[killer_735]

From slashdot:

Learner Computing: Less Might be More

Nothing specifically about apple in here, just about how people tend to buy overpowered systems because Dell or HP or the idiots at Best Buy convince them they need it.

How apple ties in to this:

Apple is completely awesome in terms of reverse compatibility and really does everything this guy suggests. My dad, for example, currently has a 266 G3 imac with 10.3, which perfectly fits his needs...email, websurfing, etc. It's only because Apple has engineered OSX to run fine on older hardware that we're able to do this. The old Celeron box that he had before just plain couldn't handle XP- Wintel hardware/software really wants you to buy new stuff.

On top of the hardware issues, the Joe Sixpack that this author talks about is a perfect candidate for an old imac/OSX setup because X really doesn't require any of the maintinence that XP does. Just last night I got a call from my stepmother asking about why their old XP box has slowed down, and I realized that there was no way I could talk them through a defrag, temp file deleting, etc., but the imac...oh yeah, hasn't needed a thing done to it (aside from software update, which a monkey can handle) in over a year.

Woo hoo apple, you keep me from having to do tech support for old people.

[The Godfather]

Windows XP is compatible with my 1997 Pentium II laptop, out of the box.

Perhaps the Celeron you are talking about is a 10-year old Pentium MMX with one of those damn CPU upgrades, with vestigial ISA ports, a video card bought in the flea market, and a 2 GB hard drive.

The iMac 266 is 5 years old. 5 year old PCs should take Windows XP, if they were modern in their date of manufacturing.

[killer_735]

Originally posted by The Godfather:
Windows XP is compatible with my 1997 Pentium II laptop, out of the box.

Perhaps the Celeron you are talking about is a 10-year old Pentium MMX with one of those damn CPU upgrades, with vestigial ISA ports, a video card bought in the flea market, and a 2 GB hard drive.

The iMac 266 is 5 years old. 5 year old PCs should take Windows XP, if they were modern in their date of manufacturing.

True, a p2 will be fine with XP, but 'fine' for XP and 'fine' for OSX mean very different things. I've installed Xp on a P2/450/192, and had it just chug on pretty much everything. (like booting, or, say, opening an explorer window) The imac, on the other hand, isn't going to be able to rip cds at 15x, but it can open and work with browsers, mail, itunes, etc. just as fast as it needs to, and can sit for months without me having to sit in front of it for three hours every month cleaning it up.

[mitchell_pgh]

I'm been saying for years that you really don't need the best and fastest to surf the web, email and write papers etc.

I always laughed when students would have a $3000+ computers attached to a $50 printer...

[ManOfSteal]

Apple is good...at least, that is the word from this side of the street.

[killer_735]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
I'm been saying for years that you really don't need the best and fastest to surf the web, email and write papers etc.

I always laughed when students would have a $3000+ computers attached to a $50 printer...

[HSC]No way, they need $3000 computers. After all, they need to be able to take advantage of multimedia. You want multimedia? This computer is ready for it. We're talking webcam, printer, pro audio speakers, microphone, you can actually play online games and talk to people on them.Integrated rage 128 graphics, you hear that? Rage. It even sounds fast.[/HSC]

Blair, call the HSC and order Shelly that thing. Get the extended warranty too. These a$$holes need to keep making money.

[MilkmanDan]

Dude, no way.

[wolfen]

Nobody needs a 32-bit word processor.

'nuff said.

[Lancer409]

Originally posted by manofsteal:
Apple is good...at least, that is the word from this side of the street.

once again, i cant disagree!