Archive for December 2011
The Immortal Myth of Apple Computers
With the introduction of Windows 95, Apple’s market share which was around 5% further declined to between 3 – 4%. That placed the company on near bankruptcy prompting Apple’s board to bring back Steve Jobs, one of the co-founders of the company in 1997. And with Jobs’ introduction of the candy-colored I-Mac, Apple’s fortunes turned around, and the rest is history up to the present. We are not going to talk about what Jobs did to save the beleaguered company. We will dwell on why loyal customers are extremely in love with their Apple products.
I myself was a PC user way back and was aching to get my hands on an Apple Powerbook. Why Apple? How do they stack up against their PC counterparts.
Apple Computers – Price; more expensive, Applications Available; limited, Compatible Peripherals; limited, Product Support; very good, Ease of use; very easy. Windows/PC – Reasonable price, Applications Available; infinite, Compatible Peripherals; 100%, Product Support; very good, Ease of Use; clunky and confusing at times.
Nevertheless, I was able to acquire my first Apple Powerbook G3 Pismo at the same time maintaining my PC laptop. The moment I turned on the power of my Apple, the welcome screen instantly captivated me. It was like casting a spell on me, hypnotizing me that this is a lot better than the other brand I have. After several days of familiaring with the functions of my Powerbook, I put it to test vs. my current laptop. Remember Apple is always behind the MHz speed thing ever since, but it performed faster than my other laptop. The screen graphics are more vivid and life-like. It’s lighter, thinner and sexier. Surprisingly friends of mine found Apple to be more attractive, to the point of contemplating of changing their PC’s. Now they were experiencing the so-called myth factor.
The only drawback I found was a limited cache of applications available, but not anymore. After 7 years, developers are cashing in on the popularity of Apple that they have a Mac version for every PC application they have. For me there was no turning back. I went on to acquire 2 more Apple Laptops and an I-Mac. I also intend to change my old Powerbook into a Macbook Pro.
Apple has come a long way. They are now ranked no. 3 behind Dell and Hewlett Packard. But what is this myth or “X’ factor that is simply very hard to put into words. Could it be the name “Apple” itself. It is very easy to remember, sounds sweet, sexy and alluring. What about the charismatic CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs? After his ouster from Apple a couple of years back, the company’s popularity waned up to the point of near bankruptcy. With his return, the company’s course changed. Yes, he introduced pioneering products like the 1st edition I-Mac, the airport express wireless communication, the popular I-pod and now the I-phone. Could it be his pioneering savvy or his reputation as a master showman during his several keynote addresses? Fire him now and see where Apple goes from its present situation. Too drastic don’t you think? Apple even has “MacWorld,” a magazine review exclusively for Macs, Mac peripherals and software. Why publish a magazine devoted to a product with only a 5% market share? I don’t see a “Dell World” or an HP World” magazine around, only “PC World or PC magazine. Lastly let us touch on Apple’s vision. They are the innovator instead of the imitator. Their products have advanced functionality punctuated with the necessary aesthetics as icing.
All I can say is one will never be able to identify and pinpoint what this Apple myth is, or maybe there is none at all.
Think Fast! Solid-State Flash Disk Drive Upgrades For Apple Mac Computers
Solid-State – SSD flash memory computer disk drives are no longer just the future of data storage. SSDs are here today and can offer dramatic improvements to your Apple Macintosh computer’s performance. Solid-State drives use high-speed flash memory chips to store data.
With no moving parts, a SSD offers multiple benefits: Silent operation, shock resistance, and low-power requirements. But the most compelling reason to have one in your Mac is sheer speed. Current SSD’s now deliver data read and write speeds that simply outperform any conventional spinning platter hard drive available. Some SSD’s transfer data nearly three times as fast as the fastest convention hard drive you can buy; they’re that fast! With no moving parts, the reliability of SSD storage is another real-world benefit. Conventional hard drives are notorious for wearing out, growing noisier over their lifetime, or simply dying from mechanical failure. SSD is so reliable, manufacturers offer warranties up to 5 years.
Most recent Macintosh computers use the widely used SATA II drive interface standard for maximum performance. Although you can find older ATA interface SSD drives for aging Macs, the ATA interface just can’t fully deliver the speed throughput SATA II now offers. In fact, flash memory speeds are increasing so rapidly that even the SATA II 3GBps interface specification is beginning to limit the potential of SSD technology. The next generation of SATA III 6GBps Solid-State drives are just beginning to reach consumers. We expect Apple will adopt the new interface in its next-generation of Mac laptops and desktops to keep their computer performance on the leading edge.
Many Apple computer models make it easy to swap in a solid-state drive. With the right tools to open your MacBook, iMac or Mac mini – a SSD drive swap can often be performed within minutes. Using any number of disk drive cloning utilities for OSX, you can then transfer your existing setup, programs and data onto the SSD. For those lacking the technical skills or courage to perform a do it yourself hard drive upgrade, the Apple Store online offers Build-To-Order SSD options. You can simply opt for an SSD drive to be installed when you place an order for a new Macintosh computer.
Capacities of Mac compatible SSD drives currently range from 32 Gigabytes up to 1 Terabyte of storage. The most affordable and practical sizes a Mac owner should consider might be in the 128GB to 256GB range. There you’ll find ample room to store your documents and media files without breaking your budget. Solid-State drives still command a price premium over conventional hard disk drives, so for those with Terabytes of data, the cost of the largest SSD’s may not be practical. Many Mac owners opt for a smaller capacity SSD as a boot drive for the OSX operating system and applications. Others can then use an external USB or FireWire hard drive for additional storage of larger media files: The best of both worlds.
Breathe new life into your Macintosh with a Mac compatible SSD upgrade. Whether old or new, you’ll find it delivers dramatic improvements to EVERYTHING you do on your Mac. Faster boot times, rapid application launch, saving files instantly and quick program switching will prove the productivity value of Solid-State storage.