Apple's Finest Art
Michael Fogus - 2001.12.20
I love Windows. I have always loved Windows. Windows is my friend, my teacher, and my secret lover.
Windows provides my livelihood. Windows allows me to eat at fine Indian restaurants, and gives me the ability to elevate my palette from the dregs of the rail drink. But most importantly, Windows has always allowed me to follow my appreciation for art.
Don't get me wrong, however; I live in Washington, DC, and have never been to the Smithsonian. Likewise, I once spent two weeks in Russia and never bothered to peruse the Armitage.
The art that I enjoy does not include Photomontage, Pointillism, or Picasso. Instead, my appreciation of art manifests itself in the form of pointer arithmetic, polymorphism, and preemptive multitasking. Windows, while flawed, has always sated my thirst for computer art.
However, I was never fully satisfied with my love, for it reminded me of the legendary John Merrick - naive and brilliant on the inside, but quite disfigured and misshapen on the outside. While I have always appreciated the mind of my Windows machines, I learned very quickly that brains would only take one so far.
I am far too young to truly appreciate the importance of the
Lisa or the Mac 128K outside of tales
of lore 
and fading memories. In
retrospect, I realize the enormity of their impact on the computer
world, but my knowledge is secondhand and therefore tainted. Likewise,
my experience with Apple computers during my formative years leaves
much to be desired.
Allow me to modify that; the works of art created by Apple during my formidable years had, in my opinion, the soul of a Jennifer Aniston or a Jason Priestly. That is, I considered them to be beauties of the highest order, but found them to be but sitcoms at heart.
My first Macintosh was a Classic, and although I found its design and interface beautiful, I considered it little more than a toy. While I have always appreciated the face and personality of my Apple computers, I learned very quickly that looks would only take one so far.
However, I was recently exposed to a phenomenon that changed my view of the art being produced by Apple. The phenomenon that I speak of is none other than OS X 10.1. Imagine my delight as I researched the underpinnings of the most beautiful operating system of my lifetime. No longer would I have to settle for a G4 Christian Slater with a baboon's heart. I was suddenly able to supplement my eye candy with some serious mind candy.
With the brilliance of Mach coupled with the sexuality of Aqua,
Apple has created a computational Caesar that will usher in a new era
of supremacy. This is a spectacular time to be an enthusiast of fine
art. 
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Recent 10 Forward
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Links for the Day
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