Kris Carlson's Weblog

DTrace on Mac OS X

I know this old news by now, but I am really geeked about dtrace being ported to Mac OS X. Check out Adam Leventhal's Weblog at Sun for a shit load of details. Also, Mike Shapiro's $<blog and Brian Cantrill's "The Observation Deck". Bravo gentlemen! I can hardly wait for Mac OS X 10.5.x, i.e. Leopard. I was resolved to not put Leopard on my iMac G4, but if it'll run on this little jewel; and without significant degradation in performance, then I will install it.

Info-Mac

I just learned about Info-Mac Network. I feel so uninformed, ...jeez. It's being retired now. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to get with it if I'm going to consider myself a Mac Addict.

Check it: http://www.info-mac.org/
Article: http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=08375
Next Generation: http://www.macupdate.com/ | http://www.versiontracker.com/

Apple and Microsoft

I'm confused. Is Apple developing Pages and Keynote; and working on a spreadsheet program? Or are they just going to hop into bed with Microsoft as regards the Office Suite? I agree that MS has a great product in Word and Excel, but they ask too much money for it. If you think not then answer this question: How did Bill Gates get to be the richest man alive?

Then there's the Virtual PC product that Microsoft now owns. They didn't develop it, but they own it now and it sucks megs and is also rediculously overpriced. I hope Steve Jobs is not missing a fundamental concept here: Microsoft's operating system is quite possibly the worst OS made. Buggy, insecure, poor performing, poor design (reboot after reboot), and the list could be continued by someone who uses it more often than I do.

My point is, I would like to see a place for MS Office Suite on the Mac but nix eveything else MS. F*(# Bill Gates.

Tags: Apple iWork Microsoft

Bye Bye Mighty Mouse

I finally got tired of the unwanted left clicks and switched back to the pro mouse. If I didn't completely have my index finger off the mouse I would get a left click when I wanted a right click. $50 bucks down the tubes. Since buying the MM and my PowerMac G4, I found some other interesting things associated with Apple that I find rather unpalatable. I know this much, in the future, I will not just jump-in because it's Apple and it's cool. As much as I like Mac OS X, I do not like some of Apple's business practices. I will write about my latest Applecare bad dream later. For now, the Mighty Mouse has been dismissed. I wonder how much it will fetch? At $50 I can't just shelve it.

Mac, apple, Computers and Internet, Kris Carlson

Mighty Mouse Annoyance

Well, I learned another valuable lesson about diving in head first. I thought the Mighty Mouse was so cool that I bought on the minute I read about it. The problem is with the touch sensitive click area. If you want to get a right click you have to be sure you completely remove you index finger from the left click are or you will get a left click when you wanted a right click. When I'm using my Logitech MX 510 Optical Gaming Mouse on my AMD/Windows machine I right click with my index finger resting on the left mouse button. You can't do that with the Mighty Mouse. It's really annoying and I think I will be switching back to the mouse that came with the machine. I actually have gotten used to control-clicking. I might get another mouse for right clicking, not sure yet. I kind of like the Apple experience of control-clicking. We'll see.

Apple Introduces Mighty Mouse

I just checked my RSS feed for Apple Hot News and saw they introduced a new mouse today called Mighty Mouse. My first thought was "it's about time". I checked it out briefly and bought one just as fast as I could. At $49.00 it's pricey, but all Apple products are, and usually worth the money. Check it out at http://www.apple.com/mightymouse/. Let me know is you bought one too, or plan to buy one.

Many Voices Call To Apple

Keep up the chatter and Apple will do something to fix the security problem with Widgets in Dashboard. Even with an OS X update to 10.4.1 Apple still hasn't addressed a significant security vulnerabilty in Dashboard. Read my previous post: Dashboard: A Security Hole. This is a serious problem that Apple needs to address. So keep up the chatter.

Technorati Tags: Apple Mac OSX Tiger

Update: Thank You for reading. Please follow this link to read the original article at C|Net: Widget security worries dog Apple

Dashboard: A Security Hole

I read an article this morning at C|Net News about Malware and Apple's new Dashboard application included in Tiger. To quote the article:"Dashboard, one of the much-publicized features of Apple Computer's latest OS, Tiger, could be ripe for exploitation by porn scammers." This gives me much to be concerned about at this point. I will be doing lots of research on this particular topic. Check extended body for the content of this article.

OS X 10.4 - Tiger

I have a pseudo-clean install of OS X 10.4 on my iMac. (I didn't use a cleaner on my hard drive) I bought the pack with Tiger, iLife and iWork. I have never had an OS installation run so smooth; and I have installed many: Linux (many distros), FreeBSD (since 2.1), Windows 95, 98, NT, NT Server, 2000, 2000 Pro, XP, XP Pro, BeOS (well, this one was a pretty slick install), Solaris (only God knows how many times), AIX, HP-UX, and several other non-posix compliant Unix variants. Well, that's a 90% exhaustive list. So I really dig Apple's OS X. It's is the cleanest, easiest to use, and most enjoyable OS I have ever used.

But this OS is no toy. It has the most advanced search technology for the desktop available in Spotlight. This feature is unbelievably cool. And Dashboard... I just got the weather, the correct spelling of a word, stock prices, and glanced at my to do list. Now there are a lot of other features that are new to Tiger, and I do not know exactly what all of them can do... yet. If you are interested in learning more, then go to http://www.apple.com/macosx/ and read up.

I am almost at the point where I will shelve Windows for good. Even some of the free OS's out there are better (in my opinion) than any version of Windows. And they are free! I have already told my Forex broker I will close my account soon in favor of a non-Windows specific dealing platform. Their favorite comeback is "use Virtual PC". How'bout f*ck you. No more contributions to Bill Gates' Evil Empire. I can run a couple different dealing platforms now on my Mac and on my FreeBSD machine through the browser. When I make my final decision, I will phase out all Microsoft products in this house. I could do it now, but I would have to spend a chunk of money on a new printer, airport extreme base station, and possibly a new laptop for my mom. I cannot currently justify that expense. So until then, I will get by.

If you don't own a Mac, I suggest you give Apple a serious and objective look. After using a Mac you will be hooked.

-Have A Great Day!

Apple Computer: The Consummate Innovator

Before Microsoft Windows there was the Mac OS, built from the ground up with a graphical user interface utilizing a windowing interface paradigm.  Since the the first Mac, desktop manufacturers and GUI software development companies have been copying Apple.  Apple is the true innovator and others just follow, Microsoft included.

Apple introduced the Mac Mini in Q1, 2005; and now others follow.  An article at C|Net news this morning titled Intel shows off Mac Mini-like concept PC discusses how other PC manufacturers are being prompted by Intel to produce computers that resemble the Mac Mini in both form and function.  What they can not do is offer the Mac OS X operating system.  And I like it that way.  Apple has the final say on what kind of hardware their OS runs on.

As soon as I can conduct all my business on OS X, I will retire my Windows PC and cease using Microsoft products entirely.  Don't get me wrong, Microsoft has some good software, namely Excel.  But Bill Gate's policies are destroying consumer choice.  All in the name of profit, greed and power.   If you like choice then send Microsoft a message and Switch, before it's too later.  Listen, he's trying to lay claim to the Internet by claiming Microsoft invented the protocols that make the Internet function.  Please, slow this guy down and stop buying Microsoft products.

Technorati Tags:
Apple Intel  Bill Gates

Wikipedia:
Apple Computer