Once You Go Mac, You'll Never Go Back.

Dear Readers,

I Have Recently Switched To Mac.

Hello all. Yes, I am really posting this blog. All of you Windows users are, I'm sure, looking forward to getting your hands on a Windows 7 computer. Well I would rethink that and try to get your hands on a Mac OS X. I am a recent PC switcher. I am now a Mac and trust me, there's no turning back for me. I was tired of being scared of getting viruses all the time and feeling insecure while on the internet, even though I had an antivirus program. Now it's not like that but enough with my opinions, let me back it up.

The Mac Fact.

So, to start off I want to talk to all of you Mac users first. I have a couple of questions for you all.

1. Would you ever go back to Windows?

2. Do you feel safer to surf the web and download content?

3. Is it really that much easier as everyone says it is?

Now those are the basic questions for a Mac user. Now all of you Windows users can answer those about your OS, but, unlike the Mac, I bet you're answers weren't as positive as those of a Mac users. The reason being that Macs are just more convenient to use and much more easier to use. On Windows some things have Macs beat. Come on I'm not a Windows hater because I once owned one, but I'm sure if you current Windows users would actually make the "big move" to Mac, you wouldn't regret it not one bit.

Software.

The software in Mac is just so easy to use. Ask any Mac user. The thing I noticed on PC's when I used one was that it came with all this software, but I hardly used most of them. I use all the software on Mac because it just fits me. The software is really great on Macs because it all goes together in some way. If you buy a Mac now you get iLife which comes with iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, and iWeb. Many more are included but those are the main ones. Mac is the way to go.

Why Not Mac?

Well you have seen the facts and you have heard most about Mac. I'm sure there are some things I have left out, but the information I have given you sure would make me consider Mac. Trust me, you will not want to pick up another PC again if you just give Mac a chance. So here's the question I leave you with, Why not Mac? 

Dustin Bare

Twitter: www.twitter.com/itsdbare

Safari 4.0.4 Available

Apple has released Safari 4.0.4. Software update automatically opened on my MacBook Pro, so if it opens on your Mac without you opening it, expect a nice little treat from Apple!

5 Free Mac Applications I Use Everyday

Mac OS X is known for the awesome Apps that come with it out of the box. But for some of us geeks out there, that's just not enough. That's why I created this list. It's 5 FREE Apps that I think everyone should at-least try. If you end up getting any of these apps, don't be afraid to donate some $$$ to the hardworking developers. 

1. 1password

Every site we log into on a computer requires a password. And as any geek knows, you should always have a different password for each. Now if your like me, there's over 20+ sites that require a new password. So how do you keep up with them? 1password. 1password is a simple app that, upon opening requires a master password. Once you enter this password you are greeted with every password and site you have saved. You also get a nice little add-on for Safari or Firefox that, whenever you sign into a site for the first time, asks you wether or not you want 1password to save it. 1password is a an awesome mac app that keeps my passwords secure. You can download it here. 

2. AppZapper

In Mac OS X as some of you may know, just dragging a file into the trash doesn't always delete everything. Using it's drag-and-drop ease of use, AppZapper simply, deletes everything. Upon opening AppZapper you're greeted with a very basic look. When you drop an app into the box, AppZapper takes a few moments, and summarizes what your about to "zap" or delete. AppZapper is a very small and basic app that gets the job done, whenever you need it. You can download it by clicking this.

3. Quicksilver

As a Mac user, I have grown to fall in love with Spotlight. However, it has some times disappointed me. Thats where Quicksilver comes in. Using the keystroke of your choice, (mines Command+enter) like AppZapper, a very basic window comes up. You simply begin to type and Quicksilver does the rest. You can download the awesome app here.

4. Tinygrab

Tinygrab, created by a friend of mine, is a Mac OS X screen capturing monster. By hitting either command+Shift+3, command+shift+4 or command+shift+4+spacebar, Tinygrab takes a picture of the selected area, uploads it to their servers, then gives you a shortened URL copied in your clipboard, all in a few seconds. This is very useful for things like writing this blog post, (this is what I have been using for the scree shots) twitter, AIM, or really anything. You can download is here.

5. VLC

If you don't have/use VLC, then you're probably not a regular Social Blog visiter. Being one of the most popular free Mac apps, (and one of the best!) VLC is something I can't live without. Quicktime, the video player that comes with all mac is not bad, just VLC is better. Think of VLC as Quicktime on steroids. With the ability to play MPEG, AVI, WMV, WMA, etc. VLC is easily the best multimedia app out there. And it's free too. You can learn more about VLC here, or download it here. 

If you have any apps that you feel should be on this list, leave it in the comments, and I'll be sure to consider it for my next list. 

desantiscm.com

twitter.com/desantiscm

Gaming on the Mac: Assault Cube

As you know, PCs have been very reliable and more used for gaming than Macs, but I have decided to make a series of videos (on YouTube) and posts (on the Social Blog) about many games for the Mac and how they play. I have an Early 2009 iMac 24" 4GB 2.93 GHz machine. Below is a video of one of the many games I will be demoing, Assault Cube. Note that they game seems "laggy" because of my screen recording software, ScreenFlow.

Ways OS X Can Improve

I am an Apple evangelist, speaking the ways of the Macintosh, and have been since the days of Vista. I love OS X and the ease of use, the customizable interface, and the many benefits it has to offer. However, no OS is perfect, and despite what most Apple fanboys say, OS X is no exception.

The Dock. The Dock is a very nice feature and has been in OS X for quite some time. However, it lacks a few things, in terms of customization. Apple  needs to put in "themes" for the dock. The glassy look is nice, but it gets old. And not everyone like the 3D look. Yes, you can download applications that modify the dock, but I strongly believe that this needs to be built in.

UI Themes. Like Windows, OS X needs themes for the overall interface. The gray look with colorful buttons is nice, but gets old. I would love to see Apple creative support for themes that are built in to OS X, such as an "Aero" look, similar to Windows. Again, you can download software to have a themes in OS X, but Apple needs to make their own, built in to the OS.

More options in Expose. Expose is great, especially in Snow Leopard. I still think it is unfinished, and could use more customizable options, and I also think Apple could implement Expose in other Apple software, such as iTunes, Safari, iPhoto and iMovie.

The return of support for third-party screen savers. When you upgraded to Snow Leopard, you probably noticed that all of your third-party screen savers no longer worked. It is unknown why Apple removed the support for this, but it would be nice to have it back.

These are just a few, but important, things Apple could improve OS X with. There are more, I'm sure. Comments welcome.