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From: tom.davie.gmail.com Subject: Your article Date: February 3, 2005 1:30:51 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Hi Jorge, I just read your article about the Mac mini (/articles/MacMini2.html), and while I as a computer geek recognise it for a parody I would suggest to you that the average person looking for a review of a computer is not going to recognize it as such. Because of this I felt that your article was a little irresponsible (if very very funny :)) Bob From: mlamorte.mac.com Subject: RE: Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer Date: February 3, 2005 1:19:24 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Dear Clueless "Reporter": You're either a biased Microsoft Shill or a Blooming Idiot. After laughing my ass off at your ridiculous "article", allow me to enlighten you: While the hardware is about roughly equivalent to a Windows PC circa 1995, Um, no. A Windows PC cira 1995 typically had a 250MB or smaller hard drive, a CD-ROM (no burner, no DVD), 16 megs of ram (if you were lucky) and if you were rich you had a Pentium 133MHz, otherwise you had a 486-66. Were you paying attention in 1995? If you believe Apple’s marketing department, the new Mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than four quarters”. You have the iPod Shuffle confused with the Mac mini. Both were released on the same day, so I can understand how dealing with more than one thing at a time could confuse your five brain cells. As for the style of the unit, it’s alright. It reminds me of a ShuttlePC. But since its sleek look comes at the expense of the parallel port, serial ports, the PS/2 ports and the drive bays, potential Mac mini buyers should ask themselves just how much utility they’re willing to sacrifice for style. Um, howabout none? It's got two USB ports and a FireWire port. You can plug in RAID arrays, printers, scanners, joysticks, or any other standard Firewire or USB device, of which there's lots. Oh, did I forget to mention that the Mini has no PCI slots either? How many people do you know that buy a $500 stripped-down PC and actually use even one of the PCI slots? I know lots of people that buy el cheap-o PCs and when they need an upgrade two years later, they buy a whole new machine. And in those two years they haven't so much as put in more ram, let alone a PCI card of any flavor. Show me a user that needs a device that can't be connected to a Firewire or USB port, and I'll show you someone who needs more than a $500 Dell in the first place. And no floppy disk drive? Ye gads, man. Macs haven't shipped with a floppy drive since 1997. Floppies are slow, unreliable, and can't hold dick for information. Spend $20 and buy yourself a USB flash drive already. When I built a Shuttle PC to run BSD I didn't even bother to buy a floppy drive. I just set the BIOS to boot from CD. ...I could get a Mac mini computer for $499 and have no keyboard or mouse, Do you know how many bundled keyboards and mice I have in my closet, brand new and unused since Day 1? Or how many I've thrown away? no serial ports, Say it with me: U-S-B. no way to connect a printer, Say it again: U-S-B no PS/2 ports, Once more, for clarity: U-S-B no floppy drive, Let's take what we learned in the last lesson and add two words. I know it's hard but try to keep up: U-S-B Flash drive no 5.25" bays, no PCI slots, One more word to learn: Firewire no speakers, and no Windows XP... No Windows? THANK GOD! Although, if you're a glutton for punishment, you can buy a copy of Virtual PC (from Microsoft, who bought the software from Connectix) and throw whatever flavor of Windows on your Mac, and run the two OSs concurrently, although I don't know why you'd want to bother running Windows unless you're forced to at gunpoint. Back in the lab, we were able to borrow a USB keyboard and mouse from a Tangerine iMac collecting dust in the closet and get the darn Mini booted up at last. This is where the first noticeable problem with Apple design arises. While there is a Mac-style “donnnnggggg” when the Mini is first turned on, during normal operation the unit makes no sound whatsoever. So the Mac mini is quiet.... this is a bad thing? This could make it very difficult for a novice user to know whether or not the computer is on. There is a little light on the front that comes on when the power is on. I knew you were an idiot after reading your article, but I didn't know you were blind too. In fact, it took our techs about fifteen minutes before we realized the unit itself was operating normally and it was the monitor that was not plugged in properly. So you're admitting you're all idiots? Well, admitting you have a problem is the first step in correcting it. It turns out the Mini uses a weird kind of display connector on the back that requires a special adapter if you want to plug it into a PC monitor. We used a 15” Compaq VGA display. Weird? You haven't seen an industry-standard DVI connector for connecting a flat-panel display? What broom closet have you been locked in for the past 3 years? The Mini boots up into a stripped-down operating system which Apple calls OS X, similar to the stripped-down WindowsCE OS found on many handhelds. Stripped down? STRIPPED DOWN?! You need to lay off the crack pipe. I could spend the next three days detailing, point-by-point all of the advanced features of OS X -- like the BSD underpinnings, advanced PDF-based on-screen rendering, built-in Apache web server, advanced networking, and compatibility with every major application on the market -- but it would be lost on someone like you who has been trapped in the Microsoft Universe since conception. The mini OS is going to be a significant hurdle for many buyers who are used to Windows or have favorite Windows software packages they need to use. Think of it more as a first computer for your daughter or niece than as a machine to get any serious work done and you’ll get the point of the Mini and its target market. It might also be the perfect computer for grandmothers or autistic children, for example. The Mini has got some built-in software for basic computer functions, but it can’t do many common things as well as its grown-up brothers in the Windows world can. Name one thing. Just one. I beg you. The little things can add up to big frustration for someone who might accidentally buy a Mini expecting it to be just like Windows. For example, there is no Outlook Express for email, but Apple includes a program called Mail, which is like a stripped-down email client Far from being stripped down, Mail can handle HTML emails, inline multimedia attachments, advanced junk mail filtering, in-application PGP encryption and decryption, in-application PGP signature authentication, and can be expanded endlessly by 3rd parties through an open API set. that can’t execute scripts or open attachments without user intervention. Gee, so it can't spread worms and viruses? And this is a BAD thing? You really are clueless. And by the way, I have written several scripts that I have added into the program for advanced mail sorting and automation. And yes, these scripts run without any intervention because *I* added them. If someone sends me a script, the software is smart enough to ask permission to execute because THAT'S HOW WORMS ARE SPREAD. Secondly and possibly even more glaringly, there is no antivirus program shipped with the Mac. That's because there's no worms or viruses for the Mac. In today’s climate of non-stop worms, trojans and viruses, ...for Windows machines... releasing a computer with no virus removal software is irresponsible on the part of ...Microsoft. Yes, please point me to the built-in virus scanner that ships with Windows XP? Oh, many hardware vendors will bundle something in, but if you go out to CompUSA and buy Windows XP Professional, there is no built-in virus checking. Nada. None. Apple. The OS X comes with some system maintenance utilities, but essentials such as a defragmenter or a or registry cleaner are notably absent. Um, the UFS and HFS+ filesystems used by OS X don't need regular defragmentation, unlike NTFS and FAT32. And the Mac has no registry, so why would it need a registry cleaner? I would expect a Mini to get really slow and unstable within a couple months if you can’t perform any routine maintenance tasks on it. Actually, there are built-in standard Unix filesystem cleanup scripts that execute at automatic intervals, so the user doesn't have to maintain the OS. Automatic maintenance. What a novel idea. Expect Microsoft to get with the program by 2012, and I'm sure you'll herald it as the best to to happen to operating systems "since Bill Gates invented the mouse" or some other bullshit concocted by you and the rest of the Microsoft Shills. To see how much industry support the Mac platform has these days, I did a google to see if there were Mac versions of any of my favorite applications; unfortunately I ended up disappointed every time. So your favorite programs aren't made by Adobe, Macromedia, Microsoft, Quark, Roxio, or Intuit? And you used GOOGLE to looke for Mac versions of your favorite programs? Why not just go to the manufacturer's web site? Or better yet, try www.versiontracker.com. Learn it, live it, love it. There are very few first-person shooters for OSX. This is about the only point that is legitimate. But then again, if Halo, Doom 3, Unreal Tournament, Splinter Cell, etc... aren't enough, then maybe you should have a PlayStation instead of a computer. There is no Mac version of WeatherBug to check the temperature anywhere in the world. A quick search for "weather" on Version tracker netted me 35 OS X applications that can check the weather anywhere in the world. Is that enough? Nor is there a Mac version of helpful web and email enhancers like Hotbar. But there are plenty of "web and email enhancers" with other names. Geesh. You really are living in a microcosm. Or any equivalent of the DealHelper software I use to keep track of my passwords. Um, it's called "Keychain Access", and it's built into the OS. Don't like that one? There's over a dozen others available from 3rd parties. My Office 2003 CD would not install, despite claims I had heard from Mac fanboys that OS X is compatible with Office. You have a college degree? REALLY? And you REALLY have an MCSE certification? Because your inability to realize the difference between "compatible with Office" and "compatible with Windows" borders on the computer illiterate. Let me make it really, really easy for you: Your copy of Office runs on Windows. If you want Microsoft Office to run on your Mac, you need to buy the version of Office that runs on OS X. Go to www.mactopia.com, which is Microsoft's official Mac software site. Read. Learn. Heck, the Internet Explorer icon isn’t even out on the taskbar by default, That's because IE sucks. It's not even W3C compliant. And to top it off, Microsoft stopped development of IE for Mac about two years ago when Apple released their own browser, which is much faster and has many more advanced features -- like tabs and popup blocking -- which IE for Windows still doesn't have. it’s buried in the c:\applications folder. #1: There is no "C" drive. There are no drives "A", "B", or "D", either. Someone had the bright idea over 20 years ago that drives could have actual names, rather than letters that change depending on how many devices are connected. #2: OS X is based upon Unix, so your path is wrong. The correct path is: /Applications or: /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Applications Poor standards compliance: Apple's Safari web browser often fails to render MSN properly. Um, MSN is the one with poor standards compliance, since their website frequently uses tags that are not W3C compliant, but are specific to IE for Windows, which isn't W3C compliant either. By using cheap Asian child labor to assemble the units, costs have been reduced even further. Oh, that's *real* classy. And that eMachines box you quoted earlier was made.... where? I would like to see them continue this trend, possibly strike a deal with China to use inmates to assemble the Mini for even less, like Lenovo does. Think about it, a Mac mini for $299. Now that would be an easier price to swallow given the system’s limitations. $499 sounds like a decent price at first, but consumers need to be aware that once they add on the basics like a keyboard, monitor and mouse, plus shell out for some antivirus software, the Mac mini price is scraping the ceiling of $1600, hardly a “computer for the rest of us.” Where are you shopping? Geeze, man, I can pick up a 17" CRT, USB keyboard, and USB mouse all for under $100 total, after the now-ubiquitous rebates. If you *really* are paranoid and want the warm-fuzzy of antivirus software, you're up to $150. And the last time I checked $150 + $499 does not equal $1600. So is the mini a maxi value? For me, clearly, no. When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware--none of which are available for the Mac platform-- ...nor are they even necessary, but I digress. Dude... you really need to get your head out of Microsoft's ass and wake up to the really-real world. --- Michael A. LaMorte From: than0702.brockport.edu Subject: Where to begin? Date: February 7, 2005 1:31:18 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com I was reading your article about the Mac Mini, and found numerous erroneous statements. First, I would like to point out the truth that Apple can way over hype their stuff, and that you had a good observation that this is, more or less, a G4 cube with a new package. However when the cube came out the G4 was actually cutting edge, as opposed to now it's the less capable, but cheeper (so perfect for the consumer) PowerPC processor. Second I the technology is not that of a 1995 PC, in 1995 you were lucky to have a Pentium 2 running at more than five or six hundred MHz, this runs at 1.25 or 1.42 GHz on a processor far superior to a Pentium 2. Next you notice the lack of, or slimming down of as Apple likes to see it, of the available pots. Being that apple never has PS/2 ports that's not really something to be missed, also no mac since the original iMac has had a built in floppy drive, that's what USB is for. Also you claim that there is "no way to connect a printer" which is simply wrong. Again, that's what the USB is for, and since USB can be split via a hub or two or fifty, you can connect many floppy drives, printers, and just about every type of peripheral device imaginable , even adapters for 8 and 9 pin serial, parallel, and PS/2 ports. And nobody used 5 1/4 drives anymore, and no Macintosh has shipped with one... ever. Next, have fun with that eMachines that runs Windows XP. I have a less capable iBook G4 1 GHz and I run windows XP faster than a friend of mine who has XP that is so powerfully bad it can't scroll through a standard web page smoothly. Using virtual PC (sure it costs money, but you said Macs can't run XP, and that's just not true) I am able to run any windows program I want even some games (but a serious gamer knows that there are more games for PC and would not buy a Mac as a gaming rig, and especially not the lowest end mac offered). I also enjoyed your complaint about how the mini doesn't make any sound when on, this is a GOOD thing. I don't want to compute on a vacuum, I want a nice silent computer. And that funny little plug for the monitor that requires an adapter to work with monitors is called a DVI slot, a digital or analog slot it can be found on both Mac and PC and is an industry standard. Why waste room having both VGA and DVI when just one works? Then you compare OS X (one of the most capable OSes on the planet) to WinCE. OS X is supremely customizable and famously stable with a sleek easy to use interface. The fact you recommend it for old people (I will leave out the daughter or niece comment because of its blatant sexism) or autistic children should show how simple Apple has made computing. You then complain about the software available, like weather bug, you are correct that there is no mac version, but that does not mean there is no Mac equivalent, and it's even open source and has no advertisements. I won't really get into the poor standards compliance thing you bash Safari about, because it is the flaws permitted by Internet Explorer that allow MSN to render properly in IE, and the incredibly strict compliance which causes problems in browsers based on Mozilla, such as Safari and Firefox. And your office 2003 would not install because it was the windows version, there is a mac version of office, or you could just open the .doc files in the free TextEdit that comes with the system. Then you say that most of your time with your PC is spent using "Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware". There is no defragmenter program because the HFS+ filesystem does not need to be deframgented. Scandisk is called Disk Utility and comes with the OS, Norton Antivirus is available for Mac, you're wrong, there is a Mac OS updater that runs automatically, or can be run manually from System Preferences, or from the apple menu, and Ad-Aware is not made for the mac because there is no reason. There are NO OS X native viruses and NO OS X native spyware. I do not intend this a personal attack on you, but rather an attack on fallacious reporting. Please do not rant about things you know little to nothing about. I could have made this longer and explained all of the untruths better, but since you probably won't read this to completion I didn't. If you did complete this letter, I thank you for your time and hope that in the future you will do a little more research before you bad mouth a product. -Tom Hanagan From: truth911.mac.com Subject: Mac Mini Date: February 4, 2005 10:58:47 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Classic! Really funny, I suppose by now you've realized that you were mixing the iPod Shuffle and the mini in the size and weight comparison - easy mistake for a tech expert such as yourself. In case you haven't grasped it yet - one's a music player and ones a computer! Can you believe that? "during normal operation the unit makes no sound whatsoever" that had me rolling, seriously! I think most people find that a good thing. Novice users could still look at the attached screen to work out if it were switched on or not I would reckon. "stripped-down operating system " Yep, that's Unix alright!! Can't do nothing with it..... (you are a gem!) "Think of it more as a first computer for your daughter or niece than as a machine to get any serious work done" It's been a while since I've seen such overt sexism! And of course, as we both know, what can you do with Unix OSes anyway? "For example, there is no Outlook Express for email, but Apple includes a program called Mail, which is like a stripped-down email client that can?t execute scripts or open attachments without user intervention" And that's why viruses and security issues are never a problem in OSX. Double-clicking a file hardly takes any time a gives the user the important choice. It's one of the real flaws in Windows that kind of behaviour I'm surprised you don't know this. " I would expect a Mini to get really slow and unstable within a couple months if you can?t perform any routine maintenance tasks on it." Arrrrrh, precious. But only if you judged it by your own Windows standards where this does happen as you say. A good OS doesn't actually needing nursing and cleaning everyday! Only Windows has this 'feature'. " When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware" YOU'RE trolling aren't you - you little tinker! Oh well, took me in for 15 minutes . . . Hope it pays Truth. From: killmoms.jmu.edu Subject: Great article Date: February 3, 2005 9:30:14 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Your Mac mini article was hilarious, but only by the end... really, I think you have to be more over the top, man. I've actually heard people make arguments like this, seriously! For the whole first part of the article all I could think was "He must be joking, but I'm just not sure," (then I hit the "autistic children" line). Kind of frightening. Also, I apologize for all the less-than-perceptive Mac users who are going to flame you into oblivion because they missed the joke. They mean well, man, they just get really riled up about stuff like this, because THEY'VE heard arguments like this presented seriously. Try to forgive them. --Matt From: theoldbailey.sbcglobal.net Subject: Mac Mini review -- how many mistakes can you make? Date: February 3, 2005 9:42:11 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Just read your review of the Mac Mini. Let me point out your many mistakes... 1. “...the hardware is roughly equivalent to a Windows PC circa 1995...” There’s no basis in fact for this claim. Even if you compare processor frequency number-for-number (which isn’t a fair comparison because the technologies between Pentium and PowerPC processors are completely different), the numbers don’t even jive. Of all the PCs that I manage right now, the oldest one I have in-stock still is a Pentium-2 333MHz and that was bought in 1999. The low-end Mac Mini comes with a 1.25GHz processor. The word “gigahertz” wasn’t even being used for processors in 1995. 2. “...the new Mini is ‘smaller than most packs of gum’ and weighs ‘less than four quarters’.” That’s the marketing quote for the iPod Shuffle, not the Mini. Check your facts before you publish. 3. “...comes at the expense of the parallel port, serial ports, the PS/2 ports...” Macs have never had parallel ports or PS/2 ports. They’ve never need them. They abandoned serial ports back in like 1998. With USB, you don’t need these ports. Well, unless you’re still using Windows. Same goes for the floppy drive, although even Dell has started to abandon selling those by default because they’re worthless in comparison to modern storage systems. 4. I’ll give you that it doesn’t come with a keyboard or mouse. I’m not fond of Apple’s keyboard or mouse anyway, and much prefer the Microsoft-branded keyboards and mice. So I’m not a complete Mac-head either. The fact that they don’t tack on the extra cost of a keyboard or mouse is a boon, not a shortcoming. 5. Your price comparison between the Mac Mini and eMachines is very deceptive. Did you forget to include, say, a year-long subscription to Norton Antivirus? The “added value” of having Windows XP isn’t even a valid consideration, considering that’s the operating system. The Mac Mini comes with Mac OS X. Do you even check your facts? And eMachines is a cut-rate brand, not know for quality hardware or even good tech support. 6. The fact that the Mac Mini makes no real noise while in use is a flaw to you? 7. “...stripped-down operating system which Apple calls OS X...” It is a fully-fledged, fully-functional operating system, running on top of a UNIX base. Again, check your facts. 8. “...grandmothers and autistic children...” Yes, it is a great choice for people who don’t want to fuss with problems, because the Mac runs with so little maintenance as to be problem-free. 9. The fact that Apple Mail does not execute scripts is a bonus. It prevents the large vulnerability that is Outlook and Outlook Express for Windows. And if you really do need to send scripts, well, Microsoft does make Entourage for Mac OS X. Even they realize the Mac operating system is worth writing for. 10. “...there is no antivirus program shipped with the Mac...” There is no antivirus program shipped with Windows, either, although many computer resellers bundle a package with a computer — usually with a 90-day subscription limitation. And, fact is, there hasn’t been a serious Mac virus since 1998 — which is why antivirus software for Macs is really purely optional. Mostly, I recommend it so that if a person gets an email with a virus from an infected PC, they can at least inform the PC user that they need to upgrade their antivirus software. The “non-stop worms, trojans and viruses” you refer to are a part of the Windows environment, not the Mac. 11. “...there is no Mac version of WeatherBug...” Uh, hate to tell you this, but WeatherBug is classified as spyware. Ad-Aware may not identify it as such, but SpyBot Search & Destroy does. It’s free, so you might want to try that on your computer. 12. “...my Office 2003 CD would not install...” Of course not. That program is written for Windows. Would you expect to be able to run a Linux program on Windows? I wouldn’t. Yes, Microsoft does make Office 2004 for Mac OS X. It’s just a different piece of software. 13. Microsoft has abandoned development of Internet Explorer for Mac because the vast majority of people use either Safari, Netscape or Firefox on the Mac. They never did write a solid version of Explorer for Mac anyway, so it’s probably just as well. 14. “...scraping the ceiling of $1,600...” No basis in fact for this claim. I just configured a Mac Mini at the Apple online store with a keyboard, mouse and 17” monitor for $716. Norton Antivirus for Mac (yes, it really does exist) adds $70 to the price, if you’d even want it, for a total of $786. Check your numbers, man! 15. “When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware — none of which are available for the Mac...” Uh, okay, first off Norton Antivirus is available for the Mac. True, Norton Antivirus for Windows will not run on the Mac, but that’s because it’s a different program. We don’t need Ad-Aware; spyware is, again, a Windows-only issue. ScanDisk is also a Windows-maintenance program; the Mac has Disk Utility, so it’s in there. The Mac-equivalent of Windows Update is Software Update, and it’s built into the system (automatically checks for updates when an Internet connection is present and prompts you to install them). The only thing I can give you is Disk Defragmenter, for which there is no built-in equivalent. There are third-party utilities such as MicroMat TechTool Pro ($100) to do this, but it’s hardly necessary — in fact, defragmentation is not recommended for Mac OS X because it tends to work fine without it. The biggest value in the Mac in that it requires so little maintenance. The fact that we don’t have to run these programs routinely is a good thing. God man, check your facts before you publish. Your article is so full of holes that it looks like Swiss cheese. -- Charles "Chris" Bailey Benton Harbor, Michigan From: alan.ramos.mccann.com Subject: /articles/MacMini2.html Date: February 3, 2005 9:42:12 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Jorge, Thank you for your interesting article at: /articles/MacMini2.html. I will from this day forward NEVER consider hiring a person with credentials such as yours coming from DeVry if you are an indication of their ability to instruct or train/place technology workers. I am left open jawed as you completely fail to see the Mac for what it is- instead you approach it as a typical level one PC tech trying to support a Macintosh. (not very bright) Anyway again thank you - for being brave and sticking your neck out by showing such short sighted and ill prepared views. I needed a good laugh. :) CHEERS! ___ Alan Ramos From: zentec.hotmail.com Subject: Damned funny Date: February 3, 2005 9:51:13 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Aside from being sucked-in when reading this last night, reading it again made me snort Pepsi on my monitor. Nice job, Jorge. From: danielprieto.nerdshack.com Subject: Date: February 4, 2005 9:13:58 AM PST To: michael.eagan.divisiontwo.com Hello, Sir. Respectfully, I would like to state a few points about your latest column. 1. I'm not a terrorist, I don't hate freedom, but I don't agree with G.W. Bush's administration foreign policies. 2. In the other hand, the 'liberal' term would require a little revision: The word "Liberal", comes from "liberty" which is a synonim with "freedom". The diference between two words is that both have different origin: 'Liberty' comes from the latin (French: 'Liberté', Spanish: 'Libertad') and 'Freedom' has a german origin ('Freiheit'). Classic liberalism is the 'laissez faire, lassez passer' (let do, let pass) docrine that was the core of the late 18th century revolutions like the American and French Revolutions. That was 'freedom' for your founding fathers (and mine also, living in a country product of a similar anti-monarchic revolution). Claiming that some unique opinion should fill the entire media is a huge step backwards towards absolutism, where there are no individual rights and the ruler's (emperor, king) oppinion is the only valid. What would happen there is, that if you were the one that thinks different you would be prosecuted, your e-mails read and your house watched.... You would be claiming for 'speech freedom'. I invite you to use the term 'liberal' with more care when you refer to the people that is different that you, if you claim to love the freedom. Daniel Prieto From: thuner.spray.se Subject: Comments & questions. Date: February 3, 2005 4:54:29 AM PST To: michael.eagan.divisiontwo.com Hello Michael, I read your article about liberal media and their obsession with torture (I found it here: divisiontwo.com/articles/nospin1.html). Some questions came to me. You wrote: "Maybe, if Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings cared more about journalism than promoting their liberal agenda, they could have mentioned to the viewers that the "upsetting" photos they were witnessing were just part of a prison cheerleading show, one of many activities US troops organized to keep the prisoners from getting bored." The thing is, if there was a cheerleading competition, is it really a good idea to host that kind of activity in a prison? My experience from working as a prison guard is that you do want to have a strictly professional relationship with the prisoners. You do not want to friends with them, especially if you are about to interrogate them. I'm a journalist, aswell as you are, and I would like to make a parallell from my daily work at the newspaper. The hardest part of beeing a journalist at a small paper in a small town is that you get to know the people you're interviewing on a personal level. When I interview the CEO of the largest industy in town I tend to get his personal unofficial opinion rather than his professional official opinion (The CEO I'm talking about is a friend of mine as we share the same hobby, racing radiocontrolled cars). The question that is still to be answered is: wy would US soldiers host a cheerleading competition with prisoners as competitors? The second question I have is about this: "The photo on the left shows another distorted misrepresentation by left-wing propagandists. While Tom Brokaw was quick to call this an incident of "abuse", he could have also balanced it by pointing out L/Cpl Darren Larkin may have simply been utilizing a technique used by chiropractors for centuries to adjust an inmate's posture. My wife goes to the chiropractor several times a year for spinal adjustments, and I don't mind telling you, American chiropractors charge top dollar for what Larkin is giving away for free here." I went to a chiropractor some years ago to do some spinal adjustments. I underwent a similar treatment as shown on the picture of L/Cpl Darren Larkin. But my chiropractor didn't have shoes on, she was bare foot. And she also explained to me that this is a very delicate exercise, not to be executed by anyone without the proper training, she specifically used the frase "Don't try this at home kids". My question is: Is L/Cpl Darren Larkin a skilled chiropractor? I haven't seen any comment on whether he is. Because if he ins't a skilled chiropractor I would say that what he is doing in the picture is not a good idea. My last question is a more persnoal one. You state at the bottom of the page where I found you're article that you are "a premier member of The Promise Keepers": My question is: what is The Promise Keepers? I searched the internet with Google, but the homepage I found wasn't working. Last but not least I would like to tell you a bit about myself. My name is Gustav Ohlsson. I'm a 24 year old single man born and raised in Sweden. I'm urrently residing in Lund a small town in the south of Sweden where I work at the local newspaper as a journalist and photographer. I stumbled upon your article when my friend sent me the link to Jorge Lopez article about the new Mac mini. I found your article fascinating and I wrote you this mail asking these questions. Now I'm just hoping for an answer from you. I hope you understand what I've written, I know that since english isn't my first language I tend to write it with a touch of swedish. Regards /Gustav From: rich_wicks.yahoo.com Subject: /articles/linuxbeat3.htm Date: February 4, 2005 2:08:34 PM PST To: bleek.divisiontwo.com In reference to your article, and in particular to the desktop you setup for your grandmother shown here: http://images.mandrakesoft.com/img/screenshots/mdk91-scr2-s.jpg I would like to know out of curiosity if your grandmother is a goth or a vampire. Thank you, -Rich From: UHanna.Entertainment.com Subject: is divisiontwo.com real? Date: February 5, 2005 3:47:59 PM PST To: ty.bennett.divisiontwo.com I just have to ask, is this website supposed to be serious/genuine news and reporst and opinions ? or is it a site that makes up news articles for humors sake? This is a serious question. Thanks Sam From: cechavar.wisc.edu Subject: so.... Date: February 3, 2005 8:35:19 PM PST To: bleek.divisiontwo.com Honestly, I got mad while reading the mini article but gave you another opportunity and read the grandma Linux system. You're funny just keep them coming. From: todd.infoasis.com Subject: oil's well that ends well Date: February 5, 2005 2:53:41 PM PST To: maureen.divisiontwo.com Maureen, Very ironic article. Thanks, that's funny and tragic in one article. /articles/blessoursons.html Todd From: alyce13j.yahoo.com Subject: gay baby article Date: February 7, 2005 10:08:32 AM PST To: maureen.divisiontwo.com you know... there are people out there who are taking this seriously. /articles/gaybaby.htm good grief. I had to tell you though. :) Have you received a lot of email on it? Wondering how many people have been thrown into a state of panic. Was an entertaining piece by the way. ~Alyce From: jpmcw.comcast.net Subject: Great stuff! Date: February 4, 2005 10:05:18 AM PST To: ty.bennett.divisiontwo.com /articles/appleweek1.html I found the above site via an unlearned discussion in comp.sys.mac.sys NG, and your writing is terrific! Each of the three sendoffs has enough subtlety for my tastes, and apparently sends others over the edge of sanity. Keep up the good work! How often do you write, and is there an E-mail updater in place? Best wishes, John McWilliams From: dub.modestdesign.com Subject: What is wrong with Division Two? Date: February 3, 2005 11:01:18 PM PST To: ty.bennett.divisiontwo.com Ok, Seriously, are you guys a joke site? If not I must say your article on the G5 powerbook prototype was equally if not MORE retarded and uneducated as Jeorge's article on the Mac Mini. If its a joke site, funny. If not, you guys need to check yourselves into a program for the mentally retarded. From: olliewagner.mac.com Subject: Tech columns are lame, go back to a christian point of view! Date: February 3, 2005 4:16:44 PM PST To: ty.bennett.divisiontwo.com I miss those good ol' piffanies, Mrs. Ferguson's impervious logic, and Brad's combo of bashing fags' skulls in/giving Dave rimjobs. Please bring back those characters! Thanks, Ollie From: bsgore.mac.com Subject: funny Date: February 3, 2005 3:24:04 PM PST To: ty.bennett.divisiontwo.com Dear Ty, After responding negatively to Jorge's article I should say that i thought your's quite funny. Especially the Fiona stuff. Keep up the good work, bill gore a mac user with a sense of humor. From: dbeales.comcast.net Subject: My worst fears are realized. Date: February 7, 2005 3:47:57 PM PST To: maureen.divisiontwo.com As a person who as driven compact cars all my life ( my current vehicle is a Honda Civic) my worse fear are realized. Dodging those behemoths of vehicles you called S.U.V. for many years, it sometimes occurs to me tha humans really do occupy those things. YOU ARE A GREAT WRITER KEEP IT UP. From: bimmer98.gol.com Subject: Reply Date: February 8, 2005 5:49:57 PM PST To: maureen.divisiontwo.com You shouldn't be on the road. A phone in one hand, a coffee in the other and a computer on your lap. You should put yourself in jail. How in the world can a person drive when your mind should be on the road ahead 100% of the time. Had you had both hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road, you would not have done what you did. You should be ashamed to call yourself a 'driver'. From: dmcconn1.cpinternet.com Subject: The Emperor's New Computer Date: February 8, 2005 11:29:55 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Is your Technology Insider article “Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer” satire, or do you suffer from led poisoning? I really can’t tell. From: tw.xlteam.com Subject: mac mini review Date: February 8, 2005 10:53:01 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Hello, I have read your article/review about the Mac mini, and I must say you got me revved up, at first I believed you were really stupid, but now I realize you are a brilliant comic genius. Good job, and keep up the good work, I haven't read something that funny in quite a while, and with all the microsoft slams you hid while making it look like you really didn't like the Apple product, you are a great satirical writer... ~trey From: chris.bryden.gmail.com Subject: Re: Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer Date: February 8, 2005 7:06:50 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Please take note for all future Mac Evangelizing: A significant number (a minority none-the-less) of people will understand your article; however, you must remember, for future articles, that some (a insignificant majority?) of the people who will read your articles are Windows XP users on Celeron processors who absolutely lack any sense of humor, let alone a conceptual understanding of the fundamental literary devices used in the The Emperors New Clothes. From: dhayes2.mac.com Subject: Mac Mini review Date: February 7, 2005 10:42:51 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Mac Mini Review Jorge Lopez Feb. 2005 I found your review quite interesting and thought I should pass along my comments about your review .... “ Steve Jobs, is well known throughout the industry for possessing a “ reality distortion field “ which makes people cave Apple computers and one-button mice despite their exorbitant price and in the face of all rational logic.” Steve Jobs is known throughout American industry as be a visionary and his decisions in the last few years indicate that fact. While the music industry scrambled to prevent illegal downloads of music, Jobs created the iTunes website where music fans could legally purchase high quality music for just 99 cents a song. With over 250 million downloads since it’s inception no one can argue with it’ success, not even you. “ the new mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than four quarters “.” This quote from your review shows that you are an idiot. The description you quoted was for Apple’s new iPod Shuffle, a flash based MP3 player that is in fact smaller than a pack of gum and weighs less than an ounce. The mini was never described as you quoted. You owe Apple an apology for your inaccurate quote. Let’s see if you have enough integrity to do so. “ As for the style of the unit, it’s alright.” Obviously from your comments you wouldn’t know style if it popped up and bit you in the behind. As far as the lack of parallel ports, serial pots and PS/2 ports, Apple has NEVER shipped a computer with parallel ports and the USB standard has taken over the industry as the communications standard for peripherals. Maybe you missed the news on that. “ and no floppy drives “ I guess you also missed the memo on the demise of the floppy drive. Even our friends at Dell have proclaimed that the floppy drive. With the advent of CD burners, USB flash drives and external drives files can be backed up and transferred to other computers without the limited use of a floppy drive. I would have thought that a self proclaimed “technology insider “ would know this. I guess not. “ No keyboard or mouse either “ Yes ... as Steve Jobs announced at the keynote ( maybe you stepped away to get coffee ) introduced the product so that Windows users switching to Mac could use their existing USB mouse and keyboard and displays and not have to purchase new ones. By the way, was Kayla’s Daddy stupid enough to think that a keyboard could fit in a box the size of a Min Mac ? Or was her Daddy too stupid to read the side of the packaging ? “ with the added benefit of running Windows XP “ If you truly believe this is a benefit than the jury is back .... you are an idiot . What exactly is the benefit ? Perhaps the 40,000 or so worms and viruses ? Is that the benefit ? Or is it the constant crashing of Windows ? Is that it ? “ during normal operation the unit makes no sound whatsoever “ Earth to Mr. Lopez .... computers don’t have to make noises when they are running. In fact, except for maybe you, most people don’t want their machines to make noises, they just want them to work. There are some applications, like studio recording, where no noise is REQUIRED. “ uses a weird kind of display connector on the back that requires a special adaptor if you want to plug it into a PC monitor. “ That “weird kind of display connector “ is called a DVI connector. The DVi connector was designed by the VESA working group. VESA stand s for the Video Electronics Standards Association. The members of VESA include all the computer manufacturers and display manufacturers. DVi is a standard in the industry, even though you obviously don’t know that fact. By the way, that special adaptor comes with every Mac Mini. “ a stripped down operating system “ Once again, you show your ignorance. “ frustration for someone who might accidentally buy a Mini expecting it to be just like Windows “ Only an idiot would purchase the Mac Mini with that expectation. Actually people are buying because they know it’s not Windows. Was this your expectation ? By the way, Apple Mail opens attachments without user intervetion. What the hell are you talking about ? “ to keep track of my passwords “ I guess you didn’t take the time to open KeyChain, which is the built in application in the OSX operating system to help users keep track of their passwords. “ My Office 2003 would not install “ That’s right Einstein, Office 2003, which was written for Windows won’t load onto the Mini or any other Mac. It was written for the Windows operating system and not for the Mac OSX. Memo to Einstein .... buy Microsoft Office for the Mac which is written by Microsoft and it will run “ Office “. “ it’s buried in the C:applications folder “ There is no such thing as a “C” drive in Macintosh. Never was. Internet Explorer is found in the following location : Macintosh HD/ Applications X folder/ Internet Explorer. “ by using cheap Asian child labor “ Do you know this as a fact ? Or are you just making this bullshit up? I’m not even going to comment on the rest of your bullshit. I have sent a copy of this to Apple’s Legal Department. They can take whatever legal action they may choose. It’s obvious to me that you are making up this nonsense to raise the hackles of Mac users or perhaps you are just a fucking idiot. Let the reader decide. One thing I can conclude ... you don’t know jack shit about technology and certainly even less about computers. The web has enough crap on it already without you introducing more crap to the web. From: mikescafide.fastermac.net Subject: Great Piece of Satire Date: February 7, 2005 7:28:26 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Your Mac mini review was a great read. I was baffled for a while reading it before coming to the conclusion that it was satirical in nature. Such glaringly ignorant remarks I am sure will fire up the less keen Zealots, and I am sure you will receive some very hilarious mail! However, if I am incorrect and you truly are that computer illiterate, maybe you should go to China and build PC's for Dell, cause that's where EVERYONE has their PC's built now a days... (Excluding Apple's huge factory in IRELAND) From: skimully.bresnan.net Subject: Date: February 7, 2005 7:17:38 PM PST To: maureen.divisiontwo.com Dear Maureen, Right on toots! Your attitude is what makes America the greatest God Damned country in a world of pipsqueaks! Maybe we could just ship all these ungodly, mini car drivers off to some Gulag and be done with it......."The Final Solution." Clean up those lefty, elitist, pointy headed denizens of the blue states so the right kind of people won't be inconvenienced anymore! Good luck on your crusade! Wally Ballou From: chimchimliverlips.yahoo.com Subject: I think you need help..... really. Date: February 7, 2005 7:14:12 PM PST To: maureen.divisiontwo.com The reason you drove over that little focus, is because you were on the phone, drinking your latte, AND writing in your palm pilot, paying NO attention to what SHOULD be your number one concern, Driving. YOU are the hazard out there, thinking that you own the road, and that everyone should mold to you. I've had a Durango, I know the benefits of a bigger vehicle, but god, how arrogant of you. Knowing you have a child and you say, "we don't even need seat belts", if I was your child, even at 6-7 years old, I would be smart enough to RUN LIKE HELL if you ever suggest I get in a vehicle with you. One day, probably soon, you will be talking on your phone, writing in your palm pilot, eating your lunch, drinking your coffee and probably kill an entire family, all because you are an absolute bastard of a person. Please for the sake of all beings with a license, write where you live on your little site, so we all know to avoid it at all costs. You act as though you are some injured party when the accident was completely your own fault, and you drove away from it, leaving another human being probably injured, confused, and wronged. I have a label for you, BITCH. Disgusted, K. Allison Davison, Mi. From: rik_gibson.hotmail.com Subject: Mac Mini review Date: February 7, 2005 4:45:47 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Funniest thing I've read in ages. An American with a grasp of irony is like a dog that sings - very rare indeed. Nice one. From: mlancer.mac.com Subject: Your review of the Mac Mini Date: February 7, 2005 9:03:47 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com I just read your review of the Mac Mini and have one question... are you always this narrow minded? Your review is so PC biased it is unbearable. 1. No parallel port? Are you still living in the Dark Ages and not heard of USB? 2. No serial ports? Again USB is now commonplace. 3. "Weird kind of display connector"? Have you heard of DVI? 4. "Stripped down operating system"? Have you ever heard of Unix? 5. "Secondly and possibly even more glaringly, there is no antivirus program shipped with the Mac. " This is true but I might remind you of the 600,000 viruses that you on your WinXP system have to contend with and not the less than 500 viruses that Mac users have to face. 6. "There is no Mac version of WeatherBug" I'm glad there isn't, the program is spyware. 7. "Nor is there a Mac version of helpful web and email enhancers like Hotbar." Again, more spyware. 8. "My Office 2003 CD would not install." Did you read the system requirements on the box? I guess you expect a Ford part to fit in a Chevy vehicle as well. 9. "By using cheap Asian child labor to assemble the units." Now you're just being stupid. 10. "$499 sounds like a decent price at first, but consumers need to be aware that once they add on the basics like a keyboard, monitor and mouse, plus shell out for some antivirus software, the Mac mini price is scraping the ceiling of $1600" Where do you get your computer equipment from? the Government? Sir, I hope this review was a joke. Someone that is a DeVry graduate and has a MSCE certification I would assume has a higher IQ than what you display in this review. If this review was an honest review on your part, then I suggest you do more research and have an open mind when it comes to doing another review. Ariel Garza Mac/Windows/Linux user From: peter.harris.mac.com Subject: Your reviews Date: February 7, 2005 2:07:41 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Cc: d2mailbag.divisiontwo.com Dear Jorge, I really liked your "review" of the Mac Mini. What a riot! It was a perfect parody! The character you created-- the MS tech who can't tell an MP3 player from a computer-- is absolutely hysterically funny! He is the perfect Windows idiot, right down to the fact that he thinks the Mac OS is a MIcroSoft product. I really got a laugh when he complained that he couldn't install WIndows service packs on the Mac!! What a hoot!!! I mean, this character is absolutely perfect! Did you base him on someone whom you know personally, or is he a pastiche of various sub-moronic geek types you have known? Keep up the good work-- you've got 'em rolling in the aisles. Peter Harris From: eric.olsson.gmail.com Subject: Mac mini article Date: February 7, 2005 2:00:24 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Hi Jorge, Had to read it three times before I got it - best laugh I've had in a while. Well done! Eric -- **************** Eric Olsson From: nglusty.arcor.de Subject: God Bless Our Brave Sons Date: February 7, 2005 1:00:39 AM PST To: maureen.divisiontwo.com Dear Mrs Jambor, I was sorry to hear about the Daniel´s death. It is fortunately an experience that my family has not had to experience since the Second World War. Many of out British soldiers have also lost their lives although, thank God, they have an easier area of Iraq to patrol than your compatriots. I too (unlike the majority of my country) have supported my government´s stance in the war, and I still believe as strongly as you do that if we put in the necessary resources, we can make a lasting peace that will be of benefit to the Iraqi people. However I think your point about low gas prices and large vehicles is misdirected. Do we really want our children to suffer in a world where we have destroyed the planet through our excessive production of greenhouse gasses? Is it responsible to keep on poluting the atmosphere just to show that we won´t "give in to foreign tyranny"? Is this not to cut off our noses to spite our face? I respect President Bush´s honesty in not revoking the Kyoto Protocol - Only a handful of countries that have signed will come anywhere near meeting their obligations and at least your President is honest about this. But that is not to say that we should not try. We, as mature democratic nations, have a responsibility to try a little to make the world as a whole, and not just those parts where we have economic interests, a better place. Yours sincerely Nicholas Lusty British Citizen living in Germany From: mwillson.pcinetworks.net Subject: Regarding your idiotic Review on the mac mini... Date: February 5, 2005 8:47:13 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com /articles/MacMini2.html Hello, I’d just like to comment on the rather stupid review you did on the new mini Mac.. While I myself am not a Mac man, your review is utter garbage and it makes you sound like you are a 7th grader fresh off irc.. First off “...I could get a Mac mini computer for $499 and have no keyboard or mouse, no serial ports, no way to connect a printer, no PS/2 ports, no floppy drive, no 5.25" bays, no PCI slots, no speakers, and no Windows XP...” You would not buy a god damn Macintosh to use windows xp on it…so that statement is trash. “No way to connect to a printer” is wrong, that’s what USB ports are for slick…It’s replacing parallel ports as we know it… And of Course Mac’s don’t have goddamn PS/2 ports, that’s PC terms. USB is standardized for keyboard/mice. And since were on the subject of USB, I bet you’re going to say “well there’s only X amount of ports. Each USB controller can support up to 127 devices…but you should know that being an MCSE and all.. “It turns out the Mini uses a weird kind of display connector on the back that requires a special adapter if you want to plug it into a PC monitor. We used a 15” Compaq VGA display.” It’s called a DVI input port, all MACS, SUN systems, and others will be only using this in the future… “The Mini boots up into a stripped-down operating system which Apple calls OS X, similar to the stripped-down WindowsCE OS” You gotta be shitting me on that statement man. OS X is based of BSD kernel and architecture, no way relating to homofied WINDOWS CE “. For example, there is no Outlook Express for email, but Apple includes a program called Mail, which is like a stripped-down email client that can’t execute scripts or open attachments without user intervention.” AHAHAH, you god damn retard, that is a great security feature. “ Secondly and possibly even more glaringly, there is no antivirus program shipped with the Mac”” once again…the structure of the OS is much more secure than windows will ever be, and the viruses will never damage as many Macs as windows does.. “but essentials such as a defragmenter or a registry cleaner are notably absent. I would expect a Mini to get really slow and unstable within a couple months if you can’t perform any routine maintenance tasks on it.” When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware--none of which are available for the Mac platform” My favorite part of your whole newbie review. First off, MAC OS X doesn’t have a retarded ‘registry’ like M$ windows does, nor does it have a ‘defragmenter’ its called FSCK … based off of UNIX application of filesystem cleaner… By the way, if you spend most of your time running “disk defagmenter”. Scandisk, ad-aware , which is garbage compared to spybot-sd, and system resource hog NORTON AV, you ever stop and consider you wasted your money? I’m quite sure MCSE’s have better things to do than the average user is capable of doing… Next time you want to write a review, stick to your homofied windows environment, with all of its retarded programs, its non compliant outdated browser, and wonderful target for viruses, worms, Trojans, and retards such as yourself. Matt Willson A+ PCI Networks Admin / FreeBSD / Win2k/XP/ Mac OS X Administrator From: mack520.mac.com Subject: mac mini review Date: February 5, 2005 8:24:46 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Cc: mack520.mac.com I thought this was a real tour de force. From: clodhopper06.comcast.net Subject: Mac Mini article Date: February 5, 2005 8:09:55 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com I have just read your article about the new Mac Mini from Apple and had a few comments regarding it. First, “Smaller than a pack of gum” is an advertising campaign for the new iPod Shuffle, not the Mac Mini. The iPod Shuffle is smaller than a pack of gum and it also weighs less than four quarters. Second, parallel ports have been obsolete for years. You can’t find a printer that connects via parallel port nowadays-they are all USB. Same with serial ports-what are they even used for now? Everything is USB. PCI slots are completely useless for the target audience for this computer. Anything that would be needed to be added via PCI is already available in the Mac Mini including Bluetooth, wireless connectivity, and Ethernet. Third, the reason why Apple does not include a keyboard, monitor, or mouse is because they figure that people buying the Mini already have these components from their previous PC. Also, Emachines are low quality, bottom of the line PCs while Apple manufactures high-quality, top of the line machines. Fourth, I do not see why the Mac Mini being quiet is such an issue. Quiet is good! Who wants a loud computer? Fifth, OSX is hardly a “Stripped down OS.” The Mac Mini includes iLife-a suite of programs meant to include programs to do everything that was possible on a windows pc. Regarding the Mail program-it is sufficient. If you don’t like it, download another email client. Who uses Outlook express anyway…it is full of holes and vulnerabilities. Also, Macs are not vulnerable to viruses, Trojans, spyware, etc. No one develops such malicious programs for the Mac. There have only been a handful of viruses created for the Mac in the past, all of which were completely unsuccessful. Thus, there is no need to include antivirus and antispyware programs…..Windows XP doesn’t even ship with these programs….and it is the most vulnerable OS. Also, Macs do not have a registry….so there is nothing to ‘scan.’ Also, everyone knows that Mac is not a gaming OS. Clearly you have to keep a windows machine around to do gaming. No big deal. Weatherbug type features can be accessed through small programs called widgets in Mac OSX. These have all of the info you will ever need like weather, stock quotes, movie times, calendar, etc. Also, Hotbar and DealHelper are both spyware-plagued pieces of software that are useless and fraudulent. They are the cause of your spyware and spam emails. Also, you are dumb to try and use your Office disk to install Microsoft Office onto OSX. Microsoft made a version for OSX….but you have to BUY IT! Overall, you probably should have done some longer-term testing and research before you wrote such a narrow-minded and ignorant article. I would suggest you pull it from your website, as it contains misinformation. From: dan.danvine.com Subject: This is the emperor speaking. Date: February 5, 2005 7:53:41 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com >> If you believe Apple’s marketing department, the new Mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than four quarters”. << This is clearly apple discussing the iPod shuffle. Not the mac mini, both were unveiled the same day. >> But since its sleek look comes at the expense of the parallel port, serial ports, the PS/2 ports and the drive bays, potential Mac mini buyers should ask themselves just how much utility they’re willing to sacrifice for style. << Parallel, PS/2 are old technology. What modern device can you think of that relies on these? Now how many of them have a USB version? >> And no floppy disk drive? << What? Who on earth needs a floppy drive? Dell doesn't even ship their machines with them by default! >> no way to connect a printer, no PS/2 ports, no floppy drive, no 5.25" bays, no PCI slots, no speakers, and no Windows XP... << USB printers work wonders, USB keyboards and mice work fine. PCI slots? For what? Windows XP.. ok, you have a point. But did I mention that it doesn't ship with MASSIVE security holes? >> during normal operation the unit makes no sound whatsoever. << I love being drowned out by the whir of PC computer parts and fans, the white noise is just so tranquil. >> In fact, it took our techs about fifteen minutes before we realized the unit itself was operating normally and it was the monitor that was not plugged in properly. << Hate to say it, but get some more thorough techs. >> It turns out the Mini uses a weird kind of display connector on the back that requires a special adapter if you want to plug it into a PC monitor. << By "weird", you must mean DVI. Which is the new standard for most any high end video device. >> The Mini boots up into a stripped-down operating system which Apple calls OS X >> You must have meant "not bloated" >> Apple includes a program called Mail, which is like a stripped-down email client that can’t execute scripts or open attachments without user intervention. << I'd venture to say that the majority of scripts executed from within outlook express were unwelcome. For instance, the "iloveyou" virus? >> Secondly and possibly even more glaringly, there is no antivirus program shipped with the Mac. In today’s climate of non-stop worms, trojans and viruses, releasing a computer with no virus removal software is irresponsible on the part of Apple. << Does Microsoft ship virus removal and antivirus software with their OS? >> The OS X comes with some system maintenance utilities, but essentials such as a defragmenter or a registry cleaner are notably absent. << A) It defragments its self. B) OSX DOES NOT RELY ON A REGISTRY! >> There is no Mac version of WeatherBug to check the temperature anywhere in the world. << Try weather.com and not a resource hog of a near adware product. >> Nor is there a Mac version of helpful web and email enhancers like Hotbar. << You seriously use hotbar? >> Or any equivalent of the DealHelper software I use to keep track of my passwords. << It is called "keychain" and it ships with OSX. >> My Office 2003 CD would not install, despite claims I had heard from Mac fanboys that OS X is compatible with Office. << http://www.microsoft.com/mac/ >> Poor standards compliance: Apple's Safari web browser often fails to render MSN properly. << Who's standards? Microsofts? Are you surprised that Microsoft's page loads properly in IE? What about the rest of the web? >> When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware--none of which are available for the Mac platform--it doesn't make sense for me to "switch" to a Mac at this time. << Are you serious? OSX is entirely independent of WindowsXP. You don't need to defrag your disks, it is done on the fly. Disk Utilities is the OSX alternative to Scandisk, Norton AV has an equivalent for OSX but I haven't found a need for it in the past 4 years. Windows Update? Seriously? Ad-Aware. I have never, in all my life seen an adware application on any of my macs. Heck, www.danvine.com/icapture/, I have loaded 1.2Million+ URLS submitted by random users from all over the world. I have never had to rebuild a single one of the machines running that site. Next time you write a "review" take some time and learn about what you are reviewing. Daniel Vine From: vermithraax.yahoo.com Subject: mac mini Date: February 5, 2005 7:09:34 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com That was hilarious. Sarcasm must definately be your strong point. Your like the journalist of the year. Don't stop writing man, unless it's on a pc. Then you might have to stop and reinstall Windows. lol. your good. From: epaulsen.mac.com Subject: Is This a Joke? Date: February 5, 2005 7:06:10 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Please tell me "Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer" was a tongue and cheek review and that you're not just a complete ass. YOU DON'T NEED Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware--on the Mac platform. It just works without it. Rather than have a Windows computer use you, you might actually get to use the Mac to do something useful. From: zealgroup.wgn.net Subject: Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer Date: February 5, 2005 6:48:06 PM PST To: d2mailbag.divisiontwo.com I do hope your article on the Mac mini was intended to be a joke. The sheer number of mistakes made in the article in so many areas shows a tremendous lack of knowledge about the product being reviewed and computers in general. I'm lead to believe this article could not be anything other than a joke, I hope. Example No virus protection included with the Mac Mini. There are no known viruses or worms that effective Mac OS X (no need to include protection at this point). There is no need to spend 15 or 20 minutes a day fighting viruses or worms. My office 2003 CD would not work with the Mac Mini, it is unbelievable this is your top reviewer, attempting to install a windows CD on the Mac. The Mac uses office 2004, which is fully compatible. I have included a link http://www.anandtech.com/mac/ to a three part serious review on the Mac comparing it to Windows, it is in depth and thorough, maybe you can learn something. Dwight James From: helios.maniac66.idps.co.uk Subject: please, can you get your facts right? Date: February 5, 2005 6:12:35 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com So much of your article on the Mac Mini is false. Please take the time to read what I have to say, I spent my time to read your article, its seems some how fair. "a stripped down operating system which Apples calls OSX"? I think you'll find its a fully featured operating system and is no different to any other Mac system. Apple only make 2 operating system, OSX and OSX Server. And the various point versions, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3 and soon 10.4 They are released about every year and each huge improvements between them, not just fixes. You seem fixated on disk de-fragmentation, yet you don't understand how unimportant that is on a HFS+ Extended file system is, nor that the OS routinely de-fragments often accessed files under a certain size and moves them to the 'HOT' area of the disk that spins faster. Nor that the rate at which disks spin now coupled with the file system means fragmentation is a non issue, and that the system intelligently allocates files to begin with oposed to the first come first server basis that windows file systems use causing huge fragmentation from day 1. I almost died when you said it doesn't have: "Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware" It does not have these programs because it would never ever need them? OSX repairs the disk on boot if it was improperly restarted, it does not prompt you about it. It can also be ran manually, though disk errors happen so rarely, if ever. Ad-Aware, macs cannot get infected my ad-ware spyware or viruses PERIOD. I think its very important you understand this is because of the systems security and sensibility, the closest thing to a virus on OSX was marketing crap blown out of proportion my a anti-virus company, it wasn't a virus and relied on a gullible user and was no more a virus than making an app and changing its name and icon to trick a user to opening it... and, no cases were reported of this ever existing in the wild, let alone causing harm. Don't you think its absurd you spend so much time using these fixing applications? Windows Update? your just being silly, of course you cant run Windows update on a MAC, as it does not run Windows for reasons obviously passing your understanding. And you often spend time updating Windows do you... I can see now, you just want a computer to de-frag it and run Windows Updates... Apple are missing a big market I fear. Mail is bad? because it doesn't automatically open things like 'viruses' and run scripts like 'erase your HD' .... yes, I wish Mail did those things. Personally, opening an attachment by clicking it never troubled me. No Floppy Drive? the last time I needed a floppy disk was a decade ago, everyone is using memory sticks, dvd-rw's cd-rw's and the internet to move files now. No app called 'WeatherBug' have you thought perhaps these programs all exist but are made by different companies and under different names? There are apps of all the ones you mention on mac, and often built in to the system. Your Office CD didn't work, because you have a PC copy of Office, you buy a program and only under very rare conditions would that include a license for both Mac and PC. Where does child labor all of a sudden come into it?, do you have any factual evidence on this? or are you trying to score points relying on the fact that most of your readers are gullible idiots who believe everything they read? If you just said it was too expensive, that it couldn't run ALL the same games as PC and that it couldn't read floppies, then I would have nothing to complain, but too much of your article is complete bullshit and misinformation. Yes a bag of chips with an eMachine, loudly humming in the corner of the room really does seem like the better deal doesn't it? if you were a complete tramp maybe. From: man.monsterfreecity.com Subject: you had me fooled Date: February 5, 2005 4:39:18 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com i almost believed someone could be so dim-witted as to not be able to distinguish between the Mac Mini and the iPod Shuffle! trident! guffaw! man, i love satire where the author makes himself out to be such an unwitting jackass. so thanks! cheers, thom ps, the devry thing was a hilarious add-on. the sexless losers who actually went there are gonna flame ya, buddy! but you knew that. From: ryan.parks.gmail.com Subject: Your Mac Mini Review Date: February 5, 2005 2:09:42 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com /articles/MacMini2.html Was absolutely the most biased piece of garbage I have ever seen; you leave all of your claims completely unjustified. How did you determine the Mac Mini was exactly the same as a ten year-old computer? Did you even have a computer that long ago? It doesn't sound like it. And where exactly, since I can't find it anywhere on Apple's website, does it say the Mac Mini is "smaller than most packs of gum" and weighs "less than four quarters"? What I found was "Just 6.5 inches square and 2 inches tall" and "weighs just 2.9 pounds". Right on the Mac Mini page (http://www.apple.com/macmini/)! Wow, can you not read? Apple clearly shows that you must purchase your own keyboard, mouse, and monitor separately, but once again you take a cheap shot at Apple rather than paying attention. Oh, and are you complaining about the Mac Mini's silent operation? I couldn't tell if I want my computer to sound like a fucking jet taking off, or if I just want it to run quietly. And the "weird kind of display connector" the Mac Mini uses: a DVI connector for LCD monitors; and they also include a VGA adapter. Did it really take you and your "techs" fifteen minutes to figure this out? Have you not plugged a monitor in for a while? How exactly is OS X "stripped down"? It does more out of the box than Windows XP. Is that it? And OS X can't run "a machine to get any serious work done"? Really? So I guess that's why the US government now recommends OS X to all its agencies over Windows; or why WETA Digital (who did the special effects for Lord of the Rings) or Pixar use thousands of Macs, not only for design, but for rendering farms too. Silly me. And what about Mail, "which is like a stripped-down email client that can't execute scripts or open attachments without user intervention." So let me get this straight, the user has to authorize a script to run anything, or decide to open an attachment? Is this why Macs don't have over 2000 active viruses currently circulating purely by e-mail? Amazing! "...releasing a computer with no virus removal software is irresponsible on the part of Apple." I looked through Windows XP Home's page (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/default.mspx) and oddly enough found no mention of any anti-virus program that ships with it. "...essentials such as a defragmenter or a registry cleaner are notably absent." Hold on, OS X doesn't need a defragmenter, it's file system automatically prevents file fragmentation; and OS X doesn't even have a registry. That's not how it works. "My Office 2003 CD would not install, despite claims I had heard from Mac fanboys that OS X is compatible with Office." Yes obviously your Windows-only Office software wouldn't run on a Mac. The programs compile differently. Hold on, once again right on Apple's website I found it and you didn't: (http://www.apple.com/macosx/applications/office/) And Internet Explorer is "buried" because Microsoft stopped IE development on the Mac back in 5.2 (that means version 5.2, I'm not sure you would get that; we're on 6.0.29 SP2 right now). And what about Safari's "Poor standards compliance"? It's actually MSN's page that isn't standards compliant. How about: "add on the basics like a keyboard, monitor and mouse, plus shell out for some antivirus software, the Mac mini price is scraping the ceiling of $1600." Let's see, I have a keyboard and a monitor sitting out in the garage, so I guess I can go buy a $25 mouse at CompUSA and I'd be set. So $499 + $25...not quite $1600, right? Finally, why exactly is "a good deal of [your] time...spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware"? Is it because Windows inefficiently stores files, and furthermore unreliably stores them, is susceptible to viruses, is constantly exposed to new viruses, and then gets more spyware than you can take off yourself? But wait you're a DeVry graduate with an MCSE certification! Well, DeVry, I can't compete with that; I guess a graduate student at MIT is just a clueless Apple fanboy, right? I probably know more about Windows, Linus, *NIX, and OS X than you'll ever know, so do me a favor and don't publish this trash as a "review" ever again. From: dlvl.pacbell.net Subject: Mac mini Review Date: February 5, 2005 1:08:52 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com I have used PCs and Apple computers since the 1980s and your review of the Mac Mini left me speechless by its obvious lack of any real research into a computer system you so obviously know nothing about. You may be MCSE certified and a real techno wizard with PC computers, but you you just showed an appalling lack of of knowledge in the most basic concepts of different operating systems in your review of the Mac Mini. Before tearing down a product that you clearly have taken no time to learn anything about why don't you get a clue and ask someone who knows something about how to use a Mac computer. You clearly don't know one thing about Apple's OS X and how it works or you wouldn't have said some of the clueless things you did, such as this gem of stupidity; "When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware--none of which are available for the Mac platform" The above statement is exactly why I use a Mac and not Microsoft's OS, I want to actually use a computer for its intended purpose not spend all my time maintaining a very flawed OS. Mac users don't need to waste their time with such utility programs that aren't needed with with its operating system. Don't even get me started on Internet Explorer. Mac users use "Safari" a much better browser than Internet Explorer. D Lauritzen From: visualecho.mac.com Subject: You are the worlds DUMBEST person alive... Date: February 5, 2005 11:42:40 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Are you a complete moron? I am no MacAddict, but PLEASE get your facts straight before you write such an article. "If you believe Apple’s marketing department, the new Mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than four quarters”". This quote is for THE iPOD SHUFFLE!!! Check it out: http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/ "Oh, did I forget to mention that the Mini has no PCI slots either? And no floppy disk drive?" - Macs have not used floppy drives since 1998. They are a DEAD medium. Use a thumb drive, or an iPod Shuffle. Welcome to 2005. "during normal operation the unit makes no sound whatsoever. This could make it very difficult for a novice user to know whether or not the computer is on. In fact, it took our techs about fifteen minutes before we realized the unit itself was operating normally and it was the monitor that was not plugged in properly. It turns out the Mini uses a weird kind of display connector on the back that requires a special adapter if you want to plug it into a PC monitor. We used a 15” Compaq VGA display." Are you serious? that "wierd" display connector is called DVI, Digital Video Interface. Again, welcome to 2005. And about the mini not making any noise, that's the point. It's not supposed to. It's called quiet. That's how most macs run, quiet. Another thing, there is nothing called a PC monitor. It's either VGA or DVI, Macs and PCs BOTH use these interfaces. "The Mini boots up into a stripped-down operating system which Apple calls OS X, similar to the stripped-down WindowsCE OS found on many handhelds. The mini OS is going to be a significant hurdle for many buyers who are used to Windows or have favorite Windows software packages they need to use. Think of it more as a first computer for your daughter or niece than as a machine to get any serious work done and you’ll get the point of the Mini and its target market. It might also be the perfect computer for grandmothers or autistic children, for example." ????? Stripped down OS? What can Windows do that OS X can't, besides get riddled with viruses, ad-ware, and spy-ware? If it's OS is so weak, then why are Macs still the prefered platform in Hollywood and the music industry? They are the standard in these industries. OS X is very intuitive, making it easier to use by everyone. It's not bloat-ware. And how does Safari improperly render MSN? To see how much industry support the Mac platform has these days, I did a google to see if there were Mac versions of any of my favorite applications; unfortunately I ended up disappointed every time. There are very few first-person shooters for OSX. There are several first-person shooters for the Mac. In fact, Halo started out as a Mac ONLY first-person shooter until Microsoft bought Bungie. "There is no Mac version of WeatherBug to check the temperature anywhere in the world. Nor is there a Mac version of helpful web and email enhancers like Hotbar. Or any equivalent of the DealHelper software I use to keep track of my passwords." There are also SEVERAL weather programs for OS X. Weatherbug is spy-ware, and is not needed on the Mac. Ditto for Hotbar and Dealhelper. "My Office 2003 CD would not install, despite claims I had heard from Mac fanboys that OS X is compatible with Office. " Office 2003 will not run on a Mac. Office 2004 DOES!!!! Office 2003 is A WINDOWS PROGRAM. Office 2004 IS A MAC PROGRAM. "Heck, the Internet Explorer icon isn’t even out on the taskbar by default, it’s buried in the c:\applications folder." First of all it's called the Dock, NOT taskbar. And Internet Explorer has not been updated by Microsoft in over two years. Thus, all security holes and bugs have not been, and will not be fixed by our buddies in Redmond. It also runs much slower that Safari. "So is the mini a maxi value? For me, clearly, no. When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware--none of which are available for the Mac platform--it doesn't make sense for me to "switch" to a Mac at this time." Who WANTS to run these "applications"? These are things that are not needed on the Mac platform. There is NO VIRUSES, AD-WARE, OR SPY-WARE. Plus defragmenting your hard drive is very bad for it. It also decreases the life-span of it as well. The way Unix & OS X work, they don't ever need the hard drives to be defragmented. Again, getting more life out of your computer. I can run OS X on a 300mhz G3 processor, let's see you run XP on a Pentium 3 500mhz processor. Next time, check your facts before you decide to write another article. On second thought, find a new hobby. Because you suck at this one. Joe Burkel Macintosh Administrator / Graphics Communications / Computer Art / Video Productions Instructor / Production & Printing From: rogermercer.mac.com Subject: Wonderful review Date: February 5, 2005 11:01:04 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Dear Jorge, Your review of the Mac mini was wonderful, hilarious and awesome. I couldn't stop laughing. I admit I was half way through before I caught on, but the kicker about Adware at the bottom just sent me into uncontrolled hilarity. Roger Mercer From: machelpdesk.comcast.net Subject: RE: Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer Date: February 5, 2005 10:20:13 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com How I love a good spoof like this one. But you really should have footnoted that it was a spoof, for those out there with the IQ of a plant. -- Dru Richman CEO, CTO, Mac Help Desk, Inc. From: jda.his.com Subject: Terrific article Date: February 5, 2005 9:53:21 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Hi, When I started to read the Mac Mini review I thought it was just another moronic Windows-user review of the Mac. Then I began to get it. By the end I thought it was the funniest send-up of this type of review (far too common in the shallow end of the journalistic pool) I've read. Jon From: shawn.yourmaclife.com Subject: Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer Date: February 5, 2005 9:46:41 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com LMAO Freaking brilliant. My name is Shawn King and I am the Host and Executive Producer of the most popular Macintosh-focused Broadcast on the Internet. It's called Your Mac Life and our web site is http://www.yourmaclife.com where you can listen to archives of past shows. The show is live on Wednesday evenings at 5:30pm Pacific, 8:30pm Eastern. Can we interview "Jorge Lopez" about the "review"? We can do it straight or tell folks the truth. :) I can be reached at this email address or by phone at [deleted] if you'd like to discuss it. I look forward to hearing from you at your convenience. -- Shawn King From: havard.houen.broadpark.no Subject: Macmini review. Date: February 5, 2005 8:42:34 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Damm, you nearly got my! I went directly from macsurfer to your page, and I was halfway into a rather long email taking the review apart. But language was sober, I promise... I must admit that it took a while before I realised it was a joke. Its kind of embarrassing, really. Great piece! Håvard Houen Norway From: rishig.mac.com Subject: Linux System for Grandma Date: February 4, 2005 10:10:53 PM PST To: bleek.divisiontwo.com Funniest thing I've ever read. People in the next apartment must be wondering why the hell I'm laughing out loud at 1 in the morning. From: stonerjoe.gmail.com Subject: worst review I've ever seen... no wait... Date: February 4, 2005 12:23:47 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com I just had to select all and delete my email. After listening to an actual MCSE this morning, I wasn't able to figure out how subtle you were being and I just thought you were an idiot in your Mac Mini review. Congratulations. It's a talent and an art to make yourself look like that much of an idiot. Your article is a lot funnier after I realized your game. -Joe From: wineguy.bandc.com Subject: Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer Date: February 4, 2005 10:40:04 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com, d2mailbag.divisiontwo.com Mr. Lopez, I wanted to congratulate you on your recent article about the Mac Mini. It was a priceless lampoon in the spirit of all great satire. From the very first line you set the tone of the ubiquitous hack. By eschewing any facts and relying on ad hominem attacks, you paint an exquisitely precise portrait of a journalist school drop out. Your attention to detail includes the uproarious epitome of poor fact finding "If you believe Apple's marketing department, the new Mini is "smaller than most packs of gum" and weighs "less than four quarters." For a moment you had me actually believing someone could mistake the Mac Mini for the iPod Shuffle. I had to love the next touch, where you demonstrate the irony of the antiquated I/O options on the PC vs. the high tech Firewire and USB 2 on the Mac Mini. Punctuating this with the comparison of the old style analog VGA port with the latest digital DVI was a nice touch. The subtlety of displaying the list of utilities that the Mac doesn't have to worry about, including referring to the time it took on a daily basis to maintain the PC (with the tacit implication that since the Mac is immune to all of these flaws, it is a more productive platform) really shows your genius. I have to admit that harping on the unnecessary anti-virus software for the Mac was a bit much, but then I guess not every one knows that the Mac OS, being Unix based, is all but immune to the spyware/virus/trojan horse problems of Windows. But then, not everyone graduated from DeVry with an MCSE certification. I could go on and on (the bit about the unplugged monitor had me in stitches) as there is hardly a line that doesn't deserve comment; but, I will just finish with a few of my favorites. Trying to install the Windows version of Office instead of the Mac version, as if you didn't know what a software platform was; suggesting that Apple have their computers made by slave labor, or the all time best, pointing out that the Mac is less vulnerable from attack because it doesn't automatically run scripts imbedded in email. These are all timeless examples of ways to ridicule while seeming utterly guileless. -- Stephen Reiss, Ph.D., Certified Wine Educator, Owner From: ccarter.royalbfp.com Subject: Your article re: Mac mini Date: February 4, 2005 8:58:50 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Awesome parody. A lot of us “Mac fanboys” are truly enjoying watching the n00bs who actually believe someone could give such an inept review. Keep up the good work! ---------------------------------------------------- Chris Carter From: jpmayberry.yahoo.com Subject: Re: Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer Date: February 4, 2005 8:34:27 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com, d2mailbag.divisiontwo.com D.mn! I was so caught. I saw the review from a Macworld link and was left totally incredulous. That could not be a real review . . . yet nothing I haven't heard before. So I looked at another article on the site about Abu Ghraib, and was left yet again at the same place. Could not be fore real, and yet . . . Finally at the third article, I exhaled breath of relief and vowed to watch more John Stewart cause I'm obviously taking life way too serious! From: mark.multicam.com Subject: Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer Date: February 4, 2005 7:52:56 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Great subtle satire!! Hopefully the Mac zealots aren't taking you too seriously. Being a Mac zealot myself, sometimes the "faithful" can be a little too eager to slam such articles without stepping back and using a bit of logical thinking. "..I could get a Mac mini computer for $499 and have no keyboard or mouse, no serial ports, no way to connect a printer, no PS/2 ports, no floppy drive, no 5.25" bays, no PCI slots, no speakers, and no Windows XP..." How many real PC trolls have I heard this from already on Cnet and Slashdot? Plenty, they are soooo clueless. Most of the hardcore Wintel kool-aid drinkers actually think like this. Hilarious! "When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware--none of which are available for the Mac platform--it doesn't make sense for me to "switch" to a Mac at this time." This line is the best argument to buy a Mac I have read. Really funny stuff! Keep up the good work! Mark Allen Marketing Director From: tzentil.mac.com Subject: Your 1 February 2005 Article "Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer" Date: February 4, 2005 6:34:52 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Jorge: Regarding the above-referenced article by you that is now enjoying widespread exposure to interest users, I just wanted to correct you on one of your claims. Recent advertisements from Apple about one of its new products being "smaller than most packs of gum" and weighing "less than four quarters" are references to the new iPod Shuffle, NOT the new iMac Mini. This would have been apparent to you if you had bothered to view and hold an actual iPod Shuffle, or if you had done your research, or if you were an Apple advocate. Think Different, Tino Zentil From: jamie.montanimedia.com Subject: re: mac mini Date: February 4, 2005 6:19:38 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com You got a LOT of things wrong in your article, "Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer," creating your own biased "reality distortion field." 1. You complain of no floppy drive. What is it needed? I know very few people that even use one. 2. The ports on the Mac Mini are plenty: USB, FireWire and monitor (even one for digital monitors). In an age where nearly every peripheral requires USB or FireWire, why would you need any other port? Especially a PS/2 port. 3. OS X a stripped-down operating system? Do your homework. This is the exact same OS that Microsoft's trying to copy in Longhorn, still 2 years down the road. 4. Outlook Express is available for Mac OS 9. Also, Microsoft's Entourage is available for OS X. 5. I have used a Mac since 1984 and have yet to have a virus, even without a virus checker. The OS is so solid that the average user does not need one. As of this writing, the are ZERO viruses for OS X. 6. On a Mac, there are no "registerys," defragmenting is automatic during software installation, and maintenance routines are performed automatically, but there is also Disk Utility (applications>utilities) that can perform those by the user at any time. 7. Right now, I have over 50 first-person shooter games. There are WeatherBug-like apps, and the included Keychain can store all of your passwords. 8. Office IS Mac-compatible. 9. Mac users don't use the things like: c:\applications folder. So there is no need to use paths, such as C: in the OS, making the Mac much more user-friendly than any version of Windoze. 10. Norton AV IS available for the Mac. Clearly you have not done your homework before writing this biased "review." Please recheck your information and do a better job of reviewing in the future. --------------------- Jamie Saunders From: philch69.yahoo.com Subject: Your article about Mac Mini Date: February 4, 2005 6:12:14 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Dear Jorge, Thank you for your article about the mac Mini. I really appreciated your sense of humor and I am still wiping the tears out of my eyes. I passed your article to several friends and they all laughed very much, especially when you complain not to find any antivirus or disk defrag bundled with the Mac. Or trying to install Win Office on it ! Thanks again, Phil From: paul_g.rdslink.ro Subject: Feedback on 'Are Small Cars a Threat to SUV Drivers' Date: February 3, 2005 10:11:48 PM PST To: maureen.divisiontwo.com Hello Mrs. Jambor My name is Paul Andrei Giucoane. I'm 25, I'm married and my wife and I we have a 20 month old little boy. Now let's talk about the feedback. You've got to be kidding me. I mean...I just read your 2 year old article, but still...you've got to be joking! You simply cannot think and do like that! I'm not an English native speaker so I may not have understood exactly the actual tone of the article. But still...SUVs...hate them. I drive a Fiat Stilo (VW Golf size car). I never had close encounters with SUVs on the European highways (we live in the city of Timisoara, Romania, Europe) and I pray to God I will never have any. I think that the actual tone of the article was in fact one that would sound and alarm regarding the dangers SUVs pose to the other cars. Theire shere size makes them difficult to control. Still, people buy them 'cause they think it will make them feel important. I know. I have a friend whose dream car is a Nissan Patrol (Ford Explorer size car) with front end bull bar bumper bar. I rest my case. I hope people will come to their senses and SUVs will soon take the path of the 1960s muscle cars -> right down into the history books. Best regards Ma'am and drive safely Paul Giucoane From: alexbalix88.yahoo.com Subject: A complaint. Date: February 3, 2005 3:45:40 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com I thought I would correct your mistakes being a neutral party. I use mac and PC. Your first mistake witch was very annoying to read was "if you believe Apple’s marketing department, the new Mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than four quarters”." This marketing statement is for the iPod shuffle not the mac mini. If you where to do ANY research you would have found this out. The mac mini was not meant to be anyones first computer. Apple planed a no keyboard monitor or mouse for that reason. Why have 2 keyboards when your throwing away your old rotten PC and have the keyboard left over. "during normal operation the unit makes no sound whatsoever. This could make it very difficult for a novice user to know whether or not the computer is on. " I'm sorry that the computer is quiet i mean i would totally rather have a noisy computer but at least i could tell it was on! p.s next time look at the little led on the front. "Apple includes a program called Mail, which is like a stripped-down email client that can’t execute scripts or open attachments without user intervention" Ahem! why do you think outlook is a mager security breach for viruses? "there is no antivirus program shipped with the Mac." Its does not need it for Mac os X is 200% more secure! "in today’s climate of non-stop worms, trojans and viruses, releasing a computer with no virus removal software is irresponsible on the part of Apple" Only in the PC world!! Apple does this for they don't need that stuff. "When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware--none of which are available for the Mac platform" So wait you spend most of your time on your PC running mantainents on it? How does this not surprise me. Not necessary for the mac. I am sorry for wasting your time but you wasted mine. #2 P.s I wrote this on a PC. From: david.davidrodgers.com Subject: did you forget to read anything? Date: February 3, 2005 3:29:00 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com I just read your review of the mac mini and I must say it looks to me like you didn't do any prep work for this whatsoever. Not only was your article inaccurate it was so brutally inaccurate that I feel that you owe everyone that read it a big apology. Here are some facts. 1. There is no way this is a circa 1995 windows PC ... in windows on a 1.2-1.4 ghz athlon or P4 you cannot comfortable run unreal tournament 2004 ... it just isn't going to happen it will run but not well enough to suit playability ... the mac mini runs it very well indeed with full opengl 3d rendering .... I'm not saying it's like having a machine with a 64-128 nvidia card in it but it is very playable. 2. Almost every printer on the market today connects via USB and this unit has 2 usb ports as well as firewire. 3. usb keyboards are a dime a dozen and if you feel you must use your ps2 there is a $19 2 ps2 to usb adapter made by belkin 4. The bargain emachine you talked about shares system memory instead of having dedicated video ram ... slower video and robs system memory 5.if the mini is turned on there is a white LED lit up on the front 6. it includes MORE software than a windows PC includes when you receive it including an office suite, a couple of full release games, email, web browsing and instant messaging software as well as a full software development suite including java, C and C++ IDE and compilers, a built in web server, firewall .. you name it ... what software were you looking for I mean really .... and BTW ... this IS the full OS X not a stripped down release! I own 7 PCs and 4 macs running everything from freebsd, linux, OSX and yes even windows 7.you cannot touch a PC of this quality for this price. 8. Weatherbug is crap software ... look out the window 9 Unreal Tournament? From: amnon.zoe.co.nz Subject: Mac Mini Review Date: February 3, 2005 2:58:18 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com > If you believe Apple’s marketing department, the new Mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than > four quarters”. You have got the Mac Mini confused with the iPod Shuffle, for which this particular marketing phrase was used. I hope this has settled your confusion. > While the hardware is about roughly equivalent to a Windows PC circa 1995, what got me interested were Apple’s > claims about its size, weight and footprint. The fastest PC made in 1995 shipped with a Pentium Pro clocked at 200MHz with a 66MHz FSB, around 64MB of RAM and a video card with no more than 4MB of RAM. It certainly would not have had a combo drive. If you wish to apply the phrase "roughly equivalent" to the Mac Mini hardware, I would certainly suggest you go back for a further education in your field. > Hold a Mini in one hand and four quarters in the other and tell me which one feels heavier. You could perform this > experiment yourself at an Apple store. Again, you find yourself confused with the marketing jargon for the iPod Shuffle. You may clear this confusion yourself by visiting an Apple Store and familiarising yourself with the products, before writing about them. You can also visit the Apple website and verify that this marketing applies to the iPod Shuffle and not the Mac Mini. www.apple.com/ipodshuffle > But since its sleek look comes at the expense of the parallel port, serial ports, the PS/2 ports and the drive bays, > potential Mac mini buyers should ask themselves just how much utility they’re willing to sacrifice for style. Oh, did I > forget to mention that the Mini has no PCI slots either? And no floppy disk drive? Well, no wonder they got the unit > to be so small. Are you the only one still actually using a circa-1995 PC? A parallel port? A serial port? Don't forget about the 5.25" floppy drive, Jorgie! > During normal operation the unit makes no sound whatsoever. This could make it very difficult for a novice user to > know whether or not the computer is on. In fact, it took our techs about fifteen minutes before we realized the unit > itself was operating normally and it was the monitor that was not plugged in properly. Are you suggesting the engineers should have strived for more background noise on the unit to counter your own stupidity? This is the first time I have heard an argument made for louder fans on a computer. > The Mini boots up into a stripped-down operating system which Apple calls OS X, similar to the stripped-down > WindowsCE OS found on many handhelds. Apparently, the acclaimed institution that is DeVry didn't do such a good job with you. As 4yr honours computer science and engineering graduate from a real university, Jorge, I can tell you that, technically and functionally, OS X differs greatly from Windows CE. I am not here to attempt to give you a technical lesson. Please enroll in some respected operating system architecture courses at your nearest tertiary education provider. > The OS X comes with some system maintenance utilities, but essentials such as a defragmenter or a or registry > cleaner are notably absent. I would expect a Mini to get really slow and unstable within a couple months if you can’t > perform any routine maintenance tasks on it. Again, your ignorance in the field is frustratingly glaring. Mac OS X does not have a registry, and therefore there is no registry to clean. You may be used to Windows becoming slow and unstable within months because maintenance tasks like these need to be performed. OS X is designed much differently, including the filesystem, which does not require deftragmenting, as it actively optimises itself. I stress again that you need to take an even basic course in operating system design, or even a simple technical manual to OS X and NeXT will do, because statements like these are an embarrassment to yourself and your colleagues. > When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton > AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware We already debunked your fragmenting myth. Scandisk or an equivalent utility is not needed as OS X runs on a journaled filesystem. Please educate yourself on this feature. Norton AV, counter to your misstatement, is available for OS X. A Mac Update utility is built-in, and takes the functionality of Windows Update. It's on the main menu if you had bothered to look. It can also download updates automatically like Windows Update. Ad-aware is not needed as there are currently no Mac-based spyware or adware programs to worry about. You should look at this statement particularily carefully, as you just admitted that you spend a good deal of your time using utilities that are actually counter to your productivity. These utilities serve no purpose other than keeping your computer in shape. They are not used for any other reason. Therefore, if use of these utilities is not needed on a Mac, this time is now freed up for you to use your computer to do the tasks it is actually meant for. Unless you like staying at home on a Saturday night running Scandisk. > So is the mini a maxi value? For me, clearly, no. This is the only statement of truth contained in your article. Of course, after your pathetically inaccurate review and your apparent lack of education and knowledge of fact, who would respect your opinion? DeVry is clearly spending the majority of their budget on TV and radio advertising, as the quality of their graduates truly leaves something to be desired. This is not to do with your pro/anti Mac stance, as I have read many intelligent articles criticising Apple hardware or software. This review is bad because it shows a profound lack of understand on your part. Arguments rife with this many logic errors, ignorance, and just plain stupidity, I would expect from a 12 year old. Cheers, Amnon Ben-Or - PC/Windows User, Mac User. From: croyer.zoicstudios.com Subject: you're an idiot Date: February 3, 2005 2:34:37 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com "But since its sleek look comes at the expense of the parallel port, serial ports, the PS/2 ports and the drive bays, potential Mac mini buyers should ask themselves just how much utility they’re willing to sacrifice for style. Oh, did I forget to mention that the Mini has no PCI slots either? And no floppy disk drive?" Do you really still use that stuff? You're mad because your new computer won't support your 10 year old parallel printer? c'mon... and when was the last time you actually used a floppy? over five years for me... sounds like you're the one with the "circa 1995" hardware problem... Even on my PC (yes, I have multiples of both, and I develop software) I haven't used the parallel, serial, or ps/2 ports since USB became the status quo, and the only time I needed a floppy drive was when I wanted to install linux on my old pc that didn't have a cd drive... "no serial ports, no way to connect a printer, no PS/2 ports, no floppy drive, no 5.25" bays, no PCI slots, no speakers, and no Windows XP..." Again, all good things if you live in the present... USB is pretty cool, you should check it out... "It turns out the Mini uses a weird kind of display connector on the back that requires a special adapter if you want to plug it into a PC monitor. We used a 15” Compaq VGA display." That "weird" display connector is called a DVI port, and is common on most modern PC's. the only reason you needed an adaptor was because you were using, again, an OLD vga display... and what did that adapter cost, anyway, like $15? "there is no antivirus program shipped with the Mac. In today’s climate of non-stop worms, trojans and viruses, releasing a computer with no virus removal software is irresponsible on the part of Apple. The OS X comes with some system maintenance utilities, but essentials such as a defragmenter or a or registry cleaner are notably absent. I would expect a Mini to get really slow and unstable within a couple months if you can’t perform any routine maintenance tasks on it." I challenge you to find a SINGLE virus written for OSX... also, .mac membership gives you Virex for free. You don't need a defragmenter any more because OSX uses journaling and advanced disk management (ie, it's smart enough to not corrupt itself, unlike your windows machine) and there is no registry to clean. "There is no Mac version of WeatherBug to check the temperature anywhere in the world. Nor is there a Mac version of helpful web and email enhancers like Hotbar. Or any equivalent of the DealHelper software I use to keep track of my passwords. My Office 2003 CD would not install, despite claims I had heard from Mac fanboys that OS X is compatible with Office. Heck, the Internet Explorer icon isn’t even out on the taskbar by default, it’s buried in the c:\applications folder." Seriously, dude... there are plenty of apps to do all of those things, tho they're not likely to have been developed by the same people who made your favorite windows software. I'd give you a list if I thought you were really interested. The OSX version of Office installs just fine on OSX and will provide you with documents and spreadsheets that are fully compatible with Office PC stuff... There is no "c:\" on any mac. They use a form of Unix. You speak very much like other tech-school graduates with MCSE certs. If it's not windows you don't get it, and likely never will, and so you feel you have to make public your outdated opinions. Obviously, the mac mini is not designed for/targeted to MCSE technician-type people. It's a cheaper solution for students, families, etc. but really, the whole point is that all of your arguments in this article are pretty much bunk, and it makes you look VERY STUPID. I'm not even gonna get into the fact that you read the wrong advertisments about being the size of a pack of gum... that's the shuffle, which is actually close to the size of a pack of gum and about the same weight as a few quarters in real life. Do some fucking research before you blab a bunch of crap to the whole world next time. From: mfrench.direcway.com Subject: re: mac mini 'review' Date: February 3, 2005 2:15:19 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com you are a joke. let me see, where to take this first? let's try this: "While the hardware is about roughly equivalent to a Windows PC circa 1995, what got me interested were Apple’s claims about its size, weight and footprint. If you believe Apple’s marketing department, the new Mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than four quarters”. Well, we received our test unit from Apple yesterday, and let me say right off the bat that those claims are a wee bit of an exaggeration. Far from being Trident-sized, the Mini actually measures about 6.5”x6.5”x2”, about the size of two wonderbread cheese sandwiches stacked on top of each other, or about 50 packs of Bubble Yum. As for the weight, it feels about three pounds. Hold a Mini in one hand and four quarters in the other and tell me which one feels heavier. You could perform this experiment yourself at an Apple store." This is a mistake on your part. They were talking about the iPod shuffle, you dolt. I hardly think USB 2.0 and Firewire are circa 1995. Later on your bemoan: "But since its sleek look comes at the expense of the parallel port, serial ports, the PS/2 ports and the drive bays, potential Mac mini buyers should ask themselves just how much utility they’re willing to sacrifice for style. Oh, did I forget to mention that the Mini has no PCI slots either? And no floppy disk drive? Well, no wonder they got the unit to be so small. No keyboard or mouse either." PS/2, floppy drives, serial and parallel ports are circa 1995. It's obvious to anyone the machine doesn't ship with a floppy drive, but then you act surprised. Parallel and serial ports have been REPLACED by the ease of use of USB and Firewire. "The Mini boots up into a stripped-down operating system which Apple calls OS X, similar to the stripped-down WindowsCE OS found on many handhelds." Yeah. You're intelligent. It's obvious. Yeah, your PC version of Microsoft Office won't run on a Macintosh which uses an entirely different operating system. But you can buy a Macintosh version of Microsoft Office. But you are so stupid you would sit there stumped because you couldn't put the CD in the nonexistant floppy drive. EVERYTHING you wrote was either entirely wrong, or extremely misleading. Stay on the PC, friend, and run your spyware riddled programs like HotBar and WeatherBug on your PeeCee. And if you think I'm another Mac fanatic, I've had PCs and Macs for about 20 years. You are such a joke. From: almonde.gmail.com Subject: THANK YOU! Mac Mini review Date: February 3, 2005 1:50:16 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Dear Jorge, thank you so much for the huge laughter and big grin you put on my face!!! You switch the iPod Shuffle measurements for the Mac mini and, to go telling ppl that Mac sacrificied size for the parallel and serial port etc! Hilarious! Then a comparison between a pc and the mac mini! Boy, that mini outruns that pc 10 to 1 on anything i bett! Still cool you keep up that serious tone in there! Test Setup! Yeah, lets forget to plugin the monitor and blame apple for :) Stripped down operating system : Max OS X!!! Bill Gates would love to have the stability, speed etc etc from the system. For now he has only been able to badly steal the GUI from Apple.... Have you ever worked with the MAC OS??????????? Quote When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware--none of which are available for the Mac platform--it doesn't make sense for me to "switch" This one made my collega's call in an ambulance, cause i was rolling over the floor, red face, hysteric laughter when i read this!!! Stop writing this shit and get on stage!!! Mac ppl will pay dear money to hear this spoken out loud with a serious face that shows that you really think you know your bussiness...but actually no jack shit....... woooohaaaaaaaa LOVE IT!! KEEP THEM COMING!!!! get the hint? you article was really really sad.... Sincerely, Rene Knigge pc user & Mac user From: benghis2000.yahoo.com Subject: mac mini review Date: February 3, 2005 1:53:34 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Wow. That has to be one of the least-informed reviews I've ever seen. I'm sure by now that a number of people have pointed out its shortcomings, but here are a few of them, for record: The iPod Shuffle was advertised as "smaller than most packs of gum," not the Mac mini. OS X is not stripped-down. It's fully functional. More functional in fact than Windows, since it almost NEVER crashes. Seriously. I haven't turned off my computer for weeks now. Macs are immune to many of the problems that plague Windows-based machines, thus the lack of: spyware/adwatching software, defragmenters, registry utilities, etc. Imagine your world where you wouldn't need tto spend "a good deal of [your] time...running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware." You don't need this crap on a Mac. Microsoft Office X works on mac, not office for windows. Outlook is available for Mac. Safari is Apple's propietary browser, so its not surprising that Explorer isn't in the Dock by default. Its easy to add to the Dock if you like (drag and drop the icon), but Safari is better (tabbed browsing.) Go to weather.com for worldwide weather. I've been using Macs in a professional environment for almost a decade now. While I have an abiding resentment towards computers of all stripes, I hate Macs much, much less, having found Windows to be glitchy, unreliable and, of course, extrememly vulnerable to attack by viruses and spyware. Please do your homework before publishing a partisan attack on a rival platform. You only make yourself look foolish to those who know, and misinform those who don't. Sincerely, Ben Moran From: diovoce.gmail.com Subject: Division 2 Date: February 3, 2005 1:28:26 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com My god you are quite the obtuse one, aren't you? -- no one uses PS/2, Parallel ports - they use USB. and no one, and I mean NO ONE uses floppy disks. -- MS Office is available for the Mac, and included Entourage (the Mac version of (shudder) outlook. -- there are NO VIRUSES IN THE WORLD that run on OSX. NONE. AT ALL. so all of your pedantic ramblings about no A/V, anti-spyware, etc ultities are moot and laughable, at best -- OSX comparable to CE? my god dude you have me rolling. Dude, what's your *paying* job? From: Cassandra Subject: Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer Date: February 3, 2005 1:03:16 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Jorge, Your article on the Mac Mini was quite possibly the most ignorant piece of writing I have ever seen. You start off by showing your ignorance of the difference between RISC and CISC in implying that the specs are similar to 1995 standards. Do your homework a little bit. To get the PC equivalent of Mac processor speeds, you double them. The fact that you claim Apple said " the new Mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than four quarters” " simply amazes me. Those statements are about the iPod Shuffle, and are quite accurate. Maybe stepping foot into an Apple store would show you that, or actually watching the entire MacWorld Keynote. And come on man! Parallel and serial ports! The entire computing world is moving over to USB and Firewire ports. And, as an employee of Hewlett Packard for the past 5 years, I haven't sold a computer with a floppy drive on it in a good long time. Claiming OSX is a stripped down version of Windows XP is one of the funniest things I think I've ever heard. Windows XP was created in response to OSX. And do your research a little more.....Windows was based on MacOS. You also appear to be too stupid to see that their is a Mac version of Office, OSX defrags on the fly, and my god.....ask any web designer. Internet Explorer sucks, most would prefer to program for Safari. And those programs that you spend most of your time running....aren't needed on a Mac! If you're going to be writing public articles, you should really learn to get your facts straight. Or next time you might say something that gets you slammed with a lawsuit. Cassandra From: gralem.yahoo.com Subject: stick to software reviews Date: February 3, 2005 12:11:36 PM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com I was completely shocked by your review "The Emperor's New Computer" at /articles/MacMini2.html. I'm sure you're already flooded with emails telling you that you confused the IPOD SHUFFLE specs the MAC MINI in your review. That is just the beginning. The hardware is nothing from 1995. The processors in 1995 were Pentiums I's operating at around 90Mhz (not 1.25 Ghz). Few PCs at all had CD drives. NONE had DVD/CD-RW combo drives (with the option to upgrade to a SuperDrive). Memory started at about 1-2MB and maxed out at about 64 MB, no one had 256 MB (the base memory in the mac mini). Identify a single model of printer designed in the 21st century that has a parallel port on it. I could go on and on. It appears that you haven't even seen a mac mini and you're just making stuff up for some strange reason. I presume you're hoping that someone at Microsoft will read your horrible article and somehow agree with you and (I'm still guessing here) offer you a job or something. I'm just trying to guess why such a horrible poorly researched article could be written. ---gralem From: Jonathan_Waage.brown.edu Subject: What a great Laugh Date: February 3, 2005 11:47:20 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com I have passed your article around to so many of my PC and Mac friends today. That was the most wonderful tongue in cheek support of an Apple product I have ever read. Interestingly, of the PC colleagues, only the IT people got the the fact it was a "joke". Thanks for the laugh, Jonathan -- Jonathan Waage From: billmanning.yahoo.com Subject: Are you guys serious, Jorge Lopez needs a real education! Date: February 3, 2005 11:42:45 AM PST To: d2mailbag.divisiontwo.com Cc: jorge.divisiontwo.com I can not believe that you have the nerve to call your self a magazine. I mean especially if you have the balls to publish articles on technology by someone who is obviously clueless. I can tell just by his picture that he doesn't have a clue. His review of the Mac Mini has to be a joke. His comments on Apple in general seem to be written by someone with his head up his ass. Do any of you "journalist" do any research? Or is it just make it up and hope it sounds good? I have never laughed so hard in my life. I mean this has to be a joke and then I saw this "Jorge Lopez is a DeVry graduate with an MCSE certification and is currently the Chief Software Reviewer at Divisiontwo.com's Technology Insider." and I laughed harder. How can some review something they have never researched? Then I looked at your previous article(Windows vs. Linux on the Server and the Desktop) and now I know that he is a moron. Please stop him now, he is stupid, stupid, stupid and makes your "magazine" look like more of joke. Tell him to take some more classes and learn computing. Oh yeah, nice "wife beater", it makes you look so professional. I guess you are the "MSCE" at the county jail. ===== Regards, William Manning (http://www.bcmanning.com) "Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names." -John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) "Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform." Mark Twain (1835-1910) "God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh." - Voltaire (1694-1778) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Easier than ever with enhanced search. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From: jan-anders.ohrankammen.atosorigin.com Subject: Hmmmmmmmmmmm Date: February 3, 2005 8:37:57 AM PST To: michael.eagan.divisiontwo.com You are a bad Christian. The most fierst warriors of the holy country in 1100 century was the Temple Knights, and there code was: Don't think of who you will kill, but of who you will speare. And i suppose you like S&M, fucking the boys in the shower. I took a glims on your other article and reliced that you are just plain stuipd. You don't hit children for a simple question. I knew what sex was when i was 3 years old. I just get angry when reading your colum, but i don't want it censured. It must be online for the world to be free(And to show how stupid you are). Regards Janne From: boardin_1.hotmail.com Subject: RE: Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer Date: February 3, 2005 8:01:06 AM PST To: jorge.divisiontwo.com Jorge, In regards to your "article" Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer, I really think you need to get your facts straight before you write an article like this. We'll do this in the order that you wrote it: 1. While the hardware is about roughly equivalent to a Windows PC circa 1995 AMD & Intel didn't break the 1GHz barrier until 1999. So, even for your exaggerations this is way out of line. To top that off, the PPC processor family isn't as reliant on the "MegaHertz Myth" as Intel is, so a 1.25 or 1.42GHz G4 is the equivalent of something in the mid-2 GHz range. 2. Apple’s marketing department, the new Mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than four quarters” That claim was made about the iPod Shuffle NOT the Mini. To make that claim about something that is 6.5x6.5x2 is ridiculous. 3. ...no serial ports, no way to connect a printer, no PS/2 ports, no floppy drive, no 5.25" bays, no PCI slots, no speakers, and no Windows XP I have to look at this "problem" in parts: A. Apple hasn't had a serial port of any kind in a long time. B. It has USB ports, doesn't it? Every printer that I have looked at in the last 5 years is USB. Now days, I can't even find a Serial Printer without looking very hard for it. C. Apple has never had PS/2 ports. They used to use ADB, Apple Desktop Bus, which looked similar to a PS/2 connector, but wasn't. Now they use USB for keyboard and mouse. D. Apple hasn't had a FDD in a computer in 5 years. The last to have one, standard, was the Beige G3. Do I miss them? Occasionally. Do I need one? No. E. Do you really need to add a PCI device to a machine that has everything a computer needs? F. It doesn't come with speakers, but you do have speaker outputs on-board. Do PC's come with speakers these days? Usually, you need to order them separately, too. G. No XP??!!??!! IT"S A MAC!!!! Why would it come with XP? 4. In fact, it took our techs about fifteen minutes before we realized the unit itself was operating normally and it was the monitor that was not plugged in properly. Are all of you guys MCSE's? Microsoft should revoke your certifications. That is just sad, you couldn't tell if a computer was turned on? Troubleshooting 101, check your connections to verify that they are set correctly. 5.It turns out the Mini uses a weird kind of display connector on the back that requires a special adapter if you want to plug it into a PC monitor. Yeah, and it comes with that adapter. 5. The Mini boots up into a stripped-down operating system which Apple calls OS X, similar to the stripped-down WindowsCE OS found on many handhelds. The OS is a GUI on top of BSD Unix. Last I checked BSD was a pretty full-featured OS. To even mention WinCE in the same breath as OS X is sacrilege. CE is designed to run on handhelds, X is a full feature OS for desktops & servers. 6.Think of it more as a first computer for your daughter or niece than as a machine to get any serious work done and you’ll get the point of the Mini and its target market. It might also be the perfect computer for grandmothers or autistic children, for example. Comments like this just show your bias. But the honest fact is, you got it half right. This is the perfect computer for your daughter, niece, grandmother, autistic children, and anyone else that just wants to use their computer, not fight with it. Give one to your daughter or niece and they will never switch to a Windows-based PC. They will learn to love the interface, the programs, the lack of viruses, even that silly "booonnnnngggg" when the computer boots up. 7. I'll combine the next two as they go together. A.For example, there is no Outlook Express for email, but Apple includes a program called Mail, which is like a stripped-down email client that can’t execute scripts or open attachments without user intervention. B.Secondly and possibly even more glaringly, there is no antivirus program shipped with the Mac. In today’s climate of non-stop worms, trojans and viruses, releasing a computer with no virus removal software is irresponsible on the part of Apple. Does Microsoft make and Anti-Virus Program yet? No? If Microsoft didn't allow Outlook & Outlook Express to execute scripts or open attachments, 80% of Viruses wouldn't exist. It is because of these abilities that ILOVEYOU and NIMDA and Melissa, just to name a few, were able to spread as rapidly as they did. As far as I know, there has only been 1 new type of virus for MacOS in the last year. It was stopped by an update to the OS to fix the exploit. But if you really need an Anti-Virus program, there are many to choose from on the Mac platform. 8. The OS X comes with some system maintenance utilities, but essentials such as a defragmenter or a or registry cleaner are notably absent. I would expect a Mini to get really slow and unstable within a couple months if you can’t perform any routine maintenance tasks on it. UNIX repairs and defragments itself every time you boot it. You don't need to live with the problems you have on the PC-side. They are the result of failings in the File System. NTFS just isn't as able to do the same things that HFS+ can do. 9. I did a google to see if there were Mac versions of any of my favorite applications; unfortunately I ended up disappointed every time. What are they? I can run MS Office, all of the Adobe apps, Quark XPress, Quicken, TurboTax, the list goes on. You probably mean that you can't play the games. Then why didn't you say that you can't play your games on the computer? 10. There is no Mac version of WeatherBug to check the temperature anywhere in the world. Nor is there a Mac version of helpful web and email enhancers like Hotbar. Or any equivalent of the DealHelper software I use to keep track of my passwords. You are worried about viruses on your computer and you are installing SpyWare? Every app you listed is a blight on computers. If you are using DealHelper to store your passwords, you are a fool, and I won't even go into why. You are an MCSE, figure it out yourself. 11. My Office 2003 CD would not install, despite claims I had heard from Mac fanboys that OS X is compatible with Office. Again, are you really and MCSE? You have never been able to run .exe files on a Mac. You need to buy a Macintosh version of Office. In fact, you need Mac compatible versions of all your apps. 12. Heck, the Internet Explorer icon isn’t even out on the taskbar by default, it’s buried in the c:\applications folder. Try Safari or Opera or Firefox or iCab or anything but IE. It was junk when it was the only browser worth using on Mac, it is still junk. 13. Poor standards compliance: Apple's Safari web browser often fails to render MSN properly. Actually, Safari has much better standards compliance than IE. It is just that MSN.com is designed to work best on IE. Think about it MicroSoft Network and MicroSoft Internet Explorer. I wonder why MSN would look good on IE. 13. When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware Well, then you really have a problem. If you spend most of your time on your computer fixing your computer, I think you should look at what you are doing and shy you are doing it. If you spent most of your time changing spark plugs, draining the transmission fluid, replacing tires and pistons; don't you thing you'd get a new car? I would. But you're and MCSE and must be smarter than me. 14. As for you second to last paragraph, which I won't even copy here, you better hope that Apple legal doesn't see that. You are slandering a company by alluding that they are using child labor to make their computers. Do you have proof to that fact? Just going on the fact that many of Apple's computer are assembled in Taiwan? Does that mean that they are put together by children? If someone lives in West Virginia, does that also mean that they are a 2-toothed inbred, like that kid from Deliverance? Get your facts straight before you publish another article smashing the Mac. At least Rob Enderle gets some facts correct in his articles. Sincerely, Jonathan Schreiner MCSE #1767882 & Mac user for 20 years From: nelson nunez
<elsuperspic.yahoo.com> Dear Mrs. Jambor, I recently read you letter on your website stating That small cars were a threat to SUV's. I really can't see the discrepancy between you being serious or if you were only trying to humor people like me that like go out for a drive with out the fear of having a 2 ton black Hummer H2 with big swamp tires running over their automobile. I can see you have serious problems, don't worry its nothing that a shrink or a sex counselor can't fix. I don't know whether your a really big blond or if your
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<modyfyit.yahoo.com> From: bobafett
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From: Alexandra Champion
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From: Cristian
<judas_iscariote.mailchile.com> From: jcmunoz.chile.com This is my opinion of your news article. From: Jamie Davies
<j_a_davies.hotmail.com> FYI: http://justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=115279 From: Stevens
<fstevens.quik.com> From: Michele Della Guardia
<micheledellaguardia.yahoo.it>
From: Brad Annis
<brad.annis.sympatico.ca> From: Ivan Martinez
<imr.oersted.dtu.dk> Spain's most sold paper, "El Pais", swallowed and
reproduced your
news about From: Soechtig, Stephanie
<Stephanie.Soechtig.FOXNEWS.COM>
From: Marcin Tustin <mt500.ecs.soton.ac.uk> Here in britain, we have been concerned with this
problem for some From: Terry Rowland
<tbrowlan.uncg.edu> Jorge: From: Baracoodah.aol.com
You think we should really be doing this? From: Michael Higgins
<higgins0.indigo.ie> How does a moron like this get web time ? From: Kevin Patrick Crowley
<anothergeek.crowleyenterprises.com>
From: Alexander Siegfried
<a.siegfried.feisar.de>
From: LARRY020.aol.com Hi From: Robert Sturman
<robert.robertsturmanstudio.com> you are a true romantic. I think you will be suffering much very soon. From: bas.jmcgroup
<jmcgroup.ptd.net> Love your way of thinkin' !! From: drbaylor
<drbaylor.sbcglobal.net> I think that there are too many small cars and stupid
drivers on the
road today for anyone to venture out, that is without small arms fire,
surface to air missles (made to target compact cars) and body armor.. From: Cas194.aol.com
From: Ihirthnu.aol.com From: Chris Mayka
<cmayka.direct-com.com>
From: Ian Gregory
<yahoo.zenatode.org.uk>
From: Gaston Strauven
<g.strauven.pi.be>
From: Tanya Cumpston
<Tanya.Cumpston.motorola.com>
From: <orlov.avdis.ru> Thanks for such site, a lot of fun. From: Allison Weigang
<aweigang.drew.edu> From: Patricia Nava
<pnava.ece.utep.edu>
From: Pau Rul·lan
<paurullan.telefonica.net>
From: Lynn
<newnuzed.epix.net>
From: Luc Bégault
<lbegault.tiscali.fr>
From: Marius Pana
<marius.pana.mdp.ro>
From: Alexandru N. Barloiu From: Anders Aadal Jensen
<aadal.stofanet.dk> att: Jorge Lopez From: berindei adrian
<berindei_adrian.yahoo.com>
From:
Venusdimilo123.aol.com
From: Dwane Brittain
<dwane_ginny.charter.net>
From: cindy
<clsbaxley.mchsi.com>
From: Broozermd.aol.com From: Cris Valderas
<cris.dvdpowertools.com> From: Joni Mariee
<jonimariee.yahoo.com> OMG From: Victor
<victorfabian.compuserve.com> From: James E Crooks
<kf4mgz.juno.com>
From: Mike Weiland
<fordguy.180com.net>
From: ScufftyHA.aol.com
From: ScufftyHA.aol.com
From: BARESNA.aol.com
From: Laura Harkey
<lr.harkey.verizon.net>
From: Tom R
<JoePaFan76.aol.com> From: David Rosales
<rosanto.medtelecom.net> From: thecoolhumans
<thecoolhumans.chartermi.net>
From: Ken Gratz
<ken.ignitionusa.com> From:
daniel.graham.student.tsc.nsw.edu.au So let me conclude: From:
Brandon_George.hma.honda.com <Brandon_George.hma.honda.com> Great! From: "John Dobmeier"
<jpsdobs.adelphia.net>
steve. Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000
15:45:07 -0700 (PDT) From:
FullAutomatic.aol.com Look, I have never laughed so damn hard in my life. You
know, it took me From:
Sjgodbout13.aol.com <Sjgodbout13.aol.com> Great site. Some of the jokes for guys were extremely funny. From:
CrassDarling.aol.com <CrassDarling.aol.com> ANNE FERGUSON is full of crap!!! From:
Basil Revelas <elric22.hotmail.com> From:
GMcglaun.aol.com <GMcglaun.aol.com> RAVEN HUH AHA WHAT A JOKE SO YOUR STRAIGHT EDGE AND YOU
HAVE A CIGARETTE From: CornflakeGLr.aol.com From: Christine Potter From: "The Parsons"
<ranmar.k2nesoft.com> From:
Jason_Béliveau <bjason.globetrotter.net> From: Murray Clark From: "Laura Combs"
<bmorris2.cinci.rr.com> Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000
19:55:42 -0700 From: stonem From: gracefall.excite.com S'up! From: "peter doyle"
<peter_doyle99.hotmail.com> From: "Adler, Eric"
<Eric_Adler.tvratings.com> Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 11:57:22
-0700 (PDT) From: "mark c"
<cashwell.scrtc.com> From: "Gregory Coster"
<mosynary.one.net> From: "Noel Cliff"
<noel.cliff.virgin.net> From: "M16"
<dasilvam5.hotmail.com> Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000
13:56:13 -0800 (PST) From: "Harmony"
<harmony.c.home.com> From: Oranjell0.aol.com there was this time once... i was reading divisiontwo, but then my boys From: "James E."
<jre.idirect.com> From: "James E."
<jre.idirect.com> Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999
11:44:33 -0800 (PST) From:
Chilite3.aol.com From:
StraightH801.aol.com From:
XH801CREWX.aol.com From: "Josiah
Carlson"<josiah-carlson.excite.com> From:
"Chris Winslow"
<winslow240.hotmail.com> From: XstrickenX.aol.com Again, I was incredibly
offended. None of that stuff is what most From:
XstrickenX.aol.com From:
"James E."
<jre.idirect.com> From:
cmichaud.usmo.com Your articles on the iMac were
great! I'm going to order two and use them Date:
Tue, 05 Oct 1999 08:37:42
-0500 (CDT) Date:
Wed, 15 Sep 1999 10:11:07
-0500 ---------------- com |
Notice: this site (Division Two magazine) was restored from its original location by Shlomi Fish, as he found it amusing. He hosts it on his domain and maintains information about it on his home site. Shlomi Fish is not responsible for its contents of divisiontwo.shlomifish.org.
