Computers: April 2006 Archives

Alright, I have to deal with the fact that while I might be able to run Windows on my mini and that I can install and run, rather beautifully I add, high end graphic hogs like EQII; its performance is crap.  It looks great, but its like moving through gorgeous mud.  Its still mud.

I guess the games (that manufacturers insist on making PC only) will have to live on the Compaq; and the Compaq will have to live in the office - which means I'll be moving the gym to the originally intended room after all.  Oh, well. :-(

While accepting the facts of life I played: Loser from the album "Mellow Gold" by Beck.

Ha!  During the instal of XP Home on the Apple Mini, I watched the "Pro-XP" messages that popped up on screen to make me feel better about buying the "latest" version of the Windows OS.  It used catchy phrases like, "Now...if a program becomes unstable, you can close it without have to shut down Windows."

What a trip!  While I can only imagine Apple's "Pro-Apple" messages after the beta sound like, "Runs multiple OS environments simultaneously!", the PC world is stuck in the Apple dust of "Can easily close programs from the menu."  Wow!  How 1987 of you!

Like I once learned:  Windows 2000 = Mac 1987.  And Windows XP = Mac 1989.  I can't wait to look in the mirror when Longhorn comes out.  Wait, let me break out my Belinda Carlyle CDs first. :-)

BTW - the instal seems to be going fine.

While laughing, I played: The Beautiful People from the album "Antichrist Superstar" by Marilyn Manson.

I love this: Intel Macs can (and will) run Windows - essentially giving you two machines for the price of one (but you still have to supply your own copy of Windows XP).

So instead of the typical "user" switching, you can OS switch on a re-start.  Freaking cool; and I'll be testing it this weekend - installing all my games (the only reason I have a PC box).  I'll start with EverCrack, the biggest hog of graphic resourses.  If it works - and I'm hoping beautifully - I'll put the Compaq up on Ebay.

I knew that this would happen, but I didn't know it was going to be Apple that did it.  I was sure that it was going to be a 3rd party hack.  But, no!  Go Apple, look out Dell, etc.

What I loved most about the whole thing was Apple's "word to the wise":

Word to the Wise . . .

"Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it’ll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world. So be sure to keep it updated with the latest Microsoft Windows security fixes."

So I guess that means: While you might be using the best hardware in the known universe, if you choose to use an inferior OS, do so at your own risk.  Ha!  What an interesting turn.  Mac finally has a vulnerability exposed - but they had to unzip their own fly to make it happen.

On a personal note, what this means to me is that the office that I was setting up in my house is no longer necessary.  It can become and stay the home gym that its currently serving in double duty capacity.  Considering that I have a mini serving as an iTunes/iPhoto box and a mobile laptop doing the heavy lifting, I won't need the Compaq sitting on the desk for those times when I want to play games written for Windows only machines.  So, out comes the desk - back to the garage as the workbench you were designed and built to be, and in goes the barbells.  What an amazing turn of events.  I have been struggling with this "choice" for a few months now,..accepting the idea (only today) to have the gym live in the office - thinking that I would have to find a 3rd party solution to the "PC" concern.  Hours later (while watching G4) I found out that Apple "supported" my choice.

While jamming on this I jammed to: Mambo Swing from the album "Big Bad Voodoo Daddy" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.