[elCapiton]

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I think Elgan would have nailed the monopoly thing if he pointed out how OS X plus Safari plus iChat plus Address Book plus iWork plus iTunes sounds a lot like Windows plus IE plus MSN plus MS Office plus Windows Media. To me, if you have one Apple app, it feels like you have to use them all. Everyone says those Apps add so much value to the OS, but if you want to use 3rd party apps, they are just a waste of hard drive space that you can never free, much like Microsoft's built in apps. It's late or I'd go into more detail...

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All those programs use OPEN formats that are easy to read. Address Book even has an API that applications can use if they want. If your application can't read Address Book then it's the fault of the application not Apple because Apple makes it easy to integrate with it. With Leopard it will be the same with iCal because it uses the API the OS exposes for programmers to use. If you are complaining because Entourage for example doesn't use or can't import Address Book contacts then complain to Microsoft because they could easily add that in if they wanted to.

[warlock7]

Nice reply Dan.
Elgan was obviously attempting to take a page from the Dvorak playbook. Dvorak has said in interview that his method is to spread a heaping layer of partial truth, misinterpreted yet popular belief items all in order to stir up the Mac faithful. Then he finishes off the article by turning back and saying that Apple is ok.
Dvorak has made it into a near art form, getting the Mac faithful all steamed up and frothing. Elgan doesn't have the panache that Dvorak does. Elgan tells bald faced lies to back up his cr@p. Not quite to the level of creepdom that Dvorak regularly achieves. Nice try though.

[bynkii]

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Actually, I disagree. Apple's software is among the more open and standards compliant there is. Take for example the Address Book... Address Book allows you to import AND export in standard vCard format. Do you think Outlook works that way? Or Entourage? Nope. They each will import vCard format, but neither will export to it making it very difficult to move your data around! And, though I don't know for sure, I would suspect that if Firefox wanted to integrate contacts from Address Book it could.

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Actually, Entourage will export to vCard via a couple of ways. The simplest is via drag and drop. It's right there in the help. As well, with the current version of Entourage, the Sync Services support allow you to have all your E'rage and Address Book contact data synchronized together at all time. That's how I keep my iPhone sync'd with E'rage: Sync Services. Same thing for calendar data. If the iPHone supported notes sync, I could have my E'rage notes on there too.

[bynkii]

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. If you are complaining because Entourage for example doesn't use or can't import Address Book contacts then complain to Microsoft because they could easily add that in if they wanted to.

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No need, that's been working for quite some time now.

[Walt_Basil]

What you fail to mention, and maybe you don't realize this, but Apple provides you with a database for your information. Be it your calendar or your contacts, but data that everyone uses, and should be available to anything else for proper integration. One that they can hook into and use throughout their line of products. They open this database up, providing a "hook" into it, allowing (encouraging even?) 3rd parties to replace their own application should the end user choose, yet still maintain system-wide integration. Because of Sync Services, you can use something like Chronos SOHO Organizer, yet still be able to get your contacts over to your iPod or iPhone. It's up to the 3rd parties to fully utilize this porthole of integration. Entourage uses it for your Contacts pretty much, but cripples this feature for your calendar. It only adds it's own calendar into iCal called Entourage, and syncs that calendar only. Hopefully they'll take full advantage of it for the Calendar in the next release.
An excellent example of this integration is with Apple's own software. I recently went to print some business cards. I already have some saved, but I thought I would check out the updated Pages (08) to see if they changed it at all. After choosing the template I liked, it automatically pulled my work information out of my address book and I had to do nothing but insert a logo in the resulting product. If I had chose to use SOHO Organizer, I would have had that same level of integration because of Sync Services.

[grouchyman]

Perfect response. PWND!
Computerworld is simply pulling a Dvorak. Say something really controversial, baseless, and inflammatory, and you guarantee a response from the opposing community, thus driving up web traffic.

[rgonzalez]

you can use ANY of many availaboe mail, chat, calendars for OS X and you can erase any of those applicatons whenrever you want. Have you used a Mac before..? try uninstalling Outlook on a windows machine, for that matter, try unistalling Explorer and watch the results !
Safari, just erase it if you don't like it, and use whatever you want, your OS is not going to crash of you don't like safari and erase it from your disk. Nos o with IE on Windows, just drag it to the trash, emty it and see what happens to your windows OS....
One thing is having cool software that appeals to many, and maybe not to you, welll erase it !, another thing is what you say precisely, having stuff you don't like, its innefficient, horrible interface and still you can't erase it !! because you machine will crash !

[brian_meyer]

I remember reading another publication reviewing apples office suite iWork. They said its main issue was a lack of an email application in the bundle, even though mail is already on every mac to begin with. It's really just ignorance more than anything else.
Of course i think these people are no different than forum trolls, they know that mac users flock to articles like this, which gives them a lot of views and makes their article popular. If they get a rise with their outlandish claims, all the better. The claims stated in the article, while off base, are actually popular sentiments out there. I know folks who got an ipod, and resented having to install itunes for windows to put music on it. But like you said, these same people have the junk programs you get with any scanner or printer on their systems which are some of the worst software i've ever seen.
Have this guy do an article comparing the mac vs. windows, where he actually uses one for a few weeks, actually takes the steps to try to make it work. The details that these people think make the mac inferior fade. But to actually do this, you have to admit you were wrong, that all the assumptions were just a bunch of hot air.
Now they are both tools, there are many situations where i would recommend buy a pc instead of a mac. Especially for gamers, some programmers, and for people needing a specific application for their business. UPS worldship for example. I would also recommend that people stay with the platform they are comfortable with, its hard to learn a new way of doing things.
However the logic people use in the mac / windows debate is mostly a lack of knowledge. People with open minds a lot of times buy one of each. Those that buy into the windows franchise, have a need to defend their system of choice as well. If its bad then their decision is bad. People also resent being told they are wrong. Besides windows contains mac dna, with many mac features and even source code from mac as part of their system.

[lwdesign]

Unfortunately there is a small percentage of people who take pleasure in creating disinformation, upset and chaos. For people like Elgan and Dvorak it's fun to "stir up the Mac faithful". For the bully down the block it was fun to threaten and beat up kids for their lunch money. This small percentage is what makes the world seem like a dangerous place.
I agree with one poster who said that articles like this don't need to be forwarded from ComputerWorld to MacWorld in the first place. Writers get paid to write, but there are some people who just spread bad news, partial or skewed facts, and upset. Just recognize them for what they are and move on.
By the way: All the "upset" over paying for ringtones? Come on, it's only 99 cents! Will this break the bank? Will this force you to miss a mortgage payment? Will you have to get a second job to pay for it? Yikes, step back and get some perspective. If 99 cents is too much, DON'T USE RINGTONES!

[vfx2k4]

Yup but why are these articles being published on MacWorld in the first place? I appreciate the fair and balanced pov but it's kind of stirring up trouble for no reason. Anyone who comes to this site is going to be likely a Mac supporter and not too interested in such misguided tripe...

[palane]

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I think Elgan would have nailed the monopoly thing if he pointed out how OS X plus Safari plus iChat plus Address Book plus iWork plus iTunes sounds a lot like Windows plus IE plus MSN plus MS Office plus Windows Media. To me, if you have one Apple app, it feels like you have to use them all. Everyone says those Apps add so much value to the OS, but if you want to use 3rd party apps, they are just a waste of hard drive space that you can never free, much like Microsoft's built in apps. It's late or I'd go into more detail...

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I use OS X plus Firefox plus Mail plus Office . I plan to replace Power Point with Keynote as the former always screws up imported graphics.
Your point would be valid within a suite (buying iWork and Office means duplication), but you go too far when extending the point to unrelated products.

[Terrin]

I will also add that Apple developed and included Safari as a bit of a necessity. Microsoft after all choose to stop making available and supporting Explorer for the Mac. Apple cannot rely on third parties like Firefox to provide its browser because Firefox could be gone tomorrow if it lost its funding. Apple was more or less forced to go into the browser business.

[amazing]

Dan: Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Just the one suggestion: In the future, publish articles like Elgan's in a "He said, We say" format. The rebuttal should've been side-by-side at the outset, and the whole thing would've been amusing.
You'll get a lot less grief that way.
But really, the article's so far off base, why even publish it to begin with? I mean, we're not gonna be having Paris or Britney stories in the future, are we?
PS: nice summation...javascript:void(0)

[msealey]

The main reason why Apple is not the latest Microsoft is that Apple's products work, while in many cases Microsoft's either do not or are so far from having the elegance and robustness, sophistication and usability that anyone who has used both systems sees no comparison.
But, thanks Dan!