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Mac Computers slim sleek simple At one point, people assumed that the Macintosh computer was going to go the way of the Beta Video player--become obsolete. But Mac computers have pulled through the PC revolution for a number of reasons, and they are not likely to be taken back any time soon. Not only has Mac created a powerful operating system, but Mac computers are slim and sleek, making their portability high and their attractiveness higher. There's no wonder why Macintosh has been the favorite of college students for many years. The thin body, light weight, and powerful computing has made the Mac the best computer for this population. Mac makes laptops, desktops, and the popular iPod and iPhone. Designers and artists have mostly preferred Mac computers for their interfaces and quality graphic potential. The iPod is now the most popular MP3 music player on the market, and the iPhone is also a highly popular smart phone. However, Mac computers are for a slightly more select crowd because of its operating system style and preference for graphic production. Mac laptops are slim and sleek, definitely the most attractive looking and physically simple laptops on the market. The thirteen inch MacBook comes with two different processor configurations, either a 2.0 ghrtz or a 2.4 ghrtz. The more powerful MacBook Pro comes with an Nvidia Graphics card with dedicated memory and a 15 or 17in screen. Mac desktops can also boast an attractive body, but are obviously not built to be transported. However, the large screens and powerful capabilities offer the user a number of advantages. Mac computers have a number of advantages and also a number of disadvantages. Among the advantages is its accessibility and simplicity, along with the light weight and sleek construction. The most recent Macintosh operating system, Leopard, is extremely intelligent. Windows are no longer 'lost' behind other windows, because a quick flip of the fingers across the track pad triggers the Expose function, which immediately makes all windows visible. The Dashboard allows any number of small widgets--from calculators to weather to calendars--to function on the computer without opening a specific program. These programs are thus a part of the operating system and do not bog it down with unwieldy tasks. The program Spaces allows numerous desktops, also making it convenient for users to flip between word processing and internet browsing with a simple key stroke. Now that Macintosh also has Microsoft Office available for its platform, it is accessible to almost everyone. However, Mac computers do have disadvantages. Gaming on a Macintosh is considerably more difficult than on a PC. Games for the Mac platform are more expensive and less available. Many gamers will find that Macintosh is not the appropriate computer for them, despite its many advantages. Because Macintosh computers cannot be personalized as easily as PC computers, or built by sincere gaming enthusiasts, these computer users prefer to have a computer which can be personalized, manipulated, and tweaked to their own specifications. Replacing materials in a Mac is considerably more difficult than in a PC. The graphics card, memory, and hard drive cannot be updated. However, newer Mac computers have made this easier, making it possible for users to upgrade memory and hard drive space. Using the Mac Operating System interface is simple. The control menu can be reached by clicking on the black apple in the upper left corner of the screen. This includes the system preferences, the location where the interface can be altered and set to the user's specifications. This includes the behavior of the mouse, keyboard lighting (in certain Mac computers) and hardware configurations, etc. Program shortcuts are located in the Dock. The Dock is located at the bottom of the screen, and is hidden until the mouse is scrolled to the bottom of the screen. The size and visibility of the Dock can be controlled in the System Preferences. Items can be added or removed from the dock by dragging them on or off. Open programs are always displayed in the dock with a small light underneath the icon. Macintosh computers come with iLife, a suite of programs which includes iPhoto, a photo storage and manipulation program, Garage Band, a music recording and creation program, and iCal, a calendar program which can interact with Google calendar and the iPhone calendar. These programs utilize the Mac hardware to its full potential, making your computer into a photo booth, a music studio, and a powerful organizational tool. Mac's organizational functions like iCal, Stickies, and the Dashboard turn it into one of the best computer operating systems for organization. Macintosh is the obvious choice for college students, and simple computer users. Mac computers boast simplicity, attractiveness, and organizational tools that do not rival the Windows system. However it is not as easy to personalize, nor is it accessible for programmers. |
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