Partial's Technology Buzz

[Anti-Polar Bear]

If Apple is so good, how come they are playing second fiddle to Microsoft-backed IBM? You could argue that Apple is a unique computer maker whereas IBM computers are composed of clone companies. But if Apple is so good, they should’ve been Microsoft before Microsoft, and therefore would dominate the computer market entirely. Microsoft obviously has the more efficient and more effective programming, and that creates a demand for IBM computers. Steve Jobs is rich but he's not Bill Gates rich.

[Tony Oday]

Actually my little idiot that is a false deduction of what happened.

Apple wanted all the glory for themselves so they decided to keep everything in house allowing allmost no other companies to clone their information and technology. They went for quality.

IBM cloned the hell out of themselves and flooded the market with cheap clones to get their product out to the masses. they went for quantity.

Now Apple has the highest quality product but has to regain market share in a flooded market. not easy. Apple is also for a more computer savy person in my mind because it is more expensive where as a person who doesnt know much about computers sees the $299 E machine at best buy and thinks that is a great deal.

[MJZiggy]

The reason that Windows running machines are more popular than Apple actually has little to do with the operating function of the machine, Tank. IBM is a behemoth because Bill Gates is a master at marketing and controlling the market. It is the same reason that VCR's became popular when BetaMax machines were clearly better. Apple is a much more popular machine among graphic artists and people who need to work with image and graphic files. Windows is just catching up in that area which is why Apple didn't actually go under like Beta video recorders.

[Partial]

He's obviously baiting you for a psuedo argument Partial, or he's a really that clueless.

I would own only Mac's myself if games actually existed on them, and if the hardware prices werent so high. I realize that laptops are about the same now but desktops are still too high with limited-no upgradability.

My mom surfs the web and checks email. She has a Mac and I have very little tech support to do for her. Its nice.

The laptops are competitive. I will give you the desktops are overpriced. Especially the iMac. That is their biggest seller though. It's weird. The PowerMac is actually a pretty good deal(the Mac Pro is coming out soon) because it uses the 4 chips, and they will be super powerful server chips shortly.

Now that macs are x86, I have a hunch that you will see more games ported to them, though they still won't run as well because the Directx environment is way ahead of Opengl. That's why its nice that you can run windows now a days!

[Partial]

If Apple is so good, how come they are playing second fiddle to Microsoft-backed IBM? You could argue that Apple is a unique computer maker whereas IBM computers are composed of clone companies. But if Apple is so good, they should’ve been Microsoft before Microsoft, and therefore would dominate the computer market entirely. Microsoft obviously has the more efficient and more effective programming, and that creates a demand for IBM computers. Steve Jobs is rich but he's not Bill Gates rich.

He actually is Bill Gates rich. He's also a liberal He now only receives 1 dollar a year for working!! What generosity . IBM no longer makes computers. What you mean by IBM you mean x86. Apple was very competitive about 15-20 years ago, then windows started taking off. Businesses chose windows where as education chose macs. Then Apple went underground for awhile and nearly bankrupt until Steve Jobs came back and proposed switching to a free bsd with the best user interface ever. He accomplished that in my opinion.

[Partial]

The reason that Windows running machines are more popular than Apple actually has little to do with the operating function of the machine, Tank. IBM is a behemoth because Bill Gates is a master at marketing and controlling the market. It is the same reason that VCR's became popular when BetaMax machines were clearly better. Apple is a much more popular machine among graphic artists and people who need to work with image and graphic files. Windows is just catching up in that area which is why Apple didn't actually go under like Beta video recorders.

They're more popular with Artists because Apple produces a ton of professional quality tools at an affordable price for the artistic professional. They have really great music, video, and photo tools.

All analysts right now are saying Apple is due for a huge boom over the next 5 years because of their ability to run windows, yet have all the benefits of great build quality, customer service, and os x. It's a good and bad thing, if they do grow to say 6-7% market share over the next 5 years, people will begin righting malware for them. That will be a shame and take away one of the big advantages of OS X.

[Zool]

He's obviously baiting you for a psuedo argument Partial, or he's a really that clueless.

I would own only Mac's myself if games actually existed on them, and if the hardware prices werent so high. I realize that laptops are about the same now but desktops are still too high with limited-no upgradability.

My mom surfs the web and checks email. She has a Mac and I have very little tech support to do for her. Its nice.

The laptops are competitive. I will give you the desktops are overpriced. Especially the iMac. That is their biggest seller though. It's weird. The PowerMac is actually a pretty good deal(the Mac Pro is coming out soon) because it uses the 4 chips, and they will be super powerful server chips shortly.

Now that macs are x86, I have a hunch that you will see more games ported to them, though they still won't run as well because the Directx environment is way ahead of Opengl. That's why its nice that you can run windows now a days!

I actually forsee Apple porting OSX to run on all x86 instruction set machines. When that happens the hardware companies will scramble at first to release drivers that work, but a couple of years down the road we should have the choice of Windows Vista or OSX on any machine.

It only makes sense if profit is your main goal. If I could dual boot my next PC I would happily use OSX for my web surfing\music recording\photo editing and Vista for gaming.

Even better yet, release a keyboard and mouse for the xBox360 and let it play on something other than xBox Live.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

He (Steve Jobs) actually is Bill Gates rich.

Forbes' Worlds Richest People for 2006

Rank Name Citizenship Age Net Worth ($bil) Residence
1 William Gates III United States 50 50.0 United States
2 Warren Buffett United States 75 42.0 United States
3 Carlos Slim Helu Mexico 66 30.0 Mexico
4 Ingvar Kamprad Sweden 79 28.0 Switzerland
5 Lakshmi Mittal India 55 23.5 United Kingdom
6 Paul Allen United States 53 22.0 United States
7 Bernard Arnault France 57 21.5 France
8 Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud Saudi Arabia 49 20.0 Saudi Arabia
9 Kenneth Thomson & family Canada 82 19.6 Canada
10 Li Ka-shing Hong Kong 77 18.8 Hong Kong
11 Roman Abramovich Russia 39 18.2 United Kingdom
12 Michael Dell United States 41 17.1 United States
13 Karl Albrecht Germany 86 17.0 Germany
14 Sheldon Adelson United States 72 16.1 United States
15 Liliane Bettencourt France 83 16.0 France
15 Lawrence Ellison United States 61 16.0 United States
17 Christy Walton United States 51 15.9 United States
17 Jim Walton United States 58 15.9 United States
19 S Robson Walton United States 62 15.8 United States
20 Alice Walton United States 56 15.7 United States
21 Helen Walton United States 86 15.6 United States
22 Theo Albrecht Germany 83 15.2 Germany
23 Amancio Ortega Spain 70 14.8 Spain
24 Steven Ballmer United States 50 13.6 United States
25 Azim Premji India 60 13.3 India

I dont see Steve Job anywhere on that list.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Dear Mr. Technology:

I have Spy Sweeper and Norton antivirus on my computer. The licenses just ran out, and I don't feel like spending $30 each to renew them.

Norton has NEVER detected a virus. Spy Sweeper doesn't (apparently) find any spyware, all it does is eat up my computer resources. Well, it does notify me when programs attempt to load annoying startup programs, that is cool.

My question: it seems like my personal habits are careful enough that I don't run into viruses. Can I skip the virus protection? Please? I think Spy Sweeper is stealing more computer power than it saves from spyware.

What protection do you'all have on your computers?

[Anti-Polar Bear]

The reason that Windows running machines are more popular than Apple actually has little to do with the operating function of the machine, Tank. IBM is a behemoth because Bill Gates is a master at marketing and controlling the market. It is the same reason that VCR's became popular when BetaMax machines were clearly better. Apple is a much more popular machine among graphic artists and people who need to work with image and graphic files. Windows is just catching up in that area which is why Apple didn't actually go under like Beta video recorders.

VCR are more popular than BetaMax thanks to the Porn industry. Pornography is capable of influencing technology, and the VCR is an example. But I dont see the Porn industy having a say in what Mirosoft do business, do you?

Gates is a software developer. He doesnt have a degree in Marketing. Gates products obviously appeal to more customers. Microsoft didnt become what they are today because they lacks quality.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Dear Mr. Technology:

I have Spy Sweeper and Norton antivirus on my computer. The licenses just ran out, and I don't feel like spending $30 each to renew them.

You live in Madison, Party University USA. Just bribe someone to take your computer to the University's tech office. They will install a perminant version of Norton for you for free (well not technically free since you are bribing someone but it might be cheaper). Were I am at, we get Micosoft Office and Norton free of charge (well not techincally free since tuition isnt free; if one is not paying for it, someone else is).

[Tony Oday]

APB you really have no idea how microsoft was born do you?

since you are in all 100 level classes I will try to keep the words small:

Microsoft purchased DOS and got that on millions of cloned IBM machines. The expese and the accesability and upgradability of the IBM type PCs won over many people and they sold more computers than the apple primarily because of business software. people used it at work so they wanted to be able to use it at home aswell.

Microsoft used the U.S. army strategy in WWII against the germans out produce them with lesser quality tanks, planes and weapons. Microsoft has been seen by tech guys as always a step behind the rest of the software developers however they own such a large market share that by sheer size they can crush competition.

Microsoft just used a different business model than the guys over at Apple and it worked well it really didnt have that much to do with the actual product.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Lets just put it in a way so we all can agree ODay, because quality lies in the eyes of the beholder. Microsoft it superior to Apple in business strategy, and more people and businesses prefer their software. Microsoft is a giant corporation; compared to Microsoft, Apple is a dwarf corporation. If it isn’t for the ipod, Apple likely would be filing for bankruptcy today.

I learned that from Economics 311.

[Tony Oday]

thats close APB but if there is any type of graphics or anything like that most professionals prefer to use Apple. The ipod is a huge thing for apple that is for sure but their computers are making inroads again into the market.

Microsoft definately had a better business model in the 80's and 90's but we will see how it works for the next decade. This is when the computer software industry will either go with te current paradigm or switch to many companies that can change rapidly instead of one monster company. Time will tell.

[Partial]

Apple is doing just fine. They shoot for 25% margins on PCs. Even though Dell has a much higher market share, Apple is worth more than they are. Apple is not after the bargin customers.