Thanks for the valuable opinion from inside the software world. This
puts the current events in perspective. So many friends have recently
switched to Mac that I feel like I'm missing something. I have until
spring to make a decision on a boat computer so will wait to see what
else develops. The Mac mini seems like the best fit for the boat as it
can be mounted away from the Nav desk and wet hands. It also works with
Bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse - lots of USB connectivity.
Anyway, I'm open to suggestions and advice on this.

I looked into the MacEnc and it looks like a very nice program. It does
display AIS.

Rich Cassano

Sonadora wrote:
> Rich, Rich, Rich, et al...
>
> Steve Jobs would love to buy you dinner.
>
> I've always been a Mac fan and for a time was deeply entrenched in Mac
> territory in my graphic arts days. The current fervor over OS transition
> reminds me a lot of the fervor over OS 9 to OS X. However, the big
> difference...HUGE difference...was that Apple made the transition for the
> betterment of the general computing community, not the detriment.
>
> Time will tell, but many things in my mind are signaling the plateau-ing of
> Microsoft. There is an impending retirement of their leader - figurehead as
> he may be - and that could foment dissent within the ranks (I love that
> phrase - thanks Matt Groening!), a major sea-change in their OS and
> underlying hardware (see ya, Intel). And a vastly more charismatic and
> 'friendly' company in the likes of Apple. Have a look at the ads in the
> Sunday Papers. Most places are now selling Apple computers. This has only
> taken place within the past 6 months or so.
>
> Apple's alliance with Intel is probably the most significant thing that
> company has done since introducing the Macintosh. Microsft is not too happy
> about it and all their ads now sport AMD logos.
>
> Any time a software company introduces a major shift in their product, they
> open themselves up for attack. Our company took advantage of that in the
> late 90s and now we're the #1 solid modeler in the world. The former #1 is a
> has been and just can seem to get out of their own way. At some point we'll
> fall, but hopefully not until I find something better to do (like removing
> spartite in French Polynesia).
>
> Applications like ours have been hugely dependent on Microsoft. With the
> introduction of Intel into the Apple line, developers are taking a long look
> at the Apple platform. Much of the hard-line coding is done to take
> advantage of Intel's instruction sets. When Apple was using Motorola chips,
> this required twice the effort so companies like SolidWorks weren't
> interested in doubling their efforts for virtually no return.
>
> In fact, with the ability to boot into a purely XP environment, Apples are
> actually usable, today, as a viable replacement. I've run our software on an
> iMac without any problems. We are at a point in our company where we'll be
> making new hardware purchases. We get to pick our own stuff and I'm
> seriously considering a Macbook Pro.
>
> Rick Beddoe
> s/v Soņadora, 1978 Baba 30
> Minneapolis, MN
> http://sail2live.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-baba-l@ballreich.net [mailto:owner-baba-l@ballreich.net] On
> Behalf Of Richard Cassano
> Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 3:48 PM
> To: baba-l@ballreich.net
> Subject: Re: [Baba-L] Greetings from Luddite Corners!
>
> Yeah Rick,
>
> ....and in addition to that, I'm really tired of all the pop-ups from
> the Windows operating system telling me how vulnerable my computer is to
> all kinds of serious crimes. I spend more time clicking little boxes
> to get rid of these messages that originate from the Microsoft Security
> Center and slow down functions than I do with productive "computering".
> All these virus, pop-up, spam cops are the core problem when I'm
> cruising and trying to run Coastal Explorer using as little juice as
> possible and nowhere near the Internet.
>
> With this in mind, how many of you have jumped ship and joined the anti
> establishment, subversive Apple crowd?
>
> I'm really tempted to go out and buy a MacBook Pro or Mac-mini for
> navigation aboard Gray Eagle and abandon XP - Vista and Microsoft
> forever. Can any one out there comment on what its like navigating from
> the bridge of "The Good Ship Apple", the one flying the pirate flag?
>
> Rich Cassano
>
>
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Received on Mon Feb 19 15:58:44 2007