My honest answer to this would be no or at least if Apple decides to sell it to other vendors to limit the hardware to a specific set. Part of the stability of the Mac OS X in my opinion is the fact that Apple makes both the hardware and software. So they are able to test both adequately. Window’s incompatibility stems from the almost infinite combinations of hardware that can be put together. That’s some complicated code that you need to maintain.

Plus, the whole Apple experience is really tied together. It’s the marriage of great software which OS X, iLife etc. has to offer and superbly designed hardware. It’s the details that make the Mac experience so wonderful. So why rob people of that.

One can argue that some just want OS X, that may be true but I’m sure once they’re exposed to the hardware they’ll consider it.

Although a part of me is happy that people have hacked OS X to work with other hardware. That might pave the way for them to actually give Apple hardware a try.

Post from: EveryJoe

Unlike Vista which a lot of Windows XP users are still hesitant to upgrade to, Tiger users are making a dash to upgrade to Leopard. That’s the picture that the 2 million copies sold over the weekend is telling me. That’s actually been the case even in the past.

I for one am also itching to upgrade to Leopard in stark contrast to my dad who’s now having second thoughts on why his new computer is running Vista as opposed to XP. It was a forced upgrade so to speak since it’s bundled with his VAIO.

Post from: EveryJoe

Some of the commands I regularly use are:

• “Command-Shift-3″ = Take a picture of the screen
• “Command-Shift-4″ = Take a picture of the selection
• “Option-Command-esc” = Force Quit
• “Control-Eject” = Restart, Sleep, Shutdown dialog box
• “Control-Command-Eject” = Quit all applications and restart
• “Command-N” = File Menu New Finder window
• “Shift-Command-N” = File Menu New Folder
• “Command-O” = File Menu Open
• “Command-S” = File Menu Save
• “Command-P” = File Menu Print
• “Command-W” = File Menu Close Window

Check out the shortcuts at Creativebits and make your life a little bit easier.

Post from: EveryJoe

A friend of mine asked me the other day if there was a way to rename a bunch of files into a sequential filenames with Finder. Sadly there was no way to do it with Finder alone. Happily there is a way to do it with automator.

This is one of the things I wished Apple would improve on finder. We’ll see if Leopard will change this. Until then, content yourself with using an automator workflow to rename items in finder. Here’s an article from Apple that shows you how to create an automator workflow to rename your files.

Post from: EveryJoe

Here’s a tip which was shared at PhilMUG by Elbert, PhilMUG’s current chairman. I’m reposting his tip here to benefit non-PhilMUG members. Enjoy.

The best way to email documents is through a PDF file. PDF stands for Portable Document Format, and is compatible with all computers (provided that computer has a PDF reader).

Creating a PDF is just link printing a file, only, it gets printed into an electronic format rather than into a physical one (i.e. paper). The big advantage with PDF is that you are assured that the document’s format and contents are preserved and protected (great for contracts and proposals).

Even if you have an existing document that you’d like to send but is not a PDF, you can easily convert it into a PDF as well.

So, here’s a general and simple rule: as long as it can be printed, it can be converted into a PDF.

To create a PDF from any application (Word, Mail, Safari, Preview, etc.):
1. Go to File > Print
2. In the bottom left of the print dialogue, there’s a PDF button. Click on that.
3. Select Save as PDF…
4. Create an name and choose a location to save the PDF (Desktop would be good, for easy access)

Documents that have been scanned into PDF format have a tendency to be very large. If a PDF is too large to email (most email recipients can’t receive attachments larger than 5MB), follow these steps:

1. Double click the PDF to open in Preview.
2. Go to File > Save As…
3. In the middle you’ll find Quartz Filter, click on that and select Reduce File Size
4. Click Save (to save over and replace your existing large PDF with the smaller one)

Post from: EveryJoe

According to a CNN article and I’m this has been posted elsewhere, Vista will be offered in several “flavors”. Consumers will get four variants, Home Basic ($199), Home Premium ($239) Business ($299) and Ultimate ($399). Whew. If you want to upgrade your Vista, you fork over some more money, Microsoft will give you a new license code, you can then unlock the other features of the more expensive variant.

Apple has been offering a single version of OS X Tiger, it will probably be the same for Leopard. Well, ok, there’s a server version but that’s not for consumers. Single price $129. $199 for the family pack and install up to 5 computers. One price all the features. It’s that simple.

When Leopard comes out, I’m almost sure the pricing will be similar. If it’s a little bit more expensive it will still have the same model. One price, all the features. It makes it easier for consumers who really don’t have time to compare the variants.

But really, Vista Home Basic for $199? That’s highway robbery. Ok, ok they put a lot of effort into Vista, still with such a big captured market for Microsoft, economies of scale should dictate a lower price. C’mon, if Apple can sell us Tiger for a low price of $129, how come Microsoft can’t give it for that low.

See this is one of the reasons why I switched, I just got tired of having to think about everything. It’s bad enough that I had to keep my Windows PC updated for virus protection, etc. but if I want to upgrade to Vista I’d have to take time to compare and fork over a fortune. No thanks. Leopard please.

Post from: EveryJoe