LOTS OF PROJECTS NEARING COMPLETION...

[heinpete]

It was only today, when I realized, that Paul actually "Alembicked" my 4001: It now has "LED"-side markers!!!

[ajish4]

It was only today, when I realized, that Paul actually "Alembicked" my 4001: It now has "LED"-side markers!!!

VERY COOL INDEED!

I never would have thought of that on a RIC!

BEAUTIFUL!

[doctorwho]

Heinpete...Koennen sie mir sagen wie hoch die Versandkosten waren fuer deinen Bass von Paul (San Francisco) schicken zu lassen. Danke!

For future reference, if one is using a Windows-based PC, the letter ü can be added by holding the Alt key down and typing 0252 on the number pad, and the letter ö can be added by holding the Alt key down and typing 0246 on the number pad. These codes are independent of the font used.

[jingle_jangle]

Surely you don't have those codes memorized, Gary?

[Grey]

Surely you don't have those codes memorized, Gary?

I have some memorized which I actually use frequently, but you can just type in "Numpad Codes" into google and one of the first results should be a big list.

[cableracer]

I do appreciate the the concern. I was aware of these, but I find them too painfully inefficient to type, considering that these are grammatically correct usages of their spellings, anyway. I'll just save my fingertips for my Ric!

[jps]

Heinpete...Koennen sie mir sagen wie hoch die Versandkosten waren fuer deinen Bass von Paul (San Francisco) schicken zu lassen. Danke!

For future reference, if one is using a Windows-based PC, the letter ü can be added by holding the Alt key down and typing 0252 on the number pad, and the letter ö can be added by holding the Alt key down and typing 0246 on the number pad. These codes are independent of the font used.

It's easier on a Mac.

[doctorwho]

... It's easier on a Mac.

But, isn't everything?

[electrofaro]

... It's easier on a Mac.

But, isn't everything?

No - Macs are no saints in my world - Apples propaganda sure has had the effect they wanted, except they won't fool me with their way overpriced products!

[jingle_jangle]

Werner--the word "propaganda" in Brasilian Portuguese means, simply, "advertising". It doesn't carry the negative stigma that it does in English.

I think Apple's advertising (beginning with the '84 Super Bowl spot!) has been classic, memorable, and darned creative. Just like their products, hard and soft.

I bought my first Apple computer in 1981, and my first Windows computer in 1985. I switch back and forth between Apple and Windows computers a couple of times a day. I've come to believe that an affinity for one platform or other, when not based upon convenience, has a lot to do with the old "right-brain, left-brain" distinction.

To a lot of users, a Windows machine is the most sensible, natural, common-sense thing in the world to use. To another group, the Apple OS and its hardware are the perfect match and very intuitive and easy to use.

As I type this on my employer-mandated and -supplied Dell TS5400 desktop, I have no qualms with singing Apple's praises. The products are exquisitely-designed, the interface is natural for me, the perception of quality permeates the experience. Although I work on a Windows machine 10 or so hours each day (and have a SONY VAIO laptop at home, running Vista), my preference is to use one of our iMac G5s (a 20 and a 27) or my iPad when I'm at home or in my workshop.

After years of putting up with various cell phones (I have a small drawer filled with them--most were abysmally designed from a human factors standpoint) and moving from a Panasonic "Lebowski" model in '91 through to bricks, tablets, flips, two Blackberrys (ugh), my iPhone is a revelation, and I don't know how I ever did without it. Kudos to Apple for this one, too.

Experience (and my left-hand-right-brain dominant biology) lead me to Apple. I have to say that the whole "charisma-mystique" thing that Apple haters seem to focus upon, means little to me except as an irritant. A terrific Apple machine costs twice what a basic Windows machine does. To me and my family, the difference is worth it in ease of use, intuitive interface, and simple perceived quality.

In short, I think "propaganda", in the sense of advertising, is something we live with every day. However, the decision of computer platform is a personal one and made properly can make work and play a joy or a pain.

[gareth]

Nicely put Paul.

I had to use PCs for many years as part of my job. The day I got a Mac and quit that job, I took the drives out of all the PC's put them in the street, and told Craigslist they had 24 hours to pick them up.

Never looked back.

I put it this way. I can go to Guitar Center and buy 10 basses for the price of any one of my RIC''s. They'll kind of do the job, but I know which I'd rather have.

[bitzerguy]

New Mac user here, after using PCs since 1985 (IBM Portable PC with 2 5-1/4 floppy drives! It was the size of a suitcase- most destops are smaller now!). I have had PCs of various configurations (lightest, simplest config to a recent 3D gamer class unit) and run all versions of DOS and Windows at one time or another. After the initial get used to the new interface, I can honestly say I will never go back. IMAC 27" with 8Gb ram and 1TB drive running Snow Leopard. It just works. No tweaking the drivers, no trying to get the Echo Layla up and running on Vista or Win7, no multiple reboots to update or after turning on said Layla. No waiting forever as it tries to start up.

Plugged in my AudioFire 8 interface and it worked. Tried Logic 9 and it all worked and was easier to get recording than Sonar Producer 7. Backups are flawless and restore in a simple step. Connecting to anything just happens. Ok, Iphoto is weird and awkward, and Itunes can be a drag when you keep your audio files on a home network server, but other than those minor issues, I would not go back. Even obscure usb harware that is no longer supported in Win Vista or Win 7 just works with Snow Leopard. I had a small PC mentality induced error when I thought I had to restore my entire machine, as with a Windows machine with a similar catastrophic failure. I lost some PC based data (I run VMware - Win XP, Vista adn 7 all boot andrun faster this way than on my PCs!) and went through a complete system restore. I later found out all I had to do was re-install Snow Leopard, all my apps and data would not have been touched. So it was entirely my fault for thinking PC instead of Unix.

The Apple propaganda is good, and in my experience so far never misleading. I definitely won't be going back, my PC tweaking days are now a thing of the past. Happy during their time and highly eduactional, but now I just get things done.

[jingle_jangle]

Irony alert--latest BBC report from CES touts Microsoft showing how it can run Windows ("a future version"--hmmm) on a cell phone chip.

At the end of the report, the next headline down says, "Microsoft Warns on IE broiwser Bug," which details another flaw in IE, for which they're going to have to release yet another workaround patch.

Meantime, Microsoft suggests that users try their "universal" security solution.

This solution's name? The Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit.

As Jack Paar was wont to say, "I kid you not." And, while I love wordplay, this is word abuse, plain and simple.

(As I finished typing this, my Windows laptop once again displayed a "New Program Component Found" notice for an Eset security software update--which it has refused to let me install for the last few weeks. I guess I'm gonna have to call Eset tomorrow again!)

[egosheep]

I think the Mac vs. PC issue is, whatever works for you. In this economy, it's hard to justify spending that much on a Mac laptop/desktop when I can get a faster processor, faster and bigger hard drive, twice the RAM, bigger screen, etc etc, for less money. Although Mac users always talk about superior systems integration and dependability, I have always found my PC's to be extremely dependable. My last PC laptop was on almost constantly for 1 1/2 years without a crash. Maybe that's a fluke or luck on my part, but it doesn't make me feel that I'm missing out on something.

I love my jailbroken iPhone, though! I'd never use anything else, as far as phones are concerned. Love my ipod as well.

[manta]

Simply put, you plug in a Mac and it works well. Usually for a very long time.

That little fact was all I needed to switch to and stay with Macs for 15+ years now.

Manta