Mac Updating?!?
One thing that has come to my attention why is it so hard for Windows users to update Windows. You hear about all these holes but yet Windows users don't update and all the viruses keep doing their cycle along with Denial of Service attacks. It seems like Mac users are more up to date than even the more advanced Windows Users. I have a friend that hasn't updated his machine in over 6 months. He has no reason to why he doesn't. I tend to check for Mac OS updates 2+ times a week. Even when I used a Windows Machine I was up to date but may be that's just the way I am.
[ 09-16-2002: Message edited by: BrianMacOS ]</p>
[ 09-16-2002: Message edited by: BrianMacOS ]</p>
Comments
<strong> Even when I used a Windows Machine I was up to date but may be that's just the way I am.
[ 09-16-2002: Message edited by: BrianMacOS ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
That last sentence is the key. You're not among 'typical' mac users here. You're not a typical computer user and neither are any of us (at least most of us). I know people who haven't upgraded to OS X yet and there's no reason for them not to. My family would never know to check for software updates if I didn't tell them. I've gotten to the point where I'll just ssh into their computer at home, download updates and STICK THEM RIGHT ON MY SISTER'S DESKTOP so that she'll update when I tell her there's one available. We're not normal.
<strong>This is where Software Update's automatic checking comes in handy. Mine is set to once a week and I'm pretty sure that's the default setting in Jaguar. Please do correct me if I'm wrond about that being the default.</strong><hr></blockquote>
SU is set to update once a week, but I was also talking about updates for applications, as well.
wouldnt it be cool if you could like choose different companies like Omni group or mozilla to be updated through that control panel instead of having to do it maunally through the app?
It's not that hard. There is a utillity for it just like SU, execpt you have to sign away all of you privacey to use it.
Also, windows is buggy as hell.
I haven't upgraded to Jaguar yet. I need to!
But I do like being up to date. It's so easy and convenient (and hassle-free) on a Mac, I'd be silly not to.
Windows Update also gets updates automatically and lets you know when they are available, just like in OS X (or you could choose to do it manually as well). I've never had one problem using the update feature. Even the 150MB Service Pack 1 update was quick easy and 100% automated.
I guess the dude with the PC turned off the auto update, or ignores the pop ups saying that updates are available. It's not a difficult task at all.
ALL software is buggy to a certain degree, that includes XP and OS X. I happen to use both - daily.
[ 09-16-2002: Message edited by: Patchouli ]</p>
so Patchouli, which do you prefer???
and (since you often defend xp and microsoft here) do you defend and lists the virtues of os X and apple at pc sites??
just wondering....i often wonder why pc people come here (not that i am saying you are a pc only person...some people are truely bi-platform types...and i enjoy your posts as you have very well thought out responses and never seem to be trolling, at least to me)...i use both microsoft NT and Mac Os X everyday....but i don't think of myself as a pc person, nor really as a bi-platform type because i only use a pc at work for my job without any real joy nor hatred, but i love using an iMac at home for fun and whatnot....it is just that i have never had the urge to visit pc sites and talk macs...so i alway wondered why pc people hang at AI and other sites.....
but to fit in with this post...i have the default of jag at once a week checking the SU...but i manually check more often (there are lots of things i do manually more than once a week )...expecially when an update is coming....g
However, I do find my PC to be faster (from mouse movement, to application loads, to window resizing, to overall responsiveness and of course web browsing) and I just get the whole Windows file system. I am also a mouse user so I just about click my way around very quickly and the right mouse button and the contextual menus are (to me) a wonderful feature that I use often. I never found Windows to be difficult or hard to use and I think MS really did a great job with XP. I also like the integration that MS offers in XP. I like that I can open a file full of photos and click the 'thumbnails' button to see over 500 pics turn into thumbnails almost instantly. I also like the way that XP is not only very stable, but plug and play and extremely multimedia friendly. I have been using XP since last October and have only had one 'blue screen' since. However, I think this happened because I inadvertently unplugged my USB hub in the middle of scanning something. Ask me about WinME - now that was a complete POS and that is what many Mac users insist on making the comparisons with.
As far as Mac OS X is concerned, I think it's genius. I wouldn't use it if I didn't think so. I've been using Macs for years (my company used to be an all Mac Ad Agency - they did the infamous 1984 Ad way back when). I've had a Classic II, a Color Classic, 2 Quadra's and a PowerMac (beige). Now I have a 700MHz G3 Graphite iMac and am looking to get a new one soon (in hopes Apple updates the eMac again). I was never really fond of the previous Mac OS. I found the GUI to be dull (yet nicer than Windows) and I hated that you had to actually allocate memory to applications. I also found OS 8x to be VERY buggy - 9 was too, but not as bad (IMHO). But when OS X came out I wanted to learn more about it and see what it can do. That's when I came to AI. I use my Mac in a different room than my PC. Like I said earlier, it's a change for me when wanting to fool around with 'a' computer (regardless which one). I think iTunes is brilliant, I love that you can install an application by simply dragging a folder over and I love the multitasking abilities (better than XP in this case). The eye candy and the amazing icons available are just icing on the cake. Even though I've had one more kernel panic than I had an XP blue screen, I find OS X to be very stable (though 10.1.5 screwed up my system and I had to do a clean install to correct it).
So, since I've been using both PCs and Macs for years, I can't help but notice the false information many people here throw around about the PC and MS. I do not advocate MS because I think they are a sweet little company who needs word of mouth advertising. I happen to use their products on my PC and they run flawlessly, quickly and do everything I need them to do. I use them by choice and gladly upgrade when I can. From Office XP, to Money, to Picture It, to Outlook, to IE - they all work for me. I happen to like the integration and understand the benefits it has for the user. However, many people see MS as the antichrist because of their business practices and that tends to make them over look the actual products. I personally couldn't use a Mac if it weren't' for Office X and I still think that IE for X is the only Browser (out right now) that renders all pages as they are supposed to be and quickly. If something better comes out, I'll use it. I am not faithful to the MS brand - if I think something sucks, I wouldn't use it.
I am not an us versus them kind of person. I see the good and bad in both and am quick to remind the 'other side' that they've either been misinformed, don't know what they are doing, or are just talking rubbish. I see a few users here that claim to know and use XP, but if they really did, then they wouldn't have such difficulties or make problems bigger than what they are. I don't really hang out at PC forums because the PC world is just too huge and there are so many manufactures and programs out there that it's hard to hang and discuss things with people who have your same hardware and software. At AI, we all use the same companies products so there is an immediate common ground. I do however bitch slap PC users who talk rubbish about the Mac platform as well. There is ignorance on both sides, but on the Mac side there is a more cult like following which often comes with alarming bias. I don't think there'd be such a 'war' if Apple had their performance/price ratio a little more evened out. There would be less envy, less ridiculous apologetic dialog trying to justify the hardware and obviously there would be less bickering. Lets face it, no one would be bitching if Apple released a 3GHz PowerMac tomorrow.
So, there you have it. These are my opinions and how I see things. Sorry for the novel, but you did ask.
And if you pay for the pro service, I believe you will be notified of software updates for all kinds of things (I'm not trying to sell it, but it's there)
Updating Windows frequently seems like a smart precaution because of the vast quantity of security holes, bugs and glitches. I was surprised to find that the Windows system at work was not updated to keep it as secure as possible. Each user was on his or her own...dumb way of administering a network.
Automatic anything is a personal choice. Reading the EULA for the XP service pack is enough to send icy shivers down anyone's spine. Inviting Bill to take over your computer just seems to be the thin edge of the wedge. But that's another topic, and another platform and ideology.
ps...yes, anamac, i love love love versiontracker
unfortunately both sides have tons of bigots
bashing each other...
i tend to use & code in win2k & unix (openbsd & solaris) on a daily basis (cant stand xp..drives
me nuts)
bought a ti800 on a whim..dont use it much anymore
...wife snagged it
os x is a good start...however i do miss pure
keyboard navigation...i dont use a mouse all that
much & find windoze has implemented a key for everything imaginable ( yeah i did try turning
on keybd nav in osx but its not even close)
the other thing i pray for implementing a decent
file manager..the explorer treeview metaphor is actually quite good...finder reminds me of fileman
on win3.1 or cde on solaris..they seriously need to give users more options or rewrite the damm thing.
i expect a lot of disk issues will get resolved too when we move to ufs+softupdates ..its a superb
file system
also faster startup/shutdown would be great.
overall the os still feels unpolished from a tech
standpoint...but again a lot of tech people are on board simply beacuse its new...like when linux
first took off...its exciting to see new technology take shape even if its a rehash of
the old 70's stuff
so to all mac heads try as many os's as possible
its fun & thats what makes it worth it
btw if anyone from borland is reading this...
please port over c++ builder and/or delphi
amen,,,,,