FINALLY! I GET it!

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I went to Fry's today to look for a MP3 player (with the only stipulation being that it had to be HD-based, and support USB 2.0 for the PCs in my life). Came across quite a few -- Archos, Creative, and, of course, the iPod.



I admit, I took a close look at the iPod 15GB, but at almost $400, it was twice what other 15GB players cost. Sure looked cool, though.



In the end, after much gnashing of teeth, I bit the bullet and purchased the iPod with the USB 2.0 adapter cable, hoping I wouldn't regret the purchase.



Well, to make a long (and getting longer) story short, it's VERY VERY rare that a consumer electronics device can just make me grin. The iPod did it. It is perfectly designed. The O/S, size, ergonomics, everything. Even the way the backlight fades in faster than it fades out.



Is ALL Apple gear this elegant? If so, then I finally GET it! So THIS is why Apple charges more -- it's worth it!



I keep thinking "it's just a bloody MP3 player!", but WOW! What a great item -- from the beauty of the retail packaging to the actual use of it.



Just my rant,



-John
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Good God Man! Stop it ...do you want to cost me $400 as well?



    Just Kidding. A iPod is definitely in my future. You can't get the gist of how special it is until you actually use one. Congrats.
  • Reply 2 of 23
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    It's amazing huh?



    I love it most when you notice something really mall, that will go overlooked my nearly everyone but they still took the time to make it unique and elegant for that handful of people who will take notice.





    welcome aboard.



    Now get a mac you cheap bastard
  • Reply 3 of 23
    ensign pulverensign pulver Posts: 1,193member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by bangstudios

    Is ALL Apple gear this elegant?



    Yes. Buy a Mac and never look back.
  • Reply 4 of 23
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    I know the feeling. I remember unpacking my 10 GB iPod after having spent a wopping (at least IMO) 400 euro on it (that including a 100 euro discount). Never in my life (and I don't use the term never in vain here) have I felt I spent my money as good as on that joyous day, last November.
  • Reply 5 of 23
    wait until you see the G5.
  • Reply 6 of 23
    >> Now get a mac you cheap bastard



    I'd love to! In fact, when the 17" PowerBook was first announced, I put a call into my local Apple dealer and put my name on an allocation list. Unfortunately, two months later I STILL couldn't buy one, but I was in dire need of a notebook (my Toshiba had given up the ghost), so I picked up a "cheapy" 15" PC notebook to tide me through.



    You know, it's funny -- and this might be stating the obvious, preaching to the choir, etc. etc. -- I really took a close look at what I DO with a personal computer:



    - Microsoft Office. Up the wazoo. I live inside MS Excel.

    - Web "browsing".

    - Email, of course

    - Some development, as a hobby: both web and application development

    - About 1 hour of Grand Theft Auto 3 per month



    That's it. Given that (and I REALLY don't think I'm all that out-of-the-ordinary here), the only items that may be an issue are (a) Grand Theft Auto. Not a big deal. (b) Microsoft Access. Potentially a problem, but I'd hope that it could run under VirtualPC or similar.



    Ok -- so what's the point? Well, it seems to me that if this is a "typical" list of activities, why wouldn't someone WANT to -- or INSIST on -- the most elegant, integrated, simple user EXPERIENCE while accomplishing activities with the above components? Who NEEDS 15 word processors and 22 versions of solitaire? Maybe someone, but I'd hazard to guess not the typical user. So why NOT make it easier for yourself? And if the comments in this thread are to be believed, it seems that OS/X does exactly that.



    Maybe I'm talking out of my ass -- I'm still a PC user as this point -- but this whole iPod experience has quite literally blown me away.



    I'll be looking VERY closely at the 15" PowerBooks (or maybe even that 17" after all!) when they are revised -- gotta get a few months use out of THIS machine, eh? I wonder if I can convince a buddy of mine to take my current notebook? :-)



    -John
  • Reply 7 of 23
    jccbinjccbin Posts: 476member
    Microsoft Access, Smackcess.



    Have a gander at FileMaker for some rather robust databasing that is so darn easy, you'll be cursing MS for wasting your time with Access (and you'll dog-cuss dBase for making you think data was boring).



    For harder stuff, there's the usual enterprise-strength relation database stuff, such as mysql, SyBase, WebObjects integration, Oracle, etc.
  • Reply 8 of 23
    >> Have a gander at FileMaker for some rather robust databasing that is so darn easy, you'll be cursing MS for wasting your time with Access (and you'll dog-cuss dBase for making you think data was boring).



    Fair game -- in fact, for personal (offline) activities, mySQL is my weapon of choice.



    Unfortunately, the majority of my client base uses MS Access, supply data in .MDB and expect it back in .MDB (complete with queries, scripts, etc.). In addition, I've become rather proficient (if I may say so, myself! :-) ) at manipulating .MDBs with ASP on the web. Call me lazy, but I don't want to learn a new technology for simple prototyping.



    This is the thing that gives me pause: data compatibility. I'm not worries about MS Word: Hell, even OpenOffice will read & write Word XP. Same with Excel. PowerPoint? I can't wait to give Keynote a whirl (and PowerPoint works just fine in Mac Office, as far as I know).



    It's the database question. But again, there's always VirtualPC.



    On a related note, here's a question for any "switchers": What about software licenses? I've put a fair bit of $$$ into PhotoShop, Illustrator and MS Office -- are the licenses transferable to Mac versions, or is there at the very least a (cheap!) "upgrade" available?



    Thanks much again!



    -John
  • Reply 9 of 23
    pesipesi Posts: 424member
    many companies will allow you to "sidegrade" your software from one platform to another. i'm pretty sure Adobe will do this. i just think you need to contact them directly.
  • Reply 10 of 23
    gargoylegargoyle Posts: 660member
    Going out on a limb here, but there is no where in the Licence agreement that specifies the version of the software you purchased. So, in my eyes, you could download a copy of photoshop for Mac (that's the licence I just read for the first time) burn it to CD, and call it your Backup Copy. Then use your original Windows serial number to load the software onto the Mac. ( unlike macromedia, I think Adobe serials work on both platforms. Not 100% sure tho. )



    Providing you don't then give the PC version to someone else, you could hide the box (just keep a photocopy of the serial number) and claim your originals were destroyed, and you are using the legitimate backup copy that you are allowed to make.



    Anyone think this is unfair, or bending the wording just a little bit too much ?
  • Reply 11 of 23
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Gargoyle

    Anyone think this is unfair, or bending the wording just a little bit too much ?



    I think Adobe might give you a on that one.
  • Reply 12 of 23
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    the windows and Mac versions have different serial numbers.
  • Reply 13 of 23
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    If you have to use Access, you could always obtain a really cheap Pentium II or III somewhere. eBay has them for something like $20. My brother picked up a Pentium III 550 MHz with a NIC, case, CD-ROM, and floppy (no RAM, hard drive or graphics card) for free when my dad's company got rid of a bunch of computers. He just popped in a $20 GeForce 4MX and a few other components he had lying around, and now it's a quite powerful PC he uses for Kazaa and Unreal Tournament 2003. Interestingly, it runs UT2003 really well... despite being somewhat old and slow. Medium-high settings at 1024x768 resolution give smooth performance. It runs GTA3 well too.



    You could pick up a cheap desktop to use for anything a PowerBook couldn't handle. Believe me, VirtualPC does technically work but it's a major kludge and you won't want to use it much, and you certainly won't want to use it for real work.
  • Reply 14 of 23
    boemaneboemane Posts: 311member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by bangstudios

    >> Have a gander at FileMaker for some rather robust databasing that is so darn easy, you'll be cursing MS for wasting your time with Access (and you'll dog-cuss dBase for making you think data was boring).



    Fair game -- in fact, for personal (offline) activities, mySQL is my weapon of choice.







    Well. I have always been a MAC user, but looking at how much my PC friends struggles with their computers to get them to work the way they want it, im glad im using a Mac. And it is the attention that the little things gets that makes the mac experience better in my oppinion.



    For instance. I tend to plug my PowerBook to the TV to play videos that I have edited in Final Cut Express/iMovie. The XP way to do that is to plug the TV into the computer, fiddle with the system for about 5 minutes, have to try again for 2 times before you're able to watch the video. The mac way to do it is to plug the TV in, select "detect monitors", and its done! When im finished watching the video, I just put my mac to sleep, carry it back to its desk and open it up. No need to fiddle with the settings at all (not even if you choose not to mirror screens). Ive never seen anyone done it that easy with XP!



    I've used Access through VPC on my "measly 667 MHz G4 and it just works. Its somewhat slow (feels like a 200MHz PII), but it does get the job done. I tend to avoid VPC as much as I can, due to its lack of speed. But it does come in handy once in a while.



    Of course you'll have to give up pirating software once you're on the "Macintosh" side of the fence, since its a lot harder to find Mac software avaliable for "free", but I buy all my licences anyways.



    Quote:

    On a related note, here's a question for any "switchers": What about software licenses? I've put a fair bit of $$$ into PhotoShop, Illustrator and MS Office -- are the licenses transferable to Mac versions, or is there at the very least a (cheap!) "upgrade" available?



    Thanks much again!



    -John [/B]



    I dont think you can do a "swap" deal here, unless you can accually find someone that are willing to do a physical swap with you. But a call to Adobe might give you a discount for a mac "upgrade". I think thats the only way to go unless you really want to download the software.



    .:BoeManE:.
  • Reply 15 of 23
    Thanks much for all of the information, advice and recommendations, folks!



    To be honest, if a ~667MHz Powerbook can emulate a Pentium at ~200MHz, I can live with that for MS Access-only work. And if that means that a 1GHz PowerBook would emulate a ~350MHz Pentium, that's fine. Just going to have to try it, I suppose!



    Time to go shopping in a couple of months! Thanks again...



    -John
  • Reply 16 of 23
    banchobancho Posts: 1,517member
    I've been using access for a school project under VPC 5.0 on a 700MHz iBook. It's not fast but it is very usable and not near as bad as i'd been lead to believe by some on these boards. Anything graphic intensive on VPC *WILL* strain your patience though. I would rate graphic intensive work on VPC right up there with um,...masturbating with a cheese grater.
  • Reply 17 of 23
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Bancho

    I've been using access for a school project under VPC 5.0 on a 700MHz iBook. It's not fast but it is very usable and not near as bad as i'd been lead to believe by some on these boards. Anything graphic intensive on VPC *WILL* strain your patience though. I would rate graphic intensive work on VPC right up there with um,...masturbating with a cheese grater.



    Hi, and welcome! Nice to have you here.

    Last week, I called Adobe and unfortunately, you will have to purchase a new serial for ALL of your MAC Adobe software. Oh believe me, I tried to finagle the lady for some kind of discount, but my salemanship must of not been that great because all she could say was "Im Sorry sir, my hands are tied" Oh well.



    I use the same setup for Access, (VPC 5.0/700mhz) and it does get the job done. It really not to slow either.
  • Reply 18 of 23
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DrCreations

    Hi, and welcome! Nice to have you here.

    Last week, I called Adobe and unfortunately, you will have to purchase a new serial for ALL of your MAC Adobe software. Oh believe me, I tried to finagle the lady for some kind of discount, but my salemanship must of not been that great because all she could say was "Im Sorry sir, my hands are tied" Oh well.



    I use the same setup for Access, (VPC 5.0/700mhz) and it does get the job done. It really not to slow either.




    Ouch! (And I mean that for not only the Adobe license requirements as well as the cheese grater comment!)



    Maybe eBay's the way to go -- I can't afford to re-purchase all of my applications at retail, but ~$300 a pop for Photoshop & Illustrator might be easier to swallow (especially if I can sell my PC versions for something close to the same amount). Same with Office, I hope. I'll have to dig around for license transfer rules.



    I'm looking forward to this! It might prove to be a bit expensive (especially since it all started with the expectation of spending a couple hundred on an iPod!), but it should be "fun".



    I wonder if any local Apple dealers have a "24 hour test drive" deal, similar to GM right now? It'd be great to check the machine out from home / office...



    -John
  • Reply 19 of 23
    chazmoxchazmox Posts: 39member
    Back to the iPod comments...



    I bought ( actually a gift ) a Creative Jukebox MP3 player a few years ago. I forget the model now but it had a 6 Gig HD and shaped like a large CD player. It was $250 at the time and $150 cheaper than the iPod; however, I didn't like the thing. The user interface was VERY clunky and the thing ate batteries like there was some conspiracy with Duracell. Finally had to sell the thing on eBay.



    Bought a 10 Gig iPod. The interface is elegant and makes sense. The scroll wheel is awesome ( I remember how the Jukebox used to react to volume changes several seconds after adjustment ) and the battery life is too. $400 dollars for something that works right is much cheaper than $250 for a piece of crap!
  • Reply 20 of 23
    dnisbetdnisbet Posts: 201member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by chazmox

    Back to the iPod comments...





    It's just sooo easy to find your way through your library, no matter how much you have on it. The backlight and buttons are great on the new one's as well and the dock is very cool. The way it just works when you plug it in as well, a sweet gadget.
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