PC World writes of Apple Mac OS X operating system, “Panther’s sleek interface and reliable performance are impressive. Although we aren’t suggesting that you ditch your hardware and buy a Mac, Apple deserves credit for raising the bar for OSs. And we hope Microsoft is paying attention as it works on the next Windows.”
“Apple makes Windows apps about as often as Microsoft ships bug-free products, and if iTunes for Windows (free) is any indication, that’s a crying shame. The iTunes media player works on PCs the same way it does on Macs, right down to the handy feature that lets you share your music library with other PC or Mac iTunes users on your network. It looks great, it’s easy to use, and it has a surprising number of useful features, like the abilities to generate rules-based Smart Playlists and to trim individual tracks,” PC World reports.
“Meanwhile, Apple’s complementary iTunes Music Store (99 cents per track, album prices vary) started the party last year on subscription-free digital tunes, pioneering the 99-cents-per-track model that most online music stores now use. With easy navigation, an impressive exclusive track selection, and such innovative offerings as audiobooks and radio show archives, iTunes Music Store is going strong,” PC World writes. “Competitors like RealPlayer Music Store made this a tough choice, but it’s hard to beat a store that’s built into the best media player software around. We do have one major complaint: iTunes tracks are incompatible with digital audio players other than Apple’s own iPod. How selfish!”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We have no such qualms, so MacDailyNews heartily suggests that you ditch your hardware and buy a Mac; why settle for a half-baked copy of Mac OS X in 2007 when you can have the best today? Moo.
Bravo to PC World for the awards. You can’t blame them for not suggesting its readers buy a Mac or their advertisers would be even more pissed than they are now!
I’m with MDN on this one. Hey PC users, come on over the feelings great!
PC World seems to give some good thought to there reviews and are not afraid of giving Apple creadit for some frickin’ great stuff. PC World, keep up the good job.
To not have admitted it would’ve been the height of hypocrisy. I’ve read some informative articles on PC World in the past, so come on … widen your audience.
And by the way:
Apple is silently preparing for entering the music-subscription market – if necessary. Think about all those Airport Express equipped stereos and the possibility to stream music to them. IF any subscription makes sense, it would be one where you can easily access your music not only on your PC (or your Janus-Mp3-Player) but from your beloved stereo in the living room.
Add a .Mac/iTMS-combi-subscription to the picture.
Why doesn’t PC World recommend ditching the hardware and going to Mac? Amazing how much sway advertisers have over content.
And look at their choice for “best digital audio player”
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116015,pg,9,00.asp
Has anyone ever used a rio karma?? Please tell us about!
alot of wintel people read pc mag…good stuff indeed
What other operating system came out in 04? I don’t konsider a new version of Kde a knew os.
I bet it was hard for PC world to write this article but if know anything about the computer market you know that Apple has the best platform on the market right now.
Shabaz, the award is not best NEW OS of 2004. As a matter of fact, Win XP Pro won last year, but XP came out three years ago.
In contrast, iTunes/Win won Best Software NEWCOMER.
I can assure all of the readers of MDN that when the soon to be released Longhorn reaches the store shelves, there will be no mention of the Apple OS know as OS X something.
You must remember that Apple charges its users for service packs and calls them a new version of the OS. That is why for 2004 Apple wins because OS X whatever is the only new version of a OS.
XP is a wonderful OS full of features including a streaming video feature called “Media Center Extender” that is light years ahead of Apples silly little audio streaming device.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/evaluation/devices/extender.asp
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Sputnik, ease upon your meds. They’re making you think 2006 (and I’m being charitable, there) is “soon”.
And AGAIN, it is NOT “Best NEW OS”. Read it CAREFULLY! As I mentioned in my previous post, Win XP Pro won in U003. unless you count the endless security patches as ” a new OS”, this ought to clarify that it is NOT “best NEW OS”.
And SORRY, but our service packs are free. Apple issues several a year. It’s when they cram a load of new features together (and sometimes a bit short of a load 🙁 ) that they charge for it.
Hmmm… From Gendo’s link:
Z680 5.1 Metallic Silver Speaker 450W THX Certified w/ Dolby Digital
Manufacturer:�Logitech / Model:�9700680403 / Speaker Configuration:�Five Speakers and Sub-Woofer (5.1) USD 280
Apple Store Australia:
The Logitech Z-680 5.1 THX Speakers offer awesome power and built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoding and the Monster Cable Interlink LightSpeed 100 TosLink fiber optic cable provides optimal digital connectivity.
$A 760; a 75-85% premium after exchange rate conversion. Some Monster cable?
oops, sorry for the double print
Sputnik, point releases for the Mac OS (10.1, 10.2, 10.3, etc) are not service packs. They are full fledged OS releases with a bevy of new features, and their own code names. For example, 10.3 is code named “Panther”, 10.2 was named “Jaguar”.
Now, software updates are a different story. Again, 10.3.4, for example, is an update to the Panther version of OS X v10.3. Hope this helps the misinformed such as yourself.
I have been a Windows user since 95 and only recently gave away my PC. (didn’t have the guts to charge anything). If Longhorn is going to be a continuation of previous Windows versions, it will be crap again. MS has to face it, they maybe able to put a ‘nice’ gui on the kernel, if they do not start from scratch the architecture will remain a disaster.
“… Hope this helps the misinformed such as yourself.” – MacAddik
Sputnik is not misinformed. He is just a hateful troll. Ignore him.
Well, yeah Matthew. I assume that is why the long wait. dressing a pig doesn’t take very long.
“…dressing a pig doesn’t take very long.” – Joe McConnel
LMAO!!! That’s classic!
Longhorn, if it’s a complete rewrite, will have the same challenge that Apple had migrating it’s users to OS X. Most programs will not run on it, etc. etc. They will probably create a shell of XP to run those programs, and it will run slower. It will be a difficult thing to manage, and if they screw it up, it could be a great time for people to consider Apple. One thing Apple had going for it was just how vastly better OS X was than OS 9 (in my opinion anyway). Will MS be able to make something that much better than XP? We’ll see…
Just have to wonder if the MacWorld folks figured out a way to infiltrate the PCWorld offices… oh, wait, what am I thinking – it would have been easy.
BuriedCeasar sayeth:
“Just have to wonder if the MacWorld folks figured out a way to infiltrate the PCWorld offices… oh, wait, what am I thinking – it would have been easy.”
OUCH! that’s gonna leave a welt! 😀
Suggest the first post after Sputnik should always be:
TROLLSTER AT WORK ABOVE: BEST IGNORED
!
“Suggest the first post after Sputnik should always be:
TROLLSTER AT WORK ABOVE: BEST IGNORED”
Nahhhh. It is much more fun to instead call him what he really is, a clueless moron.
Hey Sputnik
The Media Extender is also ahead of Microsoft: “Windows Media Center Extender will ship in late 2004”
Airport express is available to order now!