The Active Network
ActiveMac Anonymous | Create a User | Reviews | News | Forums | Advertise  
 

  *  

  Vista causes surge of OSX Leopard pre-orders
Time: 13:33 EST/18:33 GMT | News Source: *Linked Within Post* | Posted By: Kenneth van Surksum

It seems more than a few people are fed up with Microsoft and are using the “blunder” that is Windows Vista to make the move over to a Mac.  Pre-orders for OSX Leopard are at an all time high for a Mac operating system.

According to the Mac Observer, solution providers have noticed that pre-orders for Leopard are almost double that of Tiger when it was released.

Patrick Brown, CEO of Brown Computer Solutions which is a specialized solution provider for Apple products said, “We’ve probably doubled the backorders of Leopard, compared to what we did with Tiger” and he went on to say that Apple’s move to Intel has lead to an increase of Mac users.

The article goes on to point out that poor reviews of Vista are encouraging people to stick with Windows XP or those in the market for a new computer are considering purchasing a Mac, some would be first time Mac buyers.

Some would even say that with the release of Vista, Microsoft has indeed pushed users to consider switching to a Mac, rare is the day a good word is said about Vista.

Write Comment
Return to News

  Displaying 26 through 50 of 262
Prev | Last | Next
  The time now is 11:14:58 PM ET.
Any comment problems? E-mail us
#26 By 2960 (68.100.247.204) at 10/22/2007 11:35:25 AM
#11,

You so funny :)

#27 By 3 (86.1.34.106) at 10/22/2007 2:39:05 PM
I'll be in the minority and say I love both Vista and OS 10.5 - I think they are both excellent for many different reasons.

#28 By 23275 (71.12.191.230) at 10/22/2007 3:53:57 PM
#27, I don't dislike OS X - I just don't see how or why I'd personally use it, or recommend it.
It doesn't do anything I can't more easily or cheaply do in Windows, and it doesn't look nearly as sharp visually when compared to Vista. It does look kind of dull and faded, in fact.

I didn't fully realize how dull OS X looked until we bought a new Mac to test on last week.
We ran it up with the best HW we could get and the imagery is just nasty to me. For example,
the shadows around windows have clearly visible lines of demarcation separating them from the layer underneath. That is just not so in Vista where windows fade so nicely and are so much clearer. Similarly, the Genie effect is jarring in OS X with obvious tearing as the animation is executed - comparing this to the far cleaner and more subtle effects in Vista's aero and one can begin to see the differences easily. Side by side, OS X looks dreadful when compared to Vista and the Finder...? Good grief... what were they thinking...?!?!? Again, just observations, but to me, OS X ain't no Vista and it really does smack of lipstick on a pig.

This post was edited by lketchum on Monday, October 22, 2007 at 15:54.

#29 By 37 (66.191.117.13) at 10/22/2007 4:04:18 PM
Wow, my experience compared to Lloyds is night and day. My iMac is new from May, and the screen is fantastic, bright, and clear as day. Secondly, no tearing in animation when the genie drops or raises from the dock. Smooth, fluid and instant. With my iMac, it appears that I get "cleartype" free of charge, as I didn't have to enable any such thing to make it as clear as the cleartype on my previous Vista machine. The Vista Aero is needed to see through all the popup windows that come about everytime you try to access 3rd party applications and give permissions. Without the transparency, I couldn't see a damn thing on my desktop past the security popups ;-). Not to mention the "blackening" of the background with certain popups. What the F*&* is that about?

With the combination of Finder (and the upcoming coverflow feature in Finder) and Spotlight, I have found it much easier, quicker to use than the Windows Explorer and Search Indexing in Vista or Windows XP.

#30 By 88875 (70.177.65.243) at 10/22/2007 5:17:24 PM
It boils down to this. If youwnat to run something that is stable...you use MAC (unless you are a Unix specialist and can run your own unix box). Problem with MAC is that you are stuck in their small world of options that youcan add to the system, both hardware and software. This stems from Apple not wanting to play in the corporate world way back when. On the other hand, Microsoft is more open with its architecture, therefore more prone to "hiccups" or flatlines than MAC is. However, there are more options out there for you, both hardware and software. So which road do you take. Ever build a MAC from scratch...nope and you probably never will. Ever had a Windows machine run flawless for more than a few days with out running out of RAM or being so slow you had to reboot...NO.

Lets face it people. Apple and Microsoft are not in the computer industry. They are in the MAKING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS INDUSTRY. Its called MARKETING people. They don't care if you upgrade, buy new off the shelf or get it OEM style. They don't care if you love them or hate them. Once you choose your platform you are stuck, unless you have deep pockets and can afford to switch, which means changing hardware and software (all of it). They will continue to pour millions of dollars into advertising, bashing each other, while they meet for lunch after a trip to the bank depositing our money.

So STOP B!TCHING ABOUT WHO IS BETTER AND START B!TCHING ABOUT MAKING THEM BOTH WORK AS PROMISED AND ALLOWING US THE CONSUMER TO CHOOSE WHAT HARDWARE (AMD, INTEL, ETC) AND SOFTWARE (O/S, OFFICE, GAMES,ETC) WE AS CONSUMERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO!!!

#31 By 23275 (71.12.191.230) at 10/22/2007 5:39:24 PM
#29 The darkening is called the secure desktop and key UAC Escalations isolate the system - it prevents malware from auto-authorizing a UAC prompt. It is incredibly smart - as local users needn't type in credentials - they can just assess the reason for the UAC event and approve it quickly and move on.

Once a system is set up - doesn't take long, very few UAC events are noted, or encountered.

And c'mon - don't make me post animations and pictures to prove what I said is true.

Coverflow may look cool, but it has few uses - one cannot see enough items at once, and it really slows people down. Testing has shown people to like it and think it is cool, but then they move away from using that view - as it is far easier and faster to simply look at the contents of the folder and click on what they see.

#32 By 37 (66.191.117.13) at 10/22/2007 5:52:43 PM
Call the darkening what you will, but in my experience, it's annoying, just like the rest of the Windows pop ups.

If I knew how to post animations and pictures of my iMac in use here I would, no problem, no questions asked, to prove what I said is true. I can use my camcorder, but you won't see the clarity. Screenshots I can do. Video capture, not sure.

Coverflow in finder is great. People LOVE visuals, and that is what makes it so consumer friendly. The ability to have the quick view, seeing the document, movie, spreadsheet, presentation at a glance, and no need to even open the application can hardly be discounted.

I am all for comparing videos. Just let me know :-) email me at bkvalheim@gmail.com

You can discredit me Lloyd, but you know me. You know my excitement while we are building out the new AWIN. And you know I have been a Microsoft MVP for 8 years, towing the corporate line, supporting Microsoft for over a decade. But I am calling as I have seen it and experienced it.


This post was edited by AWBrian on Monday, October 22, 2007 at 17:53.

#33 By 82766 (202.154.80.84) at 10/22/2007 7:02:26 PM
#25... But the facts remain, most users obtain Vista (or Windows) via OEM on new PC's and purchasing upgrades. Those there are the facts. OEM is the most common way (as is with Macs)

If they are the facts for Mac user then why aren't there millions MORE Macs in the world? and based on that, why doesn't Apple have more than ~5% of the market share?

#34 By 23275 (71.12.191.230) at 10/22/2007 7:05:16 PM
#32, One can't and shouldn't discredit an opinion, or choice :)

BUT... the layers are visible in OS X and there is no way to argue that they are not. I can see them with my old eyes [which are oddly, still very strong].

The preview pane in Vista provides more, but still allows one to to see more objects. As cool as cover-flow may be initially, it won't be used much by many people - they just can't see enough and would have to rifle through too many items - takes too long.

See, you can produce screen animations, or captures.... ;) tsk tsk... that is a snap in Vista.
It's just too limited, Brian... hate to say it, but OS X ain't no Vista.

#35 By 37 (66.191.117.13) at 10/22/2007 7:11:31 PM
"OS X ain't no Vista."

Thank god ;-)

#36 By 48398 (130.13.211.50) at 10/22/2007 7:28:32 PM
AWBrian is right, UAC is damn annoying. I turn it off on every computer I own and every time a customer asks me "why does this keep doing this?". It was a good idea put poorly implemened.

#37 By 23275 (71.12.191.230) at 10/22/2007 7:35:05 PM
#36, No, arbitrary code execution is annoying. Managed users baking systems is annoying.
UAC is rarely, if ever seen, once a system is deployed for users and in daily use. Where home users/unmanaged users encounter UAC, it is a momentary password-less notice. How is that more annoying than having to enter a password? How is it more annoying that SUDO and password combinations?

When I read posts like yours, they suggest to me that the author has not used Vista long enough to set it up - that suggests that the review and assessment is less than complete - now that is annoying in my book.


#38 By 3746 (72.12.161.38) at 10/22/2007 8:06:10 PM
I was going to ask that. Why is UAC any more annoying than entering a password. I was setting up Ubuntu 7.10 the other day and it was asking for the password for just about everything I did. Install Nvidia drivers - enter password. Download and install Opera - enter password. So why is this any worse?

#39 By 32313 (208.131.186.18) at 10/22/2007 9:31:41 PM
Lloyd, you can always give me the Mac if you every decide to throw it out. ;)

#40 By 23275 (71.12.191.230) at 10/22/2007 9:50:18 PM
#32, You know, I have to scold you now... because turning off the local machine security policy for "Swicth to Secure Desktop....." is a couple of clicks away on Vista Ultimate, Business and or Enterprise... it's takes a reg key change in Home Premium, because it has no policy manager.

Any case.... users "FAMILIAR" with Vista - like those that actually use it before they opine, know where it is and certainly, MVP's at Awin would be among them.... scold... scold... good natured scolding....

Ya'll need to know this stuff and learn to bend the OS to your and your customers' will. Be sure to tell em why the secure desktop is there, though - before you disable it.

#41 By 23275 (71.12.191.230) at 10/22/2007 9:54:07 PM
#39, I ought to send you one of our rigs to review - and I would, but I doubt many here would trust the review as being unbiased.

You'd have to review it in its total context - e.g., understanding how we set em up end to end and how it performs with our email systems/client and protections, etc... no SPAM, etc...

#42 By 32313 (208.131.186.18) at 10/23/2007 12:05:39 AM
Well Lloyd, I work in an all Windows environment so I would certainly put it through its paces to see how well it performs from top to bottom with all the criterion's you mentioned. Come on, try me! ;)

#43 By 23275 (71.12.191.230) at 10/23/2007 1:16:57 AM
#42, It'd be interesting to see what you thought of them. What platform - WS, Gaming, laptop, CAD interests you most?

#44 By 3 (86.1.34.106) at 10/23/2007 4:26:14 AM
My view against lloyds is that OS X can look as bright or as dull as you want it to - for me on my Mac it looks excellent and is still more stylish than Vista in my opinion. Perhaps instead of moaning about each OS people should look behind them a bit more - try commenting on what Vista is doing badly wrong for people to not be buying it...talk about what OS X is doing right/wrong rather than always go for the negatives ever time.

I like both, I prefer OSX if I am honest, but it lacks the applications I want to use more of the time and gaming is dire on anything Apple related.

#45 By 2960 (68.100.247.204) at 10/23/2007 10:23:01 AM
#28 wrote:

"lipstick on a pig"

Sounds like a great title for a new Pink Floyd song :) Someone should give David a call!

TL

This post was edited by TechLarry on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 10:26.

#46 By 2960 (68.100.247.204) at 10/23/2007 10:28:53 AM
UAC. My, my.... UAC....

I understand Microsoft's intent here, and appreciate it. However, they just haven't got it right.

I much prefer the way MacOS X does this. It's just as effective, without being as invasive.

You can't really turn off UAC. Some software won't run right with it turned off (Adobe being one, unless they fixed it).

And the biggest annoyance of UAC of all time? Managing your Start Menu after you build up a new machine.

You're in there trying to arrange all your start menu items into nice neat folders and hierarchy, and it's constant UAC warnings, each with THREE different dialog boxes to address.

UAC needs a setting option at the bottom of the first alert that says "Leave me the hell alone for the next 5 minutes!"

TL


#47 By 23275 (71.12.191.230) at 10/23/2007 11:05:08 AM
In Windows and certainly this includes Vista, there is always a way - always.

Please see this site, http://hackreport.net/2007/08/07/managing-vistas-user-account-control-uac/
There are settings within Group Policy that allow you to modify the behavior of UAC. The five settings are described briefly below.

• User Account Control: Behavior of the Elevation Prompt for Standard Users: This setting can be used to eliminate the UAC elevated privileges prompt for Standard users. Users will still not be able to execute applications that require elevated privileges, but the programs will simply not work rather than prompting for privilege escalation.
• User Account Control: Switch to the Secure Desktop When Prompting for Elevation: By default, Vista switches to the Secure Desktop when elevating privileges. The Secure Desktop further limits the programs and processes that can access the desktop environment and provide added protection against malicious software. This setting can be disabled, but will result in a less secure environment during privilege escalation.
• User Account Control: Run All Administrators in Admin Approval Mode: This setting is enabled by default to protect the system even from Administrators inadvertently executing inappropriate or malicious software. However, it is possible to turn off UAC for Administrator accounts and allow Administrators to have the same sort of carte blanche access they have been used to in previous versions of Windows.
• User Account Control: Behavior of the Elevation Prompt for Administrator in Admin Approval Mode: This setting allows you to determine how the UAC prompt behaves for Administrator accounts. By default, Administrators will be prompted, but can just click OK. The behavior can be changed so that Administrators must actually enter their credentials to gain elevated privileges, or it can be changed so that the prompt does not appear. Like the Standard users though, if the prompt is disabled, the Administrator will not be able to execute programs requiring elevated privileges.
• User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator Account: Using this setting, you can disable Admin Approval Mode for just the built-in Administrator account, but leave it enabled for other Administrator accounts. With this feature on, the built-in Administrator account is subject to the same prompts and Admin Approval restrictions as other Administrator accounts. However, if you have processes running under the built-in Administrator account, you may wish to disable this setting.

All of the above have been there since day one. There is really not one thing about Vista that one cannot adjust, or customize. One may write about any policy they wish.


#48 By 32313 (208.131.186.18) at 10/23/2007 1:55:51 PM
Lloyd, I am into mobile systems mainly, since they are powerful now for graphics publishing and even CAD based work.

#49 By 48398 (130.13.158.96) at 10/23/2007 1:58:10 PM
Lloyd, how dare you insult me. UAC IS annoying no matter how you slice it. This is my opinion, right or wrong. Think before you type.

#50 By 23275 (71.12.191.230) at 10/23/2007 2:40:07 PM
#49, Huh? I didn't me to insult, sorry. I did mean to point out that UAC can be adjusted and controlled to suite about any taste and or opinion. There are few absolutes in Windows/Vista and where such are suggested, I do find it annoying. far too much bad dope has been published and shared about Vista - especially UAC. As at my #47 above - just adjust it - it takes a couple of seconds. Turning UAC off is not a good option - one loses way too much - brokering across UiPi, for example. Again, sorry if you were insulted. Just bend it to suite less annoying behaviors. Reviews that are less complete than they can be and where they suggest the same, are annoying to me - that is also an opinion. I assess that Vista can be bent about any way one wishes - I mean, you can write your own policies for goodness sake.
I do tire of how Vista is treated like some kind of different Windows in the context that it is set in stone - all or nothing... it isn't and it is in fact, more open to adjustment than any previous version of Windows - including UAC. Also, just because one annoys another at one moment, doesn't mean that one is generally annoying. Shoot, I obviously have annoyed you at present, but sure hope I don't all the time.

Write Comment
Return to News
  Displaying 26 through 50 of 262
Prev | Last | Next
  The time now is 11:14:58 PM ET.
Any comment problems? E-mail us
User name and password:

 

  *  
  *   *