Weekly Q&A

Q: I always have a hard time finding the right gift for guys. Any suggestions? I’m a pretty simple individual and my wish list is for a camera and for everyone to have a very Merry Christmas!

Well, we know that  tie or soap on a rope isn’t going to do it, right?   My good friend, and trusted guy, Chris Null has some great ideas for travelers for the holidays over at Yahoo! Tech A laptop bag is always appreciated and so are a good set of headphones.  Subscriptions to their favorite things like Netflix are another “can’t go wrong” item.  The outdoorsy type would love a GPS made for hiking like Garmin’s eTrek or Nike and iPods or stay in synch sneakers.

And don’t forget those gifts from the heart.  Technology can help.  Sites like PhotoBucket, and Kodak Gallery and Snapfish let you create some exquisite hard covered photo books.  Book lovers might appreciate the Kindle. Homemade gifts work, too. Burn a DVD with with their favorite playlist or download a few audio books.  You can even design photo T-shirts and make everything from photo mugs to golf balls.  And then there’s the gifts that help tidy up – cable organizers, power chargers, and more.  For the ultimate Geek, you’ve got to visit Thinkgeek.com.

Q: Is it too much of a transition to go to a mac from a pc? Should I stay with a pc, desktop?

Wow.  There are some people who would tell you that switching from PC to Mac is sort of like converting to a different religion.  It’s a touchy subject, but actually the two platforms have become more similar over the years and most people have a preference for one or the other, but can learn to navigate both pretty quickly.

I’m going to generalize a bit, but here are my arguments for each:

PCs:
·    Great  selection of software at better prices.  More  shareware  and utilities to choose from.
·    More variety:  Ultra-portables,   netbooks, notebooks, desktops, entertainment PCs, gaming PC—there are many more variations on the theme, from multiple vendors. This allows you to tailor the perfect PC for your budget and personality.
·    Though many complain about Windows Vista, the newest PC operating system, it’s actually a great operating system for people who need coaching, especially for things like networking and keeping your computer secure.
·    Overall, PCs have the edge when it comes to synchronizing peripherals like SmartPhones  (with the exception of  iPhones)

Macs:
·    Take a more synergistic approach to their applications. Most Mac applications look and feel gorgeous, and are quite intuitive. Apple pays attention to the details and it shows.
·    Since Apple makes the PC and the operating system they can control the integration of the two better
·    Macs can run PC applications on a separate partition of the computer.
·    Generally, Macs are better for handling web page creation, photo management and video.
·    The Mac philosophy is, in many ways,  that less is more and that simplicity is mission-critical.
·    If you live near a Mac store service is really pleasant. As a matter of fact, it’s really fun.

Myths Shattered:
PCs and Macs are no longer very different in price.
Macs are not less virus prone than PCs.

My bias:  I like PCs because I like the freedom of tinkering and buying the widest range of products and peripherals.  I’m willing to sweat some other issues because of that freedom. That said, everyone I know who has switched to a Mac is a pretty satisfied camper.