vista yet again. But yesterday’s continuation of the Windows Vista Capable lawsuit and several conversations I had today are reasons to look at what Microsoft got wrong and why the company should make things right. Simply put: Windows Vista is a train wreck, but it didn’t have to be. Unfortunately, my “Wow” moment was accepting Windows Vista for what it is. Read more.
Were computers carrying the Windows Vista Capable sticker truly Vista capable? Earlier today, a Seattle judge issued a ruling that indicates that an answer should be warranted. She denied a Microsoft request to dismiss a lawsuit alleging Microsoft’s Windows Vista Capable marketing violated the Consumer Protection Act. Read more.
Windows Vista is also a factor in driving up memory usage, said Kilback. “Vista, unlike past operating system revisions, really takes advantage of more memory,” he said. The amount of DRAM going into PCs is expected to increase next year to about 1.5GB. “That’s basically driven by Vista,” said Kilback. Although buyers can still find systems with 512MB of system memory, many PC vendors are recommending 2GB for use with the OS. Read more.
Dell has taken the unusual step–for a PC vendor of its size–of toning down its sales pitch for Microsoft’s Vista operating system and warning businesses of the migration challenges that lie ahead for them. The step is particularly unusual because one of the issues the hardware vendor is warning business about is the extra hardware they will need to buy.
A lawsuit alleging that Microsoft Windows Vista Capable users were misled about the capabilities of the operating system will go to trial Oct. 28, 2008, a federal judge in Seattle decided last week. That starting date will be close to the two-year anniversary of the release of the Windows Vista operating system. Read more.
Microsoft Corp. has failed to deliver on its promise of downloadable extras for the highest-priced version of Windows Vista, critics claim. Dubbed “Extras” and exclusive to Vista Ultimate, the downloads were touted before, at and after the launch as one of a handful of features that separated the $399 operating system from the $239 Home Premium. Trouble is, Microsoft hasn’t followed through. Since January, when Vista was released to consumers, no new finished Extra have been offered to Ultimate users. Read more.
Microsoft is simplifying the processes via which its PC-maker partners will be able to provide “downgrade” rights from Windows Vista to Windows XP for their customers. Microsoft will implement the first of the policy changes for its Gold Certified (top-tier) OEM partners within the next couple of weeks. The company will streamline downgrade-rights policies and procedures for the broader channel somewhat later, said John Ball, general manager of Microsoft’s U.S. Systems Group. Read more.
[Microsoft] is at a dangerous crossroads, if its software bumps up the price of a computer by 100 per cent, people might look to alternatives. That means no [Vista] DRM infection lock in, no mass migration to the newer Office obfuscated and patented file formats, and worse yet, people might utter the W word. Yes, you guessed it, ‘why’. People might ask why it is sticking with the MS lock in, and at that point, it is in deep trouble. Read more.
Just imagine what might happen if the majority of Vista PCs now being sold were not up to the job of running Vista. If users were experiencing unacceptably slow performance, although the published minimum specifications were met.
In that situation you might expect there’d be a lot of dissatisfied customers right now, and the ranks of the disgruntled would be growing daily as Vista PCs continue to be sold in large numbers. Well, this exactly what is happening at the moment. Read more.
Notebook sales have soared in the last year. In the first quarter of 2007, notebooks were so popular that sales rose nearly 51 percent from the same period a year ago, as tracked by Current Analysis. You’re probably wondering what that has to do with technical support. Well, a lot. But it’s basic arithmetic: More computers mean more demand for tech support. Read more.
…the link supplied by Microsoft goes to a website which is available only to computer makers who are prepared to sign up to a non-disclosure agreement. Without knowing what’s included in the fact-rich program, it’s difficult to know why people should proceed with confidence. Read more.
Have you seen that new Apple “Get a Mac” ad about PCs being loaded with bloatware? Have you wondered how truthful it is? The folks over at PC Pitstop performed their own study to determine how bad the problem REALLY is.
“The University of Michigan took its first American Customer Satisfaction survey and found that of six industries measured for the Customers’ Call Center Satisfaction Index, the PC industry received the lowest score, according to a Computerworld story. ‘According to the survey, nearly 73% of the people who have bad experiences with their PC companies’ call centers said they will consider purchasing their next PCs from another company. Read more.
You know those commercials where Mac and PC hang out but there’s this security guy going “Mac has hailed you. Cancel or allow?” Vista is ACTUALLY LIKE THAT. EXACTLY LIKE THAT. It’s not even close to being a joke. I can’t even laugh at the commercial anymore because it’s the fucking gospel truth. You will not only be treated like an idiot but your system will crash and burn while you already feel like a fool. And once you’ve realized that it’s actually not you, –because it’s way too early for it to just be you– you just feel like a retard for buying it. Read more.
“Before we announce the availability of Ubuntu 7.04 on select Dell client systems, I’d like to give an overview of what customers can expect from our initial Ubuntu offering.”
Computer makers have been told they’ll no longer be able to get Windows XP OEM by the end of this year, despite strong ongoing demand for the OS. Analysts and computer makers are wondering if the move is premature given Vista’s ongoing issues — Dell has even reintroduced XP on a range of machines due to customer resistance to Vista.
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Apple’s computer sales in the US have grown considerably from last year - at 60-percent unit growth and 67-percent revenue growth - granting it 14-percent of all computers sold for February. According to AppleInsider, Apple’s laptop systems saw the largest growth, representing a 64-percent increase in units sold, and 67-percent increased revenue, suggesting strong acceptance of the company’s new ultra-portable, the MacBook Air. 
Most consumers seeking a new computer this holiday season will buy a Windows PC. And yet judging by the questions I get, many would-be buyers are considering a Macintosh for the first time, possibly because they’re smitten with the iPod, or because of Apple’s clever Mac guy/PC guy TV ads.
I had an epiphany yesterday while I was in the local Best Buy on my lunch break picking up a purchase for myself. I suddenly found myself able to put into words what my gut has been telling me for months.
“Will retailers and OEMs put a little Vista coal in this year’s holiday stocking? Windows Home Basic and integrated graphics SKUs could lead to surprises—as in uh-ohs, not wows—for some holiday shoppers”
… And yet, you’re not buying an Apple computer. Most of the world isn’t. There is probably a single overwhelming reason you’re clinging to Windows. Macs are expensive. This is what you’ve been told, and in your research, it’s seemed to check out. If they acknowledge it at all, Mac fans will rationalize the higher prices by noting that you’re paying for quality. Buying a Mac, folks say, is like buying a BMW (Apple CEO Steve Jobs regularly compares the Mac’s market share with that of German luxury cars). But what if you don’t want the BMW of PCs? What if you can only afford a Chevrolet?The present article is an attempt to prove to you that, on price alone, the Mac is not the BMW of computers. It is the Ford of computers. I am not arguing that the Mac is cheaper only if you consider the psychic benefits conferred by its quality. Rather I’m going to illustrate something more straightforward: Even though you may pay a slight premium at the cash register for a Mac over a comparable Windows PC (a premium that gets slighter all the time), it will cost you less money — real, honest-to-goodness American dollars — to own that Mac than to own that PC. 
…“You can build your system for a lot less than a real Mac and get the performance of a top-dollar Apple machine. This is fact and a lot of the real Mac users will deny, but it is fact. My machine runs a e4300 Core Duo Processor over-clocked to 3.40 GHZ. Where can you get a 3.4-GHz Mac? It will cost you a fortune. I have 1066-MHz DDR2 memory. Where can you get that on a real Mac???”
Looking for the fastest laptop for Windows Vista? Is it time to retire your old laptop and get a new laptop that will be able to run Vista? PC World has some advice…
…Well its been only a day since the Mac OSX Leopard was released officially by Apple and the hackers have managed to create a patched DVD that everyone like you and me can use to install Leopard on PC’s without having to buy a Mac. Please note the tutorial that I am going to post is still experimental and things might not work the right way simply because it is still early days in hacking Leopard to work on PC’s. Well if you don’t mind your PC getting screwed then go ahead and try out this tutorial. 
It’s not enough to just buy a new computer with great specs and good looks. You need to know if the manufacturer will stand behind its product, be it your always-powered-up desktop, your travel-abused notebook, or the ink jet printer that delivers something to hang on the refrigerator. For almost 20 years PC Magazine has asked our readers to rank the vendors they use, and this year is no exception. [Spoiler Alert: Apple wins.] 
Dell is testing the waters with a Linux-equipped notebook computer, in a challenge to Microsoft and Apple. Dell’s Linux PCs are cheaper than computers with Microsoft’s Vista operating system because Dell does not need to pay a licensing fee. 
So how is Vista’s real world usage doing? According to W3Counter - An internet traffic monitoring site, the operating system has only picked up 3% of the market and lags far behind XP. 
While they’re only the third strongest seller of computers in general, nearly one out of five laptops out there have that signature Apple logo riding the back of the display. When you think about it, Apple’s laptop offerings are, dare I say, quite common. It’s also an homage to the masterful transition to Intel chips. Where would Apple’s laptop business be if PowerPC chips still powered them? In the toilet. 
Not since Windows ME or Mac OS X 10.0 have I observed a more troubled consumer operating system. This is a difficult post to write, because I really don’t want to beat on Microsoft about Vista yet again. But yesterday’s continuation of the Windows Vista Capable lawsuit and several conversations I had today are reasons to look at what Microsoft got wrong and why the company should make things right. Simply put: Windows Vista is a train wreck, but it didn’t have to be. Unfortunately, my “Wow” moment was accepting Windows Vista for what it is. 
Were computers carrying the Windows Vista Capable sticker truly Vista capable? Earlier today, a Seattle judge issued a ruling that indicates that an answer should be warranted. She denied a Microsoft request to dismiss a lawsuit alleging Microsoft’s Windows Vista Capable marketing violated the Consumer Protection Act. 
[On Friday July 27th], in intraday NASDAQ trading, Apple’s market value passed 2 times that of Dell’s, $127.81 billion vs. $63.65 billion. 
Windows Vista is also a factor in driving up memory usage, said Kilback. “Vista, unlike past operating system revisions, really takes advantage of more memory,” he said. The amount of DRAM going into PCs is expected to increase next year to about 1.5GB. “That’s basically driven by Vista,” said Kilback. Although buyers can still find systems with 512MB of system memory, many PC vendors are recommending 2GB for use with the OS. 
Dell has taken the unusual step–for a PC vendor of its size–of toning down its sales pitch for Microsoft’s Vista operating system and warning businesses of the migration challenges that lie ahead for them. The step is particularly unusual because one of the issues the hardware vendor is warning business about is the extra hardware they will need to buy.
A lawsuit alleging that Microsoft Windows Vista Capable users were misled about the capabilities of the operating system will go to trial Oct. 28, 2008, a federal judge in Seattle decided last week. That starting date will be close to the two-year anniversary of the release of the Windows Vista operating system. 
Microsoft is simplifying the processes via which its PC-maker partners will be able to provide “downgrade” rights from Windows Vista to Windows XP for their customers. Microsoft will implement the first of the policy changes for its Gold Certified (top-tier) OEM partners within the next couple of weeks. The company will streamline downgrade-rights policies and procedures for the broader channel somewhat later, said John Ball, general manager of Microsoft’s U.S. Systems Group. 
You know those commercials where Mac and PC hang out but there’s this security guy going “Mac has hailed you. Cancel or allow?” Vista is ACTUALLY LIKE THAT. EXACTLY LIKE THAT. It’s not even close to being a joke. I can’t even laugh at the commercial anymore because it’s the fucking gospel truth. You will not only be treated like an idiot but your system will crash and burn while you already feel like a fool. And once you’ve realized that it’s actually not you, –because it’s way too early for it to just be you– you just feel like a retard for buying it.