The Eye of the Tiger

OK, Apple. I’ll bite. I’ve been a pious Mac user since April of 2002 and I’ve been a happy Mac Girl since my mac.com/switch. I even wrote to your website praising my new computer and proceeded to make fun of PCs and Windows and all of that Bill Gates stuff.

I still love you, Mac, and I can’t believe I am about to write something (gulp) negative in my blog since I pride myself with the fact that everything I own is essentially Apple.

A few weeks ago, my brother, Pete and I were discussing the launch of OSX Tiger – the new operating system for Mac. He walked in the door and I said “Hey Pete! Did you hear about Tiger? A new OS already?” because in all honesty, I was feeling rather surprised that Mac is introducing a new OS. Besides, we had just settled in with our beloved Panther. But let’s get real - Tiger? Did you not just release Panther, Apple? (Or did I just take a really long time upgrading to Panther?) Regardless, you’re rolling out operating systems quicker than butter dripping off a hot biscuit.

Pete, for the first time ever in Mac history, rolled his eyes in dismay, threw his bag down on the floor and said “I am drawing the line. I’ve been up on the operating systems now ever since they launched Jaguar. I’m not paying a few hundred bucks for a few tools that I don’t need!”

And thus began our disappointment.

So to agree with my brother, what amazes me about Mac’s ability to produce operating system after operating system is the “new and exciting features.” I have concluded that these “new and exciting features” are the equivalent from the previous OS X Big Cat Fetish, except the names have been changed.

For instance, Tiger’s new “second nature searching” tool, Spotlight, is your old favorite Sherlock with a new name. (By the way, a competitor released Watson as a response to Sherlock which was available for download – not to be confused with Sherlock. Elementary, my dear Watson.) They should have at least adhered to the famous detective theme and gone with “Professor Moriarty” as the new search tool. Spotlight seems so, well, American Idol. But I digress…

iChat AV is still available as it was in Panther. Dashboard is a reinvention of Exposé, a desktop windowing system that allows you to keep multiple applications opened sans fear of terrible crashes. (On a positive note, I’ve never had my Mac crash – ever. Just for the record.) The only “new and exciting feature” that makes Tiger slightly larger than its feline siblings is the Automator, a personal automated assistant that allows you to streamline tasks without ever having to learn an ounce of programming. Well, joy! I think?

Tiger also “improved” Safari and invented Safari RSS so you can scan news from various sites all in one, simple-to-read article. However, to keep it real and for argument's sake, I’d like to say that I’d much prefer it if Apple perfects the Safari I have so I can at least set up e-pay for my new Scion xA. The latest Safari doesn’t seem too compatible with other websites.

Generally speaking, this infuriates me because I’m supposed to be a soldier for Apple, a happy “look at me I use a Mac” person, or at least back up the fact that I was excited to make that infamous mac.com/switch.

With these little blasted bugs, I become angst ridden and hurt and ready to berate Steve Jobs.

However, I still love you for the iPod, Apple. For that I am always your girl.

But let’s stop with the operating systems before someone develops unnecessary gatophobia.