 |
Search |
|
|
|
|
Classic 2 Guys |
|
10 Random Stories:
|
|
|
|
Buy A PC Mag! |
|
 I don't know where I got the idea, but somewhere around the Mac Web I'd heard that it would be a good idea to get a PC magazine or two just to keep up on things. I mean, it's one thing to just go by your own computing experiences or the second-hand ones of your friends, family, co-workers, or fellow students - but it's an entirely different thing to see, in print, what people are saying about Wintel machines and what's going on in that world. Plus, what's the saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?
Ok, maybe "enemies" isn't quite the right word, but having a good feel for what's going on in the computer industry in general is ALWAYS a good thing. And generally, because we have to, Mac users are more aware of what's happening in the Wintel world than the other way around, but we may still not always be quite up to date.
With that in mind, I'd like to do a little comparison of the recent issue of MacAddict (May 2004), with the most recent issue of Computer Shopper (May 2004). Now granted, Computer Shopper isn't a strictly PC-oriented mag - they do have Macs in most of their reviews - but other than simply reviewing the Macs on PC terms, that's about it as far as the world of Apple goes.
So let's look at MacAddict first. MacAddict month after month is chock full of cool stuff that sparks your creativity, helps you save time (and hence money if you're running a business), and is just plain fun to read!
This month's issue of MacAddict is no exception. With a central theme of "Unlock iLife", the staff gets jiggy with iLife '04 and dishes out tons of tips this Macophile has never heard of. They give you good stuff for iPhoto like how to create a PDF book you can print out (and save the $30+ Apple would charge you), make smart photo albums, do batch renames on photos, and even a little tidbit that reminds you you can check the "Display Slideshow Controls" so you can rotate, delete or rate photos whilst viewing them in a slideshow.
MacAddict also dutifully reminds people that OS X isn't virus-proof because only 5% of the world uses it (careful with that factoid MacAddict, it may well be more than that), but because OS X is inherently more secure (they even quote BusinessWeek pundit Alex Salkever saying this, so it must be true, right!?).
MacAddict rounds things out by giving the reader really useful stuff presented in a fun manner (if I ever got into print design, I'd definitely look at back issues of MacAddict for ideas), like the in-depth GarageBand write up, thorough reviews of all sorts of hardware and software, and the Ask Us section which has all sorts of stuff including Terminal/UNIX stuff for the True Geeks®. The tutorials include how to's on "Clean Up Your Mac", "Play Oggs in iTunes", and "Cheat Your Way Through Mac Games".
Something that really surprised me however and didn't quite sit right, was a 4-page teaser about (apparently) a sister publication of MacAddicts's titled "Mobile PC". The idea doesn't sound bad, but the pages look decidedly "PCish" and there is nary a mention of anything Mac-like. Ick.
Ok, so my whole shpiel there was longer than I thought it'd be, and it reads more like a review of MacAddict - but stick with me, as we contrast Computer Shopper with the fun and creativity sparking (except for the "Mobile PC" insert no doubt shoved down MacAddict's throat by their parent company) MacAddict.
First off, Computer Shopper is a magazine for (duh) people shopping for computers. But there are tons of editorials, news, etc., and the general tone is very heavily weighted towards the Wintel side of the fence. So I think it can be said that they are a voice for the Wintel world (albeit "a" voice, not "the" voice).
With that in mind, the May issue of Computer Shopper talks about AntiSpyware software that pretends to remove spyware but instead actually does more "spying". Not fun. They give a stat that 43% of small companies are concerned about being dependent on Microsoft, and that "2 out of 5 companies with 500 employees or fewer revealed trepidation at becoming too reliant on Microsoft products".
Years after Apple removed fans from their products (or as is the case now, used quieter fans), it seems that PC's are finally catching up, as Antec is unveiling a 350-watt power supply that doesn't have a fan. (Those silly Wintel folks - always bashing Apple for doing something first and then doing the same exact thing years later! Of course, it might have something to do with how Apple boasts about how they're the first to do it, but still...)
Anyway, we also get an interesting blurb about the "Sound of Silence" MP3's that As The apple Turns first mentioned (silent tracks on the iTunes Music Store), and interestingly, atAT is called a "Mac Enthusiast site". There's also an article about the TTL, or Telephone Torture Loop, which Apple's Support line thankfully doesn't have (although hold times have been an issue lately), one about how buggy the first Windows-based Smartphones are, and one where Mac lover extrordinaire John Dvorak (back up if you missed the thick sarcasm) spouts off about "Why voting on the Internet is Still a Really Bad Idea" (no shit Sherlock).
Computer Shopper also tells us why the new Intel "Prescott" chip isn't much of an improvement at all from previous Pentium 4 chips, but that speed gains will be realized as Intel cranks up clock speeds. Something really handy they mention is "20 Web Services Worth Paying For", where they list services like VersionTracker, Ask Dr. Tech, Audible, and Encyclopedia Britannica.
But whatever your (computer) persuasion and skill level, comparing hardware is probably why you would get a magazine like Computer Shopper. And review after review (I've read about eight issues of C.S.) Macs stack up very well with their PC brethren. They never seem to get 1st place, but usually 2nd or sometimes 3rd (out of 5). Bear in mind that Macs are rated on the PC users's scale, which mainly has to do with the computer's specifications, and never has much to do with the OS, the ease-of-use, or several other factors (things like rating an 800Mhz G4 against a 1.6Ghz P4, where there doesn't seem to be mention of how the chips really stack up). No matter what naysayers may tell you, Apple's products, especially the laptops, really do hold their own if you do a feature-by-feature comparison.
The last thing I'll mention about subscribing to something like Computer Shopper is you get to check out ads from Dell, IBM, etc. One Dell ad in particular says that you can slap an 802.11b/g wireless card (The eqivalent of Airport Extreme for the geekily-impaired) into an Inspiron laptop for a paltry $39 bucks. And that my friends is one of the few bad things you'll hear me say about Apple: for stuff like RAM, Airport cards, and other accessories, Apple will charge you out the ass! Ah well, if nothing else, seeing what stuff goes for in the Wintel world gives us something to smack Apple over the head with and say "Hey, I'm not gonna pay a lot for this Muffler!".
So if you're a Machead and you don't already, think about subscribing to a Wintel-oriented magazine. Likewise, any PC folks that got all the way through this horrendously long article, check out MacAddict or MacWorld for a sampling of all the nifty stuff a Mac can help you do. Whatever the case may be, knowledge is power, and knowing is half the battle. GO JOE!!! |
|
April 26 2004, 7:51 PM EDT, by
 |
Comments:
|
| stickman67 |
4/26/04, 8:48 PM EDT |
PC mags? Next you'll be advising us to buy "The Wit and Wisdom of Steve Ballmer, Vol. IX: The 'Monkey Boy' Years" ...
|
| Steve Ballmer |
4/26/04, 8:51 PM EDT |
I have four words for you:
I ... love ... this ... banana!
Yeah!
|
| Jobzzz... |
4/27/04, 1:56 PM EDT |
What a moron is this writer. He forgot that there are hundreds of PC magazines to cover everything against... how many Mac magazine? 10? This article is the typical RDF Mac [edited]Windows user[/edited]gotry.
|
| Johnny |
4/27/04, 2:54 PM EDT |
An 800Mhz G4 against a 1.6Ghz P4?
How they really stack up?
Back in the day, a P3 was considered to be on par with a G4 that had 70% the cycle-speed (Mhz).
This meant that a 500 Mhz G4 was a little faster or equal to a 700 Mhz P3 (700 x .70 = 490).
When the P4 came out, it was widely said to be less powerful per cycle than a P3, about 70% less powerful. So, a 1.5Ghz P4 was on par with a lowly 1.0Ghz P3 (1.5 x .70 = 1.05).
If all of this still hold true, then a 1.6Ghz P4 would be on par with a 784Mhz G4 ((1.6 x .70) x .70 = .784 or 784Mhz).
Meaning that an 800Mhz G4 is on par or a little faster than the seemingly blazing fast 1.6Ghz P4.
Amzing ain't it!
|
| Strong Mad |
4/27/04, 3:16 PM EDT |
Math HARRRRRRD!
|
| Johnny |
4/27/04, 3:22 PM EDT |
::What a moron is this writer. He forgot that there are hundreds of PC magazines to cover everything against... how many Mac magazine? 10?::
Umm...and all those PC magazines are filled with the same sort of stuff: virus warnings, spyware warnings, how this product or that does not live up to what is promised, coverage of company YXZ's announcements, a month later how the shipping product will not anywhere as good as company XYZ's announcement said it would be, info on this bug, how that device sucks.
It's really sad.
|
| sweetjimmyhugs |
4/27/04, 3:28 PM EDT |
PC mags are good for a few things. I wouldn't subscribe to one, but I might pick one up every once in a while.
Jobzzz, you are an idiot. The author of the article was implying that PC magazines are a GOOD thing. Here's a tip for the next time you decide to troll; Learn to comprehend what you read.
Oh, comprehend means 'understand'.
|
| Eric |
4/28/04, 8:00 AM EDT |
Buying PC mags only encourages the writers to churn out more sh@t! (How polite of me to censor my swearing ...) It's probably PC mags that gave a start to noted doominaries such as Pus Thurrott and Neddy Dvorak ... I say, buy them at your peril ... Ps. someone send Thurrot a dual 2GHz G5 with 8Gb of RAM and get him off our back - we all know he's in denial big time - the man's obsessed!
|
| Jonahan |
4/28/04, 8:17 AM EDT |
Well... yeah, buying PC mags (or at least subscribing to them, as that's what the companies REALLY count) will increase their sales and user base, but I think that's a decent tradeoff ...
As subscribers we can write in and ask them to take the magazine certain direction, or ask for certain features. Sure, there would have to be enough Mac users or people in the middle that would want this, but you never know, pebbles in the stream over the course of time can change it's direction. ;)
Plus, like I said, then you're more knowledgeable when PC users spout off ignorant things!
Yes, Dvorak, Thurott, and the rest of the "doominaries" (as Eric nicely put it) get more money, but I for one think being in the know is better than having your head stuck in the sand.
|
| Conrad |
4/28/04, 9:11 AM EDT |
I think a PeeCee user going the other way would only have his or her suspicions confirmed... They would say that their PeeCee journalists live in the real world and write about the serious problems ... pros and cons ... of their equipment. Mac journalists, on the other hand, will seem to such a reader to be in a happy-clappy fantasy land of everything is beautiful and there are no viruses and there's just more and more and more pretty stuff you can do on your Mac.
What the PeeCee user reading a Mac magazine cannot really comprehend until they switch is how close to the truth that all is. We're not pretending -- working with the Mac IS pretty beautiful and there really ARE no viruses for OS X....
They'll just see our magazines as "denial" and brainwashed cheerleading, probably heavily subsidized by Apple, because the only way anyone could write that way about their machines is if it were heavily subsidized by Redmond. *sigh*
This is why the iPod is so important. Why doesn't Apple come out with an ad campaign in which they show an iPod and Jeff Goldbloom says "You know how you love your iPod? Wouldn't it be cool if you could feel that way about your computer?" Cut to a 20" iMac... "Well, guess what? You can. The only thing you have to lose is your chains."
|
This article is archived, so you may not comment on it.
(The good news is there's always the shoutbox, the forums or the contact form if you're socially-inclined at the moment!)
|
|
|
|
Site Links |
|
|
|
|
Deep Thoughts |
|
|
I wish a robot would get elected president. That way, when he came to town, we could all take a shot at him and not feel too bad.
|
|
Around Da Web |
|
| iProng: |
iPhone steals show at CTIA Wireless 2007
|
DLO offers dual cover fashion case for iPod
|
AT&T received 1M inquiries on iPhone
|
| MacDailyNews: |
Ars Technica in-depth review: Apple TV ?impressed all those who touched it?
|
Inside Apple?s Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Server OS
|
The chips inside Apple TV
|
| Think Secret: |
Adobe Creative Suite 3 pricing revealed
|
|
|
We Like: |
|
|
|
|
Side Projects |
|
Jonahan
- JediPoker.net
- Jonahan.com
- iProng
- MacProng
iKen
Jedbeck
J.P.
|
|
