Let's fact it, when Longhorn is released it's going to be loaded in all new Dulls, but the IT world is not going to change overnight. MS actually has years to complete the migration using an approach like Apple used with "Classic" in their OS X. There are still users on older versions of Windows, from 95 on, that would migrate over the years. This provides developers and companies plenty of time to bring their software up to standard, without the mad dash of Y2K.

"Among the security measures he thinks home users should implement are a firewall (assuming they don't have the latest version of Windows XP), anti-virus software and automatic downloading and installation of Windows patches. In addition, they should turn off system restore because anti-virus software can't clean its folder -- thus causing viruses to reappear upon reboot -- and they should turn off ActiveX controls and scripting, if possible. He also recommends using another Web browser, such as Firefox, and turning to Internet Explorer only when a Web page requires ActiveX."

While that's a good recommendation there needs to be a simple single screen where users can click on each option. To keep it simple let them click on the "Most Secure" option so they don't have to understand what they are doing.

Unfortunately Longhorn was the time that MS should have put this "new wheel" into operation and I think they have blown this chance, even after Apple showed them how to do it.

He says longhorn will steamline things. From what I hear longhorn has cut most, if not all the new features out of it. And since it won't be out for another year and a half or more the way things are going right now. I wouldn't hope for much as far as longhorn goes.

He didn't say that Longhorn will streamline the OS. He said MS will be better off streamlining the kernel, but he doesn't expect Longhorn to change that. Read it again.

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kenaustus wrote:
((…)) there needs to be a simple single screen where users can click on each ((security)) option. To keep it simple let them click on the "Most Secure" option so they don't have to understand what they are doing.

No no no! While it's true most people don't know what an alternator or an oil sump does, I'll bet any money most people know what the airbags and seatbelts do!

In the same way, people have to understand what a firewall is, what spyware protection is, and how that differs from a virus, and how a virus differs from a worm. People who don't understand invariably break their OS. I'm not talking about the intricacies—just the ‘buckle up’ mentality of switching on the firewall, the odd spyware & virus sweep (like a regular servicing schedule) and never driving down the hard shoulder - i.e. don't open the mail that proclaims ‘Kittens!’…

Funny how the car analogies always seem to work, isn't it?

PC vs. Mac in total cost of ownership.

MacCentral's Dennis Sellers quotes Gary Canterbury, the director of technology for the eighth largest school district in Ohio, which runs 4,400 Macs and 400 Wintel boxes.

"The TOC (total operating cost) for the Wintel machines amounts to $253.86 per year, every year until it is retired," Canterbury told Sellers. "The Macs run us $53.25 per year. Quite a difference and one our board and parents heard loud and clear."

Lynda Nichol, director of technology for cross-platform Shawnee Public Schools in Shawnee, OK, is also cited saying: "The cost of maintaining the PCs is one-third more than maintaining the Macs."

Mr. Sellers quotes Dean F. Sutherland of the Carnegie-Mellon University Computer Science department saying that their "desperately overloaded facilities staff" includes only one Mac expert who is currently cross-training in Windows support the University's approximately 500 Macs don't have enough problems to keep him busy full time. "Overall, the Macs are the lowest maintenance, most trouble free machines in the department," affirmed Sutherland

Over at MacWeek, in his "Analysis: Avoiding the standardization blues," network administrator John C. Welch debunks the notion that it makes sense for IT departments to get rid of all their Macs and standardize on one platform.

As a, I am often asked, "What's the best computer?" But what's really being asked--especially if the questioner has a title like "CEO"--is, "What should we standardize on?"

"When you have a network full of Macs that's running smoothly, and users who are getting their jobs done, how do you point out that standardization has more to do with your work than your hardware?" askes Mr. Weich, who goes on to offer practical advice on how to counter the anti-Mac notions and prejudices of the ignorami.

And if that doesn't work, says Weich "don't be afraid to point out the costs of standardization. Forcing users to switch platforms is expensive.... Many folks who push for a "Mac dump" imagine replacing them with $400 computers, and when they see the real numbers, they're often willing to rethink the idea. Hiring two or three extra full-time IS people just to support an all-Windows network is a cost that won't go away, and probably wasn't considered in the initial decision."

None of this is new. Study upon study over the years have shown that the total cost of ownership, user/worker satisfaction and productivity facilitated by the Macintosh leaves the cranky, clunky Windows platform eating dust.

TCO arguments usually end up moot points, nobody these days looks at tco. Which is why it's hard to argue with a 700 laptop from Dell that, contrary to popular belief, works..somewhat well.

People need to get familiar with OS X and it's iLife suite to know why Apple's computers cost more. Most people see them as toys because of the innovative design and the long upgrade cycles. I think the Intel switch will change that point of view and give Apple and it's userbase more options.

"When you set up Windows, your account is placed in the administrators group by default, with no warning of the implications and/or security risks that having such an elevated privilege may have."

It goes deeper than that though. because Administrator rights are on by default I run into lots of software that requires Admin rights to run. It won't operate if we try to open the app as a user with limited rights. Bad OS leads to sloppy coding that requires a bad OS to run it. It's a trap that MS has crapped its way into.

"since it won't be out for another year and a half or more the way things are going right now. I wouldn't hope for much as far as longhorn goes."

One and a half years is not an eternity. It took Mac well over five years to get Unicode support (including input systems etc.) up to speed, and amazingly people still stuck with them.

"As for the vaunted "halo effect" caused by the iPod, Mr. Rumble believes "it's real, and has been for a long time."

Mr. Rumple's analogy to a Ford and a Honda is flawed, because we have already had Car vs. Car since 1984. One "car" was the "IBM Compatible" computer, and the other "car" was the Macintosh computer. The Mac has always been demonstrably superior the IBM. Never did anything for the sales, though.

However, car vs. car is not what the mythical "Halo Effect" is all about. The Halo Effect would happen if Ford made cars, and Honda made cars and car radios - which worked in both Hondas and Fords. If Honda radios worked much better than Ford radios, and folks started driving Hondas because they associated the radios with the cars, then you would have a Halo Effect. No more likely in computers than in cars.

Now some reasons that folks might be switching to Macs:

The steaming, stinking heap that is Windows.
The Winn Schwartau Effect.
Jonathon Ive.
Super Computers.
Apple Stores.
Unix underpinings.

I.E. real, simple, logical, Occam's Razor reasons.

...I drive a Ford. 210,000 kilometers and rising.

I agree with one point, that being MS should look at a version of the OS without legacy support or very minimal at the least. It just seems from I have been reading from various sites is that there is so much flotsam in Windows from from endless driver support to legacy support that goes beyond any rational other then to have a sizeable chunk of their customer base keep an anchor around Windows OS neck.

I work in a UK office. We upgraded(!) to XP Pro last year. We have to use a simple training package using a CD for 6 new trainees. The system is so locked down by our IT people we are unable to use it. Our Admins have locked us out of access to the hard drive! Basically, the system just cannot accomodate anything out of the ordinary that the Admins havent thought of which is a lot. The whole thing is cripple ware. An example is that every morning we all have to resize windows cos its not allowed to remember how we want them. Mad, talk about tail wagging dog. It must cost us millions!

The biggest problem with people not wanting to switch to something else is: I already know how to use windows. Yeah right, because they know how to start office and enter some data they are computer experts.

Typical conversation,
What computer should I buy?

What are you going to do with it?

Surf and email.

You're not going to game?

No, we don't play games.

Then get an iMac, you won't have to spend extra a virus, spyware progs.

Two weeks later:

Can you fix my machine I bought from (some computer expert in town), everytime I try and go to the web I get all kinds of popups.

What you didn't buy a Mac?

No, the janitor recomended his grandson here in town, who just knows everything about pcs.

I charge $60 an hour to work on pcs. But (idiot) only charges $20. Then take it to them. After spending the price of the computer again they still have a junk windows machine.

Needless to say they don't do anything but recommend the idiot to anyone else that wants a machine.

I support a small network of 225 pcs and 4 novell servers.
And do I wish I could boot all the windows crap out of here and go to something else.

You are so right, your post reads like a script. I'm beginning to think "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is actually about computers and not communism.

"I agree with one point, that being MS should look at a version of the OS without legacy support or very minimal at the least. It just seems from I have been reading from various sites is that there is so much flotsam in Windows from from endless driver support to legacy support that goes beyond any rational other then to have a sizeable chunk of their customer base keep an anchor around Windows OS neck."

I would agree with this also. Even though 99% of our operation is Mac, we have one PC that we have to run a DOS (yes, I said DOS) program. It is a specilized program and the developer has been promising to port to Windows for nearly ten years. Personally I wish they would port to Mac and then I could ditch one more Windows machine, but since Windoze continues to support DOS, this developer sees not reason to spend time or effort in moving away from it.

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Guest wrote:

People need to get familiar with OS X and it's iLife suite to know why Apple's computers cost more. Most people see them as toys because of the innovative design and the long upgrade cycles. I think the Intel switch will change that point of view and give Apple and it's userbase more options.

I look forward to the day when Apple ship a corporate-friendly version of 'OSX Lite' - without iLife, without any digital-editing tools/music/video players or other such fluff. Fit it on a single CD, and make it easier for us to customise [strip away unwanted features/tie down access] still further. Business wants cheap, small-footprint, low-maintenance - with _just enough_ features for the task in question. You neither want nor need stuff like iLife for a point-of-sale terminal or warehouse stock-control station.

Keep it simple, stupid!

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Anonymous wrote:

Quote

Guest wrote:

People need to get familiar with OS X and it's iLife suite to know why Apple's computers cost more. Most people see them as toys because of the innovative design and the long upgrade cycles. I think the Intel switch will change that point of view and give Apple and it's userbase more options.

I look forward to the day when Apple ship a corporate-friendly version of 'OSX Lite' - without iLife, without any digital-editing tools/music/video players or other such fluff. Fit it on a single CD, and make it easier for us to customise [strip away unwanted features/tie down access] still further. Business wants cheap, small-footprint, low-maintenance - with _just enough_ features for the task in question. You neither want nor need stuff like iLife for a point-of-sale terminal or warehouse stock-control station.

Keep it simple, stupid!

Point of order: If you buy Tiger and expect iLife to come on the installation DVD, you're going to be mighty disappointed. iLife does not come with the system, not even iPhoto.