The Mac Lawyer : Ben Stevens : Using Macs In The Practice Of Law

Some people swear that keyboard shortcuts save time over pointing and clicking with a mouse. For those that prefer the keyborad shortcuts, wouldn't it be nice to have a comprehensive list of available shortcuts? What about mulitple lists?

Ask, and you shall receive. Here you go:

• General Mac OS X Shortcuts

• Apple Mail Shortcuts

• Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
  (for your yet-to-be-converted friends)

Source: "Keyboard Shortcuts for OS X and Email Apps" by Tim Gaden, posted at Hawk Wings.

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Some MacBooks have experienced a problem in which they suddenly and unexpectedly shutdown. To fix this annoying problem, Apple has released a firmware update that it promises will solve the problem by improving the MacBook's internal monitoring system. This update is recommended for all MacBook systems, even those that have received warranty repair. You can read more about this update and/or download it by clicking HERE. Kudos to Apple for identifying this problem and offering a fast, effective solution.

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As I posted earlier this week, Apple has released its upgraded MacBook Pro notebook computers. Perhaps less noticed and/or overlooked in the hoopla is the fact that Mac OS X (Tiger) has been enhanced for the Intel Core 2 Duo processors. From its Press Release:

"Apple has enhanced Mac OS® X to take advantage of the technology advances from Intel's Core 2 Duo processors, resulting in increased performance in professional applications like Aperture™ 1.5, Final Cut Pro® 5 and Logic Pro 7."

The new MacBook Pro notebooks ship with Mac OS X 10.4.8, which was just released on September 29, 2006. Switch to a Mac points out that Microsoft cannot make a claim that their current shipping operating system Windows XP has been enhanced to leverage the Intel Core 2 Duo.

This enhancement provides yet another advantage in the Mac OS X versus Windows OS comparison, as it demonstrates the inherent modern architecture of the Mac OS X operating system and that Apple can introduce updates to a shipping version of their operating system to leverage new processor features and technologies.

Source: "Mac OS X Tiger Now Enhanced for Intel Core 2 Duo" published at Switch To A Mac.

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You probably know that you can quickly search / locate anything on your harddrive via Mac OS X's Spotlight, simply by clicking Command (⌘) + Spacebar. As quickly as you can type in your search terms, Spotlight lists all relevant files, emails, contacts, images, movies, calendars, and applications. Best of all, the content of all such items is constantly indexed and updated, so your search results include what appears inside a file or document, and not just its title.

Sometimes, you may want to show the selected search result item in the Finder. By simply clicking Command (⌘) and your desired entry in Spotlight's drop-down search result list, a new Finder window will open to the folder containing the item you selected. This method apparently will not work with some items, such as iCal events, Mail messages, and bookmarks, but it seems to work just fine for everything else.

Source: "Show Spotlight Results in Finder" by Rob Griffiths, posted at Mac OS X Hints Weblog.

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Yesterday, Apple announced its upgraded MacBook Pro notebook computers, which now feature Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Performance is significantly improved in the new models, with the new machines reportedly 39 percent faster.

The new models also offer twice the standard memory, greater storage capacity, a FireWire 800 port for high-speed peripheral connections, and a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing. The MacBook Pro is still offered in both 15 inch and 17 inch models, with several configuration options and prices start at $1,999 and $2,799 respectively.

You can pick one up at the Apple Store online, Apple's retail stores, and Apple Authorized Resellers. You can also read much more about these new models at:

• Apple :: "The New MacBook Pro. Seatbelts Sold Separately."
  
• AppleInsider :: "Apple Introduces Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro Notebooks"
  
• Switch to a Mac :: "Apple Updates MacBook Pro Line to Intel Core 2 Duo"
  
• MacMerc :: "Apple MacBook Pro -- Now With Intel Core 2 Duo Processors"

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It appears that Microsoft is planning to charge a premium for Mac users wanting to run its upcoming Vista operating system using virtualization. AppleInsider reported earlier this week that Vista's licensing agreement states that its users "may not use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system."

Instead, Microsoft apparently plans to require users to purchase a Vista Business or Vista Ultimate license (expected retail prices of $299 and $399 respectively) in order to emulate the Windows environment. That type of license allows you to "use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on the licensed device."

While Apple's Boot Camp software allows Intel Macs to run Windows operating systems natively and without the need for emulation, most users appear to favor virtualization solutions, such as Parallels. Boot Camp allows users to run either Mac OS X or Windows when they start up their machines, but virtualization solutions allow both operating systems to run simultaneously.

It appears to me that while Apple is working to make its computers and operating systems more available to everyone, Microsoft is doing the opposite. Is this a case of Microsoft beginning to acknowlege the heat that Macs are putting on PCs, or is this simply a case of Microsoft trying to gouge as much money as it can at every turn?

Source: "Microsoft Seeks Premium to Allow Virtualization of Vista" published at AppleInsider.

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Did you know that your Mac will zoom in on anything? This feature is available simply by holding down Control and using your scroll wheel. If you use a notebook computer, you substitute two fingerson your trackpad for the scroll wheel. Using this function, you can zoom in and out to your heart's content. This feature comes in handy when trying to view small text or fine detail, or simply to give old tired eyes a break after a long day.

Source: "Quick Zoom with Your Mac" by Adam Pash, published at the LifeHacker blog, citing this post published at The Daring Fireball blog.

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Have you ever wanted to send an email at a later, specified time? If so, you can use Andreas Mann's "Schedule Delivery" script (part of his Mail Scripts collection), to schedule delivery without leaving Mail and without restricting the way you compose your email.

Here are the step by step instructions:

1. Compose your message as you normally do and add any attachments you want to send.

2. Save the message in the Drafts folder.

3. Run the "Schedule Delivery" Script (via a hotkey or a quick launcher like Quicksilver), and you are presented with a window that allows you to schedule the delivery of all emails in your Drafts folder.

4. Be sure to have your computer on at the scheduled delivery time in order for the email to be sent.

Mail Scripts is freeware (but obviously donations are not refused), and it is available from Andreas' web site.

Source: "Two Ways to Send Emails at a Specific Time" by Tim Gaden, published at his excellent Hawk Wings blog.

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For many years, I have been a user of PCs - from DOS 3.0 on up to Windows 2003 Server.  This was not because I dislike Macs, but because my job has been taking care of Windows environments.  You see, I am the Director of Media & Technology for the South Carolina Bar, a position I have held for over 12 years.

Last November, a friend of mine told me of the many great things he was doing with a Mac PowerBook G4. I talked the Bar's Executive Director into purchasing one for me to "test drive."  Now, we already had five Macs in our Communications Division, so I have had some experience with them, but not as my main computer or main laptop. At any rate, I got a 15" PowerBook G4 with 2GB of RAM and 100GB HD with a determination to learn something new and form my own opinion.

The G4 is now the only laptop I use, and I'm having a great time learning all the stuff it can do.  I only wish it was a MacBook Pro, so I could experiment with running XP on it.  I now only carry a Windows laptop for our speakers using PowerPoint who are not comfortable with the Mac.  I have had little issue in learning the machine, and it only took about a week for me to get comfortable with it.

Last month, I purchased a Mac Pro for home (I do some video projects on the side) loaded with dual 3.0ghz Xeons, 5GB of RAM, a 250GB system drive, a 500GB secondary drive, and a 23" Cinema Display. I have Final Cut Studio loaded on it.  It is way cool.

I still have a PC at home, but I use Remote Desktop Connector (available on Microsoft's website) on the Mac to connect to it. In fact, I have Remote Desktop loaded on my PowerBook, and I can administer any Windows server here at the Bar building from almost anywhere. I still have Quicken and a couple of other windows things on the PC at home that I'm not quite ready to move to Mac yet.

My two Media staff members have until recently been editing all the Distance Learning and other video programming for the Bar on Windows machines with Adobe Premiere and the video suite.  However, I anticipate switching them over to Mac Pros next July. We bought one just like the one I have at home for them to use to learn Final Cut. 

I am convinced that Final Cut is a better tool than Premiere, even though we have used Premiere for the past six years. Apple seems to stay one step ahead of Adobe. Also, at some point, I plan to install an XSan for video warehousing and sharing, and I am anxious to get my hands on OS X Server.

The only thing I haven't found just yet for the Mac is a comparable program to MS Access. My friends tell me MySQL is the route for the Mac, and I have downloaded it and am just cracking it.  By the way, we just loaded LINUX on an old computer here at the Bar, and we are trying OpenOffice on it.

I read with interest Larry Bodine's article about the issues he claimed to have had with a PowerMac G5.  Even as a novice Mac user, I can't see why Mr. Bodine is having that much trouble, unless it is all on purpose.  It could have been a marketing ploy as you suggested, but in my opinion it was not a very good one.

If Mr. Bodine wants to trash his G5, I will be glad to roll my trash can to the end of his driveway to collect it.  I believe that you have to try new things with an open mind, and it sounds to me like he got the Mac with a predisposition.  Keep up the great work with your blog!

Joey Heape
Director of Media & Technology
South Carolina Bar

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I wrestled a bit with this post because it may fall into the "duh" category. However, I then remembered that it took a while before I learned this trick myself and how happy I was when I did. Therefore, post it I shall...

If you have spent time with a Mac, you have undoubtedly noticed that it probably did not have a "right-click" button. The basic Apple mouse is a one button creature, with that being the left-click function. Mac laptops also feature only one button as well, again a left-click. I have never understood the logic (illogic?) behind this design decision, but the fact remains that there are many helpful functions that can be performed with a simple right-click.

Never fear, you can quickly mimic the right click by pressing the Control key and then clicking the mouse. Depending on where you are when you do this, you get one of the following options:

• Control-click on a link in Safari and you'll see various options to download, open in new windows, add to bookmarks, etc.
  
• Control-click on a desktop item to show a menu with Finder commands such as New Folder, Get Info, etc.
  
• Control-click on the Macintosh HD (or any other hard drive) or CD to show a menu with numerous options.
  
• Control-click on a folder to bring up a menu with options such as Open, Get Info, Move to Trash, etc.
  
• Control-click on a file to bring up a menu with options such Open, Get Info, Move to Trash, Duplicate, etc.

Note that many of the newer Macs (such as the iMac and Mac Pro) now ship with the two button Apple Mighty Mouse, but my favorite desktop, the Mac mini does not ship with a mouse. I hope that this "duh" post is helpful to at least one of my readers and that it's not "too basic" for the rest of you.

Source: "Switcher Tip: Right Click on a 1 Button Mouse" published at Switch To A Mac.

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As you are no doubt aware, legal marketing guru Larry Bodine recently published an article at Law.com slamming Macs. As I previously posted, his article was full of half-truths and inaccuracies. MacDailyNews published a comprehensive rebuttal to the allegations made by Mr. Bodine, and I believe that it is worth republishing here:

Rather than rip the poor guy, as he obviously has been ruined by years of being shackled to Microsoft's upside-down and backwards Windows OS and their Office software, let's just make some points and realize that Apple has a lot of work to do in helping personal computer users to unlearn bad Windows habits and learn how to properly use Macs:

• Mr. Bodine bought a Power Mac G5 at pretty much exactly the wrong time. That's unfortunate. If he had not purchased a PowerPC Mac (and why did he get a Mac tower, when he was replacing an IBM laptop?) and instead purchased an Intel-based iMac, Mac mini, MacBook or MacBook Pro (all of which were available on May 21, 2006), he would be able to run Windows for applications he can't figure out how to use on Mac or that don't meet his requirements.
• Whoever sold him that Power Mac G5 did him more than a bit of a disservice by not anticipating his needs or informing him about the Intel transition. If he bought it himself without asking a Mac savvy person for advice, he made a mistake.
• He certainly bought way too much Mac and the wrong Mac model for his needs. He spent far too much; an inexpensive Intel-powered Mac mini would have sufficed.
• So, to make it absolutely clear: all Macs purchased today run Windows. Buying an HP, Dell or other OS-limited PC now makes no sense whatsoever.
• Mr. Bodine may indeed be "smart," but he ignorantly seemed to expect a Mac to work like Windows. It doesn't. He should have actually read his "Dummies" book, it would have helped immensely.
• Macs, including the Mac he bought, all ship with a multi-button, scroll ball Apple Mighty Mouse. If his didn't for some reason, he could have easily and inexpensively purchased one or any multi-button USB scroll wheel mouse and it would work just fine with Mac OS X.
• That a Mac such as his was "slow" and "hanging up" is a warning sign that something was wrong. That Mac should have been blazingly fast for the basic tasks he describes. That he used so much Microsoft software is also a warning sign and could be a contributor to those issues.
• When he talks about "Finder" he is really talking about Spotlight. It sounds like he didn't take 5 minutes to learn how to use it properly.
• Microsoft makes Word for Mac, not Apple. If you don't like something about it, that's a Microsoft complaint, not an Apple Mac complaint.
• To delete a file or files on a Mac, select the file(s) in the Finder and hit Command-Delete to move them quickly into the Trash for quick deleting.
• Microsoft makes PowerPoint for Mac, not Apple. If you don't like something about it, that's a Microsoft complaint, not an Apple Mac complaint.
• Apple's Keynote presentation program makes better presentations than PowerPoint, by the way.
• You can do things as quickly or more quickly with a Mac than with a PC, but the Mac won't magically remove your bad Windows habits and explain the proper way to do things. He should have used his Mac's built-in help system, read his "Dummies" book, and asked a Mac user for some help.
• To make a new print setting with a Mac, save a preset in the Print dialog box with your desired settings. Choose that preset to quickly print however you'd like.
• Mac's screenshot ability is unmatched by Windows:
  • ⌘-Shift-3 (Command-Shift-3): Take a picture of the entire screen and save as a file
  • ⌘-Control-Shift-3 (Command-Control-Shift-3): Take a picture of the entire screen and copy to the clipboard
  • ⌘-Shift-4 (Command-Shift-4): Take a picture of the dragged area and save as a file
  • ⌘-Control-Shift-4 (Command-Control-Shift-4): Capture dragged area and copy to the clipboard
  • ⌘-Shift-4 then Space bar (Command-Shift-4 then Space bar): Capture a window, menu, desktop icon, or the menu bar and save as a file 

  • ⌘-Control-Shift-4 then Space bar (Command-Control-Shift-4 then Space bar): Capture a window, menu, desktop icon, or the menu bar and copy to the clipboard 

  • You can also take pictures of the screen using the Grab application (in the Utilities folder).
• iCal or Mail do not require a .Mac account. It's too bad he didn't try the applications.
• Third-party software complaints are for the companies making the software, not Apple. Oftentimes, the features Windows users want within Mac versions of software are there, they just can't seem to shed their Windows ideas of how to accomplish them and/or explore the Mac program's features.
• If you short-sightedly limit your Web sites by developing only for Microsoft IE, it is not Apple's or any other browser's fault that you "can't operate your own Web sites with the Mac." There are Web standards for a reason. Follow them and any browser will work correctly. Mr. Bodine has no right to complain about this issue.
• Hard drives fail. Even in Macs. Backup regularly. Apple did replace it for free.
• Mr. Bodine should not be recommending people don't buy Macs. He knows very little about how to use a Mac. However, articles of this stripe are informative and should give Apple and the Mac community the impetus to figure out ways to better help such users.
• Some Windows users have a huge mountain overcome when it comes to shedding bad habits and learning how to use a Mac properly. Hopefully Apple and all of us who are so inclined can help new Mac users to acclimate better.
• Mr. Bodine should sell that Power Mac and get himself a MacBook or MacBook Pro. He should install Windows for applications he needs and take the time to learn about the Mac while still accomplishing his work. Over time, he would realize that the Mac is a far superior personal computer.

Source: "Legal consultant can't figure out how to use an Apple Mac" published at MacDailyNews.

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One last thought on my post yesterday about Larry Bodine's recent article slamming Macs, I direct your attention today to "Would You Trust A Lawyer Who Can't Run A Mac?" by Kate MacKenzie, published at Mac360.com, which asked the following questions:

• Would you trust your case to a lawyer who admits that a Mac is just too difficult to learn?

• How stupid is the lawyer who will admit he's unable to make a Mac work?

She opines that Mr. Bodine is "more stupid than most elementary school students, who have little trouble operating a Mac" and that he "has provided the single longest list of idiot, jackass remarks ever recorded in a single article." Ouch!

Maybe Ms. MacKenzie is a little heavy-handed in her criticism of Mr. Bodine, but perhaps as I suggested yesterday, he wrote that article with the intent of drawing the ire of Mac users and creating a flood of web traffic in the process. My suspicion is that Mr. Bodine is crazy like a fox on this one, but you can make your own determination.

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In an article posted today at Law.com, Larry Bodine lists the many ways that he finds Macs (cough) inferior to (cough) PCs. He refers to his Power Mac G5 Dual 2.7GHz as a "boat anchor" and a "silvery box of frustration." Unfortunately, his article is somewhat hard to believe for anyone that has used a Mac for anything other than a very short period of time. His article is full of half-truths (at best) and outright inaccuracies (at worst), such as:

• Mr. Bodine claims that one must "buy an @mac.com address" in order to use Apple Mail. Of course, this is completely false, and you can use Mail with all of the popular email formats.

• He complains about the one button mouse and lack of a scroll wheel -- all the while totally ignoring the dual click and scrolling features provided by the Mighty Mouse.

• He claims that "doing a simple screen capture was an immense chore" and that one must "download and launch special programs" in order to accomplish this basic task. Of course, Mac OS X allows you to use Cmd-Shift-3 to capture your whole screen and automatically save it on your desktop as a PNG file.

Mr. Bodine complains that his Mac was so difficult to use that he "had to buy a 'Dummies' book on how to operate it." Since I enjoy reading his LawMarketing Blog, I will pass up what may be a potentially obvious joke lurking somewhere in his quote. Maybe I am just overly skeptical, but I am somewhat suspicious that Mr. Bodine's article was written with the intent of driving traffic to his blog. After all, he is a marketing guru, and what better way to prove it than to be able to claim that he was able to create a firestorm resulting in X,000 visits to so-and-so's website in a single day! To further support my theory, I direct you to his post this afternoon in which he says

Thank you my Mac friends for making this blog one of the most popular in the marketing field! Since midnight last night, 5,066 unique visitors have come to the blog. You guys are the best traffic builders a fella could want!

Don't take my word for any of this. Read his article, "Commentary: Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree", and judge for yourself.

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I previously posted about Using RSS Feeds in Your Law Practice. As I mentioned in that post, there are two excellent RSS readers for Mac OS X: NetNewsWire and NewsFire. These newsreaders offer the benefits of reading RSS feeds without requiring you to be connected to the internet to do so.

There is an excellent post at the Macintalk blog which gives an in-depth comparision of these two programs. This article compares the following areas: Aesthetics, Interface, Browsing, Importing and Exporting Feeds, and Podcasting.

The author concludes that the better newsreader for you "all depends on how you read feeds. If you're a hardcore RSS junky, NetNewsWire is for you. Personally I find that NewsFire is more effective in the way I read feeds, which is to scan the headlines and open the ones that interest me in Safari."

For what it's worth, I use NetNewsWire and I have been using it for quite some time. I like its ability to open posts and browse within its built-in web browser instead of being forced to use a separate program to do so. Also, it integrates with MarsEdit, a companion program from the same developer that is probably the premier weblog editor for Mac OS X.

Source: "NewsFire vs. NetNewsWire" published at the Macintalk blog. Thanks to The Unofficial Apple Weblog for its post on this article.

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Are you still debating whether or not you should switch to a Mac? If so, you should read "Switch to a Mac and You'll Never Go Back", which addresses the following questions:

Will I cut myself off from the rest of civilization?

You will cut yourself off from a plethora of viruses, spyware and other malware. However, you won't be cutting yourself off from the things that matter. In fact, Mac enthusiasts will argue you will actually be joining the civilized world.

What about compatibility?

Your data will be compatible if the same application is available on both platforms. For instance, many popular software programs exist on both Macs and PCs, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat. You can check out CrossOSS, which specializes in listing applications that run on both platforms.

Files or data that don't have an application available on a Mac, can usually be exported to a common format and then imported into a Mac application. For instance, I used this method to convert my (PC only) Amicus Attorney data over to LawStream on my Mac and then later into Daylite.

Even if you are using an application whose files you can't convert to the Mac, you can use one of the several options to run Windows on your Mac. I use this method to run the South Carolina Child Support Calculator.

Virtually all hardware is compatible with Macs. In fact, in most cases you will not even have to download or install a driver.

How easy is the Mac to learn?

The author of the article says that while there is a learning curve, at least 80% is the same or very similar between Windows and Macs. I believe that the switch is very simple for most people. I have found that in as little as two or three days, most people have the basics of the Mac OS down. Those programs that work on both Mac and Windows are very, very similar. The author and I agree that there is a great deal of software that will make you glad you switched, and the operating system itself, OS X, is even easier to learn.

Is the Mac really more secure?

The Mac is inherently more secure, and that cannot be argued. As a result, the chances of a virus infection is quite low. There are possibly security holes in OS X that could be exploited by a virus or a trojan (trojans require some help from the user to infiltrate a computer, and so are usually disguised as friendly programs), but these would be few and so much easier to address and patch. Windows on the other hand, is like a sieve - there seems to be too many holes to patch. As soon as one is, another is found.

Source: "Switch to a Mac and You'll Never Go Back" by Chris Howard, published at AppleMatters.

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You may not have known this, but the Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU) at Microsoft has a blog, Mac Mojo, which includes posts from a wide array of people in that unit.

When questions arise about Microsoft Office for Mac, where does the MacBU look for answers? According to this post, these are five of the top resources they report using:

• Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Resource Kit version 2
• Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Solutions Center
• Mactopia Resources
• The Entourage Help Page
• MacWindows.com

Source: "Mac Office Resource Links" by Brian Johnson, published at the Mac Mojo blog.

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Google announced earlier this week that it has formed a Mac Engineering Team and started the Google Mac Blog. In its first post, that blog states its aim

It means making products that everyone can use - including Mac users. We want to provide great products and services to the tens of millions of Mac users around the world, because it's the right thing to do, and because Mac users inside and outside Google demand it.

Google also has made the following available at www.google.com/mac:

• Dashboard widgets for checking Gmail, posting to your blog, and checking your search history
  
• Google Notifier that alerts you to new Gmail messages and (a Mac-only feature) upcoming Google Calendar events
  
• Safari support for Google Calendar
  
• Mac support for Google Video
  
• Mac version of Google Earth

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I gave a presentation several weeks ago on Effectively Using Family Law Blogs at the annual "Hot Tips From the Coolest Domestic Law Practitioners" seminar presented by the South Carolina Bar.  In this presentation, I pointed out the many ways that legal blogs and RSS feeds can revolutionize your law practice and really the way that you view and use the internet.

If you are not familiar with RSS feeds, you need to be! They can make your web usage so much more efficient that you will literally wonder how you ever got along before them. Using RSS, you are able to monitor a large quantity of information quickly and easily. Echoing my thoughts, Alex Wollenschlaeger of The Unofficial Apple Weblog recently posted

It's no exaggeration to say that the day I started using a feed reader, my internet life changed forever. Suddenly, instead of having to click through my regular cohort of a few dozen sites, I was able to scan hundreds of sites for the news I wanted.

The Wall Street Journal Online has an excellent article, A Guide to Using RSS, to help get you up and running. Once you realize the benefits of RSS feeds, you will need to decide how you want to read/monitor them. There are two basic ways to read and subscribe to RSS feeds: (1) newsreader software (such as NetNewsWire or NewsFire), and (2) a Web based newsreader platform (such as Bloglines, Google Reader, or NewsGator). I will take a closer looks at the differences in these in later posts.

Note: If you're interested in viewing the written materials from Effectively Using Family Law Blogs, you can download a *.pdf version of my written materials by clicking HERE.

Source: "Hot Tips From the Coolest Domestic Law Practitioners" by Ben Stevens, published at The South Carolina Family Law Blog.

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If you haven't yet made the decision to switch to a Mac and want more information to help you decide, you should visit "Switching to Mac: Useful Sites and Articles". This site contains a comprehensive listing of articles written for people in your situation. Some of the featured sites listed on this list are:

• Get a Mac from Apple
• Switch To a Mac blog
• Switching To The Mac: A Guide For Windows Users from TechWeb
• Tips for a Mac Switcher from BoydCreative blog
• CrossOSS: Cross Platform Software Database

Source: "Switching to Mac: Useful Sites and Articles" by Chris Howard of The Qwertyrash Blogs.

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From Chris Pirillo of Lockergnome.com:

Your next computer may very well come from Apple, largely based on my first reason you'll be compelled to "think different."

1. Duality. Windows Vista won't be blocked on Intel-based Apple hardware. This means you will (in theory) be able to purchase a Mac computer and run Windows on it, just as you would a regular ol' PC. At least, Apple won't stop folks from doing so. However, current AND future "Windows" machines will not be able to run OS X. That's a big win for Apple. It's upon this first point that the rest of my list is built.

2. Style. Yes, you can trick out your PC with all sorts of neon cables and fancy case accoutrements - but there's something to be said about Apple's simplicity. No other PC manufacturer has come close to mass producing an elegant design that was equally as functional. It's the hardware, man.

3. Fun. When was the last time you downloaded something new. And I don't mean a new registry cleaner. I mean something completely and utterly new - out of the box new. Something that you just hadn't seen before (either freeware or shareware). The old "there's no software for the Mac" argument hasn't held water for a couple of years now, overturning itself with the advent of OS X. You'll now have a safety net underneath you.

4. Knowledge. Don't let platform bigotry get in the way of understanding and appreciating good technology. We all are better for knowing more, and that's something you should look forward to doing - not avoiding at all costs. Bury the hatchet if you think that this still is the Mac you first saw in 1984.

5. Equality. Pretty much anything and everything you can do in Windows, you can now do on OS X. Not everything, mind you - but in knowing that a new Apple machine (with proper software, I'd assume) will allow you to boot into Windows, any kind of OS driver issues will be further minimized. There's always Microsoft's Virtual PC, too.

6. Support. Think about it for a second: just how many millions (if not billions) of Windows PC hardware configurations are out there? Now, how many Apple hardware configurations are there? Believe me, thousands of Windows problems are rooted in the very hardware the OS itself is running atop. When there are a limited amount of possibilities that exist, you should find a solution quicker - or possibly know that no solution exists.

7. Malaise. This market is full of it - PC manufacturers who knowingly make crappy systems, larger-than-life brands who can't deliver on their "help desk" promises, etc. To put it to you another way, I'm still struggling to find a computer builder who isn't gonna give me a raw deal for a system. I know what kind of hardware I want, but I also appreciate having a single warranty (four years, minimum). Forget about all the names you think are great - because they're not. They *ALL* suck, and it may be time that we consumers start telling 'em to get their act together and give us an amazing experience. Not to say that Apple would be any better, but it's no worse than any existing PC alternative!

8. iPod. Yes, it's overpriced. Yes, the ala carte pricing stinks compared to existing (and future) subscription models like Napster. However, it's also holding over 80% of the portable media player market! Car manufacturers, accessory crafters, and countless other services are springing up around a single device - and there's no such thing as an iPod killer, so get over it. If something isn't iPod compatible, it likely doesn't have longevity or enough market share to be worthwhile. You can use your iPod on Windows, but... it's sincerely not the same.

9. Malware. Viruses, Spyware, et al - they're bad, and they're all over Windows. Even when Vista ships, it will still be vulnerable to the same software that has plagued previous and existing versions of the OS. If you don't want your parents to accidentally send a trojan out to everybody in their address book, don't buy 'em software that might or might NOT work - have them run on OS X. It really sucks to say that, but Windows is still the tallest nail (and it will continue to get pounded as such). When you absolutely NEED your Windows software, it should only be a click away on the same machine.

10. Change. When was the last time you were excited about using your computer? Something different is something good - and a new Microsoft operating system (the first one in half a decade) is not likely to do the trick. Are you bored with the way things work? Do you want your computing lifestyle to be interesting again? Consider something new, something completely new ... and now for something completely different.

Source: "Ten Reasons Your Next PC Will Be From Apple" by Chris Pirillo, published at Lockergnome.com on January 11, 2006.

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StuffIt Deluxe v. 11 was released last week by Allume Systems. StuffIt is perhaps best known for its ability to expand anything, considering the fact that it gives users access to more that 20 different compression formats.

New to this release is support for StuffIt Collections, which let you group related files together -- such as photos or documents related to a particular. This version also features an archive manager that allows you to immediately display all the StuffIt, ZIP, TAR and RAR archives on your Mac. The software also has improved OS X integration with Automator workflows, JPEG preview image thumbnails, Universal binary support, and more.

The suggested retail price of StuffIt Deluxe v. 11 is $79.99, but it is available for download from Allume's website for $59.99 for a limited time. A free 30 day trial is also available. You can read about all of the features and capabilities of Version 11 by clicking HERE.

Thanks to News4Mac and MacCentral for their respective posts on this new release.

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Experts say that Apple plans to update both its MacBook and MacBook Pro lines of Intel notebook computers in time for the holiday shopping season. AppleInsider reports that development of Core 2 Duo versions of all three models (the 13-inch MacBook, 15-inch MacBook Pro, and 17-inch MacBook Pro) are now complete and all that's left is for Apple marketing to pull the trigger.

The updates are expected to arrive sometime between now and late November, but it is unclear whether Apple will launch the new consumer MacBooks and professional MacBook Pro models simultaneously, or if it will space the releases to assure it maintains enough of Intel Corp.'s Core 2 Duo processors to properly facilitate each launch.

"Apple to Update MacBook Lines in Time for Holidays" by Kasper Jade, published at AppleInsider.

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You are probably familiar with Microsoft's PowerPoint presentation software. Can you imagine a similar product that can enable you to make Hollywood quality presentations -- and to do it today? With Apple's Keynote 3, you can.

The original version of Keynote was released in early January, 2003. The January 30, 2003 issue of Forbes asked: "How does Keynote stack up against PowerPoint? The snapshot summary of our head-to-head user test of the two programs is that they fundamentally do the same thing, and do it well, but Keynote does it with a superior elegance and simplicity of use that is Apple's design trademark."

Now, quickly imagine how much progress has been made in the three and a half years since that article was written. For instance, you have many more templates to choose from, and you have the option to: save Keynote presentations in cross-platform QuickTime movies; export them to Apple's iDVD, while preserving chapter breaks between slides; and even to export your Keynote presentation to the PowerPoint format.

If you make presentations of any kind, whether to a jury at trial, to a mediator in mediation, or to a potential client, you owe it to yourself (and your audience) to give Keynote 3 a look. Like all Apple software, it is very user-friendly, and you can literally create a stunning presentation in a short period of time -- though your audience won't know that you didn't spend hours working on it.

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