Monday, March 2, 2009

Mac Operating System: A Revolution in Computer World

Mac Operating System: A Revolution in Computer World

23rd June 2006, This is the operating system that runs on Macintosh computers. It is pronounced, "mack-oh-es." The Mac OS has been around since the first Macintosh was introduced in 1984. Since then, it has been continually updated and many new features have been added to it. Each major OS release is signified by a new number (i.e. Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9).

In 1994, Apple introduced the PowerMacs, which used the higher-performance PowerPC chip designed by Apple, Motorola and IBM. PowerMacs run native PowerPC applications and emulate traditional Mac 680x0 applications. PowerPC chips have enjoyed substantial increases in performance over the years.

The Mac came out in 1984, three years after the DOS-based PC. Its graphical interface was more intuitive than DOS commands, and it avoided the technical quagmire that arose when DOS users tried to add a new device to their PCs.

The graphical user interface (GUI) was actually developed by Xerox and introduced on its Star workstation in 1981. Apple borrowed heavily from the Star, and subsequently, others copied the Mac, moving the GUI down the line to Windows, OS/2 and UNIX.

Since the core of the Mac OS was nearly decades old, Apple decided to completely revamp the operating system. In March of 2001, Apple introduced a completely new version of the Mac OS that was written from the ground up. The company dubbed it "Mac OS X," correctly pronounced "Mac OS 10." Unlike earlier versions of the Mac OS, Mac OS X is based on the same kernel as Unix and has many advanced administrative features and utilities. Though the operating system is much more advanced than earlier versions of the Mac OS, it still has the same ease-of-use that people have come to expect from Apple software.

The Macintosh interface was immediately popular with non-technical people. Instead of typing in a command to delete a file as in DOS, you could drag it to the on-screen trashcan. Although common today, it was a breakthrough to have such capability on a personal computer in the 1980s.

Unlike the PC, the Mac is Apple's proprietary technology, and except for a brief period, Apple prevented a Macintosh clone industry from developing and growing (see Macintosh parts). Apple maintained its sole source vendor status while the PC industry had thousands of vendors.

Advice to Buying a PDA

The following information in this article should be exactly what you are looking for and I hope it helps you.

Buying a PDA as with most computer related products can sometimes be quite confusing if not sometimes very frustrating. With so many different makes and models to choose from how do you choose the right one?

Well, hopefully we can help you with that decision. Here I've put together some PDA buying tips that should get you going in the right direction. Let's take a look at these tips now and get you started on the right road to getting your first PDA.

PDA Buying Tips:

First: Cost. You need to take the cost into consideration since the prices on PDAs vary widely depending on what you want. Keep in mind that a PDA basically is an organizational tool. But you can do much more with them as well, like access the internet, play games, download music, e-books and even pictures to name a few. So depending on what you want your pda for you need to plan on what you are going to do with it. Then plan on what price you can afford. Now don't go crazy when you buy a PDA, remember more money doesn't always mean a better PDA. If you aren't sure as to what a PDA is worth that you are planning to spend, then read various PDA reviews to see what others think of the product. Key point here, PDA reviews are vital resources that can help you to successfully determine which PDA will meet your needs. Please use them in your research.

Second: PDAs come in various sizes and so it is important that you find one that you will be comfortable to you in handling on a regular basis. It is important to note that, some PDAs are very tiny while there are others that are considered large but they are smaller than a laptop. Go out to your nearest electronics store and sample a few and if you feel that a tiny device is comfortable then get a small device, if not then a larger PDA may be better.

Third: Just to reiterate on tip number 2. PDA size and its keyboard are very important factors in choosing a PDA. A PDA keyboard that has keys designed too close together or are small and difficult to use can be very aggravating and no one likes to be aggravated. Now, this is especially true for those that have problems with fine motor skills or have a repetitive motion injury which could make using a tiny handheld PDA near impossible to use. So, thoroughly examine the usability of a PDA's keyboard before you make your decision.

Fourth: If you would like to or plan to use your PDA for internet access, then it's highly recommended that you invest in a PDA that offers wireless internet access. After all the whole idea in enjoying the use of your PDA is the portability that this product provides and using cell phone dial up, even though it is more secure, is no less costly than wireless access.

Fifth: If your intentions are to carry quite a few files or images on your PDA, you may want to consider buying a PDA with a larger size installed memory even though you can purchase an expanded memory card. PDAs are small, handheld devices, and there memories are a bit limited. But in the long run it is cheaper to get a PDA with sufficient installed memory and expand later if you need to than to buy one with less and buy an additional expanded memory card.

Just keep these tips in mind, and there is no doubt that you will easily find a PDA that will serve your purpose and that you will be happy with. Now your next step is to start your research and your sampling of PDAs. Visit your nearest electronics dealer to determine which PDA you want and get your life organized today!

I hope you have gotten some good ideas from this article and that you are able to use them.