On Monday, AppleInsider brought the story that Apple is using SproutCore to build web applications. SproutCore is an open source, platform-independent, Cocoa-inspired JavaScript framework for creating web applications that look and feel like Desktop applications, according to the public schedule for WWDC.
Ironic, isn’t it? At the same moment Microsoft has given up the struggle to improve Windows Vista, letting users downgrade for free (!) to Windows XP, Apple is previewing its next version of Mac OS X, code-named Snow Leopard. Equally ironic is that Snow Leopard will be the first Mac OS X version to support Microsoft Exchange 2007 out-of-the-box. Microsoft Exchange is currently the market leader in enterprise-class communications and an operating system that has native support for it is bound to find its way into large organisations easier and more quickly.
Which are the best accessories --cables, mice, but also lens filters, etc-- for creative Mac users? It might be a silly question, but if computer users have one thing in common, it’s the inevitable search for the accessories that make our Macs work better or at least not worse. I went shopping and came back with my personal list of indispensable things if you want --no: need-- the very best quality regardless of what it is you’re doing with your Mac.
Conquer recession: keep those wallets open!
The creative part of the publishing industry is divided into two segments since Mac OS X “Tiger” was released. There is the creative business that employs multiple graphic designers and there is the individual designer. The first group needs software that has clear license and upgrade policies, and a company of which they can be sure it won’t go out of business any time soon. The second group is mainly interested in value for money. They want high-quality software which allows them to perform their task well, but they don’t want to spend a year’s salary for the honour of using it.
It’s not exactly the clash of the titans, given the fact that the Power Mac dual 1.8GHz was the second generation Power Macs with the G5 processor made by Apple, but some benchmark results are astonishing nevertheless. I admit that my tests are nowhere objective as I’m comparing apples with pears in more than one sense—bear that in mind while reading these “benchmarks”. However, I would have thought my Power Mac is so old, the Mac Pro would easily, and under all circumstances beat the old bugger by a large margin. It didn’t.
We graphics artists and designers, like to work on equipment that doesn’t break down too often, that offers good support for industry standards that are of interest to us, and which basically “just works”. We like to let our creative juices run, not be busy with the technology by itself. That’s one of the main reasons why in general we like to work with whatever Apple cooks up for us. A Mac ‘just works’, it supports all the latest versions and implementations of OpenGL, HTML, XML, CSS, ICC colour standards, and more.
You might conclude from this that we never have to deal with the sort of problems Windows users are regularly confronted with. Admittedly, on a Mac you will find native support for ICC colour profiles version 4. You will find that you can record video footage in High Definition only weeks after some industry consortium has decided this is the path to go for the future. But too often we are still running up against stupid technical troubles. And because Macintosh computers have that aura of “no technical support required”, we then lose a lot of time trying to fix whatever went wrong.
Gartner Analysts and Research Directors Michael A. Silver, Neil MacDonald, Ray Wagner, and Brian Prentice published a 6-page report on the 4th of December on the viability of Apple Macintosh as an enterprise platform. They conclude that the proliferation of Windows-centric applications limits enterprisewide adoption, but they also believe that OS-agnostic applications and changing attitudes are paving the way for more Macs to appear.
Macs are seeing a resurgence in the consumer market following the iPod’s and Apple Stores’ success. Macs are chosen by some users who have the option of buying their own PCs for work, while they continued to be used in some organisations by those who favour Apple’s designs. In official enterprise circles, the analysts say Apple is still strongest in specific niches, based on application requirements.
Pfeiffer reported on Macs only a month ago. Gartner adds another voice to the “yes, we like the Mac more than we did a couple of years ago” stance. This time, video production has caught Gartner’s attention, and it’s favourable for Apple. And when Gartner speaks, IT-departments all over the world stop and listen.
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