Archive for the ‘Main’ Category

Are we at the beginning of the Post PC Era?

This was the thought that started these posts off and in fact it is a wider view than just  ‘Why you should consider a Mac’.

Sales of Desktop Windows PC computers are down, Mac desktops are holding their own, Windows laptop sales are down, Mac laptop sales have increased but the real boom in sales are for ‘smart phones’ and touch tablets (at the moment the iPad) Netbook sales have crashed after the release of the iPad.

On the smart phone the iPhone has been the top seller ever since it went on sale until recently when the combined sales from many manufactures for Android powered phones (Android is the operating system, think of it like Windows or perhaps Linux would be a better analogy) started to out sell it in the USA.

71% of all smart phones in Japan are iPhones. For many people owning a computer is just for 4 or 5 things, email, web browsing, storage of photos, music and videos, contacts and calendars, video, voice and text chat. Some others will add letter writing and spreadsheets. You can do all those things on a smart phone and while on the move. Don’t like the small screen then you can do all of those on a touch tablet.

Need a full size keyboard, you can have one too which in the case of the iPad holds the screen up so you can see it better while charging the iPad. Plus there are now 225,000+ applications available for the iPhone alone So there should be one to fill your needs. Lets look at the prices too. It’s hard to compare prices as so many programs and applications can do the same thing and there are ways to keep the price down by using on-line sources paid for with adverts but here goes.

Email, Contacts, Calendar Mac Free iPhone, iPad Free Android I guess they’re free, wouldn’t be much of a smart phone without them Windows 7 you have to get them after you instal (web based or purchase)

MS Outlook (email, contacts and calendars) £90.60

Word Processor, Spreadsheet Mac iWork 3 Apps, Pages, Numbers, Keynote =

(Word, Excel, Powerpoint) £58.73

iPad, Pages £5.99 Numbers £5.99 Keynote £5.99

Windows Office Home, Word, Excel, Powerpoint (no Outlook) £80.23

Business (with outlook) £187.99 (All prices Amazon UK or App Store UK for iPad)

I know that is not very scientific but it does show that these mobile apps can do what a lot of home users want and at a very low price. So what does it mean for home users? I and some others in the industry think that users will now need to and in fact are doing, to check their requirements before just choosing a desktop PC.

Many will find that carrying their contacts, calendars, videos, video camera and editing software even with them is much better than being stuck at a desk with more power that they can use. Convenience is winning over high specification.

What about content creators and developers? Well, we need to consider a much wider range of devices and platforms, some web content may well move into applications and we must move fast or be left behind as home computing is changing very fast. I’ve had to make my living from computers and I have seen first hand the drop in sales of desktop PC’s and all their peripherals.

I also have family members who are running secondhand Macs and have been for over 6 years. I normally work as a web designer but my view into the future sees very little money in that now, most sites are now content management systems with very little work for a designer, the Mac comes equipped with a very good home website application so not much work for me with little sites.

As the computer is waining what is on the rise, smart phones and touch tablets, so that is where I am heading, iPhone and iPad applications. Are you coming with me or will you struggle on? Now, some people think I am suggesting that you dump your PC computer, I’m not, I just want you to consider a Mac or even consider if you really need one as there is so much choice right now.

Be open to new ways of computing. The times are changing and I can see a day when desktop computers are back in the office and not at home. Computers will become much more like appliances and future users will wonder at why those old timers thought they needed to know how computers worked or how to fix them.

The new generation of users will not even see the file system of where their music and videos are stored, there will be no Windows Explorer or Mac Finder, each application will look after its own files like the iPad does now.

Jump on board, it will be a little bumpy at first but we’ll soon be running smooth.

Hi everyone.

Let me start this article with why I use an Apple Mac and why I think it would be a good idea for anyone to switch to Mac.

What computer system you use can be a very emotive subject and to tell you the truth I feel like I am jumping into a pit of vipers by doing this. Some very computer savvy people out there will have strong views and for them I say carry on with what works for you.

But in my immediate family I have 4 computer users, 2 gamers, 1 home user, 1 Home/Pro User and me a Designer, Web Administrator, Gamer and more.

Gamers will need faster & faster machines, especially in the graphics processing department, I need a fast machine because quite often have multiple art and design applications running at once.

But the other 2 generally only read email, browser the web, store their photographs and music, use video chat, keep their appointments in the calendar, and contact details in an address book, or occasionally write a letter for printing.

Does that sound like you? I’m sure it fits most people. So most people would in fact be happy with a lower spec machine. What do most users want from a computer, they want it to be easy to set up, to ‘just’ work, to not need fixing, to need less maintenance, to not de-value and to do all the things above out of the box or with software at a reasonable cost. (downloading a free pirate copy is not a reasonable cost).

I’ll come back to these points over the next few articles but today I will finish with some facts and figures.

The US Military use Macs.

The Ford Motor Co run whole production lines using the smallest Mac Minis as the terminals for stock replenishment.

Google have gone completely Mac

Apple’s head designer is 7 times Designer of the Year winner, British designer Jonathan Ive.

iPad, iPhone & iPod Touch use British ARM processors.

The top two images are for the US but the bottom is for Europe. Remember these figures are for one company, Apple against all other PC makers combined.

If I had a penny for how many times someone has said to me “Why have you got a Mac? They’re Uber, I’d be a rich man.

Bath Apple store manager, John Osborn has confirmed that he’s booked a professional photographer, Dean McLachlan, to talk to us on 19 August.

His interests are quite wide, as you can see from his web site (made in iWeb), and he is about to go off with the Bath rugby team on tour.

Dean suggests that we all take our cameras along for some personal tuition. He plans to concentrate on photography, rather than the computer side, and will use Aperture.

The session starts at 7:00pm, and is expected to run until around 8:00pm / 8:30pm.

Please Register for this event by clicking the More Button

Read the rest of this entry »

Hi all,

If we had a free schedule with Emmersons Green Village Hall (EGVH), and could book their room to hold our meeting any day of the week we liked, which days would you prefer.

I say days, as I would like you to choose as many days in the week that you could attend.

We would love more people to come along to our monthly meetings, and are aware that us changing the evening to a Tuesday night has mucked it up for a lot of people.

So we would like to offer everyone a free comment on which night they would favor us hold the meeting on. We can then go and speak to EGVH, and see if they could in fact allow us to have the room on that night, or if we need to investigate other venues which would be able to cater for us.

I would like everyone who belongs to the MUG list to take part in this poll, this way we have everyone’s opinion and may allow those who only lurk on our mailing list and website to come and join us.

To access the poll, please log in and you will find the poll in the Members Only Section on the top row of buttons.

The full lowdown of the meeting is as follows:

7:30pm – 7:45pm – Notices, welcome
7:45pm – 8:15pm – ???? – This space needs filling!!!

8:15pm – 8:30pm – Break
8:30pm – 9:00pm – Mac Surgery / General Question & Answer Session
9:00pm – 9:30pm – Mac OSX Basics with Jeremy

As you can see, one of the above time slots still needs filling. If you are able to present something to fill the slot, please let us know!

The next meeting is due to take place on Tuesday the 22nd of June at Emerson’s Green Village Hall. The meeting starts at 7:30pm prompt, and winds-up at 9:30pm.

**UPDATE**
Due to a small number of people turning up to this month’s planned meeting, we have cancelled Trevor Middleton’s visit this month.

We hope to re-schedule him to come and speak to our members in the future.

The next meeting takes place at Emerson Green Village Hall, on Tuesday 20th April, from 7:30pm.

Click on the “Meeting Info” tab for details of how to find the venue, and the itinerary for the evening.

Friday’s meeting is only a few days away, so here’s a quick reminder.

Remember, we have had to change our venue to:

Emerson Green Village Hall
Emerson Way
Emersons Green
Bristol
BS16 7AP

The itinerary is as follows:

7:30pm – 7:45 – Notices, Welcome, Subs
7:45pm – 8:15pm – AGM

8:15pm – 8:30pm – Break

8:45pm – 9:00pm – Mac Surgery / Q&A
9:00pm – 9:15pm – Introduction to OSX Finder (Rob. H)
9:15pm – 9:30pm – Demos

9:30pm – Finish

I’ve put together some material for a short demo around OSX Finder, but I don’t think it will last anywhere near 15 minutes.

If any of those people attending (list further down in this email) can show one or two things off it would be very much appreciated.

Also, with this being our first meeting having the “Mac Surgery” it may be an idea for us to open it up a little so we can find out what those attending use their Macs for, what difficulties they have, and what tips (if any) they can offer others.

As only Martin and Ash have been to the new venue the evening will also be an opportunity for those attending to see what they think of the new place, and if they feel it’s a location we should return to on a monthly basis.

Confirmed attendees are:

Martin
Ash
Rob H
Glynn
Jeremy
Martin Royds
Jen Royds
Adrian
Trevor Barnes (possible)

As a reminder fees are as follows:

- Those who have paid the 12 month subscription – £2
- Those who have paid the 6 month subscription – £2.50
- Those who haven’t paid a subscription – £3.00
- First timers – FREE!

Fred will be away, so I’m collecting the subs. I’ll try and bring change, but please do not rely on it, as unlike Fred I don’t have access to the float/kitty.

See you Friday,

Rob. H – Secretary
The Bristol and Bath Mac User Group
www.bbmug.co.uk

This is a quick heads-up to let you know that February’s meeting at The Apple Store, Cabot Circus will take place on THURSDAY 18th at 7:00pm.

The shift from Monday to Thursday is because the store now closes at 6:00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Subject matter for this meeting will follow shortly. If there’s anything you’d like to see covered in the session please email the group so we can discuss it.

Thanks!

Just Listen its funny