Microsoft: Just Say No
- 2002.09.10 - Tip Jar
Low End Mac Reader Specials
Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $154 / 2GB kit $94, New 2008 iMac 2GB $46. 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: Specials on AppleCare, iMac's, Apple Batteries and Apple A/C Adapters. Also Great prices on Used Apple Computers. Call 1-800-941-7654 Click Here.
OWC: Burn DVDs, DVD-DL, CDs, DVD-Ram - FAST! Superdrive upgrades from OWC starting from $31.99 with options for nearly every Mac. Models with Lightscribe, Blu-Ray too!
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.
New MacPro Memory 800Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink 2GB $104 / 4GB $172 / 8GB $338. Click to Maximize your Macs...
Last week, I reported on my frustrating evening spent trying to scan a document on a Windows NT 4.0 PC. Yes, I said, "evening." What should have taken just a few minutes wound up wasting several hours and was never successfully completed.
That is not completely true. It was completed in about ten minutes when I returned home and scanned the document on a Umax Astra 6400 connected to my Power Mac 7500.
Among Windows users, incidents like this are all too common. Many complain, but few do anything about it. "Microsoft is the standard," they say. "You can't do anything about that."
This is simply not true. Not only can something be done about this, but several companies are already moving in that direction.
Microsoft is a monopoly, and they act the part. While virtually every other technology company has had to tighten their belts, reduce prices, and cut their workforce during the current downturn, Microsoft's prices have not gone down in the last five years.
Microsoft Office XP Standard retails for $479 and includes the following components:
- Microsoft Word 2002 (word processing)
- Microsoft Excel 2002 (spreadsheet)
- Microsoft Outlook 2002 (personal information manager)
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 (presentations)
Microsoft Office XP Professional, which adds Microsoft Access (database), adds $100 to the price for a grand total of a whopping $579.
Now let's look at a few alternatives for the PC.
Corel WordPerfect Office 2002 Standard retails for $389 and includes the following components:
- Corel WordPerfect 10 (word processing)
- Corel Quattro Pro 10 (spreadsheet)
- CorelCENTRAL 10 (personal information manager)
- Corel Presentations 10 (presentations)
Corel WordPerfect Office 2002 Professional, which adds Paradox 10 (database) and Dragon Naturally Speaking (speech recognition) plus a headset microphone, sells for $489.
Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition 9.7 comes in only one version, retails for $235, and includes the following components:
- Lotus WordPro (word processing)
- Lotus 1-2-3 (spreadsheet)
- Lotus Organizer (personal information manager)
- Lotus Freelance Graphics (presentations)
- Lotus Approach (database)
- IBM ViaVoice Gold
- Headset Microphone
Sun's StarOffice 6 has a list price of $75.95 and includes:
- StarOffice Writer (word processing)
- StarOffice Calc (spreadsheet)
- StarOffice Impress (presentations)
- StarOffice Draw (drawing)
- StarOffice Base (database)
In addition, StarOffice runs on Solaris and Linux as well as Windows. Apple and Sun recently denied a rumor that they were collaborating on a port of StarOffice for Mac OS X "at this time." Look for a Mac version within 6-12 months. And remember you heard it here first.
All three "alternative" office suites readily read and save files in formats compatible with each other as well as their corresponding Microsoft Office application.
It is often written that wanting to escape the clutches of Microsoft is not a good reason to use a Mac. Microsoft Office for the Mac (retail price of v.X for OS X is $499) - which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage (Personal Information Manager) - is the only game in town. Internet Explorer is the only credible Mac browser.
Nonsense.
For $79, you can purchase AppleWorks 6, which includes word processing, page layout, painting, spreadsheet, database, and presentation functions. The $79 price is a bit misleading. If you bought your Mac new, you probably received a free copy pre-installed - it's included with every iBook, iMac, and eMac. AppleWorks can also read and save file in Microsoft Office-compatible format.
Browser? Try Netscape, Mozilla, iCab, Opera, or OmniWeb.
You say you are not a pioneer? You don't want to be the first to buck the trend? Understandable. Don't worry. You will not be alone. In fact, you will have some rather noteworthy company.
"The pricing and licensing problems we have had with Microsoft around Office are the primary reason why I want to move the entire company onto StarOffice," said Eric LeSatz, Vice President of IS Administration for A.B. Watley Inc., a New York stock brokerage. (Peter Galli, More PC Makers Try Alternatives to Microsoft Suites, eWeek, Sept. 2, 2002.)
"A lot of applications are superior to Microsoft products," said Ruthann Stolzman, who runs a desktop publishing business in Saratoga, CA. "Alternatives and personal choices are the American way."
The world's largest computer manufacturer, Hewlett-Packard, is now shipping Corel WordPerfect Office instead of Microsoft Works on its Pavilion line of desktop PCs. Dell, the second largest PC maker, has also replaced Microsoft's products with WordPerfect on some of its models. Sony ships WordPerfect on several of its models, including both budget and high-end PCs.
According to Corel, their deals with HP, Sony, and Dell will garner approximately 5 million WordPerfect sales, increasing WordPerfect's installed base by 25%. That is 5 million sales that Microsoft won't make.
Perhaps the most encouraging news of all can be found at www.walmart.com. Ther you will find a range of PC's for sale, beginning at $199 - yes, a PC for less than $200. How? The hardware is not cutting edge, but it is more than sufficient for the typical consumer. However, the primary reason these PCs cost so little is because the manufacturer pays no Microsoft licensing fees. Zero. The PCs run a new OS called Lindows OS. The menu bar on the home page bears a striking resemblance to that of Apple, but that is probably just a coincidence.
Lindows is a version of Linux that will run certain Windows programs natively. Exactly how it does this is beyond the scope of this article, but suffice it to say that some clever programmers work for this company. Predictably, Microsoft has sued Lindows. However, in all motions that have come before the court to date, Microsoft has lost each and every one.
Lindows costs $99 and includes access to what the company calls their "Click-N-Run Warehouse," which is essentially hundreds of software titles that are downloaded and installed with a single click. Among the software choices are StarOffice and OpenOffice, another Microsoft Office alternative. For the $99 purchase price, you can install it on every PC in your household. Volume pricing for businesses has not yet been determined.
I have rambled on quite a bit about events that may appear to have little to do with Apple. This is, after all, a Mac-oriented website.
In reality, the developments chronicled above have everything to do with Apple. The more that non-Microsoft offices suites, browsers, and operating systems permeate the market, the less resistance Apple will find in convincing Windows users to switch. After all, if the standard becomes less of a standard, the only real argument impeding Apple in the enterprise market will cease to hold water.
Thanks to companies like Corel, Sun, and Lindows joining the good
fight with Apple, the consumer once again has choice. We may finally
see Microsoft's market shares plateau and begin to decline. Less of a
Microsoft presence in the market is good for Apple, good for the
consumer, and good for the industry. Choice is good.
Steve Watkins is the Vice President for Information Technology for a mid-sized bank and also an attorney. He has been a Mac user for about ten years. He has owned some PCs along the way - but always came back to the Mac. If you find Steve's's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
Recent Practical Mac Articles
- 5 things Apple is doing right in 2008 - and 5 it could do better, 03.24. Apple has made great strides in the past five years, but there are still a few areas that need to be addressed.
- MacBook Air a compelling option for the true road warrior, 02.22. Although it's not intended as a desktop replacement and has a few shortcomings, the lightweight MacBook Air with its 13" display could be the perfect field computer.
- Mailsmith a simple, powerful, spam fighting alternative to Apple Mail, 04.23. Mailsmith is bundled with SpamSieve, integrates with Address Book, and has very flexible scripting tools combined with elegant simplicity.
- Can your spam with SpamSieve, 02.02. "Right out of the box, SpamSieve exceeded the accuracy of the Apple Mail filter I've been training for over a year."
- More in the Practical Mac index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: Quadra 700, Oct. 1991 - The successor to the Mac IIci ran a 'wicked fast' 25 MHz 68040 processor.
- List of the Day: Apple TV List The Apple TV List is a forum to discuss the Apple TV.
- August 29 in LEM history: 00: My lowest low-end Mac - 01: Uncluttered organization - Microsoft wins over Mac user - 02: Salute to SatireWire - 03: Wireless Internet popping up everywhere - 05: World domination, online or off - A 3-dimensional Dock replacement - 06: Productive at the low end - PowerPC vs. Intel - Secure wireless
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Looking for a Content Management System That's as Easy as Mac, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.29. Low End Mac needs to move to a content management system, but the few we've tried just don't cut it for people used to the simple elegance of the Mac.
- First 3 Million Mac Quarter, Skinny on Mac mini Pricing, Mac-like gOS, and More, Mac News Review, 08.29. More plan to buy Apple products than ever before, complete reset can fix MobileMac synch problems, Apple boosting computer and smartphone share, and more.
- New 'Books Likely in September, 17" PowerBook Display Fault Site, SSD Security, and More, The 'Book Review, 08.29. Also 6 ways to speed up your MacBook, next generation MacBook Air CPU, MacBook Air Update, LapStrap carrying solution, rise and fall of ultraportables, bargains from $220 to $2,699, and more.
- iPhone 3G Reception 'Completely Normal', AT&T International Data Plans for iPhone, and More, iNews Review, 08.29. Also longer life for iPod earbuds, an alternative to MobileMe, new cases and apps for iPhone, AppStoreGems website launched, and more.
- Best Power Mac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29. Used 450 MHz AGP, $75; 500, $99; 800 QS, $199; 1.25 GHz MDD, $375; 450 MHz dual, $179; 867 dual, $300; 1 GHz dual, $395; 1.42 dual, $575.
- Best iBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29. Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 500 CD, $150; 800, $200; 600 CD-RW, $240; 900 Combo, $300; 14" 600, $360; 900, $400.
- Best iPod nano Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29. Used 2 GB iPod nano, $89; refurb 3G 4 GB, $99; new, $140; refurb 8 GB, $149; new, $179.
- 10 Mac Browsers Compared, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 08.28. A look at Internet Explorer, Radon, Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Firefox, Netscape Navigator, Flock, and Camino running in Leopard.
- Clone and Boot: Another Advantage of the Mac OS, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 08.28. Unlike Windows, Apple makes it possible to clone a bootable drive (Classic Mac OS or OS X) and use it with another supported Mac.
- Best MacBook Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28. Used 1.83 GHz, $799; 2.0 black, $875; refurb 2.1 GHz, $899; 2.4, $1,099; black, $1,299; new 2.1, $1,019 after rebate; 22, $1,094; 2.4, $1,219 a/r; black, $1,394 a/r.
- Best iMac G5 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28. Used 17" 1.6 GHz Combo, $499; 1.8 SuperDrive, $530; 2.0, $600; 1.9 iSight, $625; 20" 1.8 GHz, $580; 2.0, $650; 2.1 iSight, $700.
- Best classic Mac OS Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28. System 6, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5.1, $4; Mac OS 7.6, $13; 8.0, $13; 8.1, $48; 8.5, $25; 8.6, $20; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $20; more.
- CrossOver Strikes Out, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 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.
- MacDrought: 4 Months with No New Macs, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.27. The most recent Mac update was over four months ago, and the Mac mini has been unchanged for over a year.
- Resurrecting a Dead Pismo, Spotlight Search Tip, and EasyFind a Good File Finder, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.27. Lots of tips on bringing a comatose Pismo back to life, a Spotlight file name search tip, and EasyFind as an alternative to Spotlight.
- Best Intel iMac Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27. Used 17" 1.83 GHz, $625; 20", $599; 2.16, $749; 24", $950; refurb 20" 2.4, $999; 2.66, $1,299; 24" 2.4, $1,299; 2.8, $1,549; new 3.06, $2,094 after rebate; more.
- Best 15" PowerBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27. Used 1.25 GHz Combo, $600; SuperDrive, $650; 1.33 Combo, $640; 1.5, $680; SD, $725; 1.67, $730; hi-res, $800.
- Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27. 500 GB Time Capsule, $294; 1 TB, $468; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; 802.11n Base Station, $166; 802.11g AirPort Express, $60; 802.11n, $98.
- More links in our archive.
About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts
Have a question?
Ask an expert!
Navigation
Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Best Used Macs
Video Cards
Email Lists
InfoMac's Low
End Mac Forum
Favorite Sites
MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System
6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
Mac FAQ
Abandonware
Petition
Mac vs. PC Info
Affiliates
The Apple
Store
Mac
Connection
MacMall
TechRestore
MacResQ
ExperCom
Crucial
Memory
batteries.com
Advertise
