Last month’s top story in the Macintosh community was the spread of the Flashback virus. One month later, it’s time to look back at the recent attack, the future, and the distant past in terms of Macintosh viruses.

When news outlets everywhere reported on Flashback, many of my friends began to ask me what I thought about the virus.

“What do you think about the Mac finally having a virus?”

“Did you get attacked?”

“Should I get anti-virus software?”

These questions, among others, were directed my way, coming from my fellow Macheads and Windows users alike.

When the remarks of “first ever Mac virus” came up, this veteran Mac user could only shake his head, think of the System 6 days, and remember when every Mac user wanted to raise a glass to toast John Norstad, author of the excellent Disinfectant utility.

While this may be the first widespread OS X virus, it’s certainly not the first Mac virus. In fact, viruses have been around since the early days of the platform, long before OS X or even System 6.

If you’ve dealt with a bunch of annoying nVIR infections by running Disinfectant, downloaded Agax to wipe out a SevenDust strain, or rebuilt the desktop to rid yourself of CDEF, you certainly know what has existed in the Mac’s past. I’ve actually done all three of these things. Both school systems I attended prior to college had virus infections at some point. I actually contacted nVIR on my own Macintosh LC in the 1990s after swapping shareware with a friend. While most Mac viruses were harmless, save for a few obscure malicious viruses with names like INIT 9403 and a handful of trojan horses, the virus threat was real.

Those of you who know how to identify a Scores infection, know the consequences of running HyperCard stacks named “New Apple Products” or “Sexy Ladies”, remember the indictment of the Cornell students who wrote the MBDF virus, and have experience with anti-virus tools containing Monty Python references in their about boxes (thanks, Mr. Norstad!) have truly earned the right to call themselves veterans of the platform. Bonus points are hereby awarded to anyone who knows what the Frankie virus did.

Early Mac viruses primarily attacked System files and applications. Several also went for the invisible Desktop file. Most slowed down the system, causing little more than crashes and annoyances (although some did have annoying side effects, such as the bouncing cursor behavior caused by the ZUC virus). For the most part, these viruses were spread through shared floppy disks and bulletin boards. Keep in mind these were the days when user groups could distribute system software, shareware was actually shared between users (instead of through a website), and most home users were modemless.

Although a new Mac virus popped up now and then, it wasn’t a common occurrence, especially compared to the number of viruses written for DOS and Windows. Windows users dealt with Melissa, the Love Bug, and other widespread infectors while the Macintosh community looked on.

There were two reasons for the lack of Macintosh viruses. Virus authors wanted to attack great numbers of computers, something which certainly could not be done with the Mac’s minuscule market share. More importantly, the core of Mac OS X, based on UNIX, was far more difficult to penetrate than the traditional proprietary Mac OS, which was last updated in 2001.

However, the inevitable happened. A widespread virus was written for a platform whose market share has steadily been growing and whose inner core has been on the market for over a decade.

The question: should we be worried about more viruses? The bigger question: is it time to seriously consider anti-virus software?

Windows will always be more vulnerable to viruses in general due to the nature of the operating system and the higher installed base of users. Despite this, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more Mac viruses down the line.

Still, I’m not rushing to install anti-virus software. For starters, the way to remove a Flashback infection is quite easy and involves a few typed lines in the terminal. Apple was quick to respond to the threat, which is pretty much a distant memory now.

The real reason I’m not installing any protection is because of how modern viruses spread. Most are caught by users on peer to peer networks, users who carelessly click on suspicious links and banners, and those who open attachments from known careless users. Yes, I have dealt with a personal virus infection before, but this was in the days when shareware was passed around on floppies. Downloading shareware from trusted websites eliminates the problem. (Even then, I won’t try shareware until it’s been out for a while just in case there is a problem with the software).

Despite being called a “power user” by my friends, I’m more or less a stereotypical Volvo driver when it comes to the world online. (Yes, I once owned a Volvo). I play it safe with my web habits, including the design of my personal site, which I fund out of pocket to eliminate advertising. I don’t click banners, popups, or links to unknown sites. In fact, most of the time I spend online involves communicating with clients, research, keeping up with friends, and staying on top of news and sports. For every purpose, I have a preferred website (in some cases, these sites have been bookmarked since the 1990s). The programs I choose to purchase or evaluate come only from the Mac App Store and known good shareware sites. iTunes and Amazon are the only places I’ll purchase digital content.

If you take risks by using untrusted sites or clicking obviously bogus ad banners, you’re playing with fire. The same can be said if you use peer to peer services, which may also mean you’re breaking the law (depending on what you’re using them for). The same can be said for downloading a file from an unknown developer. I love supporting startup companies and one-man businesses, but after the Tetricycle trojan of 1992, I’ve been leery of doing this until a product has been out for at least a few weeks.

Another factor is the way anti-virus software slows down computers. Try using a Windows machine bogged down by Norton or McAffee. Granted, the free anti-virus programs are a little less intensive, but when you’re working with 2GB RAM and a slow laptop hard drive, every bit of power counts. It’s not like we have the lightweight Disinfectant INIT around anymore. Now we have programs which take up big chunks of RAM and bug us with automatic updates whenever we’re in the middle of something important.

Another easy solution I have against anti-virus software is to constantly back up files. With cloud services, this is easier than ever, although I still wouldn’t trust all my data to the cloud just in case it gets hacked. I still make physical backups and often spread my files across four different computers as an extra precaution. In addition to using an external hard drive, I also am a firm believer in burning DVDs from time to time. I treat these like a birth certificate, placing them in a secure, locked location albeit one easy enough to access within a minute just in case I need them.

Finally, I offer the advice to keep up with the news. Word travels far quicker in 2012 than it has at any time in history thanks to forums, social networking sties, and superior news outlets. The days of the latest Mac gossip being available only to Usenet group members are long gone. I read technical news every morning alongside my local paper, not only to stay on top of things as a guy who works with technology on a daily basis, but also as a user who wants to know of anything to be aware of. If I hear of a particular problem, I’ll get around it through avoidance (if possible) or patches.

I’m not installing anti-virus software on any of my Macs. Neither should you. A heightened sense of awareness and knowledge of both the past and present state of viruses should do the trick, coupled with some precautionary measures such as backing up data and being careful about website selection.

On a final note, I should clarify something the entire Mac community has been struggling with. Flashback is NOT a trojan horse. Trojan horses are seemingly useful programs which have some sort of side effect, typically infecting a computer or erasing a hard drive. An example is Font Finder, an early Mac trojan which appeared to be a font management utility. However, it wiped the hard drive of the Mac it was using instead of proving itself an alternative to the Font/DA Mover. A good way to remember what a trojan horse does it to think of its namesake from Greek mythology.

Flashback did not disguise itself as a program and is clearly not a trojan horse. It’s a virus, plain and simple.

Tags: flashback | mac | macintosh | virus

I have been really busy and I know my readers have noticed. With my second Master degree now out of the way, I am ready to get back to business covering new and old Macintosh tips and tricks! The tale of two MBAs is simply, while working on my MacBook Air I completed my Masters in Business Administration degree with honors.

© Copyright Apple, Inc.

Now my MacBook Air was not the only tool I used. The iPad was a great way for me to read my PDF textbooks. I could have my iPad with the text on there ready to search and annotate, while my MacBook Air had Microsoft Word up. This combination was really effective since I could position the iPad on the same table and easily use both tools.

That is what college is all about, right? Using tools to make life easier, in this case studies easier. Unfortunately my University still uses PDF textbooks instead of the exciting iBooks version. I am hoping that will change for the student that follow me. That will make the textbooks all that much more interactive while exciting the senses. From the demos I saw that would of been something special.

Not only did the iPad contain my textbooks, it also contained two free MBA apps that I found one day. These apps normally run $30 each but was a “special of the day”. They contained sample calculations that I may use and included a study path to reinforce. I don’t have my iPad next to me tonight so I cannot rattle of the app names. Another tool that worked really well was Wolfgram Statistics Course Assistant. This app had some of the formulas I needed to use in some of my classes for $2.99. Not bad.

Utilizing Apple technology throughout my college years (the past really made that much of a difference. When I started college with my Bachelors degree the University only “officially” supported Windows. I did not way to go through hoops (and this was before Intel Macs were on the scene) so I purchased a Dell Inspiron 6000 business class laptop. What a piece of crap! The hardware failed severely and Dell would not cover anything in the first year. I learned my lesson and my next laptop was a Mac. Lesson learned.

The difference was reliable hardware and quick software. Using Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint made my assignments 100% acceptable with no possible for formatting errors. When you are dealing with APA format papers you don’t want a 99% compatibility application saving your work. You need 100% and Microsoft did a great job making sure their Office products for Windows and Macintosh were 100%. If I needed to move a Word document to my iPad I used Dataviz’s Documents to Go Premium. I recommend this app to anyone that needs to work on a paper, presentation, or spreadsheet on the go. Just send the file back to my Mac for the final formatting and time was saved.

Ultrabooks are Intel’s MacBook Air clone line up that many of the Windows PC manufacturers are now making 2012. My advice is go with the original Ultrabook – the MacBook Air for your education laptop!

Tags: iPadLife201204

All Mac users that have been using the platform since the 1980′s are too aware of the malware available for older Macs. Since Mac OS X’s release way back around 2000 malware has been a memory. The current Java VM that Mac OS X uses has a flaw that Apple patched last week.

Apple is going in the right direction with Gatekeeper in Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion with their sandbox feature. Until then, we can protect ourselves by either applying the Java security update patch or disabling Java in Safari.

If you have an older copy of Mac OS X (10.5 Leopard and older). My advice is to just disable Java for now in Safari to protect your Mac from any Java based Trojan Malware.

To disable Java in Safari:
- Select the Safari menu
- Select Preferences (or press Command + , )
- Click the Security tool bar button
- Under Web Content, uncheck “Enable Java”
- Close any open windows and restart Safari.

To disable Java in Firefox or Chrome you will need to disable Java from Plugins in the Add-ons area or settings.

Make sure you download the Java update that is available as of April 6, 2012. The download will be available for Mac OS X Lion and Snow Leopard editions through Software Update. Named: Java for OS X Lion 2012-002 and Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 7 (Snow Leopard).

This patch is essential to protect your Mac from the Flashback Trojan that started to make headlines last week.

Source: support.apple.com/kb/HT5228

Today was the first day I saw that Apple’s stock price overtook Google’s stock price. Congratulations Apple!

Just the state of computing as we know it where Apple’s superior tech products are becoming everyone’s favorite tech products.

I have been very busy as have not been able to post as much as I would like to. My MBA classes are challenging and making me spend most of my available time. Once I am finished (soon) I shall

What I did not want to do is re-mention Apple news you could ready everywhere else. I arrived home today and casually checked the stocks. BAM! There it was. History at work.

“Hey, I have a great idea. How about I bring my mobile computer lab and do some activities with the children? I’ve got a few good, customizable programs, including some solid educational ones. They’re a little older but they’d be great.”

This quote led to my mobile lab making its first appearance at a local program for children with special needs. There had been many activities set up in the past, from video games to gym games, but no computers. Given my experiences in the classroom, I had a feeling computers would be a big hit with these children.

Nobody knew exactly what type of computers I would be using with these children. They did, however, have a feeling they would be Apple-branded, as the man who suggested them is an iPad-toting, MacBook-wielding Apple devotee.

I pulled up for my first session with the children. I had arrived early to set up. After releasing my trunk latch, everyone saw the computers make their way into the building. They were about the last thing anyone had expected.

Three of them were little beige boxes. A tiny monitor and a floppy drive were integrated into their design. The fourth was a laptop.

“Wow, how do you keep those running?” one adult volunteer asked.

“I haven’t seen one of those since high school!” another gasped in astonishment.

There they were–two SEs, a Classic, and a “Mainstreet” PowerBook G3. For many of the volunteers, the machines were older than they were (the oldest SE of my lot was manufactured in June 1988). After they were set up, the room looked like something straight out of the 1990s. I sat down in one of the chairs after firing the Macs up, knowing there would be two possible outcomes.

If things worked as planned, a new generation of compact Mac fanatics would be born that evening. Of course, there was, at least theoretically, a 50% probability the compact Mac experiment would be a huge bust.

Once the children began to arrive, they were hooked. I had thought perhaps a few machines would be used. I had no idea four computers would not be nearly enough.

The most popular program, by far, was MacPaint. Kid Pix, Math Blaster, PhraseCraze, TurboMath, Number Munchers, and Kid Works 2 also made appearances.

For me, the most magical moment of the experience was watching the children interact with the computers. Everything came naturally, something which cannot be said about many modern machines. As the lab supervisor, I had expected to be giving constant direction to the children. However, I was about as tight-lipped as President Coolidge that evening, barely instructing them at all unless a question came up.

The time flew by far too quickly. The children left on a happy note, although it was tough to get some of them away from the computers.

“It went great,” I told myself, “but how can I improve?”

The next session will feature more Macs. There will be another color-capable computer, an LCIII+, as well as a few more compacts (two more Classics and one SE; one of those Classics was just purchased on eBay and is in transit as I write this).

Program variety will also be increased. Reader Rabbit will almost certainly make an appearance, as will Mac Concentration. I’m debating about some other simple public domain games, too. Thankfully, I have a few weeks to make up my mind.

For me, this finally answers that age-old question, asked by so many of my friends and family members over the years.

“Why do you have so many old Macs?”

Honestly, I had no idea myself. I’d used some in classrooms and tutoring sessions before but never had a call for a full lab setting. All these years later, it seems collecting discarded Macs from friends, co-workers, and teachers paid off big time. It was just a question of waiting for the right time, the right place, and a great situation to use them in.

Here’s to the future. We’ll be building it, one ADB mouse click at a time, for these youngsters, unlocking their potential in ways never before possible!

Tags: education | mac classic | mac se | sbaret

Today is the media event for Apple’s newest iPad introduction. The media event will started at 12:00pm CT / 10:00am PT.

The rumor mill has been buzzing about that the newest iPad will bring. As I have been living the iPad Life since 2010 when the original iPad came out, i know how important iPad is for business and home use .

Apple TV
The new Apple TV 1080p version for $99 was announced. Available on March 16th. iCloud will show your PhotosStream in 1080p. Download videos and movies in 1080p fro iTunes.

The new iPad
The iPad has been strong with email and photos from the start. 140,000 apps are available just for iPad. What is emerging is exclusive apps that will only be on iPad. I will bet Tapose will be one of them today….

Retina Display – Yes! 2048×1536 pixels. Over 3.1 million pixels on that screen. Most ever on a tablet, phone, or mobile device.

iSight Camera – With auto face detection, auto exposure lock, and auto focus lock. This will help the iPad take much better photos. Plus HD recording of 1080p. 5 megapixel camera.

Apple A5x CPU – the X is for quad-core graphics. Super fast graphics from a tablet? Yes!

Voice Dictation – Just like on the iPhone 4s.

4G LTE – Supports EV-DO with max downlink of 3.1 Mbps and HPSA with a max downlink of 7.2. HPSA+ is supported with a max downlink of 21Mbps. Dual Carrier HSDPA with a max downlink of 42Mbps. LTE with a max downlink of 73Mbps. WOW, Fast!

Personal Hotspot – Just like on the iPhone 4s. Up to 5 devices. This works great on my iPhone 4s, good to see it on the iPad.

Battery life – 10 hour battery yet. 9 hour battery life on 4G!

AVAILABLE ON March 16th! Same price point as iPad 1 and 2, starting out at $499 for wifi only/$629 for 4G and wifi. Cool!

New Software on iPad
Autodesk’s Sketchbook Ink – a drawing app. Available in April 2012.
Skygamblers: Air Supremacy – Fighter jet game. Available in March 2012.
Epic Games – Dungeons (Infinity Blade new chapter). Available Soon…

iWork – Updated Pages, Numbers, and Keynote with 3D charts, animations, builds, and transitions. Look great on the Retina Display. Still $9.99 per app. Available Today!
Grargeband is updated in use iCloud plus 4 iPads can create music together over Bluetooth or Wifi! Still $5 and available today.
iMovie – Create movie trailers. hmmm. Well, still $5 and available today.

iPhoto – Brings the iPhoto app from Macintosh to iPad. Includes featuresl ike smart browsing, multi-touch editing, brushes, photo beaming, photo journals for editing tools. Plus professional quality effects. Nice! Now if it integrates with my current Mac iPhoto library, it will be a hit all of the ballpark for me. I like having one photo library. Works up up to 19 megapixel photos. The auto-enhancing features will make working touch ups on photos a breeze. What I like is white balance features that will make your photos look better. All edits are non-destructive, so you can get back to the original photo.
iPhoto includes a new Journal feature that lets you put photos, maps, calendars, and notes on a page layout. Plus publish these to iCloud and send out a link to your family and friends. iPhoto will be $4.99 and available today.

What I like the best is what Schiller said, “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t create on an iPad.” Very True.

iPad 2 still available but now for $399 with Wifi 16GB and 3G/Wifi for $529. That is good. Why get a Kindle Fire when for $200 more you get a better device with a larger screen. IMHO.

Source: Apple’s iPad Page, Cnet, and MacWorld.

Photo Courtesy Apple Inc.

Tags: ipadlife201201

By trade, I’m an educator. I work as both a classroom teacher and private tutor. While I tutor all core subjects and offer instruction in other areas (such as music, chess, and computers), I find I tutor more students in mathematics than any other subject. When the lesson at hand involves multiples, factors, or primes, I never hesitate to pull out an old PowerBook G3 to give the students a little bit of practice with a very old program. Folks in their twenties have fond memories of this one–a simple game called Number Munchers.

Number Munchers was developed by MECC and originally came out on the Apple II. Its success led to ports for the Macintosh and MS-DOS. It succeeded in allowing students to practice concepts not typically covered in other math games, which usually revolved around the four basic operations of mathematics (and often the basic facts themselves). Some got creative, adding word problems, statistics, or logic games, but few hit these important concepts like Number Munchers did.

Factors and multiples are easily confused for some students. In fact, the very concept of finding factors is tricky for some students. Part of me wants to blame the lack of time spent on this in a classroom setting. Often, when enough students appear to understand the concept at hand, the teacher will move on to something else, leaving those who are struggling in the dust. While this is a problem in any subject, it is especially difficult when dealing with mathematics, which builds on itself like a sedimentary rock. Factors, for example, may seem like an innocent little mind game in fifth grade, but once a student moves on to pre-algebra and subsequent classes, factors become increasingly important, with knowledge from prior courses required to successfully solve higher level problems.

There exist many problems in giving extra practice to students. For one, there are only so many exercises in textbooks and supplemental materials. The obvious solution to this is to create additional resources from within, which is completely possible for any dedicated teacher, although worksheets have their disadvantages. Unless the student is working with a tutor or teacher, there is no way to immediately check the problems. If the first exercise is done incorrectly, subsequent exercises may be done the same way. Students who don’t understand the material may become frustrated and simply shut down, especially if the worksheet is long. Furthermore, a worksheet doesn’t allow for the trial and error experience unless it’s being directly administered–and even then, it loses the “let me figure out the rule myself” method, which often accounts for mastery of a concept depending on the student.

For a teacher who likes to integrate technology, the obvious answer is to look for a good program to practice these concepts. Unfortunately, many current programs fall victim to Sturgeon’s Law, which states, in the end, “90% of everything is crap” (Aker 30). Sometimes, it’s worth it to think outside the box. What worked in the past? Why can’t this be brought back? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the solution? What potential pluses exist from using something a little different?

Enter the Number Munchers Revival Movement, currently limited to one guy who tutors children in the Pittsburgh area. Granted, this program is over two decades old now, but it still does exactly what I need it to do–offer practice in the areas of multiples, factors, and primes. It can be customized for different students, allowing for a high degree of differentiation (advanced differentiation options are something most flash-based online games lack). The program is fun enough for all students, simple enough to pick up quickly, and not too difficult in terms of gameplay (which is a must for children who don’t play or lack skill in video games; sadly, too many modern edutainment titles place an emphasis on gameplay, frustrating the non-gamers and interfering with the educational benefits of using the program). The program may not track progress as much as I’d like it to, but if I’m using it with an individual student or a small group I can do this myself without any problems. Having played the game myself as a student is also a huge benefit for me as an instructor.

The biggest drawbacks with the program are the lack of available copies and the hardware requirements. The program requires a 1MB Macintosh Plus running System 6 or higher, but won’t work on any computer without Classic compatibility. In other words, any Mac made in the past five years is incapable of running Number Munchers. It’s still possible to pick up new old-stock CDs of Number Munchers on Amazon, but there is a finite supply and no site licensing options are available (MECC was purchased years ago; its assets have traded hands many times since and the program has been discontinued for well over a decade now).

Still, there are some unintended positive consequences of having to use older machines. For one, it may give that old iMac G3 a new lease on life, taking it out of the “to be chucked in the dumpster” bin. It also allows students to explore older technology, providing a bit of a history lesson in the process. The current generation of elementary and middle school students are too young to remember Mac OS 9 as a current OS and few have probably seen an even older machine, such as a compact Mac, in person. I’ve used older PowerBooks with some of my students, who found the trackball a novelty and had no idea what the slot on the side of the machine (the floppy drive) was used for. It’s possible to find these older computers for a reasonable price in most areas.

The fun part is using the program with the students. The program can be used equally well by a student on their own, a student working with a partner, or a student working alongside an instructor. I typically use a combination of techniques, allowing students to work on their own once they have attained greater mastery of the subject while working with them as they are developing it.

Gameplay is extremely simple. The program will generate a number from a user-specified range when deciding what the target rule to munch should be. For example, a student may have to munch only multiples of three, factors of the number seven, or prime numbers. (There is also a mode to munch equations which match a certain rule, such as “less than six”). The student plays as a muncher, a green creature which can eat the numbers. Correct answers will sit well with the muncher (and earn points for the student) while incorrect ones will kill it. Depending on the problem type, an incorrect answer may be explained. (This is the perfect opportunity for an instructor to converse with a student–why was the answer wrong?) Once all numbers matching this rule have been munched off the board, a new round will begin with a new rule.

The game element stems from little monsters called troggles, which will appear every so often. Each of the five troggles has a different behavior. Most have some effect on the numbers on the board; they may change the numbers, remove numbers, or add numbers, which makes the game far more interesting. Of course, if one happens to find a muncher, that muncher becomes a tasty snack for the troggle.

Every student I’ve used Number Munchers with has greatly enjoyed it and has benefited from it. I tend to adjust the differentiation settings on the program quite frequently to meet the current needs of each student and will observe most games they play to evaluate both the student and the effectiveness of the program in a particular area. (Yes, even a known commodity like Number Munchers needs constant evaluation for optimal success with students, as all students learn differently and some respond to the game better than others). I especially like to use the “challenge” mode, which allows for both multiples and factors to appear in the same game as individual rounds. Best of all, it offers unlimited practice in a fun context for areas not typically covered by computer drill applications.

Sadly, MECC replaced this program with Math Munchers Deluxe in 1995. The new version does expand the content covered in the program but adds undesirable elements, such as an abundance of unnecessary animation, a more cluttered interface, too much emphasis on gameplay, and an interface most found juvenile. The older program is far superior.

In short, Number Munchers is a program which still has a purpose in today’s classrooms. Finding the equipment and software can be difficult, but when it comes to offering a unique way to review multiples, factors, and primes, few modern equivalents come close. It’s also a good excuse to dust off any old Macs which may happen to be lurking in your classroom closet, attic, basement, or on the shelves of thrift shops in your neighborhood while helping your students in unique ways.

Work Cited

Aker, Sharon Zardetto, et al. The Macintosh Bible, Third Edition. Ed. Arthur Naiman. Berkeley, CA: Goldstein & Blair, 1991.

Tags: classic | education | factors | mathematics | mecc | multiples | number munchers | os 9 | primes | sbaret | System 6 | teaching

I was minding my own business writing a paper for my latest graduate class when al of a sudden I saw a video on the new Star Wars The Old Republic game. WOW! What? It only plays on a Windows PC?

I did not fear as I know that the native Windows support on my Mac Pro is AWESOME! I just rebooted into Windows XP (SP3) and loaded the game up. I was playing in no time. Ah the beauty of the Intel Macintosh platform…

It is times like this when I am really glad that Apple decided to finally submit to the Intel-side and gave up on the Power PC chip. The Power PC chip was not bad at any means, it got the job done. However, moving to Intel CPU chips did give the Mac an edge. This edge is being able to purchase one personal computer instead of two, like I had been doing. A Macintosh PC for all of my daily work and a Windows PC just for gaming. This was really expensive so being able to funnel all of that into one PC really makes sense.

I can boot into Windows natively and get the full speed and visuals when I need to them. Plus be safe and secure for my other Internet activities when booted to the Mac. I know that the Mac could have trouble for malware written specific for the Macintosh platform. I feel with Mountain Lion Apple is addressing this the correct way, with letting the user choose what type of apps to run (App store only through any app from anywhere).

So, thank you Apple for Bootcamp which set Windows on a separate hard drive (or partition if you only have 1 drive) so I can play Windows only games, as I do feel this is the only ready I need Windows for. Well, besides running MS Project.

Today Apple Inc. announced that the next Macintosh operation system will be available late Summer 2012. The official name is “OS X Mountain Lion”. No more Mac OS X, Apple is shifting away from calling the OS is just for Mac. With the ultra iPad-like functionality I can see where Apple is going on this one.

Messages

Messages is just like taking iChat and iMessage and squish them into one. The iMessage portion is like iMessage on your iPhone or iPad running iOS 5.x. Free messaging for anyone who is running an iOS 5.x device or any Mac running Mountain Lion. That best feature that is awesome is you can pick up any current messaging from one device to another device. So say you are working and your wife asks you to leave as you forgot the time on Valentines Day. You just stop using your Mac and start using your iPhone 4s and the conversation is still going while you are strolling out to the car. Awesome!

Reminders

I use Reminders all the time on my original iPad and iPhone 4s. Sure I can open iCal and see my reminders. Here is the same look and feel on iOS and your Mac. This is a win as everyone knows that the look and feel of an application can help boost productivity if it is the same over multiple platforms.

Notes

I use Notes on my original iPad and iPhone 4s as the built-in searching makes this my favorite note taking app. iCloud syncs the notes to my iPad, iPhone, and Mail on the Mac. Mail? I never understood why Notes was incorporated with the Mail app on the Mac side. Apple answered my pleas and decided to make a separate app! I like the structure better instead of trying to look for notes inside on a separate area in Mail. Pin my notes on my desktop, that will be useful.

Notification Center

I love this feature on my iPhone 4s. I know I will love having my MacBook Pro letting me know that I have a new email (with a quick blurb of what it is about). The best thing is the native OS integration. No forgetting to open an app just to see what is going on. The “desktop swipe” on the trackpad is a great way to hide them or see all of the current notifications.

Share Sheets

Each application will be able to have a Share button where you can add a bookmark, add to a reading list, email, iMessage, or even Twitter. Convenient!

Game Center

The best feature is being able to play a game on your Mac head to head on someone on an iOS device!

Airplay Mirroring

I use this all the time on my iPhone 4S. Being able to just share your screen to an Apple TV connected to your 1080p TV is great! Now when I need to play a game from my couch I don’t have to look t the screen on my Mac. I can use a bluetooth mouse and keyboard on a lap tray. Cool! One of the longest games I have been playing is for Windows called Ultima Online. Being able to have that running in Parallels up on my 1080P 46″ TV will be epic!

Gatekeeper

I give Apple credit for introducing this feature. We all know that Macs can run malware if they were compiled for the Mac OS and distributed. Why run a separate resource consuming Antivirus app when you can tell your Mac to just don’t run any apps you don’t want to. All you need is to identify the developers that you want to run their apps. Think whitelist. All apps from the Mac App Store are included.This is the best in piece of mind approach to me.

If a rogue app gets installed by accident (like a trojan horse who said it was one thing and it is not) it won’t even run. You download a rogue app of Adobe Reader. You identified Adobe as a “identified developer”. You run the “fake Adobe Reader” app and it won’t run and it won’t run your day. Simple and elegent.

iCloud

Everything is integrated with iCloud so data moves from your Mac to your iPad to your iPhone instantly, or back. This is definitely magic!

Conclusion

I really cannot wait. I urge you to do to http://www.apple.com/macosx/mountain-lion/ and watch the video. You can even download Messages (beta) now and use it on Mac OS X Lion.

Once I am able to actually use OS X Mountain Lion I will see if how I perceive how the OS works is correct. I guess using Macs since the mid 1980′s has given me some insight on how Apple’s user interface guidelines work.

Source: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/02/16Apple-Releases-OS-X-Mountain-Lion-Developer-Preview-with-Over-100-New-Features.html

Tags: ipadlife201201