Suggestions Please, What hardware/software Options

[BobAdamson]

Hello musicmakers,

I have a few questions before I get into the meat of the subject. I am a long time Mac user (][e). My wife has a 17" Powerbook. My kids all have iMacs or Ibooks. The house is wireless. I purchased iLife to play around with GarageBand. Just as I was starting to get into it, my wife complains that she can no longer get on her Mac. See, I have my office at home and unfortunately, MY computer is a Dell. So, to keep the peace (and avoid buying another Mac for now), can anyone suggest something that might work well (I know that is redundant) on Windows?

I am a long time amatuer guitarist/keyboardist/singer/songwriter. My wife is a teacher. What I want is some kind of setup that allows me to record a few back up tracks to accompany live playing. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but I might want to do more than that, who knows? So, any suggestions?

[jklimeck]

Jaysee,

Yes, I totally agree.

1) First, if you are not going to use or buy a Mac or even consider such because of a one button mouse that ships with the Mac, my God, someone has issues, and you are not going to buy a Mac anyway.

a Mouse, is going to affect you that much.

Hook up a Logitech 2 button mouse with a scroll wheel and be done with it.

I work with Shake users on OS 10.3 that require a 3 button mouse, this is not an issue.

2) The megahertz argument seems fading into the sunset, losing steam, even Intel and AMD are changing their speed measuring marketing and naming.

But speed still matters, and it has been addressed. Thank you IBM.

PC people who are still using this are way ignorant and stubborn, they are not intelligent debaters.

Actually most informed PC techs / users will not use this anymore, because it is not a valid argument anymore with IBM, they know this, so they have dropped this and moved onto another excuse: price, software, etc.

The fact is with Apple and IBM, the new IBM 970 G5 and 980, 990, etc., the speed / architecture has been more than addressed, and Apple and IBM are actually leading.

Apple is way back in the game with IBM, that is a fact, PC users know it, Mac users know it, IT managers know it, analysts know it.

I don't' think speed / architecture will be the issue ever again, IBM has addressed this.

...but Price is the issue.

Apple must be solely keyed on this, especially in the low end.

Apple needs a low end powerful Mac and cheap. Here is what I propose.

A small aluminum box with a 1.6 G5, 40-60GB HD, 2-4 ram slots, shipping with 256-512 MB RAM, 1 AGP slot, 1 PCI X slot, 10/100 ethernet, CD/DVD.

No monitor, 700.00 or less,

Apple should do what MS is doing with XBoxes, sell the boxes cheap (although I hear this is not so successful for MS).

PC users have this modular brainwashing, separate monitor, separate CPU, Apple needs to give them this, as well as give us Mac users this. Provide choice.

The low end Mac line is muddled, or you can say there is a gaping hole.

The iMac has become a overpriced , funny looking, (I think ugly) thang, very few people even Mac people want to buy them,

Practically irrelevant, in its current form and price.

and the eMac, I think it is ugly, clunky and underpowered.


What does Steve J do, I am not sure he kills the iMac name, but originally this was the purpose of the iMac, a low cost all in one.

Steve J and Apple need to put out a new low end G5 for 700 bucks, call it whatever you want, but it fills a gaping, practically embarrasing need and provides a driving purpose, an entry level price point to get people onto the Mac platform / experience.

If you need more power and expansion you go for the G5 towers that can be all Duals, etc.

I think we will see this in some form or another, I would buy 2 of these boxes right away if they existed.

Now back to the PC guys,

Convincing PC people in general I feel is a hopeless cause (and I feel metaphysically an incorrect stance, because if you have to defend a view point, what you are really saying is, I myself don't believe it).

So PC users have to come to you and ask questions, sincerely, and then you provide the points I mentioned, then let them do what they want or wanted to do all along.

If they attack you and your passion for the Mac and are the emotional, just looking for a fight type, change the subject and / or walk away.

It is a social, economic conditioning and they like what they like, but for me it simply comes down to what I said earlier, "Mediocrity".

Microsoft is the king of mediocrity and always will be.

I still feel Mac OS X is the best, slickest most wonderful OS out there so I use it, the new hardware is fast and only going to get faster, Apple's Apps are some of the best on any platform, FCP, Logic, DP4, and they don't run on Windows.

And Apple continues to make technology that inspires us, like the new mini iPod, this is just going to continue and it will be great.

thanks again,

peace

jk

This post has been edited by jklimeck: Sat 8 May 2004, 18:31