A good number of tech writers are reporting on the basic specifications of this new tablet from Apple, or at least what they either think they are or say they heard from a source. One article I read today talked about how Steve Jobs is saying this is the most important thing he’s done so far. So I thought I’d write up my predictions for the new tablet, or at least ideas that I would love to see implemented into it.

I think we all know this device has to be universal in its approach and appeal to everyone, much like the iPhone. The iPhone is great because with all the apps available for it, the machine can be whatever you need it to be. Apple would be silly not to continue this experience, so it was no surprise that this new device is rumored to run the same OS that the iPhone uses.

It only makes sense that this tablet, built on the iPhone OS, will have strong interaction with the iPhone/iPod Touch. For example, the tablet could play a movie sitting in a stand on your desk while the iPhone is your remote control. This is just one very basic idea, but if you use your imagination you could easily see how the iPhone could become a gamepad that is completely on the touch screen, and play a full-screen game on your tablet.

It is surprising to me that no one has talked about this device being possibly subsidized by wireless carriers. Any truly next-gen device that is important and this connected to the web has to be able to connect from anywhere and not just limited to wifi hotsports. Verizon Wireless has told their employees there will be a big announcement for them tomorrow as well. While this probably partially relates to the iPhone being available on their network, I wouldn’t be surprised if the tablet is also announced as available through them and other carriers as well. This tablet could also use the hybrid GSM (AT&T, Tmobile) and CDMA (Verizon, Sprint) chips reported for the next iPhone. It seems that many rumor reports are suggesting that these devices will have 3G chips, so I doubt I’m wrong here.

This means the rumored $1000 price tag would drop by a few hundred dollars. Even getting it down to $600-700 would bring in many more customers for Apple, who is getting its money anyway from the carriers who are taking a hit on the device to lock people into a contract. Carriers already sell netbooks from HP and Dell in stores, it seems that they could sell the tablet just like both AT&T and Apple stores sell the iPhone as it is. As this isn’t a phone, it may be able to do data only, making it even more accessible to people who might otherwise have netbooks or laptops. Much like the iPhone, within 2-3 years the older versions could be reduced in price to only $200-300. Given that iPhone sales doubled in the past quarter to bring Apple record profits, I think it is clear people are willing to pay that. However, as I’ll mention below, I think including voice would be a good idea.

For the record though, I think the device by itself without being subsidized will not cost $1000.  This is simply too inaccessible for most people, and Apple surely wants this to be as big as the iPhone. I think with subsidies from the carriers, a price of $200-300 is more realistic from the start if they want to achieve iPhone-like success.

Still, Jobs says this is important, which makes me think he is trying to revolutionize how we connect to the rest of the world. A front-facing camera is something that is rumored and I think Apple would be silly not to include it, since it would act as a webcam which is already becoming a standard on any type of device bigger than a phone or mp3 player. I think Apple could really be revolutionary with a device that allows for video chat like this. While the device will probably have a speaker and microphone, a bluetooth headset could easily be used to make this able to act just like a cell phone and give you some privacy. If this tablet runs the iPhone OS, there is no reason that the dialer and all that couldn’t be put on the tablet as well. You might even be able to have the iPhone use software to forward the call to your tablet or vice versa. I think including the capabilities of connecting to a wireless voice network would be a good idea for this reason.

As a sidenote, the next iPhone should also have a front facing camera. This is something people have been wanting for years for this very reason. The iPhone could be the mini, portable alternative when your tablet is too big to bring along somewhere.

I say all these predictions because I think this is the ultimate way of our personal communication technology as we go into the future. It will only be a matter of time until cell phones devolve in size and scope into what are currently bluetooth headsets, and we all instead have some type of ‘tablet’ device for everything we need as well as an interface to the headset. I think this could easily happen within 10-20 years (certainly within 40), as we have already shown how the cell phone has gone from a giant-yet-still-portable analog device that looked like a walkie-talkie in the 90s to the current sleek, sophisticated mini-computers capable of rendering 3D games and connecting you to biggest assembled collection of knowledge the world has ever known. One drawback is the tablet may be a little bigger than a cell phone and more of a burden to carry around, but we already carry around laptops and netbooks which are arguably bigger and heavier than what I expect the tablet to be. All you would ever need to carry could be your tablet. Paper, books, etc. would all become obsolete.

Ray Kurzweil recently suggested we would have glasses which overlay information, and while I still think that may be possible, the only way you could input data would be either a mini-keyboard on a strap around your wrist, or verbal instructions (where you are forced to say everything you need out loud, thus risking privacy). Still, I think we will all just have tablet devices as an all-in-one notepad, media device, communicator, book/newspaper/magazine reader, PDA, internet device, and so on. It just makes the most sense to have this all in one flat, universal device that is always accessible for you. If you need to call someone, you dial on your tablet and your bluetooth headset does the rest. A device that is a little bigger than this Dell device shown at CES, which is still at least managable on your hip or in very big pockets, could be the perfect fit between being portable and small enough to bring anywhere, yet large enough to do everything short of serious work that requires a desktop/laptop (such as writing novels).

Moving on, I think this new tablet may make devices like Kindle a bit more obsolete over time. I know e-ink is great because it doesn’t strain your eyes, but if you need to spend hundreds of dollars, you might as well get the device that does everything all in one. The iPhone screen is too small to effectively use the Kindle software or any other ebook reader. I’m sure much time was spent on the exact dimensions to make the tablet large enough that it can easily display pages of books, newspapers, etc. The screen already seems like it will be bigger than the Kindle, so at that point it just becomes really hard to justify spending $250 on a black and white device that only reads books. I think Amazon, along with other ebook reading devices, will need to dramatically lower their prices to continue selling within 2-3 years, maybe even to the $50 point as we start to make everything digital. At that point though, there is no reason the Kindle can’t still turn a profit as it is a very basic device. This is not to say it is cheap, but it certainly doesn’t require the same type of advanced chips and horsepower of an iPhone or Google’s Nexus One phone, and the prices of both the Kindle 2 and Barnes and Nobles’ nook are currently a bit ridiculous when you consider what you are actually getting hardware-wise.

I must admit that I really can’t fathom how data entry will work. This device seems too big to have a keyboard that you could easily tap with thumbs. Holding the device with one hand and typing with the other seems like it will become a bit of a pain in the ass and would be very slow. A great way to alleviate this would be have an iPhone/iPod Touch “keyboard” app that simply has a full-screen keyboard connected to the tablet over bluetooth. This way you can use the touchscreen of the tablet to click around and work as a mouse, and the typing would become a bit faster by using the smaller device just for a keyboard. This also means that the keyboard won’t take up space on the tablet and it could be propped up and work more like a traditional computer monitor or more similar to the many large touch-screen all-in-one computers being produced (like the HP TouchSmart series).

As for what I hope it isn’t: Just an iPhone with apps that are tailored for the bigger screen, that make things like newspapers and games a bit more accessible due to the added size and horsepower that is likely to be under the hood. I know everyone is already in a frenzy over this thing and no one has seen it yet, but I think it would be a big let down if it is just an oversized iPhone.

I guess we’ll see tomorrow.

-Falaris

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Tonight I was lucky enough to cook a nice lobster and Maine steamer clam dinner for my wife and I, courtesy of my Dad having an order sent down to me from MaineLobsterDirect.com. I got the Fantasy Lobster Dinner with two 2.5lb lobsters, 2lb. of steamers, and some jumbo shrimp cocktail. First, I really have to speak up this company as the food was excellent. It came in a big gold tin can that I cooked the lobsters and steamers in, the shrimp were tasty and the cocktail sauce was as well although it could have used some more horshradish (which was a good thing as I was lacking horshradish on hand to make my own, though I would have definitely added some if I had it on hand), the lobsters were very sweet, and the steamers were delicious.

Tracy and I had actually received the package yesterday, but it didn’t come until 7PM. Luckily as it had not arrived in the day time, I decided to order a pizza as Tracy and I were both starving which wound up arriving before the lobsters did. I had skipped lunch in preparation for the meal both days, so it really had to be kind of an early dinner. The lobsters were both alive and, remarkably, every steamer opened. There was only one that tasted a little off to me which I had to spit out, but this is pretty remarkable given they were shipped by FedEx overnight and probably tossed around quite a bit and were out of water for 2 days.

We slept in, got breakfast a little late, and spent 3 hours from 4-7:30 at my in-laws house opening presents and snacking on some finger food like crackers and dip and a fantastic edible bouquet of fruit that was sent by my Mom to us. As I got home, I decided the plan of action would be to cook the lobsters, and while they were cooking get the shrimp cocktail on a plate and time a bag of frozen vegetables that steam in a bag. This time it was red potato and green beans in rosemary butter sauce.

The meal was fantastic as I already mentioned. I separated the lobsters and steamers because both get cold very fast, and there is no way I could prepare it all, serve, and eat an appetizer and main course at the same time. Since Tracy was hungry it was just easiest to go with the main course first. I thought the chardonnay I had with it was a decent match as well.

Really though, Maine steamer clams, otherwise known as the soft-shell clam, pissneck clams or simply “steamers” if you are from the Northeast (if you order this expecting normal littlenecks that have been steamed or grilled while in New England, you will be in for a surprise) are my absolute favorite food ever.

There are a few foods I really love: a really good pizza (either NJ boardwalk/normal pizzaria style, or wood-fired oven gourmet-like pizza), lobsters, my mother’s chicken français (and her parmesan too for that matter), pho tai, and wild cherry Nerds. But when I say I love steamers, I mean love as in I once ate them 5 nights in a row on a trip to New Jersey a few years ago. I stayed with my favorite aunt for a few nights and each night was a different restaurant that had steamers as an appetizer. Each night I just asked for 2 orders of the appetizer. For years now at our family dinner ( which takes place at a seafood restaurant), I have ordered these an appetizer, and this is not the first time these have been shipped down to me as a present :)

There are very few pages about exactly what you do with these things on the web. A few pages have instructions on how to cook, one great one shows how to eat them kind of, but I don’t think any really pay attention to this fantastic food or try to further it. I would really implore anyone who orders one of these lobster dinners to try the steamers instead of the safe route of mussels, clam chowder, or shrimp. Here is a photo from the cover showing some decent detail of them after they are done cooking:

I cooked the steamers in the same can as I cooked the lobsters in with about an inch of water and some of the chardonnay. I usually have a metal steamer basket to keep the clams out of the water but I couldn’t find it. Either way though, they take roughly 8-10 minutes to cook. Shellfish cooking is tricky. This is something you set a timer for. If they are undercooked, you could be in a lot of pain after eating them, and overcooking even slightly will give you rubbery food. As they are cooking, you should have some drawn butter (or just melted butter if you don’t have flour or are just slacking) being melted on the stove as well. I also setup the area I’ll be eating at since it requires a little bit of a system to eat these.

From left to right, we have the bowl of cooked steamers, an empty bowl for the shells and the skin that covers the tails, broth/cooking liquid from the pot, and some butter. I usually squeeze the lemon right into the butter rather than try to get some on each clam for the sake of simplicity. As we are dealing with dipping wet food in multiple bowls, paper towels or newspapers are a great idea. I setup on my kitchen counter since I was eating alone and it was easiest.

First, peel away one side of the shell, grab the tail near the base where it connects to the clam shell, and try to begin ripping out moving inwards towards the ‘meat’ of the clam. Keep it intact as best as possible, but often this will rip in some way. What is important is the middle fleshy party remains intact until it goes in your mouth. If this bulbous part is punctured, the guts spill out and the steamer is basically wasted. Then, pinch the black skin from the same area on the base of the tail where it was connected to the shell, and pull back to remove. The best way I can describe this is as if you are removing a condom.

The finished product should hopefully look something like this. With this clam, the middle part is actually separated a bit from the siphon ducts which lead to the tail, but still relatively intact including the fleshy bulb part that is hanging on the bottom. The tail starts off as tan like the rest of the clam, and fades to black by the time it gets to the tip.

From here, dip in the broth and swirl around to remove as much dirt as possible. Then, hold it over the broth for a bit to try to get all the broth off. You might also slightly tap it against the side of the broth bowl to get excess liquid off. This is kind of important. Although 1 steamer going from the broth to the butter doesn’t move much water over, often by the time you are halfway through you can easily have diluted the butter to have this murky, gray water mixed in, which just kind of ruins the rest of the meal in my opinion.

Some people grab by the tail and only eat the clammy part, and then throw the tails away. I see this as a waste, though in their defense the tail is very chewy and not very tasty. For me though it provides a nice contrast to the very mushy and tasty part.

The journey for me this time around was arduous. I had been snacking on food at the party, came home, had a huge lobster dinner with shrimp, vegetables, and wine, and now had 2 pounds of steamers ahead of me.

Still, there is no way in hell I am letting any go to waste. Finally, the last one was eaten.

After this, I poured the last glass of wine the bottle had to offer, came here to write this, and will now be promptly passing out in my bed.

-Falaris

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I am fucking cursed with drive-thrus. It never fails that my order gets fucked up.

Tonight, the first time I ever go through a Subway drive-thru, I ask for 2 vegetables (onions and bell peppers) on my sandwich (a Philly cheesesteak) and they somehow, someway manage to use olives, which I can’t stand eating, on in place of the onions. I get that they sound similar, but this happens all the goddamn time.

I’ve worked in fast food for 2 years starting when I was 14 years old. I know this shit is not difficult. They purposely make it so simple so they can hire the dumbest motherfuckers. If monkeys were eligible to be hired, they would take them instead of humans because it is easy enough and there would presumably be no minimum wage for monkeys. And they would still do a better job then the fucking rejects that somehow are scheduled to work every time I go through a drive-thru.

I just don’t understand why I’m cursed like this. And I’ve had enough missing straws and items to know to check the bags, but I can’t very well open the entire sandwich as I’m driving away.

Maybe this is just a sign to stop going anywhere near places that make food in less than 10 minutes.

-Falaris

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Last weekend I took a trip to Dallas on Saturday/Sunday to see the Devils play the Stars. I’ve been meaning to write about it for a few days.

The drive time this weekend was pretty tough. Friday morning I drove an hour to work, stayed half a day, and drove back home in the afternoon, which is about 4 hours round trip. Saturday morning around 11AM we left our house and got to Dallas at about 3:00-3:30. Sunday we drove back to Houston with another 4 hour trip, and Monday morning I was back up at work with a 3 hour drive to get there and another hour to get back to my apartment for the night. So 4 days straight of about 4 hour drives or so.

We stayed at the W hotel which was awesome for the most part. Last year we stayed at the Fairmont which was a miserable experience as I discussed here. The only issues we had was our TV remote not working which was remedied by a quick call to the front desk, our room service before the game did not come on a table but rather just a large tray, and the fact that you have to order ice to be brought to your room, thus forcing another tip for the runner. At some point, there are just a few things that I feel should be left up to the person in the room, and getting ice is one of them. I don’t like people waiting on me hand and foot for tips for certain things because I like being self-sufficient sometimes.

The room was fairly nice and had a neat design. My only real gripe was that the shower was one of those large ones that pour straight down. I realize it is considered a high-end amenity somehow, but I don’t like getting water on my face in the shower so it kind of becomes a negative for me. I’d also like to point out that even for a luxury hotel, I can’t see where they get off charging $9 for a lollipop.

We ordered room service before the game since it was just easier to go that route to get decent food quickly. It was 4:30 by the time we were in the room and ordered and at 5:30 we were meeting up with my coworker and his fiance to go see the game, and some of the menu items look like they were prepared in the Craft kitchens as they matched items off the Craft menu. Craft Dallas is one of Tom Colicchio’s (Top Chef) restaurants. I ordered beef short ribs and Tracy had the roasted sirloin. Both were incredible, and came with some perfect mashed potatos and gravy on each plate.

We headed down to the bar on the bottom floor. Even though the trendy “Ghostbar” was on the 33rd floor, this one was also a little too club-like and the waitresses were dressed like hookers. As I’m not a 22 year old Italian with hair gelled up a foot off my head, or a 58 year old businessman on his 5th marriage, they really just weren’t necessary in my opinion.

My coworker arrived and we headed over to the arena. We sat in the “Platinum Club” level which was really nice. American Airlines Center is a great arena. As I was grabbing some drinks, I managed to meet the girl whose tattoo inspired my own. She flew in to see a game and by chance managed to get seats about 15 feet away from me.

The game started out pretty rough, but the silver lining of the 3 goals in the first period was Marty coming out and playing. As he was injured last year, this is the first time I have seen him play live in nearly 7 years. Unfortunately it felt like half our team was injured, and the injuries caught up to them over the course of the game, and they lost 5-3. Still, the game was a ton of fun, especially Zajac tying it up. I went back and forth with a few Dallas fans.

In between the second and third period, I went to the bathroom and on the way out noticed Chico Resch, the Devils color announcer, waiting in line. Figuring this was my chance, I hung outside of the tunnel as my seats shared the same entrance as theirs to the booth. About this time a few other Devils fans grabbed Chico first, at which point Doc came over and I got to talk to him just a little bit and told him about the program he signed for my father in NJ and thanked him for it. I got a quick handshake with Chico too.

At this point I headed back to my seat. My wife got up to use the restroom and apparently Doc came up behind her, put his hand on her back, and told her he was glad she was here. Presumably this was because she was in a Devils sweatshirt, but that just goes to show how genuine they are.

After the game, I caught Doc walking outside on his way to the hotel and said it was nice seeing him. A quick trip back to the W, and we decided we were a little too drunk and it was a little too late to handle sitting up in a restaurant that was nearing it’s close. So we went up to the room and ordered dinner from Craft. We ordered off the Prix Fixe menu. Oddly enough, I placed the order, then had the guy from the restaurant call back to my room and advise me that the Prix Fixe menu is only offered when dining in, and then when the food arrived I got the full order anyway. I got the country pate with wagyu beef cheek, Tracy had the salad with vinaigrette and another roaster sirloin, and we split the 3 sides of broccoli, potatoes, and mushrooms. Again, the food was outstanding. Tracy proclaims best meal she has ever had, and I would say it is definitely up there for me as long as we are strictly speaking about fine dining and not a few home cooked meals at key moments.

We crashed and then wound up leaving the next day. Overall my only real complaint is the Devils losing, but that is out of my hands. I would recommend the W as long as you are interested in not worrying about prices – it is definitely not a place to stay during a recession if you are worried over the little charges here and there, as room service has an extra $20-$30 tacked on extra besides the cost of the meals at about $25-$30 a plate, before tip. The clientele is obviously rich and a bit snooty, and the atmosphere I could do without as I like being comfortable without the feeling of smugness from everyone around me encroaching on me, but it shouldn’t detract from the experience if you are either into that scene or won’t be at the hotel besides being in your room.

Craft was outstanding and I would recommend a meal there in a heartbeat to anyone. Again though, decently pricey, but absolutely worth it if you are a foodie like I am.

All in all, minus the driving and Devils loss, it was a fantastic weekend. I’m just glad it happened the weekend before Thanksgiving so that I have some time off to recover.

-Falaris

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For awhile now I’ve been using a Logitech G9 mouse which has more or less been a bad experience. It is not comfortable to hold, the two “shells” that they have given me have both become worn and the plastic coating over them has been peeling, and all in all it has been a miserable waste of $100 for this “gaming” mouse.

I’ve written before about how much I dislike this product (although in all fairness I did have to retract my statement about the mouse wheel). As I travel a lot, I decided to try to get more wireless as I hate having wires running all over my desk. I recently purchased the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 which has both a wireless version of the keyboard I already use as well as a mouse. Luckily I managed to get it for half the cost on eBay.

The problem is the mouse is horrible. It makes you hold your hand in a weird sideways position. With a regular mouse, your hand sits on top. With this mouse, it is kind of on top and kind of on the side. Imagine grabbing a bottle of water. Your hand is twisted so that you grab the bottle when it is upright. This is more or less you have to move the mouse. So, if you slide the water bottle around on a table and like how that feels, then more power to you. Controlling a mouse with precision is nearly impossible to do this way when you have used the other variety for 20 years. More importantly though, it just isn’t comfortable. It forced my pinky to slide on my desk every time I moved my mouse.

So, last night I went to Staples to pick up the Logitech Performance MX mouse. I’m giving Logitech a final try as this mouse is the most comfortable for my hands, it has all the buttons and features I need, it is wireless and can be recharged by simply plugging in a cord (great idea to plug in overnight, or if you forgot, you can still use the mouse but just have to deal with the cord while it charges), and I couldn’t find anything from Microsoft or any other company that matches it. Plus, it has gotten some great reviews from some power users so far, so I figured it was worth a shot as Logitech products had not failed me up until recently.

Today I come into the office and begin to install all the software, plug the mouse in to begin charging, and try to set it up. I plug the receiving into my computer, it recognizes the device, and I start to move the mouse.

And the mouse doesn’t move on the screen.

The red “I’m out of power” light continues to blink even though I have it plugged in. I tried both the AC adapter as well as charging right from the USB in my computer. At this point, I go to turn the mouse over to try to see if the battery is not placed inside correctly, and I hear a rattle.

Fuck.

So now I get to go back to my apartment, gather the box and everything, head back to Staples, and have them exchange it before I can even try this mouse. In the meantime, I am once again stuck with the G9. It seems like I keep getting my hopes up that I can get away from this thing only to have them dashed every time. I would just be done with this mouse totally, but it is too nice to use (I have just rolled it around the table a bit to get a feel for it, and I loved it) to be done with it before I even get to really try it when I work or play games. It could simply be a fluke too, although this once again is another notch against Logitech in the durability department.

Besides, it’s kind of comical that I could go buy a $10 piece of crap mouse with 2 buttons and a scroll wheel, and it will last me a year, but I keep buying $100 mice that break and wear out within days (or, in this case, day) or months.

-Falaris

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Preface: I run Windows 7 (the newest operating system that was just released 2 weeks ago) on my 2 computers, a main desktop and secondary laptop. I dual-boot Ubuntu Linux on my main computer with Windows 7. I’m considering an Apple laptop to replace my secondary laptop (a 17″ HP dv8300 CTO) for a few reasons that really pertain just to how I use computers. Specifically, there are a few Apple-only pieces of software I’d like to try using, and my secondary computer is only used for basic tasks that are almost entirely done in a browser – thus, my OS choice doesn’t matter much. I should also note that I use and adore my iPhone, as it really is a mini-computer. So I am dipping into Windows/Mac/Linux products across the board.

#2 – Operating Systems Do Not Define Who You Are

Most people use Windows because that is what is installed on everything, and you find almost every piece of software at least has some Windows version. Some Apple people like to be smug because they think they bought a better computer (depending on what they use it for, then it can be true or false that they indeed did buy a “better computer”). Some Linux users like to be even more smug sometimes (at least it seems that way), but luckily almost no one uses Linux so you rarely see it. Moreover, Linux users at least earn the right to be a little smug because they generally know what the fuck they are talking about. I’m about to be a smug Windows user, but only in an effort to undo all the smugness about operating systems because it really is just ridiculous.

Ironically, many of the reasons presented are the ones that show they have no idea in what areas their OS excels at computing over Windows. Hopefully, this will set the record straight about what Operating Systems do things better than others without all the bias.

The truth is, the different computers and operating systems out there all have their strengths and weaknesses. Saying one brand sucks over another, or dismissing all products from one company because of who they are is simply stupid and limits choices that might make sense for you. I’m going to present a few strengths, and then my own observations and things that you should stop saying:

Windows/PCs Strengths:

• Best at gaming – hardware for gaming is designed for PCs running Windows, and any real computer game (as in one you install and play, not something browser-based) almost certainly uses DirectX, which is software made by Microsoft to make it easier for game developers to build games. Microsoft built DirectX specifically to get game developers to make Windows their #1 choice and it worked. The Xbox being designed and made by Microsoft is also helping bridge gaps between PC gaming and console gaming.
• Most customizable hardware – You can build and rebuild a computer over and over if you really wanted to, although at some point upgrades are just a waste of money and you might as well buy/build a new system. Still, buying a $100 video card that gives you the final bit of power you need to run that new game is a lot easier than buying a new computer. As a side note, it might cost as much as a new computer if you ask Geek Squad or some other horrible service to install it for you – it’s easy to do yourself! All you need is a screwdriver and enough time to slide the side of the computer’s case off, unscrew 1 screw, slide the card in, and screw the screw back in place to hold the card in the slot. It’s a 5 minute operation.
• Most software – I use A LOT of software. In fact, I used a program to track what I used, and between web applications and real pieces of software, I have used over 300 different tools at some point in the past 4 months or so. Some are one-time use, where I need it for one specific task and then I forget about it. Others I download in groups – recently I was trying to find a program to check my e-mail within specific parameters, and I wound up trying about 6 different applications to see which one worked best. Nonetheless, the point is that Windows gives me the most options here without trying to use all sorts of workarounds to get something running.
• Most familiar – Having such a gigantic market advantage is a benefit. If you sit down at a computer, chances are it runs Windows, and chances are you know how to use it already.

Mac Strengths:

• Best at multimedia – While Microsoft focused on gaming, Apple went after designers. Graphic design software, audio software, etc. is where Apple reigns. There is a ton of industry standard software that is made just for Macs, and even the ones that are cross-platform usually work a bit better on Mac (Photoshop for example). Not only is Apple software made to perform better here, but their hardware is tweaked as well (they can do that since they build both the software and hardware).
• Best at being simple – If you just need to check email and go on the web, an Apple is your best bet. To be quite honest, Apple is/was made for people who don’t know about computers (which is the irony of hearing some Mac users talk about Macs as if they knew much about computers). I’m not trying to bash Mac users or call them dumb, and this isn’t to say that the computers suck or are watered down. On the contrary, if you know about computers, then you can do just as much (or more in some cases) to a Mac as you can to a PC, and if you are ready to spend $4000+ you can get some absolute behemoths when it comes to building a Mac that is faster than lightning. But plainly speaking, Macs make it easier to get up and get going with minimal effort to do anything, and another advantage to controlling so much of their own software as well is that they can make it play nicely with all the other parts of a computer. With a PC, this is a bit harder since you have so many 3rd party developers and less quality control.
• Best hardware design – Let’s face it, all Macs are pretty sexy. PCs can be too – there are a bunch of cool light-up cases, modded cases that look like R2-D2 or a toaster oven, and even some of the designs out of Dell and HP don’t look all that bad, but Mac is sleek, sexy, and cool. They win here.

Linux Strengths:

• Open source and runs on anything – You can load some version of Linux onto anything that has a circuit board it seems. You don’t need to buy overpriced hardware, in fact Linux likes to remain simple and therefore usually runs best on the crappiest/oldest hardware.
• FREE – Not only are most Linux distributions free, most software is too, and the software is as simple as clicking and downloading it. Unfortunately, you usually getting something akin to the ‘generic’ brand in grocery stores. For example, Linux has “GIMP” instead of Photoshop. While it does most of what Photoshop can and looks/feels much like Photoshop, it is a free and inferior product. This isn’t a slant on it, but you cannot expect this program to compare to one that is sold for $1000 and is used by every real graphic artist in the world. The same goes for OpenOffice compared to Microsoft Office – OpenOffice can do all the basic things and then some, but eventually you do come across the file that is formatted specifically for a certain version of MS Office, and OpenOffice can’t read the file. That is how it goes for most Linux software.
• Great OS for left-brained people – Seriously though. People who are analytical, especially programmers, who don’t care about beauty and aesthetics like Linux because it presents information plainly to them.

Now for a few of my own thoughts:

1. No OS is better at avoiding being hacked. Each has it’s own insecurities. The reason why Windows is more vulnerable to virii is because of the sheer market size it has. There are virii for Macs, and they are quite hackable. You just never hear about it because most effort is focused on what the world uses. It isn’t that Macs are necessarily more secure, it is just that hackers and people who come up with virii don’t give a shit. If 9 out of 10 people coming across a virii use PCs, then why would you write a virus for Macs? Wouldn’t you want to affect 9 people instead of 1?
2. No OS is clearly better at basic computing tasks. I have used all 3. They all have their ups and downs when it comes to what you use them for. Windows might be better at one thing, Mac at another, and Linux at yet another. On a personal level, I prefer Windows 7 that has been modified to have all my programs be easily launchable from a dock along the top of my screen (I like dual taskbars, one at the top and one at the bottom of the screen, much like Linux but with all the benefits of Windows). I don’t like how Macs work where there is a constant menu bar along the top that changes depending on which program you have highlighted – this has annoyed me in the past. However, I do like the Mac Dock a lot and it is something I kind of emulated on my PC.
3. No computer “just works.” I know I am hating on Mac stereotypes, but these are facts that should be known before you go buy something that costs thousands of dollars. I have had to do tech support for Macs before. I have friends with Macs who find getting help even harder because less people use Macs, and therefore information on tiny problems is not magnified by the number of users like it is for Windows. If you use an obscure program on Windows, chances are people have had the same problems you have, even if it is just a handful of 20 people or so. This isn’t the same for a Mac. The truth is, all computers have problems from time to time, whether something stops working or it fails to start in the first place. The very fact that Apple has a “Genius bar” in all their stores and a tech support number just go to show that it will not always “just work.” Don’t let this be a deterrent though! Macs do have much less problems overall than Windows systems – I’m just saying don’t expect it to never fail!
4. The internet, browsers, and “the cloud” are leaving operating systems behind. It doesn’t really matter if I use Windows 7, OS X, or Ubuntu to get my mail if I use GMail in Firefox, which is available for all 3.
5. For every good selling point that any brand or OS has, an equal counterpoint arises.
6. Many of the good selling points don’t even make sense. It is hard to take someone seriously when they talk about how much better their brand is (not just Mac, but PC brands too). This is because those brands all put in parts from the same companies. Apple uses nVidia graphics processors just like Dell does.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t enjoy your computer and it’s operating system if it makes computing fun to you, or suggest products or services to friends that you find useful. I’m just giving short, quick tips that everyone should know about when buying or discussing computers. If you know these things, then you should have no problem making the right choice when it comes to what you (and possibly others who will be using the same computer) need when it comes to buying a new machine.

-Falaris

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