The Apple Mac sites absolutley everyone should know about (even some PC users).

Some great MAC sites to help you make the most of your MAC.

So if you've got yourself a shiny new Apple iMAC or want to dust of that old MAC and bring it back to life for the kids, here they are:

Here is a collection great MAC sites enjoy!


Do you know all the keyboard shortcuts for you MAC operating system? Here are the shorcuts for MAC OS X:
Apple MAC OS X shortcut list on Apple.com
Productivity boosting shortcuts on the MAC

I love open source, and found this great list of best free and open source MAC apps:
Open Source MAC. They are really good, and truly free. Here's a longer list I like of great MAC apps.

You can also download some amazing shareware for the MAC. For some reason Apple users always seem to make better programs, nice to look at, easier to use and intuitive with great functionality. I always found that the actually best place to get some great free programs was via Apple's downloads page.

Here are some great Apple news and magazine sites:
Apple Insider
Mac Rumours
Macworld
And for the latest Apple propaganda from Apple itself:

If you want to keep you MAC apps up to date, macupdate it's also a pretty cool place to find new apps because the list has ratings, and you know that the latest apps will work with Leopard. Or you can use an app called Appfresh.

Here's one for MAC and PC users. Do you know its possible to install MAC OS X on a PC? Don't tell me that all hackers are bad, checkout these sites.
OSx86 project wiki
If you decide to try it, you might need to visit this forum for some help.

You screen real estate is not fully utilized, here are some cool thing to put in the unused menubar space: Super OS X menu bar items

Want to 'hack your MAC' and make it cooler? If your comfortable with OS X's terminal, then heres the top 50 cool hacks you can do with terminal.

To make you MAC prettier and easier to use, change folder icons to represent whats in them (or simply to look cool). I find all my best icons here.

Got kids, heres a great kids drawing program for MAC OSX.

Did you know that when you install modern programs on MAC OS X that the programs contain code for both the Intel MACs and the older Power MACs still running MAC OS X? Heres a hand application to slim down those programs and also eliminate unwanted language file etc to save hard disk space and increase performance: Xslimmer

You can never have too many MAC fonts right? If you want some cool script to help automate things, try these: Better living through MAC scripts.

For old abandonware for a variety of older MAC hardware: Macintosh Garden - Mac abandonware.

If you need to download torrent files, you probably already know about MAC torrent apps like:
xtorrent or Transmission (allot of people use this one) or Bitrocket.

Want an alternative to front row, thats designed more towards people who don't only download via iTunes? Take a look and see if Center Stage is for you.

Love all things MAC? including old macs and nostalgia? Try some of these old MAC ads!

Aren't some (if not all) of those MAC vs PC ads funny? Have you seen the ones from England? They use different actors and some different themes. If you've forgotten, the American Mac vs PC ads are here.

This skitch app looks nice, I might try it out.

--have I forgotten anything cool? make a comment!

When asked about Apple MAC's

Time for a topic change, lets get back to tech.

In an email today that a friend sent (in response to comments of mine about an Apple Mac being a good computer for home video editing).

He said :

“love the new version with Leopard O/S, but was told recently that they are impossible to get serviced......only Apple authorised dealers and there are not enough. Also, great if graphics are required, but the more used Word & Excel equivalents aren't a patch on Microsoft.Cost seems outrageous for the desktop equivalent. Please explain! “

I'm happy to explain that further here.

Firstly, on the whole Apple Macs need less servicing. Most “Servicing” problems in the PC world are derived from problems with Microsoft Windows or glitchy drivers, spyware, viruses etc. Allot of the time people need to take their computer in to the PC shop, its to re-install the operating system, or recover data. Mac OS X is built on the most stable operating system there is (used on servers) called UNIX. I'm sure if someone were to complete a study on how often Mac OS X suffered from software based problems compared to its counter part (windows) you would find there is a lot less need for experts to rescue the system.

Also one part of this point that people need to understand, is that Macs use the same architecture as PC's (nowadays), so if you hard drive fails, you can take it in to a PC shop and they should be replace it with the same type, no problem. Yes, apart from the operating system, and Apple Mac is a PC (which after all just stand for Personal Computer).

One last think I would like to add, is that PC's do nothing “out of the box” to help you protect the most valuable part of your computer.: your data. In fact most people never backup their data. But Mac OS X Leopard has a feature called “time Machine” which not only backs up everything (including your data, operating system changes, and software installation), it does it in the most user friendly manor. If you were to accidentally delete (or most commonly and often irreversible – save over a good file with a bad one), click on time Machine and you can go back in time, simply scroll back in time to a day when the file was there, of the file was good, click on it and you can restore. It will even do this for data, from within your programs, accidentally deleted a contact from your address book? Open the address book, search for the name you want and then go back in time to find the person you deleted and restore it. It's all done graphically and effortlessly.

The last part to that comment is that my friend who lives on the coast of Australia may not indeed have “enough” authorized Mac dealers, but the truth is you probably only need one. The people who sell Apple computers are normally a different breed. Knowledgeable, friendly and professional, this leads to high customer satisfaction. One of the reason the staff are good is because they loeve Mac's and wouldn't want to work with anything else. In the PC world, with high staff turnover and fly by nighters, you're less likely to return to the same shop twice.

So Apple Mac's are far from impossible to get serviced (if you actually need to), and in the event you do need service, you can be happy you data is safely backed up.

Now, on with the next part....

To be realistic, Apple Mac's aren't better if graphics are required, because most of the industry standard graphics applications are available for both. The reason Apple Mac is so strong in the graphics industry is twofold. Designers (and sound engineers) want to take care of business not fix their computers constantly, they also surround themselves in good design. The is no question that an Apple Mac is better both aesthetically and practically.

As for Microsoft Word and Excel. These are programs. Microsoft windows is an operating system from Microsoft. You can get some programs Word, Excel etc which run on Microsoft windows, but hey you can also get Microsoft Office for the Mac operating system, and, wait for it, Microsoft Office is better on a Mac (this is because of integration with system wide services etc).

Check it out at Microsoft's site (ctrl-click to open it in a new tab and continue reading)

http://www.Macoffice2008.com/

*note it has a different icon because the normal word and excel icons would never be accepted by sophisticated Mac users, but its the same (only better) program.

Also Apple have their own suit of application call iWork. Not only do some consider iWork to be better than Office (because it has all the features you need, an none that you don't, in a clean easier to use interface and for a fraction of the price), but its fully compatible with Microsoft products.

Still on the same point, Apple Mac's run Windows. Yes, you can install windows on any new Apple Mac and you can choose to reboot between operating systems, or run you programs right in the Mac OS like they would run in windows.

Still with me? Good.

Now lets tackle the biggest issue most people have. “Cost seems outrageous for the desktop equivalent. Please explain!” :- I will.

Macs used to be expensive, or should I say, they used to cost more. I once paid AUS$4,000 more for a Mac than a PC (the PC cost AUS$4,000 and the Mac cost AUS$8,000).

But that was a long time ago. Now its a whole different story.

Apple Mac's cost no more (in general) then other well know brands for the same item, with the same specifications (promotions and special offers aside).

Sure you can buy a no name PC with lower specifications (Apple tends to only make well equipped Machines), without a webcam, lower ram etc, but it's no different than buying a car without electric windows. Sure it cost less but you also get less. Also, relatively speaking, you don't pay that much more.

Note: The reason that an iMac cost a little more, is that you pay for the miniaturisation which allows them to have the computer built in to the flat screen monitor (they use some laptop parts) – compare this with the Sony VAIO VGC-LA38G an you will see, if you find the same product in the PC world it can cost even more!:

Sony VAIO VGC-LA38G - AU$2799.00

http://www.cnet.com.au/laptops/laptops/0,239035653,339273651,00.htm

Better Specification iMac – AU$1,199.00

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=7B723680&node=home/shop_Mac/family/iMac

But theres more to the cost argument. Its called “Total cost of ownership”. With a PC you need:

Antivirus

Antispyware

Firewall (although windows XP and Vista have this built in)

Trojan dectector/elimination

Registry cleaning and repair software

How much is all that software going to cost you? Also, how much does it cost you in time (studies have shown that people get more done on Mac's)? I presume you value yourself/your time don't you. How much extra will you have to pay for servicing a PC because it breaks down more often. Surely one would consider this when comparing the purchase price? People just don't seem to consider these factors.

Also, Mac's come will amazingly well made and easy to use full version software for photo cataloging/editing, video editing, audio sequencing, DVD making, address book, not to mention the absolutely Unequaled iWeb for making web sites easily (the only product in existence for any computer which makes web site building easy in my opinion).

How much extra do you have to pay after you buy your PC to get this software. And Apple make great software. They are among the few who understand that software should be easy to use, that making something hard to use, doesn't necessarily make it better.

To sum it all up:

Apple Mac's are just as easy to service, but have (in general less problems).

Apple Mac's run Microsoft Office better than PC's and can ALSO run windows.

Apple Mac's cost relatively the same amount as PC's. In fact PC's of a similar desing to Mac cost more. It's like getting a Lexus for the same cost as a Mazda. Mazda owners would argue they can get everything that a Lexus owner has for less and with more power. Lexus owners know better.

To learn a little bit more, take a look at these helpful videos from Apple.

http://www.apple.com/findouthow/macosx/#basics-anatomy

http://www.apple.com/findouthow/macosx/#basics-windows

http://www.apple.com/findouthow/macosx/#basics-move

Did the computer company you bought your PC off provide you with instruction videos?

MAC vs PC (Conclusion)

If you've read my other posts, you know the answer already. I recommended you look at the other post for more detail.

Now that Apple MACs are Intel based they have the power for the price. MACs are either a fraction more expensive than PC's or the same price (occasionally cheaper). As I explained, if you compare directly the specifications of an iMAC or MAC mini, and adjust PC prices for miniaturisation , the MAC clearly come out on top.

But hardware maketh not the computer. Software is everything, because without software computers are nothing.

A beautiful collection of easy to use, fully integrated prosumer applications combined with the ability to run Windows as well (if you want it). Makes the MAC easily better value for money all round.

Turning to the easy of use are of the OS itself, it's not that MAC OS X shines, its more that Vista is a big leap backwards when it comes to making the computer more intuitive for all of us.

Perhaps Microsoft has just decided the masses are finally getting to grips with Windows and has made Vista harder to use to keep technicians in a job.

The bottom line is MACs are still easier to use.

I gave software availability to the PC. If your a true gamer, you need Windows installed with the best and latest support, updates and drivers. Because Apple doesn't support Vista (or Xp for that matter) on its machines and Windows is the gaming platform, the PC wins (all other windows software works in MAC OS X, with parallels or crossover - or you can dual boot into Windows)

As far as looks go, you can't argue taste. While the MACs have always looked good, were now starting to see genuinely pleasing PC designs and Vista doesn't look bad either. I would like to see PC makers get it together and bring more design innovation to their cases but there are at least enough now to make this one a dead heat.

I didn't even talk about security in fairness to PC's. The only reason Windows is so vulnerable to attack is that everyone is trying to attack it. I just didn't want to make the match too one sided.

The whole argument fails to point out that computers are better the ever before and no mather wich platform you choose you'll be using a great Computer. Me? I'm going MAC. Too many pros to ignore.

Also remember I didn't include Linux in this squabble. Linux is fast becoming of age. It's getting too powerful and usable to ignore. If you must stay PC, think about saving the cost of a Windows license and go to www.ubuntu.com for a great version of Linux with a whole heap of great applications all free and legal. Look out for posts on that to come.

What I still like about PC's and don't like about MACs:

Unnecessarily high entry level.

Paying for a Monitor (mid range models) even if you already have one. Or if you prefer, not being able to buy a reasonably powerful MAC without monitor.

Bigger screens on entry level laptops.

MAC vs PC: Software Availability

There is only one consideration to make as far a software availability goes.

Do you count the fact that due to their Intel architecture, you can install Windows Vista on an Apple MAC?

If you do, then obviously a MAC has more software available to it.

In fact the MAC has three ways you can run windows software on it.

1. With a dual boot, so you can shutdown the MAC OS and boot into windows.

2. Parallels visualisation software allows you to create a virtual machine into which you can install windows and it will run within a window not 'knowing' it's not the only operating system running. This gives one near equivalent speed (theoretically) but without the need to reboot and with some MAC OS integration.

3. Crossover is a program by codeweavers which allows one to install a Windows program directly 'onto' the MAC OS, allowing the program to execute as though it were running in Windows. The advantage is that you don't need a Windows license to run it. It also mean tighter MAC OS integration, but at the expense of speed and stability. Only a certain number (growing all the time) of Windows programs have been tested and are know to work with Crossover.

With all of these options the MAC does windows software well, and would be the clear winner if not for one thing. Games.

In my post I'm going out on a limb.Although Apple provides drivers for Window XP, I am generally talking about Vista here because its the latest release. Further more, Apple states that it does not support Windows on it machines (fair enough since Windows is more or less the competition). This means that none of the three options could be said to run Windows Vista optimally. That my friends, means everything to gamers.

The only way to get you OS at peak performance is to have the latest high performance support files (drivers for PC's, kext for MAC OS) and to have the OS unhindered (by running in a virtual machine – Parallels, or with api emulation - the way Crossover fools widows programs and the MAC OS into thinking they were made for each other).

With Apple not supporting Windows on a MAC we have to say that for most people its not going to run as well for games.

There is also the confusion that if you install Windows on a MAC, you'll need one copy (license) for that machine. Forgive me for the blatantly obvious but that makes it a MAC that is also a PC. The argument here is MAC or PC. Incidentally the term P.C. Originally meant 'Personal Computer', now it generally describes (as in these posts) 'machines which run Windows or Linux'.

So if we talk about an Apple MAC of the current line up, it can run windows programs and run them well, but I say it's still not the platform most used, and most trusted for games. And the are thousands of games out there.

There have been good speed tests of MAC's running Windows Vista but those normally have Vista installed and tweaked by experts.

Gamers need Windows unhindered, therefore software availability still goes to PC's.