“Winn Schwartau switched his office from PCs to Macintosh computers, a seemingly simple move that created an overwhelming reaction in the online world,” Dave Gussow reports for The St. Petersburg Times (Florida, USA). “Schwartau is no mere computer user. He’s a nationally known technology security expert from Seminole, so when he wrote in his online blog that he was tired of unreliable technology and fending off virus and spyware threats to his office PC he triggered a torrent of attention.”
Gussow reports, “In a column titled ‘Mad as Hell,’ posted Monday at the Network World Web site and his blog (securityawareness.blogspot.com) on Wednesday, Schwartau declared that systems using Microsoft’s Windows software and Intel processors are ‘a threat to the national economic security of any organization or nation-state that relies (upon) it… I know how to do all this stuff. The point is I don’t want to do it and I don’t think 98 percent of the computing public should have to do it.'”
The Macintosh community, always on the lookout for good news about Apple Computer and its products, started a flood of reaction. Schwartau’s blog tracked 9,000 visitors Wednesday, 40,000 Thursday and 12,000 by midafternoon Friday. In a month, it usually gets 4,000 visitors.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: More people use Macintosh than most people realize. Windows does not account for 98 percent of personal computer users. About 8-12 percent of people use Macs. Please see related stories below for more information about this misconception.
[UPDATE: 10:38am EDT: revised “98 percent” sentence in MDN Take.]
Related MacDailyNews articles:
More people use Apple Macs than you think; 8-12 percent of homes use Macs – March 31, 2004
Media parroting: ‘only 3% uses Macintosh’ – honest mistake or outright lie? – July 25, 2003
Forbes: Apple users ‘still account for 10% of the world’s computer users’ – June 02, 2003
Mad as hell Windows PC security company finally just gives up, switches to Apple Mac OS X – May 25, 2005
Chicago Sun-Times: Mac OS X Tiger shows ‘there’s never been a more compelling time to switch to Mac’ – May 05, 2005
Dan Gillmor: ‘With Mac OS X Tiger, Apple is plainly in the lead today’ – May 05, 2005
Jupiter Research VP: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘runs rings around Microsoft Windows’ – May 04, 2005
The Independent: Apple’s ‘faster, smarter, simpler’ Mac OS X Tiger ‘a must-have’ – May 04, 2005
Mac OS X Tiger review for a Windows PC audience finds Tiger’s ‘far, far better than Windows XP’ – May 03, 2005
Longhorn mentioned in nearly every Apple Mac OS X Tiger review to assuage Windows masses – May 02, 2005
Boston Herald: Mac OS X Tiger should compel Windows PC users to think about switching to Apple Mac – May 02, 2005
Mac OS X Tiger will likely improve performance of your Macintosh – April 30, 2005
PC World review gives Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger 4.5 stars out of 5 – April 30, 2005
Forrester analysts: Apple should advertise Mac OS X Tiger on television and in movie theaters – April 29, 2005
Ars Technica: Mac OS X Tiger ‘at least twice as significant as any single past update’ – April 28, 2005
BusinessWeek: ‘Tiger bolsters Mac OS X’s edge as the best personal-computer operating system around’ – April 28, 2005
Associated Press: Mac OS X Tiger ‘provides another excellent incentive to switch from Windows’ – April 28, 2005
Mossberg: Apple’s Tiger ‘the best, most advanced personal computer operating system on the market’ – April 28, 2005
InformationWeek columnist: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘a compelling upgrade’ – April 28, 2005
NY Times: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger is the most secure, stable and satisfying OS on earth – April 28, 2005
CNET: ‘If you’re tired of Microsoft’s promises, Mac OS X Tiger may be your best incentive to switch’ – April 28, 2005
Wired News: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘full of welcome surprises’ – April 27, 2005
You can switch from Windows to superior Apple Mac and still be compatible with the world – April 23, 2005
Apple posts QuickTime movies of Mac OS X Tiger features in action – April 13, 2005
Switching from Windows to Mac? Save money by asking to ‘crossgrade’ your software – April 12, 2005
“Take a look at the graphics cards options on current Windows boxes. Compare that to anything Apple has.”
Guess you don’t care much for color accuracy and overall rendering capabilities.
But what the hell do I know! I have only been a professional graphic designer for the last 25 years.
Windows PCs are only used in my industry by hacks and wannabe weekend warrior artists. Anyone with real talent and a portfolio worth a six figure salary use Mac exclusively. Even most PC only magazines are actually laid out on Macintosh. How’s that for irony?
If you don’t believe me, go have a chat with a processing manager at a local graphics service bureau sometime. They will tell you that GOOD chunk of their business profits come from charging Windows designers for color correction work from PC produced print jobs,
XP Pro supports dual procs, so there is already a built-in advantage to having Dual-Core. With Hyperthreading, the advantages continure to increase – quicker system response, faster performance, better multitasking. Many apps support dual-proc/core technology: Adobe apps, Canopus, the high end imaging progs.
There’s a big difference between “supporting” something, and that something actually working. It is Windows, you know.
Adobe doesn’t know how to write their apps for multi-processors, though a dually does help, as the second processor takes care of everything else.
:rolleyes: is right. I’m in graphics also, and anyone trying to use Photoshop in Windows is a noob. I’m amazed that certain capabilities that I rely upon are either completely missing or extremely well hidden in Windows versions of PS, and the Windows users don’t even know what they’re missing! Shh, don’t tell them…
“Mac fanatics want their platform to grow, Windows fanatics want all other platforms to die. There’s the difference.”
Indeed. Remember all the fuss about the articles concerning security in mono-culture or multi-culture, equating Windows predominance as a fault in security by itself. Wintel cultists went so far as to attacking the author in that – for them – it would have been far better for ITs if ONLY Windows would exist. Their logic: one patch to fix them all worldwide as if Windows viruses would put to their knees other OSes as well. Like turning the weak link of a chain into the whole chain.
It is now countless the times where a business or an internet operation managed to survive only because it had other OSes running in addition to weak faulty easy-prey Windows.
Funny how their logic mimics science fiction and fantasy novels bad guys’ ones.
I’ve noticed many people defend their opinions by going on the offensive… goes a little something like this.
Me: I wish Apples had better graphics cards (look at current Windows gear). BTW… I use Macs everyday for work and at home.
MacAttackers: You must not care about color. I’m a designer with 25 years experience and I say anyone who uses Windows is a newbie, doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and is a hack.
—
[[There’s a big difference between “supporting” something, and that something actually working.]]
I have Duallie XP box and it works quite well actually. It is Windows, ya know. It supports and works. Uhh what was your point?
—
As for credentials, I’ve worked in visual arts fields for quite a while and there are fanatics at every level (whether for Windows or for Macs).
If credentials are required to have an opinion, then I’ll just say I’ve worked many jobs from Account Executive to Editing Manager. Even with that, I’d like to hear opinions from anyone who is interested in this stuff – as long as they are fair in their commentary.
Long story short:
I use Macs daily at work.
I enjoy using Macs.
I also use Windows daily and it too works well for me.
I wish Macs had a couple of key improvements.
I’ve noticed many people defend their opinions by going on the offensive… goes a little something like this.
Me: I wish Apples had better graphics cards (look at current Windows gear). BTW… I use Macs everyday for work and at home.
MacAttackers: You must not care about color. I’m a designer with 25 years experience and I say anyone who uses Windows is a newbie, doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and is a hack.
—
[[There’s a big difference between “supporting” something, and that something actually working.]]
I have Duallie XP box and it works quite well actually. It is Windows, ya know. It supports and works. Uhh what was your point?
—
As for credentials, I’ve worked in visual arts fields for quite a while and there are fanatics at every level (whether for Windows or for Macs).
If credentials are required to have an opinion, then I’ll just say I’ve worked many jobs from Account Executive to Editing Manager. Even with that, I’d like to hear opinions from anyone who is interested in this stuff – as long as they are fair in their commentary.
Long story short:
I use Macs daily at work.
I enjoy using Macs.
I also use Windows daily and it too works well for me.
I wish Macs had a couple of key improvements.
I’ve noticed many people defend their opinions by going on the offensive… goes a little something like this.
Me: I wish Apples had better graphics cards (look at current Windows gear). BTW… I use Macs everyday for work and at home.
MacAttackers: You must not care about color. I’m a designer with 25 years experience and I say anyone who uses Windows is a newbie, doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and is a hack.
—
[[There’s a big difference between “supporting” something, and that something actually working.]]
I have Duallie XP box and it works quite well actually. It is Windows, ya know. It supports and works. Uhh what was your point?
—
As for credentials, I’ve worked in visual arts fields for quite a while and there are fanatics at every level (whether for Windows or for Macs).
If credentials are required to have an opinion, then I’ll just say I’ve worked many jobs from Account Executive to Editing Manager. Even with that, I’d like to hear opinions from anyone who is interested in this stuff – as long as they are fair in their commentary.
Long story short:
I use Macs daily at work.
I enjoy using Macs.
I also use Windows daily and it too works well for me.
I wish Macs had a couple of key improvements.
Mac&PCGuy;: “I enjoy using Macs. I also use Windows daily and it too works well for me.”
Pretty common: people enjoy using Macs whether for work or leisure.
And Windows is just a tool that somehow it works. One cannot enjoy a screwdriver or a hammer: they work, sometimes they slip and cuts your finger or crash it too.
What the difference between…
paying a monthly/annual fee to keep your computer protected from known viruses
…and…
paying a gangster in the 1920’s “protection money” to prevent your business from blowing up or catching fire from a rival gang?
According to Tiger’s dictionary…
extortion |ɪkˌstɔrʃən| |ɛkˌstɔrʃən| noun
the practice of obtaining something, esp. money, through force or threats.
“We are very aware that the house we built you has very poor locks, but if you pay my buddy more money every month, he will add better locks maintain them, but he still won’t guarantee 100% security though.”
why looking at 1920s? Happens today as well.
There seems to be a few comments from people with both Mac and PC environments.
Well here is another one.
I have
1 x Quad Xeon server running Red Hat
1 x Dual Xeon server running W2K Server
1 x Dual G5 PowerMac running Panther Server
1 x G4 PowerBook running Tiger
1 x G5 iMac running Tiger
1 x Dual Pentium running XP Pro
1 x Pentium M notebook running XP Pro
1 x PDA running Symbian
1 x PDA running CE2003
1 x PDA running Linux
1 x PDA running PalmOS
4 of the above have biometric login
Total storage exceeds 2 Tb
Setup with 1 x Hardware firewall, Software firewalls, routers, switches, Ethernet and Wi-Fi.
I started learning to program in Fortran on punched cards in High School in 1971 and have been an independent computer consultant since 1979. During my career I have been lucky enough to work on hundreds of different systems – some of which never saw commercial light of day.
Since 1982 when the PowerPC chip architecture was first widely discussed, it has been agreed by the majority of academics and theoreticians that it is a superior architecture to both classic RISC (SPARC, Alpha) and classic CISC (Intel, AMD) as it combines the best of both.
I find it significant that the 3 leading games console manufacturers are adopting PowerPC variants for their new products.
My personal preference for a computing platform is Apple and OSX, however too much of my consulting practice is Wintel and Linux for me to ignore it.
As for market share, I would like to see an independent study done that broke market share down by type, such as Large Corporate, SME, Government, Small Business, Personal, Education, Research, Data Centres, Developers etc.
I know that of the 27 ISP data centres I have visited in the last year for clients approximately 40% of the installed hosting machines were running Linux, about 7-8% were OSX, another 12-15% were non specific other platforms and the remainder were Wintel. Of the specialist datacentre appliance devices like firewalls the overwhelming majority were Linux based while Wintel had less than 5%. In the 27 data centres approximately 50,000 individual servers were installed, so I would say that it is a representative sample. On new installs Linux is a clear leader with Wintel well behind and OSX just behind Wintel and gaining.
I think it is also significant that any public facing organisation that wants to be seen as hip or up to date will use various Apple machines. Look at how often they crop up in TV newsrooms, movies, TV programmes, etc.
I do not want to see Microsoft die or Apple take over as the dominant supplier. What I would like to see is the Linux platform reunite and become coherent and for Windows, OSX and Linux to have approximately equal market shares. That will be the best result for standards, competition and innovation. Everybody gains.
That’s my two bits anyway.
Cheers
From: Dave H.
“If everyone had the choice over what they used, there wouldn’t be any problem. Mac users have had to put up with websites built on proprietary code (IE6 for Windows only), hardware without drivers “because there’s no call for it”, and idiotic comments from both salespeople and journalists who’ve NEVER used a Mac talking about it being a lesser system for completely fabricated reasons.
Mac fanatics want their platform to grow, Windows fanatics want all other platforms to die. There’s the difference.”
people DO have a choice… many of them just dont know it.
“…idiotic comments from salespeople and journalists…” well whaddya ‘spect? they ARE salespeople and journalists afterall, two groups of the least informed people on the planet. i take their comments with a grain of salt and verify for myself. i know, i know… not everyone does this but they should.
nowadays when someone tells me that Windows Rules i point out to them that many governments around the world are dropping Windows as their OS of choice and perhaps they should consider doing the same.
“Mac fanatics want their platform to grow, Windows fanatics want all other platforms to die. There’s the difference.”
yeah, but all other platforms WON’T die. just ain’t gonna happen. why worry?
“fanatics” of any ilk… political, religious, Mac or Windows… are not to be trusted. they are going to be far too biased to be reasonable with any assessment.
i just dont worry about all those things anymore. if hardware doesnt have drivers i need i choose other hardware. if i cant view a site in Safari or Firefox i dont bother… all the sites i need work anyway. the OS Wars arguement is becoming a waste of time. just use the system that works best for you and your work and stop worring about the rest. besides, the way open source is gaining ground Mac users are well poised to take advantage of this change. since i upgraded from OS 9 to OS X i have been able to do a LOT more on the web than ever before. besides in the end all my Windows using friends, in spite of all their bluster, end up being envious of my Mac anyway. ‘specially the part where i calmly say: “Viruses? Malware? Ehhh, I dont get that stuff.”
Magic Word: “child” as in…
“Quit whining like a “child”. Use your Mac and damn the rest”
fenman: cannot but support your point of view. Unfortunately I hardly see it coming in my lifetime. This sort of revolutionized IT scenario, where Linux after a Grand Unification Theory, OS X, and some flavor of Windows not yet there even on paper would share practically the same presence % in combined sectors (I would see the different OSes end up enjoying stronger presence in different sectors).
Why that? Because it would happen mostly by users process and they should be informed in all OSes in order to establish this different *order* in IT.
And “mass of users” and “being informed” do not go well together. After all, the mass of users are on Windows :-} and for absurd, risible, totally out of this world reasons, more often than ever.
Windows holds the record for the most coats of polish of any turd ever given the treatment! :o)
Yeah rolleyes, and Apple holds the record for the amount of times they bend over their customers and give it to them in the ass with sandpaper.
But hey, thats your way of life isnt it?
Re the grand unification of Linux theory – I think a big motivator in that is going to be combining against SCO and their pathetic law suits. Already the major Linux flavours are offering litigation protection to their corporate clients and beginning to cooperate in areas outside the pure open source bit. It is the beginning.
With Longhorn MickeySoft has to be careful. If they met all their technical promises it will NOT have full backwards compatibility. After all in the beginning it was inteneded to be a pure 64 bit OS which clearly eliminates the majority of the PC market right now. If they write it a as a 32 bit to support most of their existing clients then they are scuppered as far as keeping that technical promise. If they try and hybrid it so that it runs natively on both 32 bit and 64 bit then they complicate it no end. Furthermore with Intel, AMD and others each doing high performance things to the capabilities of their new chips it becomes increasingly more difficult for MickeySoft to optimise their OS to exploit the full capabilities of the host CPU.
Most security experts with significant corporate experience are advising their clients to move away from IE and to keep core critical business systems away from Wintel. My source, well I am a computer security professional with 19 years experience in IT Security, membership in 5 different security based professional organisations and past president of one of them. I am also an advisor to several Government departments on IT security issues in three countries. Without a doubt, in the personal computing and small server architecture environment, OSX is a clear winner on security and performance stability issues. It is also capable of being scaled up way beyond anything you can do with an Intel. Just look at the top ten SuperComputer Clusters. NO INTEL’s, 1 x Apple G4 based and 3 Apple G5 based. Pretty conclusive to me.
As for the sandpaper reference. Not a sensation most Apple users are familiar with, however I am sure any victim of the 100,000 + virii on the Wintel platform can relate.
Regarding the SCO lawsuits in relation to Unix. They may hold some legal rights to the name – but they did not originally. AT&T Bell Labs had that honour. SCO on the other hand were the original OS Cloners producing a copy of Unix that was not quite Unix called Xenix. Just another has been now.
Linux is like Mac OS X without all of the nice commercial software.