Apple’s Hot News never prints an article that has something disparaging to say about the iMac or OS X, so its no surprise to find three or more press items which glorify our computer and OS of choice. At the same time, Apple seldom, if ever, prints anything disparaging about Windows either. What is interesting about the following three articles we found at Apple’s Hot News is that each comes up with the same conclusion: the iMac and OS X are winners, and in one case, that "Windows XP means Xtra Pain."
First up is an article from the Orlando Sentinel titled ‘This year, iMac is Apple of his eye‘, in which Chris Cobb says:
Apple’s iMac is the most talked-about computer of the year for a good reason — it shows how bad PC design has been.
Mr. Cobb goes on to offer some suggestions for improving the iMac, but says:
The iMac has its flaws and room for design improvement, but it’s almost certain to spur computer makers to give us machines that work more like we do.
Next up is an article from the Washington Times titled ‘Mac OS X works rock-solid on Macintosh system‘, where Mark Kellner laments:
It’s been about six weeks since I’ve switched over to Apple Computer’s Macintosh operating system for the bulk of my work. So far, so good. Not perfect, mind you, but pretty darned good overall.
The best part: Mac OS X is pretty rock-solid. It takes a lot — and I mean a whole lot — to make this operating system hiccup, let alone freeze. In fact, I can’t recall a single "freeze" or "crash" in using OS X, version 10.1.3 (don’t ask; I didn’t name it) and heaven knows, I’ve tried to bring it down. Because this operating system has the older (by about 30 years) Unix operating system at its core, the odds are pretty good that it’ll hold up just fine.
Apparently, Mr. Kellner is thinking of following David Coursey and making a Mac his computer of choice. He ends his article by saying:
I’m moving dangerously close to making a lifetime commitment here — at least for the "lifetime" of my next computer. Will it all work out? Shall I take the plunge? Stay tuned — and feel free to e-mail me with your questions and comments on your own Mac experiences.
And finally, there’s this article from Stewart Alsop of Fortune titled ‘‘XP Means Extra Pain’, in which he looked at Windows XP recently and declared:
…There’s nothing in Windows XP to cause anyone to go out of his way to get it. In fact, I wonder why such an amazing giant of technology as Microsoft–which argues vociferously for its right to integrate new technology into its operating system–can’t do better than this. XP was supposed to finally replace old-world MS-DOS with a modern, stable platform that can be modified for new technologies without the pain and suffering we all experienced in the past. So why doesn’t XP work a whole lot better?
Mr. Alsop goes on to list some of the problems he found with XP, then concludes his article this way:
As many readers know, I’ve been using the Macintosh more and more at home. Apple recently upgraded its operating system to what’s known as OS X. That is based on Unix. You don’t have to restart your computer all the time. Managing programs and data is even easier than before. Of course, Apple is still the same old company too. But I’m beginning to think that Apple might actually be able to use such advantages to compete effectively. And I’m beginning to think that Microsoft looks like a company too wedded to past practices to keep up. Heck, what do they need to worry about with $38 billion in cash and net profits close to 30% on every dollar they collect? Yes, indeed, what does Microsoft have to worry about?
All three seem to agree, computing is better the Apple way. Stop by Apple’s Hot news and give each article a read (or use the direct links provided above). It’s time well spent. Join in on the discussion on whether or not Mac OS X and the new iMac are bringing new people to the Mac platform.
The Mac Observer Spin:
You may remember Stewart Alsop as the man who ranted and raved with great gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair when Apple bought NeXT, Inc. in 1997. He wanted the company to buy Be, Inc. instead, a company in which his own venture capital company had a large interest. Later, he predicted the death of Apple, as so many other people have done from about 1982 until last week. In recent months, Mr. Also has changed his tune considerably, starting when he came back to the Mac platform in June of 2001. In any event, it’s a very pleasant change to read Mr. Alsop speaking so highly of the Mac platform today, especially considering the heapin’ helping of Humble Pie (mixed with a tasty side order of crow) he had to eat in order to do so.
We also think it is very interesting to see the reactions of those who are only just discovering OS X and the iMac. The first two articles we mention are a fine example of the kinds of people to whom others look for technology advice; ranging from the relatively small market area of the Orlando Sentinel to the nationwide readership of Fortune Magazine, and they all are bullish about Apple’s products. It seems the best advertising strategy is to just let people use Apple products.