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Stop the Noiz

Frank Fox believes in cutting through the noise and hype surrounding Macs, Windows, and Linux.

My Windows 7 Launch Party, 2009.10.23. "The final surprise was that things started to slow down during my demo. I had XP Mode running, several open windows, and a half dozen other apps running."
Windows 7: Bait for Windows XP and Vista Users, 2009.10.19. While Win 7 is competing with OS X in features, it's target audience is Windows users, not Mac users.
Windows 7 vs. MacBook, 2009.10.14. A free copy of Windows 7 leads to installation problems and two days of frustration, like no 64-bit Boot Camp Utilties.
Moving Data at the Speed of Light (Peak), 2009.10.02. Intel's new Light Peak data transfer protocol is designed for 10 gibabits per second, with plans to push it to 100 Gb/s in the future.
Second Class Software: Now It's Windows' Turn, 2009.09.24. After 20-some years where the Mac version lagged behind the Windows one, if it even existed, the shoe is now on the other foot.
Apple vs. Microsoft on Open Source Software, 2009.09.15. While both Microsoft and Apple are involved with open source software, each brings a very different viewpoint to the table.
OpenCL or DirectX, Which Is the Better Technology?, 2009.09.11. Microsoft has been honing Windows-only DirectX for years now. Does OpenCL even compete?
Windows 7: MIcrosoft Still Copying Apple's Cats, 2009.09.03. Microsoft has been copying Mac features since Windows 1.0, and Windows 7 will be no exception to this copycat behavior.
'Snow Leopard' Isn't Just an Upgrade, 2009.09.01. Apple is using Mac OS X 10.6 as a tool for selling new Macintosh hardware, since most older Macs can't support all of its features.
Is Google Apple's Partner or Competitor?, 2009.08.26. In Google's desire to remain independent of Microsoft, it is beginning to encroach on Apple territory. Google Voice is just the tip of the iceberg.
'Snow Leopard' Pounces, 2009.08.21. Mac OS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard' could be Apple's key to reaching a new market - white box PCs.
The World Is Not Enough for Apple, 2009.08.18. Apple's insatiable appetite for flash memory could soon demand the entire world supply.
Apple's Path to Evil Has Not Been Easy, 2009.08.14. "It hasn't been easy for Apple to turn completely evil, but it has managed to make every decision count."
Apple's iPhone Crushes Netbooks Where It Counts, 2009.08.11. Apple's overall profit on the iPhone beats that of all brands of netbooks combined.
Why Is There an App for Everything?, 2009.08.06. The iPhone's size means you can take it everywhere, and the broad range of apps means you can use it for everything.
Is Steve Jobs' Health Essential to Apple's Future?, 2009.06.30. Steve Jobs' health is an important thing, but Apple has demonstrated that it can be profitable without him.
Multicore Strategy: Microsoft vs. Apple, 2009.06.18. Microsoft puts the focus on tweaking multicore support in the operating system, while Apple is going out of its way to make multicore support available to programmers.
Too Many Options When Choosing a PC, Too Few When Buying a Mac, 2009.05.05. So many brands and models on the Windows side, not even counting building your own, or a very limited number of Mac models that might not meet your needs.
Apple's 'On Target' Design Sets It Apart, 2009.04.30. While others take a shotgun approach to product design in hopes some will succeed, Apple knows how to focus on essentials.
Microsoft's Focus on 'Cheap' PCs Cuts Both Ways, 2009.04.27. Arguing that PCs are 'cheap' does nothing to help their image and provides a good argument for looking at Linux.
Could the iPhone Replace Star Trek's Tricorder?, 2009.04.23. "The iPhone is better than a tricorder. It is the tricorder, communicator, and universal translator all rolled into one."
Beat the 'Mac Tax' by Buying Used, 2009.04.21. There's no $500 'Mac Tax' when you buy a used Power Mac for $250 or a used MacBook for $600.
Introduction to Hard Drives, 2009.04.16. A look at the factors that influence hard drive performance: seek time, latency, throughput, and caches.
Judging HP by Microsoft's 'Laptop Hunter' Standards, 2009.04.14. If Microsoft is going to pick on Apple for overpriced notebooks, its only fair that HP, Dell, and others be judged the same way.
$50,000 for a Dell?, 2009.04.03. They say Macs are overpriced, but you could spend $50,000 bringing the Dell Precision T7500 to its maximum potential.
Are PC Users Losers?, 2009.03.31. Microsoft's new ad takes on Mac pricing while Steve Ballmer claims Mac buyers pay a $500 premium for a logo.
Is Making Your Own Hackintosh Legal?, 2009.03.12. Apple comes down on cloners like Psystar for blatantly selling OS X computers, but there seems to be nothing Apple can do to individual users.
Linux on Netbooks Is No Threat to Microsoft, 2009.02.27. Because computer makers have to bear the cost of supporting Linux, it could be less costly to install Windows.
Psystar Tries the Copyright Abuse Defense, 2009.02.17. Copyright law clearly states that selling modified copies of an original is wrong. Psystar is attacking Apple for abusing its copyright on Mac OS X.
Today's Netbook Market Is Too Small to Interest Apple, 2009.02.09. Looking at Apple's sales growth and profitability, it has almost nothing to gain by entering the current netbook market.
Unlike iPhone, Netbooks Having Minimal Impact on Internet Usage, 2009.02.06. Linux is growing slowly and Windows XP is declining. What are people doing with those netbooks?
Netbook or Smartphone: What's Your Best Bet?, 2009.02.04. To choose what's best for you, you need to understand the market each type of device was designed for.
Mac Trojans Exploit User Vulnerabilities, Not Security Holes, 2009.02.03. Trojans come attached to useful software in hopes they'll be installed by unthinking users. Is the Mac in danger?
Steve Jobs' Health: MYOB, 2009.01.19. We have laws to protect personal medical information. Wahy can't we just leave Steve Jobs alone?
Estimating the Impact of Tiered Pricing on iTunes Store Profits, 2009.01.15. Neither Apple nor the recording industry have shared a lot of details, but educated guesses point to tiered pricing being good for both parties.
MSI X320 a Cheap MacBook Air Copycat, 2009.01.13. The new slim 13" notebook has more ports than the MBA and copies its design, but it's thicker, heavier, and runs slower.
Software Should Come with a Fresh Date, 2009.01.09. Sooner or later, some hardware or OS update will probably break a program you own. Software vendors should be up front about how long they'll support it.
Apple's Half-Baked Support for DisplayPort, 2009.01.06. The DisplayPort specification supports audio, so why does Apple use USB to route sound to the LED Cinema Display?
Steve Jobs Must Pass the Torch, 2009.01.02. Steve Jobs has held the role of Savior of Apple for a dozen years. It's time to let others take public leadership roles.
Apple and Microsoft: Best Friends Forever?, 2008.12.24. Shocked that Microsoft has an iPhone app? Microsoft has been working with Apple nearly forever.
Why DisplayPort Is the Video Connector for the Future, 2008.12.23. DisplayPort supports multiple displays, combines audio and video on one cable, and costs nothing to use.
The Psystar Drama Continues, 2008.12.17. A look at what is at stake for Apple's reputation and bottom line if Psystar and others are allowed to sell Macintosh clones.
How Steve Jobs Would Save Microsoft from Itself, 2008.12.12. Steve Jobs brought focus back to Apple and would do the same if he ran Microsoft. Let's be grateful that he is running Apple.
Why Apple Should Buy Dell, 2008.11.24. Apple has $24 billion in the bank. Dell is currently worth under $19 billion. The acquisition makes sense.
Apple Caves to Hollywood with DRM on iTunes Videos, 2008.11.20. HDCP on the new MacBooks means that you may never really own those videos you buy from the iTunes Store.
Windows 7 Is Microsoft's Opportunity to Get Vista Right, 2008.11.13. Microsoft made a lot of mistakes with Vista and earned a black eye. Windows 7 gives it a chance to learn from the past and move ahead.
Apple Takes the High Road to Profitability, 2008.11.06. There are two roads to profitability - high volume with low margins and low volume with high margins.
Apple Strikes Back at 'I'm a PC' Campaign, 2008.11.04. Apple's latest ads remind Microsoft that it could have fixed Vista instead of spending $300 million promoting a flawed product.
Debunking the Apple Tax, 2008.10.31. "...no one else is offering the quality of computer construction that Apple offers in the same price range."
One OS to Rule Them All, 2008.10.29. With Fusion or Parallels letting you run Windows at full speed, Mac OS X gives you the best of both worlds.
iPhone Developers Have No Reason to Complain, 2008.09.25. Apple provides developers with a software development kit, 70% of software income, and only asks that they not undermine Apple.
Apple Trumps Microsoft in Making the 64-bit Transition Transparent to Users, 2008.09.18. To use more than 4 GB of RAM under Windows, you need a 64-bit PC and the 64-bit version of Windows. On the Mac, OS X 10.4 and later already support it.
Apple Isn't an 'Evil Empire' Like Microsoft, 2008.09.16. The issue isn't whether you dominate a market, but whether you abuse that position to unfairly stifle competition.
Microsoft Pays Jerry Seinfeld $10 Million to Sell Shoes to Bill Gates, 2008.09.10. Some pundits berate the Microsoft ad as pointless, but it's paving the way for ads yet to come.
SATA, SATA II, SATA 600, and Product Confusion Fatigue, 2008.09.08. In addition to the original SATA specification and the current 3 Gb/s specification, SATA revision 3.0 is just around the corner.
Psystar Strikes Back, Countersues Apple, 2008.09.03. Psystar is trying to paint Apple as a monopoly and force it to license the Mac OS.
CrossOver Strikes Out, 2008.08.27. Running Windows apps on a Mac without paying for Windows is great in theory, but actually getting Windows software working is another story.
Mac OS X Has More Problems than Vista, 2008.08.25. All it takes is a simple Google search to demonstrate that Mac OS X has more problems than Windows - and way more than Vista.
Snow Leopard, Windows 7, Midori, and the End of Windows, 2008.08.18. A look at some of the technologies planned for Mac OS X 10.6, Windows 7, and Midori, Microsoft's future OS that could be the end of Windows.
Macs Are Cool, but Marketing Can't Help Linux, 2008.08.14. Apple's message is clear and simple: Macs are easy to use. Linux is mostly promoted because it's free.
Why Paris Hilton Could Take on IBM-Linux or Apple Better than Bob Enderle, 2008.08.11. "Only the biggest Apple fans or Microsoft haters believe you have to eliminate Microsoft to defeat them."
Apple Could Sell 20 Million iPhones in 2008, 2008.08.07. Apple sold 2.4 million iPhones in the first half of the year. How can it even hope to sell the 10 million it predicted?
Dell Studio Hybrid Just Another Mini PC Lacking Any Real Innovation, 2008.08.04. Dell has decided to take on Apple's Mac mini with a bigger, heavier, more colorful model. And the point is?
Microsoft's Mojave Experiment, 2008.08.01. Microsoft showed Vista to people who had never used it, telling them it was "Mojave", and they loved it on the fast new laptop used for the demo.
Keeping Secrets Is a Good Thing, 2008.07.31. If Apple didn't keep secrets, it would be like a quarterback announcing the next play so the opposing team could hear and plan for it.
Could a minitower Mac be Apple's 'transitional product'?, 2008.07.24. The Mac mini has been on the market for 3-1/2 years, and some owners are ready to move on to something more flexible and powerful.
The Apple vs. Psystar letters, 2008.07.22. Readers weigh in on trademark law, the End User License Agreement, the right of first sale, contract law, locking software to hardware, and other issues.
Apple gave Psystar enough rope to hang itself, 2008.07.18. By not filing suit against Psystar immediately, Apple allowed the company to do enough to give Apple an air-tight case.
Vista is not 'leaving Macs in the dust', 2008.07.16. Now that Windows XP has been officially discontinued, Vista sales are surging. Mac sales are growing too.
Apple is 'enterprise ready', whatever that means, 2008.07.15. The term 'enterprise' can mean anything from a one-person business using a computer to a multinational conglomerate.
Microsoft: Vista problems are everyone else's fault, 2008.07.10. Tired of Apple's 'Get a Mac' campaign and widespread disdain for Vista, Microsoft is developing a 'Don't Blame Vista' campaign to point the finger anywhere else.
Glimmers of innovation in a world of copycat PCs, 2008.06.10. Everyone can't play Follow the Leader - someone has to be the first to try something different.
The iPhone redefines the mobile phone and mobile computer markets, 2008.06.06. Smart phones are cell phones with extras. Notebooks are desktop computers with less. And the iPhone is a handheld computer with a built-in phone.
Apple lost the PC war, but Microsoft is losing the post-PC war, 2008.05.30. Windows won the operating system war, but Microsoft is losing browser share and has fallen behind Apple in media players and smartphones.
Mac value comes from productivity and MacBook integrated graphics debated, 2008.05.29. There are cheaper PC notebooks, but the Mac gains its value from increased productivity. Also whether onboard Intel graphics on the MacBook is inadequate.
Why Dell and HP do (or don't) beat Mac Pro pricing, 2008.05.27. Readers weigh in on why the Mac Pro is an even better value - or a worse one.
MacBook holds its own against Dell and HP notebook pricing, 2008.05.23. Comparing specs and prices, the MacBook also trounces Sony, but the MacBook Pro is another story altogether.
Mac Pro beats HP and Dell at their own game: Price, 2008.05.16. Whether comparing the top-end or low-end of Mac Pro options, comparable models from Dell and HP cost more.
140 million copies of Vista sold (yawn), 2008.05.09. 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, 2008.05.01. 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, 2008.04.29. If Apple has such 'troubling low' market share, how does it keep outpacing the industry and see such incredible stock growth?
Advice for Dell and HP: Innovate, don't imitate, 2008.04.24. HP and Dell may lead the market, but they will decline unless they stop building boring Windows PC or trying to copy Macs.
Using the aluminum iMac: Color me impressed, 2008.04.22. A MacBook is a wonderful thing, but an iMac with a 20" display can really spoil you.
Mac security a result of diversity and smart planning, 2008.04.17. "You can't fault the better gardener for spending less time weeding and more on growing."
The secret of Mac security revealed, 2008.04.16. Whether Macs are secure because of obscurity, scarcity, or design, growing popularity is making security more of an issue for Mac users.
Apple sues Big Apple for use of apple in logo, 2008.04.10. It may seem wrong for Apple to sue GreeNYC for using an apple in its logo, but the lawyers are just doing their job.
Apple and baseball: The magic lives on, 2008.04.08. Major League Baseball and Apple have changed, but the magic hasn't disappeared.
Apple takes the blame, 2008.04.03. In the Windows world, everyone plays the blame game, but when things go wrong with the Mac, there's only one company to take the blame.
It's not the iPod's fault, 2008.03.31. Don't blame Apple because it doesn't support moving your music library from your iPod to your computer. Apple never claimed it could do that.
When good software turns bad, 2008.03.26. Apple is using iTunes to give Windows users easy access to Safari 3.1. What's so bad about that?
No flops, so Mac critics now exclaim that Apple isn't successful enough, 2008.03.13. With all their predictions of failure not panning out, Dvorak, Enderle, and others now complain because Apple isn't even more successful.
Buyer's remorse: Trading up a week-old MacBook, 2008.03.07. Less than a week after buying a new 2.2 GHz MacBook, Apple introduced new models. Is it worth the restock fee to move up?
How Microsoft's Reality Distortion Field works, 2008.03.04. Rather than bragging about a new existing product, Microsoft promises the moon while spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt about competing products.
Copycat Microsoft has its own Reality Distortion Field, 2008.02.29. The typical computer user could happily switch to the Mac, but the Microsoft Reality Distortion Field has them believing Macs are overpriced and don't have software.
Apple products: Better by design, 2008.02.27. "Mac users have come to trust Apple to make things simple but not underpowered."
Idiot proof: It isn't good enough to make things intuitive, 2008.02.20. "Good design isn't about making things intuitive; it's about making them idiot proof."
Apple a pro at building buzz for new products, 2008.02.14. The recent introduction of the MacBook Air is just one example of how the whole world is paying attention to what Apple is doing.
Cursed with options: Too much software choice is not a blessing, 2008.02.12. Wouldn't you rather have a small selection of quality programs than a vast array of copycat software?
The top 11 reasons to choose Macs over PCs, 2008.02.06. The 11 most important reasons for choosing a Mac over a Windows PC.
The MacBook Air makes a statement, 2008.01.23. Apple's MacBook Air isn't designed to be all things to all users. It's designed to tell the world "this is all I need when away from my desk."

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