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| Tuesday, June 29, 2004 |
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OS X and iPod lure Windows users to Mac
the barrow | David Frith
JUNE 29, 2004
THE advent of Apple Computer's Mac OS X and the wild success of its iPod portable music players have got many Windows PC users thinking about a possible switch to the Macintosh platform.
The Unix-based Mac OS X offers several advantages that are quite persuasive: crashes are rare, and so are the viruses and spyware that plague Windows.
Many users also say it's more colourful, more intuitive, and more fun.
The platform-agnostic iPod's success, on the other hand, has made many Windows users for the first time appreciate the innovation and design genius of Apple, and wonder if a Mac would give them a similar experience.
Early expectations at Apple that Mac OS X would bring a huge flood of switchers from the Windows world haven't quite worked out.
Big business is pretty well locked into the Microsoft environment, at least for the immediate future, but among the growing throngs of home-office workers and mobile professionals there is certainly a groundswell of interest in moving to the Mac.
Australian Apple resellers tell The Barrow they get a steady stream of curious Windows users in this category who drop by just to check out the Mac.
Some end up buying, many don't.
How do things turn out for those who choose to make the switch? Do they get disenchanted and switch back, or do they become Mac fans for life? Here's the story of one reader who recently switched.
Steve Moir, a former software engineer, is a professional with a global corporate consultancy.
He divides his time between Australia and Europe, and a powerful, reliable notebook PC is essential for him.
"After 20 years of DOS and all versions of Windows (and OS/2)," he writes, "I took the plunge in March and switched to a 17-inch PowerBook.
"My motives for switching were (a) a gradual reduction in the robustness of many tier-1 branded laptops, and (b) irritation with keeping the various components of Windows up to date.
"I was spending an average of three hours a week keeping XP, Microsoft Office XP, various other bits of software — and the virus definitions — up to date.
"A further irritation was the lack of real usability of Windows XP: scratch the surface and it is very obviously a patchwork of Microsoft's various operating systems and user interfaces dating back to the mid-1980s.
"Even though my Windows laptop was only nine months old, the registry was already showing signs of degradation that would eventually require reinstallation of XP and the application software — a six to eight hour job that I have had to do at least once a year as long as I can remember having PCs.
"So in a fit of pique I visited a few PC and Apple stores in Melbourne.
"While the staff in the first Apple store were no better than the usual staff in most PC stores (overtly driven to move boxes, but otherwise ignorant of how they are used), the staff in the second store were knowledgeable, helpful and passionate about their product.
"They understood my needs (MS Office, connectivity, reliability, durability) and showed how the PowerBook would suit my needs better than other options I had been considering.
"I have now used the PowerBook for three months. OS X is much, much easier to use than XP and
the bundled Apple software is similarly slick and intuitive.
"Connecting to various wireless, wired, dial-up, encrypted and unencrypted Windows networks has been a doddle.
"While OS X is not problem-free, it seems to recover from glitches quite well. It certainly has fewer problems and inconsistencies than the latest versions of XP."
"I am very pleased with the switch," Moir says.
"The PowerBook seems to be robust, is a pleasure to use for consulting work, and Apple's iLife software is superb — I have even rediscovered a creative streak and am now inflicting my multimedia masterpieces on family and friends."
If you're considering making the switch yourself, start at Apple's website, www.apple.com/switch
It lists 10 good reasons to make the switch, details the experiences of many switchers (all enthusiastic, natch), provides detailed guides on moving files from a PC to a Macintosh and how to hook up a Mac to a Windows network.
Remote desktop software widely used in schools and business to keep track of networked Macs has been updated. Apple Remote Desktop 2 For Mac OS X installs software across networks and accesses individual screens of other computers.
With it, system administrators and help-desk operators can access the desktops, not just of networked Macs but also Windows and Linux PCs using Virtual Network Computing. More than 50 changes are said to have been made in the new version.
It will be available in July at $449 for managing up to 10 Macs and $799 for an unlimited number. Cheaper prices are available for educational users.
Apple Computer often likes to compare itself with car maker BMW: both have only a minor share of their market, but both are profitable, much admired for their technological brilliance, and paid fervent, unswerving loyalty by their customers.
Now Apple has paid BMW a complement by designing a special gadget to integrate its iPod music player with the audio system on many BMW models as well as the Mini Cooper.
The iPod goes into the glovebox and is controlled by buttons built into the Beemer's steering wheel.
The adapter has to be fitted by a BMW dealer.
Alas for Aussie BMW and Mini Cooper owners: so far the gadget is available only in the US where it costs the equivalent of $215.
Apple Australia executives have not yet held talks with BMW Australia about introducing it here, The Barrow has been told, but it could happen if enough Beemer/iPod fans clamour for it. Start hollering and watch this space. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 2:42 AM |
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