Back on Mac: PC virus worries, transformed Mac inspire return of ex-Apple addict

Whenever I write something in this column that hints at comparison between Apples and Windows PCs, Macintosh users instantly are in my e-mailbox ranting about those "WinBoxes" they insist are incapable of functioning reliably. Of course, they claim Macs are flawless in function and form.

I was one of those Apple addicts even before the Macintosh was introduced, up until a few years ago, when there were almost no Mac-compatible digital cameras and CD burning required a clunky peripheral and lots of luck.

My switch to a Windows PC, however, happened after I started writing this column and discovered that most of you, dear readers, use PCs. I wanted to share your experience.

To my surprise, the Dell with Windows Me that started my PC experience worked quite well. Frozen screens occurred no more often than on my Mac. And I liked being able to use new applications and peripherals that hadn't yet been developed for Macintosh.

Recently, however, I've grown more worried about computer viruses and intruders, and the attack data add up to one huge difference between these systems. PCs are far more vulnerable to attack, because most malicious code is written for Windows, which is not as resistant, according to more than one technical expert.

In addition, the past few years of innovations and zealous determination have totally transformed the Mac since I put mine in the closet. What I've read about the "Jaguar" operating system (OS X version 10.2) got me thinking it may be time to try Macintosh again.

Big expectations

Now, a new iMac is sitting on my desk. Several Apple supporters are e-mailing me about everyone they know who instantly fell in love with this little machine. So, of course, I expect to be wowed from the first keystroke.

Not so. The installation is easy — just like my past three Windows XP installations.

The 17-inch screen is an eye-catcher. Photos look gorgeous. The colors are right and resolution is high, though vertically it's 1.5-inches shorter than a standard 17-inch screen.

Keyboards are a personal thing. Although I think this one's attractive, it's less responsive than my PC keyboards, and the shape and spacing of keys make it harder to touch type.

I install AirPort to experience the joy of wireless networking in my home office. Indeed, installation is easy for people networking with just AirPort, but I'm installing it on top of an existing wired network, and Apple's online and print directions for that are contradictory. I end up with a trial-and-error approach that finally works.

The well-reviewed iLife applications — iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, and iDVD — at first seem overrated, especially after trying iPhoto's Enhance button and watching it ruin my pictures. I install my favorite slideshow-creation program, but it's for older Macs and the screen freezes repeatedly, so I give up on that.

A couple of days into this and I haven't fallen in love yet. I'm no technology wizard, but Macs are supposed to be designed for folks like me.

Switch in strategy

Thanks to persistent Mac supporters, I continue this experiment, but with a different strategy.

Rather than try to make my old favorites work on the new Mac, I decide to adopt what's native to this machine and to look beyond the casual user's level to the core that is not just an operating system but a set of values.

I buy a few books on OSX. Apple's online support is excellent, but I learn better when a system is explained sequentially and the reference remains handy on my desk.

I switch to Apple's Safari Web browser and sign up for an Apple Mail account. I move my whole photo collection to iPhoto and my music to iTunes and start looking closely at what's beneath every icon. I study the preferences for each application and tool, read about each and try things.

And I get help from some people, especially Kevin Callahan, Mac programmer and member of the Seattle Guitar Quartet, who introduces me to new capabilities that emphasize how Macs are designed for functional integration and easy sharing.

He explains how to export iPhoto slideshows to QuickTime files and burn them on CDs that play back on both Macs and PCs. And then move the slideshows to iDVD, add menus and burn DVDs that will play back on TV through a DVD player.

The photoshows look good, and I made them with the software and hardware that came on this iMac.

A closer look at iTunes reveals its advantage with the Mac's audio hardware and Apple Pro speakers. When friends come over, I run my Classical playlist in the background, and it sounds better than Beethoven on my stereo.

Mac OS X Services enable me to select parts of documents or Web pages and turn them into sticky notes or send them in e-mail messages. I can turn on Speech, and it will read text out loud until I tell it to stop. And the Summarize service can summarize long Safari Web documents or Mail messages, for example.

Through e-mail messages, Callahan shows me how to transform this iMac into a Web server that can manage a full-scale site. He demonstrates the process with screen shots embedded in his Mail messages so that I can see exactly what he's doing and then do it myself.

Rendezvous is Apple's contribution to improve local networking. According to Ken Bereskin, director of Mac OS X product marketing, it is designed for users to be able to plug in a Mac and other network devices (just turn them on if they're Wi-Fi enabled) and have everything work. No configuration needed, just plug and go.

Callahan says he's walked into a networked office building, turned on his PowerBook with Apple's automatic networking capability and connected to the building's network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable) without having to change his network configuration. Rendezvous takes that a step further, he says, by recognizing printers and other devices on the network.

PDF (portable document format) is now the Mac's default format for sharing documents, and native Mac software can convert any file to PDF. That eliminates the problem of trying to send a Mac-specific file (like AppleWorks) to a PC. Just send it as a PDF file. The PC user can open it, and all the Mac fonts and formatting will be intact.

I wish PDF files would open instantly on a PC (as they do on a Mac) without waiting for Acrobat Reader to load.

Apple's .Mac subscription service ($99 annually) includes a Mail account, Virex virus protection, online backup, a personal HomePage Web site and 100 megabytes of iDisk online storage. I'm discovering that's a pretty good deal.

Mail is functionally similar to other e-mail services, but it's noted to be more secure than e-mail programs for Windows, such as Outlook and Outlook Express.

The .Mac Backup capability enables a subscriber to store and auto-update files on the iDisk, so that if the Mac fails, backed-up files can be accessed from another computer.

There's also a Public folder on the iDisk to keep files I want to share with others. For example, if I placed past columns in my Public folder, you (Mac or PC user) could download the free iDisk Utility and access those files and any others I haven't password protected. This folder also provides an easy way to work collaboratively on projects.

The HomePage Web site is easy to use and enables subscribers to post pictures and other Web pages — without ads.

New discoveries

The more I explore this new iMac, the more I find. Here's another discovery: When I compare the same photos printed (on the same printer) from my PC and the iMac, the Mac's colors and subtle clarity just look better.

I also like the system Finder because it can display the Mac's entire file system like a family tree — folders within folders within folders.

Then there's the Safari Web browser, still being tested before release, preferred by many because it's secure, and it has tabbed browsing.

Dave Haxton, a longtime Mac and PC programmer, sums up by stating the four Mac advantages he prizes most:

Stability. Even the improved Windows XP is not as robust as Mac OS X, he says.

Safety. Haxton has never had virus protection on his Mac and has never had a virus.

Ease of use. He claims it's easier to install and use Mac hardware and software.

Hardware. Apple hardware is just better quality, he says.

Another main attraction of the Mac's OS X is that it's built on the Unix operating system, reputed to be the fastest, most stable and secure system built. It's also the most open; Unix developers placed a high value on sharing and made the source code freely available so that anyone can use it to develop applications.

Here's where some of the Mac's most outspoken advocates weigh in: Their devotion to Mac and Unix goes beyond function to the underlying belief that source code should be open.

Bereskin says Apple is 100 percent behind that belief, adding, "Even the government agrees that open-source development leads to a more secure environment."

"If you're developing a technology, would you prefer to have hundreds of thousands of people pouring through the source code to look for problems before they're discovered by someone with malicious intentions?" he asks. "Or would you prefer to rely on one organization for this kind of testing?"

Sharing source code is the opposite of the more common practice (used by Microsoft and others) of licensing the code for a fee to programmers and developers.

Windows has the giant share of software, but thousands of programs have been written for OS X, helped by the open-source emphasis. Many are written by enthusiastic programmers who see a need for a new application, develop it and then share it freely or at low cost.

I realize now that some Mac users advocate their choice so fiercely because they're defending an entire approach to technology development. It will be interesting to watch how these opposite approaches unfold over time.

Write Linda Knapp at lknapp@seattletimes.com. To read other Getting Started columns, go to: www.seattletimes.com/gettingstarted