2005 promises a Mac world
Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, vmahmud@yahoo.com
A friend had recently complained of the amount of work he had to do in cleaning out his parent's PC of viruses and spyware programs.
The new computer had slowed down immensely after just two months of surfing the web, making its practically unusable. When I suggested that he get an Apple computer for his mom and dad, he said it was too expensive.
This is no longer the case.
At the Macworld 2005 Expo in San Francisco last Tuesday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the company's lowest priced computer, the Mac Mini (www.apple.com/macmini). Perhaps one of the world's smallest PC at just 2 inches thick, this consumer Mac is just what millions of people need: a low cost computer relatively free from known exploitable operating system flaws and various malware applications that now populate the internet.
Priced at US$499 to $599, the Mac Mini is powered by a G4 PowerPC processor, at either 1.25 or 1.42 GHz. It comes with all the necessary computer ports such as USB 2.0, Firewire (IEEE 1384), Video out (both DVI and VGA), a 56K Modem and Ethernet LAN.
Users must supply their own keyboard, video monitors and mouse, making it ideal for those who wish to upgrade their old PCs languishing at home. With an optional attachment, one can even use a TV set as a display screen. Toss out that beige box and plug in the new millennium!
Will this 2.9-pound box make a difference in Apple's worldwide computer market share? Some analysts believe that the perception (and in many cases, the reality) of personal computer unreliability is finally taking its toll on consumers fed up of having to constantly service their PCs. These technology tools are supposed to assist our day-to-day activities, not choke up with problems and issues that cost hours of productivity.
Others believe the "halo effect" from Apple's iPod is returning consumer attention to the Cupertino, California corporation. The company's MP3 player line was a popular item in the last Christmas season due to its innovative design and ease of use. Thanks to the iPod, people who never even heard of a Mac are now wondering if Apple's computers are just as easy to operate.
The Mac Mini (taking its name from a distant and slightly taller cousin, the iPod Mini) comes with the user-friendly yet powerful Mac OS X operating system along with a selection of productivity, education and entertainment programs such as AppleWorks, MarbleBlast Gold and Nanosaur 2.
It also comes with the latest upgrade of the amazing iLife solution, a suite of applications that allow users to organize digital photos, make professional home movies from camcorders, manage tunes from the internet, and create music with an easy to use software mixer. Burn your works of art on a CD or DVD and share with family and friends. A similar software package for a PC would cost more than the Mac Mini itself!
One question that constantly arises is processor speed. Isn't the Mac Mini much slower compared to today's Pentium 4 processor at 3 GHz and up? Well, not really. Mac software is written differently than Windows' programs as it is based on the powerful yet efficient UNIX operating system. As such, a Mac application runs at the same speed if not faster compared to its PC counterpart, despite the high difference in processor speed.
This "gigahertz myth" usually prompts users to go for the higher processor speed, despite the fact the software that comes with it is bloated and inefficient. In addition, users need not worry about the apparent lack of programs for the Mac. All major software applications, such as Microsoft Office 2004, MYOB Accounting, Adobe Photoshop and Halo are all available. What more do you need?
In any event, the global Mac community are hoping to welcome more users into the fold, having been relatively immune from the various problems that affect PC users. The Mac Mini is an ideal replacement or second computer as it allows people to work without the constant worry of viruses, spyware, web site exploits or Trojan horse programs that regularly affect PC users.
Apple's legendary multimedia capabilities and user- friendliness have prompted many people to switch over, daring to think different in a monoculture world. Users should be masters, not slaves, of their machines. Thanks to true innovation and a low price, families and corporations now have a viable alternative for a digitally productive life.