Category: The Study

Don’t Bite the Apple

This post is going to be a little out of the ordinary for me.  I feel that I have some experience with technology, so I want to share a few points of advice.  You can go to a lot of other places on the web to find more comprehensive “studies” and benchmark tests, but I just want to provide something helpful and simple to understand to our readers.

First off, I am no “fanboy” (A person who goes into an outburst every time something he likes is questioned).  I enjoy technology that is quick, efficient, and of good value: no matter what the brand.  My arsenal of computer technology is wide-spread.  I have a five-year old Dell desktop PC, a Dell netbook, an LG phone, an Apple iPod Touch, and a Nikon digital camera.  All I want to give is a simple opinion from my point of view…

Over the last ten years or so, Apple Computer, Inc. has risen from the dead.  During the 1990’s–with the release of Windows 3.1 (I actually remember that operating system!), Windows 95, and Windows 98–Microsoft captured and ran away with the computer operating system (OS) market.  In the late 90’s, Microsoft released a bug-riddled OS called Windows Millennium Edition, which gave a large segment of computer users a bad taste in their mouth.  At about the same time, a little toy called the iPod began to really show itself popular.  This reintroduced a large segment of people to Apple.  With different innovations for the iPod, people began to really look what else Apple really offered.  In the 2000’s Microsoft introduced Windows XP, which firmly solidified the Microsoft grasp with the average computer user.

However, with the introduction of another bug-riddled OS called Windows Vista in 2007, many users began to look else ware, specifically Apple.  Even after Microsoft fixed most issues through service packs within a few months, people still had a bad taste in their mouth.  Thus began the huge rise of Apple–helped, of course, by the release of the iPhone.

Now, doesn’t all of that make you want to go out and get an Apple instead of a PC?  Let’s think all of this through.  Here is a list of points that Mac users make on why their system is better…and my own explanations of why they are not good arguments.

  • “Mac computers don’t get viruses.”–Ha!  This is simply semantics and common sense!  Right now, Mac has about 8% of the computer market.  Microsoft has about 90% Reference.  Do you really think that malicious people are going to try to make viruses for 9% of the market, or will they focus on the larger piece of the pie?  The virus industry is all about money–stolen identities, advertising, and pop-ups.  They are naturally going to aim most of the time at the bigger market share.  By the way, did you know that cell phones can get viruses?  Guess which phone is the most likely to get one?  The Apple iPhone.  Reference
  • “Mac computers are faster and generally preform better”–A very blanket statement.  You can find several places on the internet that will say either way.  In general, if both have the same hardware or close to it, they will preform about the same. Reference
  • “Macs are simpler to use.”–Just try Windows 7.  That’s all that I have to say.
  • “Macs can run all of the same software that Windows can.”  Yes, this is true, but with a necessary piece of software called an emulator.  In layman’s terms, an emulator is like running 2 computers on one machine.  The performance goes way down.
  • “Macs don’t crash”–Just search on the web for “Mac crashes.”  You will find plenty.
  • “Macs have better exclusive software.”  There is a point to this argument.  I do think that Apple’s Safari internet browser is slightly better than Microsoft Internet Explorer.  I don’t like either of them myself; I prefer Google Chrome or Firefox in a heartbeat.  And if you are talking about a video editor, iMovie from Apple is better than Windows Movie Maker–by a long-shot.  Media players are up in the air: iTunes versus Windows Media Player.  For me, I don’t really like either very much.  iTunes is slow and clunky, where Windows Media Player is disorganized.  Just get Winamp, people–fast and organized (not available on Macs)!  With photo editing and organizing, again, I don’t like iPhoto or Windows Photo Gallery: get Google Picasa!  It runs a circle around Photo Gallery, and multiple circles around iPhoto.

Problems with Macs

  • Compatibility

Not all printers and cameras are Mac compatible.  You always have to look on the label to see if the product you are interested in is compatible–an issue that Windows users rarely have to deal with.  Productivity software for businesses is extremely hard to come by.  Apple is very touchy about their software coding and who has the right to make software for them.  For example, those of you with iPod Touches or iPhones, try to view a website that has Adobe Flash (about 70 percent of all websites).  Apple will not let Adobe produce Flash for their products.  Why?  Again, they are very touchy about letting people make things for their Operating Systems.  Macs are also not compatible with some of the newest Intel and AMD technology when it comes to fast and mobile processors.  The same goes with network devices.

  • Hardware Customization

This is a big issue for me.  It is very hard to upgrade aspects of your Mac hardware, like a video card.  With a PC, all you have to do is pop out the old one, install the drivers, and you are good to go.  If it is possible with certain Macs, you have to buy one of only a few choices that are way overpriced from their Windows counterparts, and usually don’t preform as well.  It’s the same thing with adding extra memory, hard drives, and optical drives.

  • PRICE!

For less money than a MacBook Pro ($1699.99), you can buy a Dell Studio ($749.99) with the same or better hardware specifications and overall performance.  That’s about double the price!  All for the Apple name and “coolness” factor, basically.

Conclusion

A friend of mine said this very well (not an exact quote): “Macs are oversimplified computers–watered down so art students and sorority girls from public colleges don’t have to know how to do anything. The premium you pay for the Mac is making up for your general lack of technological knowledge.”  If I had to buy a computer today, which I don’t, I would probably build my own anyway–Windows based.  Now there is the whole argument about Linux, which is another story.  That OS just seems like a big pain to deal with.  Also, Google is supposed to be coming out with its own OS later this year, which I am somewhat interested in for our netbook–mainly due to my like of the Google Chrome browser.  Plus, it’s free!

The bottom line is research all of this stuff out for yourself before you buy any computer: PC or Mac.  Do what fits your needs most.  Don’t just follow trends or the looks of a computer!  I guess that Macs look a little bit neat, but so do some PC’s.  Find the best overall value.  And believe me, you won’t always get what you pay for.

A Right Christmas

This past Sunday morning, our pastor, Randy Starr, preached a eye-opening and interesting message about the Christmas season.  Most of us have heard the song I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas that was made famous by Bing Crosby.  Not that there’s anything particularly wrong with the song or the notion of having a white Christmas, but so often we can get the whole point of Christmas all mixed up.  We have a dream of this picture perfect holiday with a cheery family, plenty of brightly wrapped gifts, the annual Christmas concert, lots of feasting, and of course: snow.  Generally, that is the attitude that even most Christians have about the season.  It’s the “White Christmas” mentality.

But in Pastor’s message, he went through several points of the Christmas story that we all know, and showed us how we can even get caught up with the good Christian celebrations of Christ’s coming, and forget about our relationship with Christ.  Why do we have a dream of a “White Christmas” instead of a “Right Christmas?”  Before all of the joyous festivities with our friends and family, why not make sure we are right with that baby that–don’t forget this–grew up to be a man who died on the cross for our sins.  Jesus was not born so we can celebrate Christmas.  Jesus was born because of God’s love for us.  He came to die on the cross for us.  He came to raise himself up from the tomb.  He came to save us.

The first thing we must have in order to have a right Christmas is a true relationship with God.  This relationship is impossible without a certain time in our lives when we were born again–a time when we realized we were a sinner, repented of our sin, and accepted Jesus’ free gift of salvation.  John 3:7 says, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”  It has nothing to do with our works–whether it be communion, baptism, tithing, church attendance, or good deeds (Titus 3:5-Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;).  It has everything to do with being born again.  Without being born again, it is impossible to have a relationship with God.  It is impossible to have a right Christmas.

For us that have been born again and become a Christian, we still can lose the whole thought of having a right Christmas.  We get focused on how this person is going to like the gift I got them, or whether a certain family member is going to visit or not, or whether there is going to be snow on the ground on December 25th.  We judge how well our Christmas season went by those material things.  If any of our “White Christmas” dreams don’t come true, we hang our head low and depress ourselves.  If everything happens just how we think it should go, then we walk around everywhere with a huge fake smile on our face.

However, the real question, before any of the “White Christmas” dreams, is rather, are we having a right Christmas.  Are we right with God?  If we have sin that we are trying to hide from Him, then we are not right.  If we are holding a grudge or ill will against anyone, we are not right.  Any sin that sits between us and God guarantees us of not having a right Christmas.  This Christmas season, try to dream of having a perfect relationship with God, rather than having a “White Christmas.”  It would be so much better of a day on December 25th if we were truly right with our Savior–even more so than a foot of snow, a beautiful tree, lots of presents, lots of family, and lots of food.  This Christmas, instead of saying, “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…”, say, “I’m happy with a right Christmas.”  After we can do that, I believe God will give us a lot of those other things too.

Give Thanks

My very favorite Thanksgiving Hymn is Thanks to God, by a Swedish man, August Ludvig Storm.  He trusted Christ as Saviour when a young man through a Salvation Army Meeting.  He wrote this hymn for a Salvation Army publication, “The War Cry,” on December 5, 1891.  As a middle-aged man, he suffered a back problem leaving him crippled for the remainder of his life.  Yet  he persevered in serving the Lord through the Salvation Army until his death.  And each line can bring to mind particular times in our lives, good and bad, and remind us to Thank God for each one.

Here are the words:

Thanks to God!

(1) Thanks to God for my Redeemer,

Thanks for all Thou dost provide!

Thanks for times now but a memory,

Thanks for Jesus by my side!

Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,

Thanks for dark and dreary fall!

Thanks for tears by now forgotten,

Thanks for peace within my soul!


(2) Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,

Thanks for what Thou dost deny!

Thanks for storms that I have weathered,

Thanks for all Thou dost supply!

Thanks for pain and thanks for pleasure,

Thanks for comfort in despair!

Thanks for grace the none can measure,

Thanks for love beyond conpare!


(3) Thanks for roses by the wayside,

Thanks for thorns their stems contain!

Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,

Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!

Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,

Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!

Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,

Thanks thru all eternity!


(See http://www.tanbible.com/tol_sng/thankstogod.htm)

Thirty-Day Challenge…How’s It Going?

Well, we are already over half-way through the month of November if you can believe that!  And today brings us to Day Eighteen of the Thirty-Day Challenge to “Give to someone in some fashion, every day in November.”  So, how is it going for you?  I admit, I could have done better some days, and others I got behind; but nevertheless, it has been a wonderful experience!  I am so glad I saw the idea on another blog and decided to do it!  In fact, I am even considering keeping it up after November is over.  After all, what is my life if it is not giving to others?  Of course, God is first, and my time with Him and service for Him are priorities; but that is just it –being Christlike and pleasing God is living by faith and obeying His Word, and part of that is living for others!

I have found many ways to share with others this month.  There is a good list of ideas at  www.daretobeanangel.com/tasklist.php .  As I love to bake, and it is the time of year for it, I have shared lots of baked goods…from Gingerbread Man cookies, to pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, to banana bread and brownies!  I have also written cards to loved ones, and even created a smilebox picture card (seen on an earlier post) to send to a friend who has meant much to me.  One of my favorite things was giving to the lady ringing her bell for the Salvation Army outside of Walmart.  I do not normally give to charities since I give through my local church.  I believe that is the way God wants us to give; not only that, but when I give to my church, I know my money goes to a great cause…the Lord’s work!  And I can see exactly where that money is spent too!  However, having participated in many fundraisers through my life, I know it can be discouraging and tough to stand out there asking for donations.  So when I went to Walmart last Saturday, I did not give to the Salvation Army, but I gave a Gospel Tract to the lady with two dollars inside!  I told her it was for HER to purchase a hot drink or snack!  And ultimately, I pray she will read the Gospel from God’s Word included in that tract, and learn of her own need of a Saviour from sin.  May she accept Christ’s sacrifice on the cross alone as the payment for her sin, trusting in Him for Salvation!  You see, even bey0nd simple giving and sharing, this Thirty-Day Challenge is an opportunity to share things with others, while also sharing the Gospel with them –the most precious Gift you could possibly give to another!

I would love to hear some of your ideas and experiences through this Challenge!  And if you have fallen behind, pick back up where you are, and begin anew today!  God is good.