New Get a Mac ads

The new Mac ad features the same two guys in a bit called, "Office Stress."

Check it out.







Interestingly, the format for the Get a Mac ad has now been emulated with a great ad for the television show Numb3rs. It's quite good, actually. Great pants (cuffs) on the guy on the left.

New "Get a Mac" ads

A couple of new Mac ads have been released by Apple today. One is funny and the other is kinda stupid.

Same two guys, but Justin Long's hair looks a bit unwashed in one.

As expected, it's a big dig at Vista.

Heh, heh.

Below.

"Virus" for your Mac

OMG! A virus for the Mac!

Calm down, true believers, it is and it isn't. This little applet is more of a prank and completely harmless. It doesn't replicate itself. It doesn't send copies of itself to everyone on your mailing list. It runs once, randomly, and that's it.

The Newton Virus is more of an April Fool's joke than anything else. One interesting fact about this doodad is that it fully utilizes the motion sensor in a MacBook or MacBook Pro.

Breath easy and check out more info right here. Then watch the video demonstration below.

Futuristic concept iMac

Here's one graphic artist's take on what an iMac of the future may look like. At first glance, I don't know how this machine would be received in today's computing society.

Backlit keyboards are with us now, but that see-through screen leaves me a little unsettled. I suppose with OLED (organic light emitting diode) technology, this idea might not seem that far fetched. A machine such as this one may appear in five or so years.

Ogle this interesting iMac pictorial featuring a brief history of the machine and also more photos of the concept computer shown at left.

Steampunk Mac mini

This Steampunk mod is absolutely stunning. I can only imagine how much time it took to come up with this finished product.

Dave Veloz has crafted a tin box Mac mini replete with all the classic frills and nuances that scream 19th century. There's even an olden monitor and typewriter-keyed keyboard. The addition of the oval silhouettes and kerosene lamp tie a nice pretty bow around this extraordinary mod package.

Enjoy some nice pictures of this beautiful computer here.

Concept iMac

Some people are always dreaming, exercising their fertile imaginations to no end. Here's a new idea that was recently run up the flagpole, a curved iMac.

Interesting. Wrap your face in a Mac and experience total immersion.

Now we just need some great games to take advantage of this idea.

Check out a slick pictorial right here.

OS ditties

This is kinda sorta interesting. Someone has made a tiny beat box to create a rhythm using just the system sounds from Mac OS X. I offer it here for your viewage.



Nice, simple and to the point.

Not to be outdone, someone in the Windows crowd has done pretty much the same thing with sounds from XP and Win 98. Only it's longer. With more notes. More complicated. And cheating. Of course.

We don't need no steenking Mac tutorials

The Apple website has a new feature offering video tutorials for all users who need a little help with their Macs. It's aimed at new users and Windows switchers that just need a little hand holding.

You can "Find Out How" by clicking here.

(MacUser)

MacBook Air on paper

Perhaps you've heard all the hoopla surrounding the new MacBook Air. The thinness and lack of features on this device will be talked about for the rest of the year.

Maybe you've seen the commercial for it.









But wait. There's more. Some very clever artisans have done away with the aluminum exoskeleton of the Air and created one out of paper. And shrunk it down even more.

Check it out.

Those whacky MacHeads

Macworld 2008 is over. Finished. Kaput. And halleluljah! Every podcast that I've listened to over the past week on my commute to and from work was a rehash of this over-hyped Mac extravaganza.

The Mac community is comprised of an odd lot. Some folks take on an air of superiority and arrogance just because of the technology they use. Some are like Trekkies or Star Wars junkies who wish to collect everything related to their passions.

I understand this to an extent. However, I'm also one who likes to poke fun at these Mac zealots. With that in mind, I'd like to show a video trailer I've stumbled on which, at first glance, gives a good view of a small slice of the Mac community.

Any one remember the Hippie culture of the '60s and '70s? There's a bit of that in this vid.

Odd? Yes. Weird? Yes. Bizarre? Mmm... not quite there yet. But definitely strange.

Watch.

SixPackMac - computer recommendations

Recently, a handsome and strapping (or voluptuous and bewitching) SixPackTech reader named Anonymous asked for my recommendation on the purchase of a new computer, even though it's known to all but the cranially deficient that SixPackTech is a "pro-Macintosh" site.

Well, Anon, (may I call you Anon?) I've read some of your poetry and other literary works and I must say that I'm honored that you asked me. I must say that you came to the right place. Here's where you will get the best advice based on the fact that I'm just like all of the other schlubs out there who can barely afford a case of beer before payday. Blue collar all the way.

First a little background on FCGrabo and his (I hate writing in the third person) my computer background and experience.

'82 to '92 - Apple IIe. President of the LaSalle Apple Users Group and SysOp of Atom's Apple BBS. (All now defunct due to a new term in the work force vernacular called "downsizing".)
'92 to '97 - The Dark Times - Windows 3.1, 3.11, Windows 95. I finally got so frustrated that I gutted my machine and set the bare chassis carcass out for the garbageman. I had enough dough saved up and I bought my first Mac in 1997.
'97 to this instant - All Mac. Lived and enjoyed life through a PowerMac 6500/250 (System 7.6), iMac G3, iMac G5, iBook, and now a Mac mini.

Recommendations start here:

If you absolutely HAVE to get a Windows box because your brother-in-law is pretty good at computers (he'll never have enough time for your impending problems) or because that's what you have at work then consider yourself the fool that Mr. T always pitied. If you buy a Windows box then, for the love of God, stick with XP. Forget Vista. On top of all the crapware that comes with a new machine may later come viruses, keylogger programs, malware and so on. You will have to buy anti-software to protect your investment. Right now, as I pound this out, there are no Mac viruses. Honest to Pete, since 1997, I have had no virus attacks and no need for anti-virus software protection. I will not argue with those who report phishing scams and other ploys that trick the Mac user into opening some malicious attachment via email. We should all know better. Never accept a hand-me-down Windows machine for free. There's a reason why the donor doesn't want it. If you wish for a truly enjoyable computing experience free from worry, then get a Mac.

Macs for under a grand:

I do my daily posting from the Mac mini and I love the machine. Nice and quick. Its small footprint fits in perfectly on my cramped desktop. Buy this if you're strapped for cash. You'll need to use your old monitor, keyboard (USB) and mouse (also USB) as the mini doesn't come with those. Apple has two models available. You can't go wrong with either of these Macs. This is the best bang for the buck. The entire Macintosh experience in a little tiny box.









Macs for over a grand:

The iMac is a desktop computer with a magnificent widescreen monitor. The graphics are awesome. If you want a computer for your desk then this is the one. Check out the photo for pricing and specs.










The Macbook is Apple's consumer version laptop. Once again, nice graphics, great keyboard and it will fit in nicely to any lifestyle. Add a coupla hundred for a black paint job. If you think you'd need a laptop, this is your pick. There will definitely be one in my immediate future.








Other recommendations:

Don't buy Apple memory. Stick with the smallest amount they offer when you configure your machine for purchase. Then buy your RAM upgrades from OWC or Crucial. You'll save tons o' cash. Memory is pretty cheap these days.

Hard drives... Apple supplies some pretty hefty drives but replace any standard drive of 80GB with a newer larger one. Then use the original drive as an external drive. Changing memory or hard drives is very easy in each of the models I've mentioned above. Certainly nothing for the average Joe to fear here. There are also some websites which have instructional photos or video to help allay any fears you may have.

Get a Mac with a Superdrive optical drive. The Super drive can burn DVDs. You'll be glad you did once you learn what the Mac can do with pictures and video using the included suite of "iApplications" that come with every Mac.

Buy a 3-button mouse (2 buttons and a scroll wheel). Place Apple's Mighty Mouse in a zip-lock bag and store it away for emergencies. A 3-button mouse makes it so much easier to get around and open and close apps and windows.

In conclusion:

You WILL enjoy your Mac. No tech-savviness involved. Whichever model best fits your lifestyle, there's a Mac for you. There are millions of Apple Faithful, as they're called, out in the world and any one of them would be glad to help a fellow Mac user in a time of need. Give yourself a half-hour to learn to negotiate around Mac OS X, and a week or sooner to get it all customized to your liking. Whether you are a new computer user or a Windows switcher, you will absolutely, positively love your Mac once you own one. And you will laugh to yourself when you overhear Windows user discussing their problems. (Cretins!)

Then gut your PC and set the chassis out for the hyenas.

"Get a Mac" ad on the WSJ

Clever Apple video ad appears on the website of the Wall Street Journal wherein PC wishes to change an obvious mistake that claims Leopard is faster than Vista.

Ya gotta hand it to those Apple marketing guys who consistently come up with humorous and compelling truths about the Mac vs. PC.

Watch the snippet below.

"Get a Mac" ad shown only at Macworld

This ad was the opener at the Macworld conference yesterday. As far as I know it hasn't been (and maybe won't be) shown on TV.

It's a very big dig on M$ and the crap they put out in 2007.

Yep. Vista.

Watch the ad below.

Turn your PC into a Mac

Windows users are stubborn die-hards that, for whatever reason, just don't seem to know when they've had enough.

There will probably be Windows users for quite some time to come but for those who don't want to or can't take the Mac plunge there are ways to make your PC look and feel pretty much like a Mac.

A couple of bucks and a few addons will do the trick quite nicely.

So when you finally DO buy a Mac, it'll be like visiting your old neighborhood again. But without the gangs and bullies.

Check out this pictorial on some great Windows to Mac alterations.

Gift ideas for the Switcher

If you have a family member who recently switched to a Mac and gave up that convoluted hairball called Windows, here are some gift ideas on what to buy him/her.

The short list was compiled by The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) and their suggestions are perfect for that new Mac user in your life.

There's some stuff here that I might get for myself.

TUAW gift suggestions.

Fastest Vista machine is a Mac

New Get a Mac ad has been released and it features Windows Vista running on a Mac. The ad boys grabbed this fact and ran with it.

Gates vs. Jobs

This is a very funny cartoon about the rivalry between Gates and Jobs, Windows and OS X and computing in general.

All of those familiar OS sounds are in this cartoon as well as a very clever plot, however unlikely it may be.

About 4 mins. long.

Leopard

Right after my stint of O.T. at work on Saturday, I parked myself at my computer desk at about 10:12 p.m. with a Fat Tire brewski and installed Leopard on the iMac G5. Geek that I am, I took some notes and kept track of the times. A shade over an hour and 15 minutes got me a fresh copy of the Leopard OS that I've read so much about.

Right now, I'm leaving it stock, standard upgrade, as shipped from the factory, and I'm going to experiment with the overall look and feel of this this new OS before I commit the Mac mini to it.

The Dock is something unique, as is/are Stacks. Spaces leaves me befuddled for now, but I'm sure I'll fit right in. I have a downloads folder in the Dock. I'll figure out why it's there, perhaps tomorrow.

When you get right down and think about it for a minute or two, what are your alternatives when it comes to how you want to interface with your computer? With Leopard, Apple has just thrown us another curve ball and now we have to adjust to it. Leopard is fine. It's just new stuff in new places and old stuff that's still there but it looks different. The alternative is Vista or Linux. Is that the way we want to use our computers? Some folks love a challenge.

With the track record that Apple's had with their OSes, I'm putting my money on Leopard. We'll see how it goes. I wonder if PrBoom will work with my DOOM! files.

New Mac vs. PC ads

Apple has released three new Mac ads and this time they get three good digs in on Vista.


The Podium



The Boxer



The PR Lady



(MacDailyNews)

PCMag gives Leopard a great review

PCMag.com has reviewed Apple's new OS and had quite a few nice words to say:

"...it’s by far the best operating system ever written for the vast majority of consumers, with dozens of new features that have real practical value—like truly automated backups, document and spreadsheet preview images in folders, and notes and to-do lists integrated into the mail program. Propeller-heads with IT know-how will no doubt hold up Linux as the better choice, and Vista has its devotees as well(and will probably have more when SP1 is widely available), but, for the average user, Leopard is the most polished and easiest to use OS I’ve tested."

Who knew? If you'd like, you can read the two-page article here at PCMag.com.