Sunday, March 02, 2003
145
I do remember way back in the late eighties that I was an Apple freak. No, not that apple, I mean the Apple computer. For those of you that know me well, you might be surprised to know that I was a Macintosh lover.
Yeah, those were the days when Windows was nothing but a sperm searching the ovum and Lotus 123 was in the making. Back in those days, there was only Apple and Apple and IBM was competing against each other. (Whatever happens to IBM anyways?)
Back in the late eighties, my cousins and I were groups of the few people that had ever touched a computer and had the luxury of playing Karate-Ka on a Macintosh. A Mac. That Mac was the granddaddy of today’s ultra useless iMac with its own looked-cute-but-pathetic operating system.
Shortly, competitor named Commodore then was born but Apple somehow survived the wave that Commodore 64 made.
Then, came along the motto ‘Windows won’t win as long as Apple and Lotus 123 still run’. DOS was introduced by Microsoft for IBM computer and it quickly shoved off Apple out from the market. Later, Windows 3.1 hit the public and with that Microsoft managed to sideline the ‘Steves”. Bill Gates finally declared victory with the introduction of Windows 95.
From that moment on, I didn’t hear anything about Steve Job, Steve Wozniak, the Mac or Apple in the news nor in public conversation until the new millennium was around the corner.
While I was back in Shah Alam doing my useless preparatory classes, I must admit that I didn’t get the chance to get my hand on a so-called modern Mac although I did hear a lot of hype about it. My first modern Mac experience was in September 2001. I didn’t know how to use a Mac at that time but I tried to overcome my ignorance on Mac. Tries after tries, ignorance became knowledge and I found out that despite my disgust of Microsoft’s monopoly, I found IBM computers and especially a computer with Windows operating system is better than a cute Mac with a ghetto OS.
Beside the OS, the Mac keyboard failed to give the cool experience that a Logitech's keyboard provides. Furthermore, the command for cut and paste are so different for what normal people are used to. And the mouse! How could I forget about the mouse? Imagine a mouse with only one button. Nowadays, the most advance mouse has more than 5 programmable buttons but Apple decided that one button is okay. Yeah, try that mouse while playing UT2K3!
And the ultimate reason is that you can’t upgrade a Mac with the normal hardware or software found in the market. For instance, if you want to play Civilization 3, you have to buy a game entitled Civilization 3 For Mac. Wtf? So, one can say that a Mac is never compatible with anything. Even its iPod doesn’t support any other platform other than Apple’s until recently.
Wait, there is another ultimate reason. Apple is always overpriced. As an example, you are short on money, its better to get a Creative Lab’s Nomad rather than reaching for an iPod. For proof, the following line was taken from apple-history.com:
------------------------------------------------------------
The 15" model, with a 60 GB hard drive, 256 MB of RAM, 32 MB of VRAM and a CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive, was $1299. The 17" model, with an 80 GB hard drive, 256 MB of RAM, 64 MB of VRAM, and a CD-RW/DVD-R "SuperDrive" was $1799.
------------------------------------------------------------
For USD1799, I could get a ultra powerful workstation with AMD Athlon XP 3000+ or the latest Intel Pentium, 120 GB of HD, 512 or even 1024 of DDR RAM, the fastest CD-RW/DVD-R, equipped with ATi Radeon 9700 Pro while enjoying the great graphics with detailed sound by SoundBlaster Audigy Platinum through Creative Inspire 6.1 6600, a Logitech keyboard and optical mouse and cool a 21” flat CRT.
However, Apple then introduced OS X, which really impressed me. Nevertheless, I still prefer Windows XP (or Linux but Linux is a pain in the ass). Also, Apple’s Firewire came out and beat the crap out of USB 1.1. The excitement didn’t end there. The ghetto iBook was phased out by the PowerBook and iMac was given a new look with an incredible slim design (the iMac still sucks though). And the curves, oo la la. It is like watching a Nissan Z or a Toyota Celica 2002 in front of you.
Earlier this year, Apple made another impact. They introduced the smallest ever laptop…ops PowerBook and the world first 17” laptop…ops sorry again, I mean PowerBook. If that didn’t impress me, I don’t know what will.
And early last week, I visited an Apple Store up in Novi, Michigan with Wann, Izham and Epol. There, I saw a 23” screen for Mac. The largest, ever monitor I had ever seen. I’d always though 21” was the largest. The only word that I managed to muster was
“…shhhhiiitttttteee…”
While there, Wann showed me a Mac lovers’ motto, “My anti-Mac sentiment was based on ignorance”. (I bet they are also ignorant on technology too). My anti-Mac sentiment is certainly based on knowledge but with the development by Steve Job and company, I won’t be surprised if in ten or fifteen years or anytime in the future, I will love Apple again the way I had loved the machine that I played Karate-Ka on. In fact, I am already in love with the 12” PowerBook.
So now, I will stop harassing the Mac lovers since I don’t want to eat my own words back.
p/s - have you guys seen Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? Seriously, I think one of those girls look like Mahira (or however you spell it) from Vanderbilt. The next time I meet her, I am seriously going to ask for her autograph.
p/s 2 - I've finally been to the Vu =) (well, I was only at the door steps of the thing with some solar guys, searching for a good restaurant in Ypsilanti).
I do remember way back in the late eighties that I was an Apple freak. No, not that apple, I mean the Apple computer. For those of you that know me well, you might be surprised to know that I was a Macintosh lover.
Yeah, those were the days when Windows was nothing but a sperm searching the ovum and Lotus 123 was in the making. Back in those days, there was only Apple and Apple and IBM was competing against each other. (Whatever happens to IBM anyways?)
Back in the late eighties, my cousins and I were groups of the few people that had ever touched a computer and had the luxury of playing Karate-Ka on a Macintosh. A Mac. That Mac was the granddaddy of today’s ultra useless iMac with its own looked-cute-but-pathetic operating system.
Shortly, competitor named Commodore then was born but Apple somehow survived the wave that Commodore 64 made.
Then, came along the motto ‘Windows won’t win as long as Apple and Lotus 123 still run’. DOS was introduced by Microsoft for IBM computer and it quickly shoved off Apple out from the market. Later, Windows 3.1 hit the public and with that Microsoft managed to sideline the ‘Steves”. Bill Gates finally declared victory with the introduction of Windows 95.
From that moment on, I didn’t hear anything about Steve Job, Steve Wozniak, the Mac or Apple in the news nor in public conversation until the new millennium was around the corner.
While I was back in Shah Alam doing my useless preparatory classes, I must admit that I didn’t get the chance to get my hand on a so-called modern Mac although I did hear a lot of hype about it. My first modern Mac experience was in September 2001. I didn’t know how to use a Mac at that time but I tried to overcome my ignorance on Mac. Tries after tries, ignorance became knowledge and I found out that despite my disgust of Microsoft’s monopoly, I found IBM computers and especially a computer with Windows operating system is better than a cute Mac with a ghetto OS.
Beside the OS, the Mac keyboard failed to give the cool experience that a Logitech's keyboard provides. Furthermore, the command for cut and paste are so different for what normal people are used to. And the mouse! How could I forget about the mouse? Imagine a mouse with only one button. Nowadays, the most advance mouse has more than 5 programmable buttons but Apple decided that one button is okay. Yeah, try that mouse while playing UT2K3!
And the ultimate reason is that you can’t upgrade a Mac with the normal hardware or software found in the market. For instance, if you want to play Civilization 3, you have to buy a game entitled Civilization 3 For Mac. Wtf? So, one can say that a Mac is never compatible with anything. Even its iPod doesn’t support any other platform other than Apple’s until recently.
Wait, there is another ultimate reason. Apple is always overpriced. As an example, you are short on money, its better to get a Creative Lab’s Nomad rather than reaching for an iPod. For proof, the following line was taken from apple-history.com:
------------------------------------------------------------
The 15" model, with a 60 GB hard drive, 256 MB of RAM, 32 MB of VRAM and a CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive, was $1299. The 17" model, with an 80 GB hard drive, 256 MB of RAM, 64 MB of VRAM, and a CD-RW/DVD-R "SuperDrive" was $1799.
------------------------------------------------------------
For USD1799, I could get a ultra powerful workstation with AMD Athlon XP 3000+ or the latest Intel Pentium, 120 GB of HD, 512 or even 1024 of DDR RAM, the fastest CD-RW/DVD-R, equipped with ATi Radeon 9700 Pro while enjoying the great graphics with detailed sound by SoundBlaster Audigy Platinum through Creative Inspire 6.1 6600, a Logitech keyboard and optical mouse and cool a 21” flat CRT.
However, Apple then introduced OS X, which really impressed me. Nevertheless, I still prefer Windows XP (or Linux but Linux is a pain in the ass). Also, Apple’s Firewire came out and beat the crap out of USB 1.1. The excitement didn’t end there. The ghetto iBook was phased out by the PowerBook and iMac was given a new look with an incredible slim design (the iMac still sucks though). And the curves, oo la la. It is like watching a Nissan Z or a Toyota Celica 2002 in front of you.
Earlier this year, Apple made another impact. They introduced the smallest ever laptop…ops PowerBook and the world first 17” laptop…ops sorry again, I mean PowerBook. If that didn’t impress me, I don’t know what will.
And early last week, I visited an Apple Store up in Novi, Michigan with Wann, Izham and Epol. There, I saw a 23” screen for Mac. The largest, ever monitor I had ever seen. I’d always though 21” was the largest. The only word that I managed to muster was
“…shhhhiiitttttteee…”
While there, Wann showed me a Mac lovers’ motto, “My anti-Mac sentiment was based on ignorance”. (I bet they are also ignorant on technology too). My anti-Mac sentiment is certainly based on knowledge but with the development by Steve Job and company, I won’t be surprised if in ten or fifteen years or anytime in the future, I will love Apple again the way I had loved the machine that I played Karate-Ka on. In fact, I am already in love with the 12” PowerBook.
So now, I will stop harassing the Mac lovers since I don’t want to eat my own words back.
p/s - have you guys seen Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? Seriously, I think one of those girls look like Mahira (or however you spell it) from Vanderbilt. The next time I meet her, I am seriously going to ask for her autograph.
p/s 2 - I've finally been to the Vu =) (well, I was only at the door steps of the thing with some solar guys, searching for a good restaurant in Ypsilanti).
