# The thrill is gone



## karavite (Jul 10, 2003)

Perhaps it is too much work, too much time on computers, age, experience, bad Apple marketing - who knows, but normally I am obsessed with any new Mac product and immediately plot on ways to get the latest thing (I have had 9 Macs and a Newton over the years). Heck, I even had Newton DREAMS until I bought one.

However, I was suprised that Panther, G5... did or are doing nothing to get me excited. I still believe the Mac is far superior to the PC and I love my G4 DP 1 GHz, and really enjoy vidoe editing with it, but I long for the kind of excitement I felt when Apple released somthing like the Quadra AVs - that was an exciting time and though that machine (I had a 660 AV) would be no match for hardware today, it was so new, so exciting... I don't know, there was just something different that seems lacking (to me personally) today. iPods don't do it for me either (believe me, get some high quality audio equipment and you will understand what a horrible thing MP3s really are). Perhaps a tablet would do it - I don't know. Maybe I am just burned out or computers, even Macs, are becoming too familiar. All I really want is stability and reliabiilty which I seem to have now (minus a few 10.2 upgrades!).

Please don't flame me - I am not knocking Apple or the new products at all. Panther should be great and the G5 is long overdue, but it just ain't the same for me anymore.


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## tyma (Jul 10, 2003)

*deep sigh*

Having come from a Wintel background, I know exactly how you feel.  The move from Windows 3.1 to 95 was the same as you describe for the Quadra AVs - everything was new and exciting.  Since then, however, it's been progressively boring for me - as a user and an administrator - with each new "greatest ever" release of Windows.

Now... I'll add that I've always been a "closet" Macintosh fan.  I've always envied the Macintosh user and wished I had one.  I've usually had at least a one or two generations old Mac on my desk, just for me to play around with.  I never invested in a new Mac, though, because while Windows had it's problems, MacOS just never seemed to hook me as something that could be a primary OS - plus, it never had the server offerings that Windows did.

However, along came OS X.  Let me tell you, I was ecstatic at the thought of a Unix based MacOS - sure, I looked in to A/UX, and even toyed with some of the Linuxes available for the Macintosh platform, but here was a bold, beautiful, outstanding manouver direct from Apple.  I was floored, and decided as soon as it came out that my next computer purchase would be a Macintosh.

Now, here I sit on my eMac (I wasn't willing to shell out for a G4 tower as my first Mac - consider it a "test" of the Mac platform) running OS X 10.2.6 - and I freakin' love it.  Every little pixel on the screen, every command, every icon is exactly what I have been itching for in an OS for as long as I can remember.

So I'm home now.  And I find the platform every bit as exciting - if not more so - than the 3.1 to 95 migration, or your Quadra AVs.  I can't wait to propose to my boss we throw some XServe's in our racks... 

Tim.


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## crash (Jul 11, 2003)

i've been using macs since... since.. forever. i used to get all worked up too. i've been doing web design/programming for 6 years, and when OSX offered native apache/php/mysql, i thought i had died and gone to web developer heaven; not to mention all of it's other enhancements over OS9. 

but lately, maybe over the past 6 months, everything seems so lackluster. sure, the G5's are awesome, and i'll probably break the bank to buy one. panther looks nice, i guess. but in general, computers are starting to be more of an annoyance than anything. trying to convert pc people, or even explain that macs can do the same stuff is such an old scene. 

i'm just tired of it all, i guess.

please no flaming. this wasn't intended to be a whine session, just the state of affairs.


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## hulkaros (Jul 11, 2003)

Just one simple question people:
-How is the other part of your lives, you know the everyday one where no computers are involved... Do you at least get some excitement there?

Please, if you want and feel like it, let us know


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## karavite (Jul 11, 2003)

tyma and Crash - you summed up my feelings exactly.

Hulkaros - that is a valid question. Do I need new Apple products or Prozac? 

As to the rest of my life - never better, but it was also good when I was Mac crazy too! In fact it is even better now due to a recent decision I made -  I have instituted a personal policy of computer-free weekends and guess what - unless I am working, I really don't need to be on a computer!!! For example, if I want to see what movies are playing at the theater - no Sherlock - I just call them and listen to the long message. You know why? It takes about as much time as waking up my Mac, launching Sherlock and checking that way. Need to look up something in the yellow pages - well, again, no sherlock - the old phone book is just as convenient for me (and sometimes more accurate and browsable). Email is always tempting, but I now give email the lowest priority in my communications. I want friends to call me or come over rather than (once again) go to my office, wake up my mac, launch Mail, see what my junk filters have missed, then read a message and respond. The weather? Well, there is always the weather channel, the morning paper or looking out the window. Listening to music? Despite having an awesome audio set up on my Mac (Marantz SR-63 Receiver and Tanny PBM-6.5 studio monitor speakers), I have a far better audio system in my living room, but both reveal the lousy sound of MP3s. Again, how much time/effort/quality does the Mac offer me is part of my decision process to not use the Mac - it's all about personal economics - cost vs. benefits. The contemporary computer is not doing it for me - outside of work. In fact, it is a pain in the butt.

You see, if Apple came up with some small device (not a laptop) that we could have out on the coffee table or on the kitchen and could let me do all the above tasks super conveniently, then THAT would get me really excited. I want something that will use my desktop as a sort of personal server to the web, email, sherlock (which I really do love)... and talk to my phone, stereo and other things. Some kind of tablet wireless client device to my desktop and as such it should be relatively cheap - maybe $500 or so. I hate being tied to my desktop machine for this kind of stuff and laptops are not the answer - too bulky, need power, go to sleep too... Since Apple seems to be going for a home computer market as well as making the whole digital hub thing a big part of their strategy, I think they could do this right. They pretty much have the desktop thing wrapped up - web development and more traditional computer work - it is all there. Why not expand the capabilities and let us all have the automated and convenient homes we have been promised for 40 years? Apple is the only one who could do this well, but whether they do or not, it is coming and they might as well lead it.

See what you have done! I just spent way too much time on the computer when I wanted to go out in the driveway and shoot some baskets!


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## toast (Jul 12, 2003)

Take your happy pills and wait for Panther final.


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## hulkaros (Jul 12, 2003)

> _Originally posted by karavite _
> *tyma and Crash - you summed up my feelings exactly.
> 
> Hulkaros - that is a valid question. Do I need new Apple products or Prozac?
> ...



If you will read my "question" slower, it was an answer as well!  As long as you have excitement in something that is healthy! If you aren't getting excited for something -anything- then there is a problem and a serious one! 

I hope that you are really getting excitement from something out there! Be it computer related or not! 

As for making you spent too much time on the computer then I surely got you excited over something


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## MrNivit1 (Jul 12, 2003)

I believe these symptoms (I have them too) are something I call revolutionitis... We all have experienced a great leap forward in terms of personal computers with the advent of X.  This new OS was a big change from OS 9 and is very exciting.  Now, though, that X is becomming the accepted standard and less radical (although still innovative) changes are being made to the OS (Panther's expose, user-switching, etc), we are not getting a complete new OS.  This is why (I think) we are all feeling a little let down; change that is not as radical.  tyma's feelings about OS upgrades in the windows world (see above) is also a case of revolutionitis.  I believe this feeling will wane as we get used to expecting less of a radical change, that is until the next major Mac OS release comes along (OS 11?  )


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## TommyWillB (Jul 12, 2003)

We're all just getting older, wiser and harder to impress... or jaded...


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## ScottW (Jul 12, 2003)

Here! Here!

Honestly, I think its more than just the Macintosh, you can count computers in general, the internet, are all suffering the same thing.

I didn't have my first computer until 8th grade, and that was after begging and pleading my parents for a IIGS. I had never seen one, or used one... but I knew I wanted one. We had IIc's and IIe's at school. I lived on those things every moment I had possible. Of course, they didn't take computers as seriously as they do today in schools.

But then there were BBS's, and the progression of modem speed. 300, 1200, 2400, 9600, 14400, 28800 and 56000! Then came ISDN 64000x2 and then cable modems and DSL (talking consumer grade stuff here).

The Internet did away with BBS's, it brought the world together. The Internet boom, just went nuts and all this excitment went into what the world could be, what the Internet could be. Things looked great, ideas were flowing... computers were getting faster, Microsoft was finally coming out with a usuable operating system and Apple as leading the way.

I remember spending days and days just surfing, looking for something new, seeing what people did, this and that. It was awesome. But today, I surf 5-10 websites daily... you'd think the internet wasn't any bigger than a small town in western Kansas. I rarely venture to other parts unless I am looking for something specific.

Mac OS X is cool, but it's just another operating system. The last few years we waited for the releases of software as it was ported over, but most of that has been finally accomplished. 

The fact is, we live in a different world. We don't get on a plane or visit an airport  without realizing just how this world is different than it used to be (at least in the USA). The only thing exciting internet wise is when you get cable or DSL in your area, otherwise the Internet hasn't changed, habits have been formed and patterns have been set. 

I personally, have lost my drive to build websites, to really make a difference, because the Internet is different, and it's just not exciting enough. Even in my field, salaries are dropping, the motivation to keep learning, to be on the cutting edge is falling away. Why stay ahead when your pay keeps falling? Where is the motivation. If I leave the job I hate, I will take a pay cut, even if I do more somewhere else.

Also, I'm 28, not 18. Just bought a house, somehow, spending $325 on topsoil seems more important than an iPod. Hanging blinds in my house that has none at the current time, just seems a bigger priority having an iSight.

I love technology, and hope that I always will. But, the driving force is gone, whether that is external or internal, is more of a psychological examination.

Scott


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## fryke (Jul 13, 2003)

I've been through this, and I can say that Apple still 'has it'. I've had those Newton dreams myself back then, until I finally bought a Newton MP 120 (and then a 130 and then an eMate 300 later on). I've been using Macs since 1987, and I've owned my very first Mac in 1993.

And that itch to buy that newest piece of Apple hardware just faded after some time. Other things became more important (although I don't have a house). But then: The PowerBook G4. The Titanium PowerBook G4. Suddenly I was back in those waters. I'm pretty sure my forehead read 'I WANT YOU!' when I was looking at one at a computer store. And then, of course, I bought one. The more expensive version even, because I felt that it would serve me very, very well for (quite) a long time. And so it did. However, I didn't feel like buying the 1 GHz version after my old 500 MHz one, because I wanted something smaller, and I kinda missed the cooler G3 processor. And the iBook made me 'WANT' again.

I'm sure the feeling will fade in and out again and again over time. The G5s are not for me (I'm not a desktop Mac user, I'm a mobile Mac user), the 17" PB is not for me (mobile, not luggable) - but the next generation PowerBooks just might be... Who knows...


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## Randman (Jul 13, 2003)

The getting away from computers is a good idea. The Internet can narrow your horizons as much as broaden it. These days, I've delved into video editing, which is something new to me. Add that in with finding synergy with my pda (Tungsten T) and my smartphone (Nokia 3650) is bringing new challenges, new things to learn and new accomplishments.


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## fryke (Jul 13, 2003)

Oh, reminds me: My Nokia 3650 also frees me a bit from my desktop/notebook, as I can go out into the green, read for a few hours... and my GPRS connection lets me check my mail from time to time (for those afternoons when the work is done and i'm waiting for corrections...).


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## Lazzo (Jul 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by ScottW _
> *Here! Here!
> 
> spending $325 on topsoil seems more important than an iPod.
> ...



Blimey Scott, and you're only 28! Reckon I agree more or less with all your points though, I've been at it for 20 years, well on my way to being an old hack, but topsoil? Nah!


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## Arden (Jul 16, 2003)

Karavite, Tyma, Crash, and Scott, there's a word for your feelings: blasé.


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## Randman (Jul 17, 2003)

Do you have an older Mac? If so spend some time, a weekend or so on it. Or just visit Classic and spend a couple days away from Jaguar (or the Panther beta, if you have it),
   This past weekend, I charged up my old clamshell Special Edition graphite iBook and updated the software on it (hadn't used it in a couple of months).
   I used it for 3 days as my sole computer at home and it was great. It still worked well and it was fun going back in time, so to speak (I also only played stuff from iTunes that was from the '80s or earlier). Then when I got back to my newer, more powerful Mac, that was also fun as I had more horsepower to play with, as well as the customization I've done as far as dock, icons, themes, etc.
  It also gave me a chance to play with .Mac Bookmarks, which work nice.
   If you didn't have an older Mac to go to, you could try the same thing in Classic. It's a cheap way to refresh your perspective,


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## bookem (Jul 17, 2003)

Computers themselves don't really impress me that much anymore either, however the software does.  After 16 years of messing around with computers, I'm eventually using them for a purpose, and not just playing around with them.

I spent a few days using a SE/30 with Logic 1.0, and I found it to be a refreshing experience.

I know I'll do it again - maybe I'll even get hold of a copy of Band in a Box or something for the Amiga, as this, alongside the Classic style Macs is one of my earliest computer memories.

Looking back makes you realize what a powerful range of software and hardware is available today.


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## karavite (Jul 21, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arden _
> *Karavite, Tyma, Crash, and Scott, there's a word for your feelings: blasé. *



Yes - that's it!

Hey, do you play banjo? Unlike computers, I can always get excited about banjos.


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## tyma (Jul 21, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arden _
> *Karavite, Tyma, Crash, and Scott, there's a word for your feelings: blasé. *



Actually, they were on Windows.  They are anything but now that I have moved over to OS X.

Tim.


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## BusinezGuy (Aug 1, 2003)

This is such an interesting topic, I had to respond!

I remember, back in the day, when I was a poor student.  The year was late 1993 or 1994, and I had not quite heard (or understood) the concept of the Internet and its importance to future developments.  I picked up a PC Magazine and began to read about a new operating system Microsoft was going to release called Microsoft Windows 95.  This operating system made me see the stars.  I was hooked to computers, and I realized computers were what I needed to communicate, express my thoughts, record my ideas; essentially I had the profound feeling the computer was a tool that would allow me to learn and grow as a human being.

Whats more, I felt computers could bring to the forefront topics of interest I had, but the general public did not seem to accept or learn about.  I would be able to discuss news, science, politics, etc, with other people of common interests.  By holding these discussions, we would all grow in knowledge, principles, and mutual respect.

Mind you, I was really struck by the concept of multimedia as that means of sharing thoughts.  That small cds could fit things like an entire encyclopedia, and actually add to the medium by adding sound, more pictures, and video/presentations struck me as profound.  However, in reading that article, I could see a clear focus towards communication amongst vast arrays of people all over the world.  This would be a tool to help bring us together, and pool our resources of knowledge, and grow as a human race.

The progress of processors also encouraged me to believe that, while computers would be an incredible tool for people all over the world with the release of Windows 95, as computers would get faster, I would look back at Windows 95 and realize how archaic and limiting it was.  Remember, at the time, looking at this 40 page spread of an operating system in a magazine with various windows of functionality laid out so that the average person could use a computer was an amazing thing to me.  I wasnt very informed about Macs, the Windows world was large enough for me at the time that I didnt need to venture from it in order to learn new and fascinating things about computers.  At that time, and at that place, computers seemed limitless, and I saw the stars.

With those high expectations in mind, when the release of Windows 95 occurred, it met some of my expectations.  The Internet became a concept I understood, and I knew the computer and Internet access would spread throughout society and cause a revolution of some form.  Yet, I found that Windows 95 and future versions of Windows to be a let down.  Sure Windows 95 was a huge release.  Yet future versions of Windows didnt add enough functionality or ease of use I was coming to expect.  Sure Bill Gates was great at getting up in front of people and talking about the future with speech recognition, smart computers, applicances hooked to the Internet, etc, but the fact is each version of Windows offered not even a glimpse of the future, and not much in the way of progress in my eyes.

When Windows XP was released, Microsoft had let me down for the last time.  Other then a slightly reorganized My Documents folder and a few other doodads, I didnt see much of an improvement over Windows 2000.  It has the same clumsy interface, for the most part, that Windows 95 began with.  There were new features, to be sure, but the interface was hopefully rift with complexity that it was still neccessary to consult a manual to locate useful but well hidden features built into XP.

Then the company I work for became involved with Apple.  I began to go to Apples website, and look at their products.  I was looking for a replacement to my old Athlon 500 MHZ PC running Windows XP.  As a gamer, I needed a computer with a new video card to keep up with the modern games being released.  I had long since given up on the gains in productivity and functionality I had come to expect in the early days.

In looking at Apples website, what struck me as much impressive was Mac OS X.  Apple has just started advertising Jaguar.  It was amazing that there were these iApps built directly into the operating system that would do so many of the things I had wanted for so long.  There was nothing compelling on the PC to organize my music.  Sure there were products such as Real Player and Music Match, but they offered the same clunky interface as Windows itself.  They purposely held back on the features unless you paid a monthly fee or a price to purchase the expanded version (which is understandable, they are out to make money).  Yet Apple had iTunes, and this was clearly the best program on the market to organize music; and when you ordered a Mac, it came for free!  

I had always wanted to get into photography, as it is a great opportunity to express yourself and record your life, but I wanted the ability to edit and store my photos so I could correct and reproduce them seemlessly at will.  If I took hunddreds or thousands of photos, Windows had no means of organizing them for me.  Now, in my view, this is something an operating system SHOULD do.  Not only does Mac OS X do it, it actually goes a step further and adds some very basic, yet version powerful, and quite adequate features to edit and share my photos.  

iMovie and iDVD were obviously an incredible way for a beginner to get involved with video editing.  Very simply, they didnt have peers on Microsoft Windows.  It isnt just that Microsoft Windows doesnt come with comparable programs, what is really stricking is that I couldnt even go out and spend $500 and get comparable applications, that both offer the functionality of iMove and iDVD combined with the incredible ease of use.  They even added even MORE features for digital photos with these two applications.  I could import my photos from iPhoto into iMovie, create a huge slide show with music, and import that into iDVD with menus to organize everything, and then burn that slide slow to a DVD and send it out to family and friends so they could view it on their DVD!

And, there were other applications built right into the operating system.  Sherlock, Mail, Address book, etc, plus the very apparent rock-solid reliability of an operating system in Mac OS X.  What really amazed me was it became clear Apple would release new iApps and applications to its operating system in the future.  Even the existing iApps would continue to progress and add new functionality.  I was hooked!  This was the platform I needed to use to express my thoughts and organize my life.  This was the platform that seemed to match my ideas of what an operating system should be like, and take advantage of the powerful computers we have today.

When I first got my Mac, I immediately ripped all of my cds and organized them with iTunes.  Since I had such a broad taste in music (Classical, Jazz, Classic Rock, modern Roc, etc.), I found that a service called Emusic was an incredible deal for me.  I could download unlimited numbers of albums of music I was interested.  I quickly had a music collection of thousands of thousands of MP3 files (Im currently at 24,297 music files and I enjoy so much of the music I have--Im sifting through the stuff Ill never listen to).  Here I have all of these files, and yet I can scroll up and down, and instantly search for the song I want to listen to!  I can even use all of my music to create slide shows!

A friend of mine sent me a photo of his dog recently through iChat (he is on a PC and was using AOL Instant Messenger).  The photo was good quality, but it had noticable blemishes and the dog had really bad red eye.  It took me 2 seconds to import the photo into iPhoto and about a minute to remove the blemishes, and get entirely rid if the red eye.  It simply looked like there were no blemishes on the photo, and the picture came out perfectly.  I sent it back to my friend without explaination, and he was so impressed when he saw the results, he wanted to know how I did it.  I simply stated, Its because I own a Mac.

My Mac does what I need it to do.  It meets, and in many cases, exceeds my expectations.  I now have a freedom that wasnt met by Microsoft Windows to do the things I want to do.  My computer is no longer just a means of surfing the Internet and sending email.  It is a useful tool for me to ogranize my life, record my thoughts, organize myself,  find the item I am looking for quickly, send files to people quickly; it just does so many things for me, I can really only speak in generalities and keep from writing a book.

Going back to my job, I do technical assistance for a company that provides a product specifically for computers (Sorry, in the context of this pro-Mac post, I cant divulge the name of my company).  We have been primarily offering the product on PCs.  Our Mac implementation was so limited when Mac OS 9 was out, we used to joke and say that only customers who enjoyed inflicting pain on themselves would use our product on the Mac.  With our Mac OS X release, very suddently he had something we have been striving for 6 years on the PC.  We had a great product, that worked seemlessly with the operating system.  People didnt have to deal with a complicated installation.  They could enjoy the product instead.  If Mac customer called up, there might be a couple of technical issues, but we knew exactly how to resolve them.  Pretty much, when a Mac user called up, it was pretty much a brief how-to-use phone call in which they had a few brief questions.

On the PC--even yesterday I can think of a couple of examples--a customer will install the product and if they are running programs, there will be conflicts with the installation, partial installs, etc.  Everyday there is some .dll error message Ive never heard of.  Generally I can work through the problem, but it is very challenging, and it takes a lot of creative energy to come up with fixes.  There are so many issues, we find ourselves in uncharted waters much of the time, and we have to use our knowledge of the Windows operating system fo resolve these issues.  It doesnt help that there are so many different versions of Windows, and each has its strrong and weak points.  For instance, Windows 98 doesnt have the capability of updating .dll files dynamically.  If there is a problem with the installation, there is a possibility of corrupt .dll files.  If that happens, one can only remove them first, and if there is a real program with the installation, go into the registry and clean out the partial install from there.  Im sure you can imagine that this isnt exactly an issue your average user could fix on their own.

About 99 percent of the time, these installation issues (along with the myraid of other issues that come up) dont even have anything to do with our product.   There is either a program that is interfering, or some obscure setting or combination of setting in Windows that prevents our product from installing.  One of my favorite is when a customer is using Windows XP, and the install with a certain username.  Later on they create another username and then delete the original.  Their software, including our product continue to work fine.  However, if they have to uninstall and reinstall our product or other software for whatever reason, the installation will not complete and they will get error messages.  Very simply, while they may have Admin rights to their computer, they dont have permissions to all of the folders needed to complete the installation.  Now, since they are running XP, they may or may not be able to resolve the issue.  If they are running XP Home, they are screwed.  XP Home doesnt offer the ability to take ownership of folders on their computer, so they will not be able to gain access.  XP Professional offers this feature, but you need to have installed the operating system using NTFS instead of FAT 32.  Of course, the majority of installations are FAT32 since they were installed by the manufacturer  of the computer.  Essentially, while the customer didnt know it, by deleting their original user they used to install software with, they could potentially be pulling the rug out from under themselves and making their operating system partially broken.  Sure, permission problems are possible on the Mac, but they happen far less often, and for the sake of Pete, they include a couple of built in tools that usually can correct any issues you may encounter!

I just marvel at how many of our customers have an operating system on the fritz.  Very simply, its running abnormally slow because of some conflict, or its so fragmented, or some driver isnt properly installed, or they dont know how to do a fresh installation and the operating has so degraded over time it has all types of quirks and issues.  But all of this avoids a much more simple and fundamental issue.  People dont know how to use their Windows-based computers!  Sure there is a lot of potential stuff you can do with Windows.  But people dont understand the potential, and they also dont understand even the basics.  The operating system is so clunky, customers are confused with right clicking and left clicking, alternative menus, obsure instructions and messages, etc.

It doesnt need to be that way!  People dont need to be afraid of their computers, and they dont need to a book to use half of the features their computer provides!  They shouldnt have to be shown how to get to a folder in their computer to locate a file they downloaded, but cannot find, because it moved to a Temp folder buried deep in the file system of Windows (people dont even know that File Explorer exists for Windows, much less if they did, they wouldnt understand what its for, or the meaning behind it).  Microsoft Windows, whether it is represented by a multibillion dollar company that owns 95 percent of the market, or a small start up valued in the thousands of dollars, is a seriously flawed operating system, and so is the whole Wintel platform!  It does not meet or entirely meet the needs of even the majority of consumers.  It LIMITS the potential creativity and capability of people, and they dont even know it.   

People have come to expect this type of mediocrity, and companies based on the Windows platform know it.  They know it so much, that even during this bad economy, when their profits are threated, they are so addicted to this culture of making easy money by releasing half-baked, half-assed products, they still cant stop themselves from doing it.  I mean, does it not put into perspective the point I am trying to bring up when I point out that the purported Windows-platform answer to the iTunes Music Store is BuyMusic.com?!  The product didnt even WORK when journalists tried to use it for reviews.  This is the year 2003 and yet it is like it is still 1995, and Windows 95 just came out and they are still adding even the most basic functionality and making sure it works (like plugging a printer into your printer port shouldnt crash your computer, for instance).

So, when you say you no longer feel the same excitement for the Mac platform, I can understand you getting used to it, and even beginning to take it for granted.  However, I think you should always keep in mind that their are Windows users out there who dont know about Macs, or just write them off for various reasons, without understanding that if they purchase a Mac, they will be able to do the things they want to do, and even the things they never thought they could do!  As somebody who is clearly experienced with the Mac platform, perhaps that is where you will find a rebirth of your enthusiam for the Mac platform.  Perhaps, when you get a friend or family member excited about the Mac because they suddently realize the potential, and you watch them excitedly except delivery of their Mac, and then a few months down the road they tell you how the Mac has exceeded their expectations--perhaps then you will become excited for them and in seeing their excitement, youll become excited with your Mac again and realize again how you could certainly live without but, but you sure as hell wouldnt want to!

Then maybe you will not only be excited about the Mac again, but when it comes to computers, maybe you will again see the stars like you once did.  There was a time I saw the them myself, and then I stopped seeing them, but when I purchased a Mac, I now see the stars again!


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## BusinezGuy (Aug 1, 2003)

By the way, sorry for the long post!  That is about 10 times longer then the longest post I have ever done in my life.  I guess I just felt inspired, and a need to let people know how I feel about Macs.


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## hulkaros (Aug 1, 2003)

WOW!


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## Arden (Aug 1, 2003)

Hey, the longer, the better (even if it requires more time to read).  There need to be more switchers like you, Biz Guy.  That's simply a wonderful story, and I think with a little editing, it could be worthy of a "special column" in a Mac magazine.

Wow, 4 Page Downs... probably the longest post I have ever read on this forum.

Even after you've outgrown the extensive tools and toys that every Mac comes with, there is a whole cornucopia of software out there for you to discover.  If iPhoto is too limited, upgrade to some version of Adobe Photoshop.  When you want more control over your movies, graduate to Final Cut Express or Pro, and DVD Studio.  If you'd like to make your pictures jump out at you, there are lots of 3D programs ranging from $400 to $2500 and up.

Unfortunately, the Wintel side still has us pegged in the game industry, and everyone says that the situation is improving, but it's not improving quickly enough.  However, I am sure that someday Windows users will be envious of the range and quality of games that are made only for Mac.

Biz Guy: I'd like to know what company you work for.  Private message me if you feel like sharing.


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## dlloyd (Aug 1, 2003)

BuzinezGuy: Wonderful post! That is pretty much a summary of why I use the Mac. I never switched though .
I mean sure, my Dad has a PC and all, so I use it occasionally, but I've been using Macintosh computers since OS 6 - since I was 4. Lucky me!


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## karavite (Aug 3, 2003)

Hi Biz Guy, thanks for the very thoughtful reply/post! In some ways I can relate to your history, though I was a Mac user/buyer since 1987. Still, I use PCs all day for my job and it is true that after all this time, so many simple things have yet to be solved for computer users. I still use W2000 for work and it is aweful and I can pretty much set my calander by system crashes and other issues. Also, you would think achieving reliable printer servers are equal to landing a man on the moon. I hear XP is better in many ways, but this is long over due for PC users.

I guess I feel "the thrill is gone" because there does not seem to be a next step in computing. Reliable OS's should be achieved NOW and business or home users should not tolerate anything less anymore. Any way, the next step I would like to see is more integration of hardware, software, the network, media and, of course, data. I want to get anything anywhere. I realize we have a lot of this today, but it has yet to be put together in a real slick way. I feel Apple could lead the way in all of this.

I think your post and your computer experience detailed the major "paradigms" in computing. For example:

1. Personal computers.
2. GUI
3. Multi media
4. The Web

I'm sure we could squeeze in others like wireless, PDAs and more, but what is the next biggie? Funny, but when you look at the things I just named, Apple was a major player in almost every one!

Sadly, I think the next big thing is somewhat delayed due to the lack of real competition out there. Thanks to MS and other predators who have achieved their goals of dominating the market, new ideas are too costly and/or risky.  Again, I think the next thing could or should be more integration between devices - computers, PDAs, media (audio/video), communication and more. Apple has started on this path and could continue at a faster pace if they weren't constantly watching their back. However, it seems that radical innovation is what always gives Apple the edge. I think they are playing it a little too safe these days.


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## TommyWillB (Aug 3, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arden _
> *...Unfortunately, the Wintel side still has us pegged in the game industry, and everyone says that the situation is improving, but it's not improving quickly enough.  However, I am sure that someday Windows users will be envious of the range and quality of games that are made only for Mac...*


Rumor... New PlayStation II compatible Apple/Sony G5 "cube"...

Remember the Pippin? Same idea, only better...


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## TommyWillB (Aug 3, 2003)

> _Originally posted by karavite _
> *......I feel Apple could lead the way in all of this.
> ...Sadly, I think the next big thing is somewhat delayed due to the lack of real competition out there.
> ...I think they are playing it a little too safe these days. *


Actually I think it is simply the bad economy... I'm sure Apple it quietly thinking up cool things*, but with a slimmer workforce.

*See Above...


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## karavite (Aug 6, 2003)

> _Originally posted by TommyWillB _
> *Actually I think it is simply the bad economy... I'm sure Apple it quietly thinking up cool things*, but with a slimmer workforce. *



I'll buy that, but there are other contributing factors to the IT economy outside of the general worries and problems. I think one reason the economy is poor in IT specifically is the lack of competition resulting from illegal and predatory practices by you know who. This started well before 9/11. I think we are all getting a taste of what we were all warned about - monopolies stifle innovation. Consumers and business are locked in to using lousy PC technology and are loath to spend more on IT when precvious purchases have yielded so little. I would argue that IT isn't slowing down because we have reached a certain point in technology (though thank god some of the hype has faded), but that it is largely suffering due to a lack of competition or the ability for innovators (the little and medium guys) to compete and/or knowing that the minute they come out with something great and new, you know who will do everything they can to steal, buy, copy or force out the new product or idea (just like they did with the GUI, business apps, web browser...)

I can't find the article, but I remember reading that MS loses money on EVERYTHING except Windows and that their profits on Windows are obscene at something like 80%. All the rest are losers - XBox, Office, IE, .Net, consulting... you name it - none could stand on their own as a business. Had they been broken up by the courts, the whole IT market would be open and just imagine the rush of all kinds of superior competing IT products we would be seeing today.


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## Arden (Aug 6, 2003)

Pippin?


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## karavite (Aug 6, 2003)

Frodo?


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## karavite (Aug 6, 2003)

Ah ha!

http://www.technewsworld.com/perl/story/31239.html

So do you think Sears and others will take the time and effort to develop for the Mac? It will all be PCs unless Apple leads the way.


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## TommyWillB (Aug 9, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arden _
> *Pippin? *


Yeah... Pippin: http://www.theapplemuseum.com/index.php?id=tam&page=misc&subpage=pippin

It was Apple's attempt to enter the home game console market just like Microsoft is doing now with the XBox.


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## Arden (Aug 9, 2003)

Aha.


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## BusinezGuy (Aug 9, 2003)

Hey Arden,

Unfortunately, I'm not able to IM you with that information.  I'm under an NDA.  It's nothing earth shattering or interesting, that much I can tell you.

With that said, I guess the point I was trying to make was, there are PC users who are stuck under a platform they don't understand.  That is a compelling reason to be excited about the Mac platform, and to try to convert people over to this platform.

Apple has a quality product, and it is amazing they don't hold a higher share of the market place.  It's not good to see a company selling an inferior product be the dominant software company in the market.


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## Arden (Aug 10, 2003)

Well thanks anyway for reaffirming all of our faith.


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## a-bort (Aug 14, 2003)

I just love my new 12 inch pb, 10.3 beta and also isight. The future of G5 seems great to me!
I still own my 6200, and I do remember working the first time on the little Macintosh Plus machines we had at 'high school' (we don't name it high school in the Netherlands). Yes, i felt limitations  but this was more a finacial thing. Now apple's are quite payable.
And thereby, even though for me there are no real limitations in power for the work i do on my lap, future ideals do ask more. Apple is working towards it, with a great design around it!!!
For me the thrill is very active, and not gone at all...


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## Randman (Aug 14, 2003)

Get a pc for a few weeks, or maybe just on "Master Blaster Saturday", then come back to Apple and see if the thrill is still gone.


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## Arden (Aug 14, 2003)

Or years...


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## Krevinek (Aug 23, 2003)

As my sig suggests, I have 'old' hardware... but I still enjoy it.

The last big thing to get me excited about hardware and software was... well, everything. As a college student with a Junior standing, heading into the electronics and software fields, it interests me in a different way that it does others.

I am one who likes taking things apart, finding out how they work, putting them back together, and then building an improved version of it. 

So, although Apple doesn't make me want to jump out and grab a G5 (I can't afford it, and the Lombard is what I need more, and just got)... the new stuff does make me a little excited because I want to know how it works and how to reproduce it.

I would rather take a laptop apart and explore the innards than explore all the software... the machine itself is a tool for work and communcation for me. However, I love to know how the tool works.


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## Arden (Aug 24, 2003)

Of course, the machine is useless without the software to run on it.  Believe me; a new computer is a boring computer until you actually install something.

You can always try to dissect a program, if you have sufficient programming knowledge, though this isn't necessarily in the same way as a computer's hardware.  But you never know what you'll discover.

Will you be propagating the new Hypertransport 2 technology then?


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## karavite (Aug 24, 2003)

Just an "assimilation" update for you Arden!- I am running this great Mac OSX program "Indigo" for controlling all my X10 devices and using it and AppleScript and QuicKeys to do all kinds of things. In addtion, I took advice from this forum and bought an FM transmitter.

So, for example. Indigo runs a timed event at 6:00 am every day that calls an AppleScript that calls a QuickKeys shortuct to start up Windows MediaPlayer and load up WNYC on the radio. The FM transmitter sends this on an FM channel through my house and can be picked up by every radio in house including the radio in the bathroom (I could use Indigo to turn on the transmitter, but I just leave it on for now). So, now when I hop into the shower, I have my radio station ready to go! (I live between huge hills and have awful radio reception). I can also send an email to my house and based on the subject text have indigo start up/show down all kinds of things.

Even if you aren't interested in home automation, try out Indigo for free for 30 days. The developer is an ex MacroMedia developer/manager and he did a great job at creating a powerful and easy to use piece of software: http://www.perceptiveautomation.com/indigo/

Here is my FM transmitter: http://www.ccrane.com/fm_transmitter.asp

I have all kinds of other things being managed by Indigo - motion detectors and lights throughout the house including different settings for night vs. day. Next step: distributing more audio and video!

Also, I spoke to the local high end audio store guy and he says that the home automation thing is really picking up (for example 801.b/g equipped appliances like Air conditioners), but the one thing holding it all back is standards and security (do you want your neighbor to be able to hack in to your house and blast your AC!). For security, there is a simple answer for a first step - dump Windows and use a Mac!


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## Krevinek (Aug 24, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arden _
> *Of course, the machine is useless without the software to run on it.  Believe me; a new computer is a boring computer until you actually install something.
> 
> You can always try to dissect a program, if you have sufficient programming knowledge, though this isn't necessarily in the same way as a computer's hardware.  But you never know what you'll discover.
> *



Well, I just pointing out that new software rarely is a source of excitement. 'That's cool' is the best anyone has gotten out of me. To me, it is a tool, not a source of excitement or enlightenment.

I have done some program dissection, although that was in relation to video card drivers on OS X. I had most of it worked out until I tripped over a hidden layer of OpenGL that sat right on top of the OpenGL bundle. No headers, no docs, nothing. Really sucked... I hadn't even gotten to DVD yet.


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## Arden (Aug 24, 2003)

Sure, many programs are tools to be used in a certain way, but others (especially games) are for recreational purposes and are not intended to provide you with your daily bread but to make you have fun.  It may not be exciting to you, but a computer with no software is really pretty useless (and therefore boring) unless it has Internet access.


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## Krevinek (Aug 24, 2003)

Well, I understand your point, although my entertainment is mostly outside computers. I am just a tech geek, and my entertainment doesn't need to come from technology.


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## karavite (Aug 25, 2003)

I wouldn't say I am entertained by computers, but I am excited by innovation and that is the thrill that is gone here. Computers are like girlfriends - With some, you become infatuated only to realize you are deluded and have made a horrible mistake. Some slowly entice you with seemingly unique or useful features, while others are eventually passed off to a friend who ends up calling for advice and/or understanding. A few you will never forget...

I think it can go a little bit beyond software. Perhaps you guys are too young to remember the Mac Quadra 660AV and 880AV - those were truly new and exciting computers for their day (1992) - a dedicated DSP chip, speech in and out, S-Video connections, integration with the phone (speaker phone, answering machine, fax). Sure, some of that was due to software, but it was far more than just another grey box. Of course Apple went on to produce green, red, blue, purple, silver and other color boxes until they finally gave us OS X.


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## Arden (Aug 25, 2003)

And sometimes they don't recognize their memory and tell you something you know isn't true... 

Sure, it's exciting to get a new computer, but only because of what it can do.  If I dropped a new G5 on your desk, but it was incapable of installing anything, so you couldn't use any software with it, and it had been stripped of the software that came with it, what would you think of it it then?  Wow, a grey box with holes!

Computers themselves aren't entertaining, but sites like this are involving and games are entertaining.


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## Krevinek (Aug 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arden _
> *Sure, it's exciting to get a new computer, but only because of what it can do.  If I dropped a new G5 on your desk, but it was incapable of installing anything, so you couldn't use any software with it, and it had been stripped of the software that came with it, what would you think of it it then?  Wow, a grey box with holes! *



Yep, exactly, a big grey box with holes, G5 processor(s) and plenty of hardware to keep me busy for quite awhile. I have actually spent plenty of time attempting to ressurrect(sic) machines I knew were 100% dead, just to try.

Of course, I am going into the hardware engineering field, so I see it slightly differently than the end user.


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## Arden (Aug 25, 2003)

Well, then, giving you an empty computer (of software) is like giving a coroner a dead body.  The normal person would rather interface with the software on the computer (the living person's personality), but you prefer to dig beneath the surface and fiddle.  I figure as long as it works, it's all good.


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## Krevinek (Aug 25, 2003)

Yep... (Short Post)


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## legacyb4 (Aug 26, 2003)

What's going to give me that thrill all over again is Gran Turismo 4 on the Playstation 2 when it's released in December...

Now THAT is something to get excited for!

Cheers.



> _Originally posted by hulkaros _
> *Just one simple question people:
> -How is the other part of your lives, you know the everyday one where no computers are involved... Do you at least get some excitement there?
> 
> Please, if you want and feel like it, let us know  *


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## Arden (Aug 26, 2003)

(Shorter)


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