Apple and Baseball: The Magic Lives On

Frank Fox - 2008.04.08

Low End Mac Reader Specials

Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $192 / 2GB kit $109. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 1GB $23--Free shipping available.

Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com

LA Computer Company: LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, Apple Displays, MacBooks, iMac's, MacBook Pros, Laptop and iPod accessories and more. Apple A/C Adapters for laptops starting at $25.00 Call 1-800-941-7654 or Click Here.

Other World Computing: Go Longer Between Charges with a NewerTech NuPower Batteries! Not just another battery, NuPower available for PowerBook and iBook models, is built in the USA to offer the longest Run Time + the longest useful LifeTime too! In Stock at OWC from $99.95

Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.

Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.

Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.

Memory For New Intel Core2 DUO MacBooks, MacBook Pro, MacMini & iMacs" 4GB Kit $80, 3GB Kit $60, 2GB Kit $40, 1GB $20. Click to Maximize your Macs...

Charles Moore sees both Major League Baseball and Apple loosing some of their magic. I couldn't disagree more.

Baseball

I don't watch a lot of baseball, but I was grinning from ear to ear after the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. My Red Sox hat that I wear is so beat up and worn, people used to criticize the condition, but not any more.

As for Apple, I grin every time I read about them toppling another barrier. Those smug, rabid PC fans have less to brag about all the time.

Both MLB and Apple have had their share of scandal and shame. Long before the 1985 pennant race that attracted Mr. Moore to baseball, there was the sad 1919 Black Sox scandal. Worse than a bunch of players going on strike, there were a bunch of players that worked together to throw a baseball game. Not just any game, but the World Series. I call it sad, because the players woke up to the dumbest thing they ever did and could never fix. Back then I'm sure that baseball lost a few fans, who probably thought the magic was gone forever.

New fans came along, and die-hard fans stuck it out. Baseball survived, and time past slowly, bringing fans back to the game and losing some to other sports. The 1994 baseball strike certainly sucked big time for the fans waiting for the thrill of a good game. The players and the game did return.

Since then, new moments are continually being created, and the game and the magic lives on. One thing different about baseball is that the minor league system forces a lot of good players to have to fight hard to get to the next level. You're not an instant millionaire right out of college, like a star football or basketball player would be. With baseball there is a fantastic amount of wanting to play the game.

Scandal cannot end the magic. Over time that just becomes part of the story and the drama that make people watch.

Apple

Let's switch gears and talk about Apple. First off, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are Apple. Wozniak doesn't even work there any more, and he still gets interviewed regarding his opinion all the time. The return of Steve Jobs was like the return of vision to the company. Jobs knows that at its heart, Apple is a hardware company. He saw right away that Gil Amelio's attempt to license the Mac OS was bad news. It was the first thing he killed when he returned.

The icon garden, Claris the cowdog, the multicolored Apple logo, or the disappearance of the smiley face Mac are not signs that the magic is gone. (I really hated it when the smiley face Mac was gone.) Apple has again become a reflection of Jobs. The twenty-something millionaire who loved listening to the Beatles and selling blue boxes to let people place free phone calls is now an older man. The company reflects this change. Yes, it is a pain growing up and growing old, but that doesn't mean Jobs or Apple have lost that special something to deliver a fantastic product.

I owned two of Apple's most problematic computers, called Road Apples here on Low End Mac: a PowerBook 5300 and a Performa 6300. (If you ask me, the iBooks with the failing logic boards need to be added to the list.) I was a Mac addict through these not so great times with Apple.

Today, with my new MacBook and Mac Pro, I am even more of a Mac addict. These are both a hell of a lot better computers than many of the ones made before Jobs returned. I definitely think Apple still has the magic - or at least they make a damn good computer, and there is a wide-open road to keep going places.

Keep your eyes open to the new moments, Mr. Moore, and you'll see plenty of magic from both MLB and Apple.

Recent Stop the Noiz Columns

140 million copies of Vista sold (yawn), 05.09. It sounds like a lot, but over 85% of Windows users are staying away from Vista. 20% of Mac users have embraced Leopard in one-third the time.
Vista just one reason for growing Mac market share, 05.01. With 200 million PC owners replacing their computers this year, Apple has a real opportunity to increase its growth rate.
The Mac's 'troubling low' market share, 04.29. If Apple has such 'troubling low' market share, how does it keep outpacing the industry and see such incredible stock growth?
More in the Stop the Noiz index.

Recent Content on Low End Mac

Apple's eMate still a great tool in the classroom, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 05.09. How one teacher equipped his classroom with eMates with his own money - and plans to keep using them as long as possible.
$199 iPhone coming?, iPod not a Walkman, crosswalk danger, iPods taking over cars, and more, iNews Review, 05.09. Also the iPhone is a second-rate phone, iPhone 2.0 may introduce handwriting recognition, Kensington battery pack and chargers, new iPhone apps, and more.
Best Power Mac G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.09. Used Cube, $479; 400 MHz PCI, $70; 450 AGP, $105; 733 DA, $150; 867 QS, $200; 1 GHz, $250; 450 dual, $295; 1 GHz dual, $400; 1.42, $600; more.
Best 15" MacBook Pro deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.09. Used 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $1,100; 2.16, $1,295; refurb, 2.2 Core2, $1,449; 2.4 Penryn, $1,699; 2.5, $2,149; new 2.2, $1,525 after rebate; 2.4, $1,685 a/r; more.
MacBook sales explode, MacBook Air reviews, several new hard drives, and more, The 'Book Review, 05.09. Also silver-zinc batteries may outlast lithium-ion, Bell Aliant bundling MacBook with Internet access, notebook drives benchmarked, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
Best iPod touch deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.09. Refurb 8 GB '08, $249; 16 GB '07, $329; '08, $349; new 8 GB '07. $269; '08, $280; 16 GB '07, $330; '08, $369; 32 GB, $475.
Apple tops in tech support, Penryn iMacs and Psystar Open Computer reviewed, and more, Mac News Review, 05.09. Also the iMac philosophy, OpenOffice 3.0 going Mac, MozyHome backup comes to Macs, weather in the Dock, and more.
More G4 upgrade advice, secure disk wipes, 500 MHz iMacs with Tiger in action, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 05.09. The importance of securely clearing your hard drive before you pass on your Mac, Pismo and closed lid mode, G3 iMacs in the classroom, and more thoughts on upgrading G4 Power Macs.
Mac of the Day: Macintosh LC, Oct. 1990 - only 3" tall, the LC was the least expensive color Mac in 1990.
List of the Day: Jaguar List is for anyone using Mac OS X 10.2.x.
May 12 in LEM history: 99: Is Apple missing the boat? - 00: PowerBook history - Frankenstein Power Mac - 03: Beige Power Mac G3 - Is a 5400 worth buying? - Upgrades for the tray-loading iMac - Quiet computing - 04: Windows stability: Nothing changes - Broadband Internet access: Picking the right speed - 06: The future of PowerPC Macs in the Intel era - Setting up a 68040-based Mac media center - Mac mini Core Duo upgrades
Why one Mac user chose BlackBerry over iPhone, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 05.08. The advantages of OS X, Safari, Mail, and iSync don't outweigh the familiarity of BlackBerry, its excellent software, easily replaceable batteries, and a camera-free option.
500 MHz iMac with Panther great for Internet, watching video, and more, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 05.08. At $65 with upgraded RAM and a bigger hard drive, it was too good to pass up, and it works very nicely with Mac OS X 10.3.
Boomerang: The Blue and White Power Mac G3 that kept coming back, Charles Webb, The Webb Chronicles, 05.08. Over its nine-year lifespan, this Power Mac had at least five owners before it finally gave up the ghost.
Best Intel iMac deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.08. Used 17" 1.83 GHz, $699; 20" 2.16 Core2, $885; refurb 20" 2.16, $949; 2.4, $1,099; 24" 2.16, $1,199; 2.4, $1,399; 2.8, $1,599; Penryn from $1,049 after rebate.
Best 17" PowerBook G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.08. Used 17" 1 GHz, $790; 1.33 GHz, $850; 1.5 GHz, $859; 1.67 GHz, $889.
Best Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.08. Mac OS X 10.5.1 single user, $99; 5 users, $139; 10.5 Server, 10 users, $450; unlimited, $899.
More links in our archive.

About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts

Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2008 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, PowerBook, MacBook, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.