Obama watches Hillary's speech on his Apple computer

[TeamJordan23]

MSNBC reported that he watched the Speech live online.

Disclaimer: I do not know for sure it was an Apple, but he did purchase Apples for himself and his children during the campaign so they can keep touch via teleconferencing video.

[blogslut]

1. As a geek

I find that hot.

[NYCGirl]

He uses an iPhone, too.

As pointed out in the clip on Fake Steve Jobs' blog.

http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2008/05/obama-flashes-his-iphone.html

As a Mac Girl who loves her iPhone, I find that hot, too.

[NYC_SKP]

9. MacBook Air or a PowerBook?

Barack has good judgement in computer purchases, I'm not surprised he's a Mac person!

[blogslut]

17. Well, it's not so much the architecture that excites me

It's the watching it online that gets me giddy.

I like my MAC but I loves my IBM NetVista and A21 laptop. Running both Windows AND Kubuntu - seksy!

[PatGund]

21. *chuckle*

I have my MacBook Pro running XP and Ubuntu under Parallels. the *buntus kick butt

[blogslut]

27. Hey, it was the Mac that brought me to Ubuntu

I bought one of the OG iMacs (jellybaby candy ones) online and killed the OS within 24 hours of purchase. No way in hell was I going to spend a couple hundred bucks for a damned operating system. Kubuntu made it all better.

I prefer to buy used computers. I think buying new machines just because they're new is a sin against humanity.

[NYC_SKP]

33. My used titaniums are still favorites

For overall design...and I agree that those bubble books are atrocious--I call em toilet seats.

[blogslut]

36. Here's my precious baby

Isn't she pretty? Originally she cost well over 2 grand. I got her for $200.00 bucks. I'm a writer. My needs are simple. I installed some extra RAM and it's all good. :hi:

[NYC_SKP]

39. Very nice and, yes, RAM is the key for most apps...

I'm a laptop junkie, bought lots of em on eBay, pc and mac.
The new job buys em for me now.
Just broke the screen on a black MacBook so they let me get an Air just last Saturday---nice but I still like the old titanium.

Your desktop is very Vader....B-)

[blogslut]

41. I love the old IBMs

So tight. Never ever had a problem with buying used ones. I still have my Thinkpad 500x and it works just fine. But the max ram I could put into is was 64 megs. Finally had to get that A21e so I could do my broadband justice. I need to get about 256 more megs of RAM for it and it will be poifect.

But yeah, that NetVista is all-in-one. No Tower. All the stuff is within the monitor case and the CD tray is under it. Very sweet.

[PatGund]

38. Understand!

My first Apple Laptop was a Pismo G3 that I rebuilt myself from the remains of three others. Ended up maxing the RAM, putting in a longer lasting battery, large hard drive, and DVD burner. Finally upgraded it to G4 status. Lasted me all the time I was working in the Middle East. My daughters 22 year old half-brother has it now.

My G4 tower is still being used, having also been upgraded way past it's design specs.

My MacMini is being tweaked as well :-)

One of the things I like to do is take old and discarded machines, rebuild them, and find good homes for them. Something I'm about to do for a batch of the iMac G3's and eMac G4's soon, (I'm phasing out CRT machines at work in favour of LCD's.)

[blogslut]

40. Those old iMacs are a steal on EBay

If I had the fundage ($2000 - tops) and the request, I would buy ten of them and set them up as a wired network - running EDUBUNTU - in some poor neighborhood community center or school.

The only problem I've found is with proprietary software for use on the old PowerPC processor.You know, like Flash and Real media. There are non-free packages that emulate them but not quite the same.

[PatGund]

42. I wish they would update the *buntus for PPC though.....

[blogslut]

44. Sigh, I know

Oh well.

[Hawkeye-X]

52. Kubuntu user here too..

When I got my own Cow machine, vista lasted maybe all of 3 weeks before it was wiped out in favor of Ubuntu. I tried the gnome version, hated it, wandered with different flavors of Linux (mandriva, knoppix, debian, red hat) before I learned about Kubuntu, decided to give it a try (I did like mandriva's KDE enivornment but was not happy with the support), and fell in love with it, and haven't turned back since. I still have a laptop with xp if I needed to use bloated software (which I needed to load up qworst new dsl service).

[blogslut]

64. I like Kubuntu because

I can be root easier.

Like you, I use Windows to run specific software that I can't live without. :)

You know, you don't have to have a dual core processor to have Kubuntu and Windows on the same hard drive, right? In fact, there's this program called Wubi, that allows you to install Kubuntu from Windows - without all that figuring out how to partition the HD. The cool part is, when you're in the Kubuntu environment, you can snag files from your Windows. It installs slow as hell though and snagging packages is also an exercise in patience.

[Exilednight]

55. True GEEKS use .........

Alineware pre-Dell buyout.



I love mine!

[blogslut]

63. I have a lot of friends that loved theirs too

They do look delicious :hi:

[Frank Booth]

2. Well, that's a disappointment.

It's disconcerting to find out that he'd put his trust in such a shoddy computer.

[4_Legs_Good]

4. Good point, but an Apple is a toy, not a computer.

[featherman]

10. Hah...just hah... I run a multi million dollar business all on Apples

[deadmessengers]

16. You can probably afford them, then.

Normal people can't afford to pay inflated prices for inferior Apple hardware.

[AJH032]

23. Apples use the same hardware, how is it inferior?

same CPU, same GPUs, same hard drives, same pretty much everything except enclosure and software. And now that OS X is officially UNIX, it's hard to argue that Windows is better or even equal to Apple's operating power.

[4_Legs_Good]

49. Curious, though, if it's all the same, then why the love of Apple

with it's non-competitive market?

Just curious. Is the OS really that much better?

David

[AJH032]

50. Last I saw

Apple was up to 15% market share, which is actually quite high. All the differences lie in the operating system (and the design of the products, if that matters to you), not in the internal hardware. Mac OS is UNIX, which is appealing. There are advantages to both, and it's really a matter of preference.

[4_Legs_Good]

54. Makes sense, but by 'non competitive'

I meant more the Mac hardware in that it isn't competitive in the same way PCs are within variations. If you want a Mac, you pretty much buy everything associated with it from Apple. Nobody I know of (is it even possible???) runs OS9 on a non-Mac machine. I do know plenty of people who run WinXP on their Macs.

David

[PatGund]

60. First off...

Why run OS 9? OS 9 is long since dead, and OS X (now up to 10.5) has been the standard since 2001.

There are ways to emulate OS 9 on Windows machines if you want. You have to emulate the PowerPC processor, which hasn't been used by Apple since 2006 and the switch to Intel-based machines. Current Apples use Core2Duos and Xeon processors.

There are people who do "hack" OS X to run on non-Apple hardware though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSX86

[boppers]

71. A short list of "Why Mac":

1. Case design matters to people who tweak their hardware. Apple "gets this", in a big way. Tool-less cases, upgrades, etc.
2. "Apple Care". Buy a Mac, Get applecare insurance. If any hardware breaks in 3 years, they replace it. This is essential for road warriors, whose laptops are regularly abused, and not too bad for desktops, either (I've never had any machine where I didn't wind up having *a* hardware problem after 3 years, regardless of the vendor).
3. Hardware *integration*. Oh, you want a webcam? On many machines it's built in, no drivers needed, no card install, it's just there. Oh, you want a soundcard? Same. Gigabit? Firewire? yup and yup. Wintel manufacturers have finally started doing this, with more advanced motherboards, but for Apple users, it was simply *expected*. You want a desktop with 8 cores, 4 raid-5 disks, and two video cards? Oh, that's a standard build.
4. None of this stupid "anti-virus" crap. Don't want it, don't need it, don't care. In apple's case, responsibility for that level of security is with the vendor, not the end user.
5. Software Design: This is where Apple really shines. In the Wintel/F-OSS world, diversity and a multitude of possibilities are touted as "features", rather than an inherent design flaw. Put this into another perspective: do you want to use Google, or everybody else? What apple focuses on is being the "google" of OS software. Simple, focused, and does what you want.

[featherman]

59. Sorry for the late response... I've been out working on the election with a Dem event

I understand there is a lot of religious level zealotry on this topic and I am not out to make converts. I wouldn't have responded at all on this except for the toy remark above which I thought a bizarre and seriously uniformed gibe. But whatever.

I am not in the computer business (selling, repairing, software, etc.) but a mail order retail operation. Our Mac OSX machines, our internal network, and the software we use from (mostly) Adobe and Filemaker handles all our business needs quickly, easily, and seamlessly. We have the capability of handling any PC software that we might need but rarely find it useful. Graphics and design capabilities are superb for managing the images and layouts we need for nearly daily editing of our website.

But what it comes down to the most for us is trouble-free operating which means no down time, superior virus protection, and instinctive ease of use which dramatically shortens the learning curve for new employees.

[boppers]

68. Same Hardware? Not even close.

I've worked on, and in, Mac hardware for years. While many of the current pieces/components have similar (or identical) whitebox counterparts, Apple always goes the extra mile in selecting how that hardware is configured, mounted, and maintained. If you've ever done drive/RAM upgrades on crappy whitebox machines, that used the stupidest/most pointless BIOS, the ripped knuckles, hair-pulling obscurity of driver files, etc. etc. becomes apparent when RAM upgrades can happen in less than 15 seconds, boot firmware is managed *by* the operating system, drivers are built-in to the OS, etc. etc.

Acura and Honda both use Honda parts, are they equivalent vehicles?

[4_Legs_Good]

45. Other people run multi-million $ businesses on Fisher Price toys!

it's all the same thing!

Kidding! I know you can earn multi $ on the proprietary iPod connectors alone!

David

[cindyw]

12. How do those viruses work out for you? Crash, Crash, Crash!

My husband is literally fixing a PC right now with a virus.

Your just jealous of my iphone/GPS/Internet/email/movieplayer/ipod/notepad/maps/full address book/itunes/weather/alarm clock/stopwatch

[anigbrowl]

35. It's really not an issue if you set your machine up right

I don't have these problems and I can get my PC to do all kinds of wild and cool stuff. On the other hand, I spent a long time learning the skills to make it do that. So it's a lot more economical (and fun) for me to be on windows. But then I'm not your typical consumer that needs to take it to a store or crack open the manual to fix a problem.

[4_Legs_Good]

46. Yeah, yeah. True

I just really don't like the control that Apple exercises over it's customers, but it's where the $ is.

I bought a $5 connector for my video iPod, but it didn't work because it turns out I needed to rather buy the $50 version direct from Apple!

David

[PatGund]

61. Weird....

I don't have problems with third party connectors with my Video iPod.....or iPhone, or Nano.....

[PatGund]

18. *chuckle* Really....

Considering I've made good money supporting Macs - and seen them in a lot of high-end, high tech applications and companies all I can say is this:

If they're toys, then PCs are Etch-a-Sketches.

[4_Legs_Good]

47. Hee hee

I'm just having fun fuelling the Apple/PC wars!

My mother-in-law loves her iComputer!

And most of the PhD physiciscts I work with don't do anything but complain about their PCs.

David

[DangerousRhythm]

75. Apple vs. PC = classic...

...but what if I throw an Amiga into the mix?



:rofl:

[NYCGirl]

20. Yeah, no one important would ever use a Mac

[Hieronymus]

25. LOL, God, that's an old line.

[4_Legs_Good]

48. Tried and true!

Kidding!!!

I just know how defensive Apple people get, so it's kinda fun once in a while.

:) I really don't mind 'em.

David

[davidwparker]

37. clearly not an Apple user. this drive-by comment is without merit.

[DangerousRhythm]

74. My 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo...

...would laugh at being called a toy, and then it would run rings around the old Windows machine I used to use six months ago. ;)

[deadmessengers]

5. That really doesn't speak well of his financial sense, does it? n/t

[PatGund]

19. Actually.....

A name-brand computer (Apple), that holds it's resale value longer than most computers, and costs the same as any other name brand (Dell, HP, etc.) computer?? One that runs a rock-solid UNIX distro and doesn't have the virus problems other machines have?? One that costs less to maintain and support over the life of the system - and has a longer useful life too?

Sounds like fantastic financial sense to me

[Hieronymus]

29. Sure does make sense .. I've had Macs since '96.

[laconicsax]

51. Apple products tend to be more expensive

I went to Apple, Dell, and HP and 'customized' computers. The lowest price is the bare-bones version of the highest base model. The highest price is the most expensive options. For the Dell and HP computers, this meant adding multiple printers, wireless routers, monitors, and every software option.

Desktops:
Mac Pro: Price ranges from $2,800 to $27,000
Dell XPS: Price ranges from $1,050 to $12,000
HP Pavillion: Price ranges from $1,000 to $5,700

Laptops:
MacBook Pro: Price ranges from $2,000 to $6,600
Dell XPS: Price ranges from $1,000 to $14,000
HP Pavillion: Price ranges from $1,080 to $8,800

Looks like on average, Apple's products are more expensive if you figure that most people aren't going to buy multiple ink and laser printers, multiple wireless routers, four separate anti-virus programs, etc.

[PatGund]

57. Let's check configurations (Laptop)

Let's take a look at laptops.

The MacBook is the consumer level Apple Laptop. We'll compare it to the XPS series
The MacBook Pro is the professional level Apple Laptop. Since Apple markets it as a workstation, we'll compare it to the Precision series.

MacBook
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
MacOS X 10.5
13.3-inch (diagonal) glossy widescreen TFT
Built-In iSight camera
2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB
160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Super Drive (DVD+/- RW Drive
Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Airport Extreme 802.11n WiFi
Built-In Bluetooth 2.0
55Whr lithium-polymer battery

Price $1299

Dell XPS M1330
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
Genuine Windows® Vista Home Premium Edition SP1
13.3" LED Display with VGA Webcam
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW Drive)
Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card
Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
37Whr Lithium Ion Battery (4 cell)

Price $1379

Apple is $80 cheaper than a Dell with simular configuration

MacBook Pro (15")
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
MacOS X 10.5
15.43-inch (diagonal) glossy widescreen TFT
Built-In iSight camera
2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB
250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Super Drive (DVD+/- RW Drive
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor with dual-link DVI support; 256MB of GDDR3 memory on 2.4GHz configuration; 512MB of GDDR3 memory on 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz configurations
Airport Extreme 802.11n WiFi
Built-In Bluetooth 2.0
60Whr lithium-polymer battery

Price $2049.00

Dell Precision M4300
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Business Downgrade, XP Pro Installed, English
15.4 IN WIDE WUXGA Anti-Glare LCD Panel
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
No Optical Drive
NVIDIA Quadro FX 360M, 512MB Turbo Cache memory (256 dedicated)
Intel® 4965 802.11a/g/n Dual-Band Mini Card
Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
58Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)

Price $2176.00

Apple is $127 cheaper than a Dell with simular configuration (no optical drive on the Dell)

MacBook Pro (17")
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8300 (2.5GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
MacOS X 10.5
17-inch (diagonal) glossy widescreen TFT
Built-In iSight camera
2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB
200GB Serial ATA @ 7200 rpm
Super Drive (DVD+/- RW Drive)
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor with dual-link DVI support and 512MB of GDDR3 memory
Airport Extreme 802.11n WiFi
Built-In Bluetooth 2.0
68Whr lithium-polymer battery

Price $2949

Dell Precision M6300
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8300 (2.5GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Business Downgrade, XP Pro Installed, English
17 inch Wide Screen WUXGA TrueLife LCD Panel
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
200GB Hard Drive, 9.5MM, 7200RPM (Free Fall Sensor)
8X DVD+/-RW w/Roxio Creator™ and Cyberlink PDVD™
NVIDIA® Quadro FX 1600M 512MB TurboCache (256MB discrete)
Intel® 4965 802.11a/g/n Dual-Band Mini Card
Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
68Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)

Price $2995

Apple is $46 cheaper than a Dell with simular configuration

[PatGund]

58. Let's check configurations (Desktop)

iMacs are Apple's all-in-one system. We'll compare it with the Dell XPS all-in-one

And something very interesting. They're BOTH $1299!! With almost identical configuration.

So we'll take a look at the Mac Pro, the professional workstation. We'll compare it with the Dell Precisions

MacPro
Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Mac OS X 10.5
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM FBD Memory, 800MHz ECC (2 DIMMS, 8 DIMM slots total)
320GB SATA 3.0Gb/s,7200 RPM Hard Drive
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
16x SuperDrive (DVD +/- RW)

Total $2,949.00

Dell Precision T5400
Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Genuine Windows Vista ® Business Downgrade, XP Pro Installed, English
2GB, DDR2 SDRAM FBD Memory, 667MHz, ECC (4 DIMMS)
320GB SATA 3.0Gb/s,7200 RPM Hard Drive
NVIDIA Quadro FX1700 512 MB
16X DVD+/-RW w/ Cyberlink PowerDVD™ and Roxio Creator™ Dell Ed

Total $4,677

Apple is $1728 cheaper than the Dell with simular configuration

I confess to some puzzlement over your comment that "Looks like on average, Apple's products are more expensive if you figure that most people aren't going to buy multiple ink and laser printers, multiple wireless routers, four separate anti-virus programs, etc." Why on earth would you need multiple ink and laser printers as a rule of thumb (Apple uses the same ink and laser printers that PCs do), or multiple wireless routers (WiFi is WiFi, no matter if it's Apple or the PC). And on average, Apple's products are cheaper when compared to a Dell of simular configuration, as I just showed you.

[anigbrowl]

32. I'm a PC guy but then I have the skill to build or set up one which lets me save money

If you want something that just works and don't want to spend time tinkering with it, then an Aplle is a good choice - you may more, but you get a lot of the engineering and configuration done for you. By contrast, I'm useless with motor vehicles and really have no interest in them except as a convenient tool. So if I were buying a car I'd go for something known for reliability and low maintenance even if it cost some more up front, because I have desire or intention of spending time fiddling with the engine trying to get extra performance out of it).

[Bicoastal]

8. Yeah right...how's that Anti-Virus stuff working out for ya?

:P

[rufus dog]

13. You are soo right!

I have such minor issues keeping my three vista computers running, but that damn powerbook my daughter uses is always a problem! :sarcasm:

I am on the road a lot, and usually get to come home to a problem with Vista. One Mac problem in six months!

[deadmessengers]

15. Vista is bad, but XP is quite usable.

Oh, and I'm running XP on a rocketship of a computer that cost me $600, that I can fix my damn self if it breaks. How much did that powerbook cost? 2k? 3k? more? And how much did you lay out for applecare to make sure that their shitty unreliable hardware didn't leave you ass out?

[PatGund]

26. Apple doesn't sell PowerBooks anymore. Haven't since 2005

My MacBook Pro cost me (new) $1899. I'm in the process of buying a batch of MacBooks for my work that will cost under a thousand each. These are all Intel machines and can dual-boot between OS X and anything else out there.

As for "shitty unreliable hardware", the memory, CPU, hard drives, battery cells, LCD screens, etc., are all the name hardware that PC companies use. That being said, Apple's hardware are a lot more reliable and durable than many PCs, (The HP I bought the same year as the MacBook Pro is dead, and if I never have to fix another Dell it will be too soon).

Sorry, I maintain, support, and repair computers for a living. Apples are far easier to repair, support, and maintain than a PC - and cheaper too. They hold their value longer, and have a longer lifespan.

[rufus dog]

31. My mistake

PowerBook MacBook, the issue is I never pick the thing up, don't have to! A fourteen year old uses it and doesn't have any issues. (One minor issue with a Movie Program) So the wife and younger kid who use the other two computers seem to have issues all the time. Call it a toy, but it works well. In defense of MS, my laptop gets the heavy use and I don't have an issue ever. (After the original Vista Vs. XP network issues)

[onenote]

14. I get that you don't like the fact Obama uses an iphone and an apple lap top

What do you think about McCain's phone and computer:

[Frank Booth]

28. He upgraded?

I'm glad to see he's now gotten beyond this:

[zulchzulu]

43. I use my Apple Tibook more than my Linux/Solaris box or Windows box

Each OS has its pluses and minuses. Those of us who use multiple OS machines in a given day think OS wars are for the amateurs and computer hobbyists.

:hi:

[cynatnite]

3. An Apple...I won't hold it against him ;) n/t

[Heather MC]

6. Are you ready to give to Hillary?

[slinkerwink]

7. Yay, Apple!

[aaaaaa5a]

11. This topic makes this video even more relevant

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SQFIsfQKBuU

[Liberal Veteran]

22. Apple? OMG!!!! What an elitist!

:rofl:

[discopants]

24. Apple Inc. Board of Directors member Al Gore would approve

[Hieronymus]

30. Mac: the thinking man's computer. Gore and Obama, cool.

[davidwparker]

34. of course it is an Apple. I'm typing this on my new 24" iMac :-)) n/t

[rug]

53. The Apple/PC chasm is one he will never bridge.

[union_maid]

56. Obama's a Mac

McCain is an abacus.

[RNdaSilva]

72. Now c'mon...

an abacus is considerably more difficult to operate than a Mac and/or PC. You're giving McCain much too much credit...remember he graduated in the bottom eight of his class at the Naval Academy. An abacus is definitely out of the question...a slide rule even more so. He does have ten fingers and ten toes to accomplish his calculations. KISS!

[Phoonzang]

62. Macs can't play games like Crysis

therefore Macs=useless (to me).

[PatGund]

73. Actually we can....

Since modern Macs are Intel based, they can play Windows games via Boot Camp. :-)

[SwampG8r]

65. this all wentfar over my head

im self taught but i lost the conversation 3 replys in

[JI7]

66. i wonder if he ever comes to DU

if he doesn't i'm pretty sure people working for him do (and are probably members).

[thewiseguy]

69. Can you see me Barack!?

:hi:

[smalll]

67. He needs to step away from elitist markers like this. Seriously.

Tell me it wasn't an Airbook. Please.

[thewiseguy]

70. Why didnt he watch it on TV?

[high density]

76. These threads are so silly

It's fine with me if Apple fans are happy and eager to pay a 200% markup on the cost of hardware to get their OS X.

I just wish they'd stop acting like Apple salespeople or commercials. Believe it or not, most home and business users run Windows without having constant virus outbreaks. Despite the Apple ads saying otherwise, my own experience has been that Vista works fine if you don't try to run 10+ year old programs on it and have device drivers from a hardware manufacturer that knows what they're doing.