With Macs, you spend time working

I've been thinking about how one has to devote time to a WinTel machine versus a Mac. Prior to Microsoft's Monthly Update (where they release patches for vulnerabilities) it wasn't uncommon to find a new patch every few days or weeks. I've been on a Mac since September of 2004 and can count on my hands the number of patches that have been released to address vulnerabilities. The thing I've noticed is that Microsoft releases a patch after a vulnerability has been identified whereas Apple releases a patch well in advance of the public learning of the vulnerability.

I have a background in Enterprise Hosting but on the UNIX side. I've seen so many examples where sites must go down in order to apply a patch to Windows and often, that can cause problems to an application and/or site. Futhermore, when a problem is faced a common workaround is to reboot the WinTel machine ... which in turn causes a site to go down. This is very serious when a customer's business relies on the uptime of their site. In addition, many customers decide to hold off on a patch until they can test it in a staging environment. As a result, some open themselves to the vulnerability and get exploited on their production systems.

The point I'd like to make is that Windows based systems require that you spend a lot of time and effort to keep them secure and operational.

On Macs, you spend your time working and find yourself productive. This is the case with UNIX based systems. Less time is spent securing and protecting the server, your time is focused on the issues that matter most ... work, productivity, and uptime.

Any thoughts or comments?

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David Kirkpatrick - Steve Jobs: Souping Up Macs? - FORTUNE

David Kirkpatrick - Steve Jobs: Souping Up Macs? - FORTUNE:

This is a link to an article from Fortune Magazine. The quoted text below indicates that more people are considering the Switch To A Mac

It also states that Fortune has learned that PC makers view Mac OS X superior to Windows and they want to capitalize on it. Furthermore, it states that Apple, Intel, and PC manufactures have Mac OS X running on Intel chips in labs.

The following is quoted from the article:

"For one thing, Intel badly wants to sell its chips to Apple. For another, PC makers realize that the Mac OS X operating system is superior to Microsoft's Windows, and they want a piece of that market. FORTUNE has learned that Apple, Intel, and several PC companies already have the Mac OS X operating system working on Intel chips in their labs. And then there's the fact that more PC users are considering switching away from Windows."

The article goes on to state:

“Most tantalizing of all is scuttlebutt that three of the biggest PC makers are wooing Jobs to let them license OS X and adapt it to computers built around standard Intel chips. Why? They want to offer customers, many of whom are sick of the security problems that go with Windows and tired of waiting for Longhorn, an alternative.”

This is an interesting article to read. Let's hope that whatever happens on the processor front, more people decide to Switch To A Mac.

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Intel CEO: Buy a Mac if you're concerned about Security

Paul Otellini, the new CEO of Intel, confesses that he spends an hour a week removing spyware from his daughter's Wintel PC. He also states that if users want a quick security fix, they should probably buy something other than a PC ... he implies purchasing a Mac.

Link

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Macworld: News: Macs replace university's Linux desktops

Macworld: News: Macs replace university's Linux desktops:
"Macs replace university's Linux desktops"

The University of Melbourne’s Trinity College makes the Switch. A lab with 20 Debian GNU/Linux based systems are on the way out and will be replaced by G5 iMacs. Furthermore, their library and administration offices will be outfitted with 33 eMacs. An Xserve RAID system for backups will be implemented as well.

Now ... when will other Universities across the globe realize that the switch makes sense? The penetration of iPods across college campuses is a well known fact. It's time for Apple to take the iPod Halo effect to the next level. Apple needs to capitalize on people's love of the iPod and iTunes. If Universities begin to adopt Mac and OS X, that will expose many students to the platform and should help the switch to a mac. There's nothing like using a sytem before purchasing one. If Apple can make a serious pitch to get more of their system in Universities and Colleges, I think more people will decide to purchase Macs after experiencing OS X.

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MacDailyNews

MacDailyNews - Apple and Mac News - Welcome Home:
"Apple Computer debuts two-page Mac OS X Tiger print ad in Time Magazine"

The ad shows two of Apple's Cinema Displays. It's a full ad that shows screenshots of Spotlight and Dashboard Widgets.

This is a good step ... we need to see more Ads to get people to Switch To A Mac

Wow, am I happy to see this! It's about time that Apple begins a serious marketing campaign. I hope this is just the beginning. Overall, Apple needs to make a strong push of OS X Tiger and Macs if they want to capitalize on the iPod Halo effect. iPod sales can only do so much for Apple's bottom line. I hope we see Television Ads in the near future.

Appleinsider published this comment from Steve Jobs:

Meanwhile, Jobs expressed his belief in the iPod "halo effect," noting stronger Mac growth over the company's last few quarters. Asked when Apple would reach a 10% market share, he said didn't know. "It's possible," he said. "...if people learn about our products, many of them choose them."

So if Steve Jobs is taking about people learning about Apple's products, this may mean that Apple is about to make a serious marketing push.

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Apple's Jobs Announces iTunes Podcast Support

Apple's Jobs Announces iTunes Podcast Support: Podcast support will be available in the upcoming release of iTunes 4.9, expected within the next 60 days.

What is a Podcast?
Podcasts make it easy to download digital audio files from the Internet to your computer and/or digital audio player such as your iPod. Think of it like Tivo for audio except that it's currently free. All one has to do is subscribe and "pull" the content to your computer or device automatically. You can listen to the download at anytime you desire.

A Podcast combines audio files and RSS to publish descriptive data and metadata (dates, titles, descriptions) about the audio. There are also links to audio files within RSS. Podcasting applications use this information to pull the content.

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Inside Bay Area - Business News

Inside Bay Area - Business News: "Despite glitches, Apple's Tiger is most powerful Mac OS yet"

Eseentailly a read about Spotlight and user experiences. There is also a mention of Dashboard.

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Apple Loves Intel?

Apple Loves Intel?

Will Apple use Intel based processors in Macs? Rumors have it that Apple and Intel are in serious discussions.

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