Tips on Technology By: Bill Michling

Welcome back, are you getting ready for the start of school………

Last week we talked about some of the new Apple offerings at MacWorld.

This week we will expand on that and also talk about what could be in your childrens future.

Remember, this article and all past articles are available online at: (http://www.mespn.com/techarticles ) as well as the online version of the Saipan Tribune, which you can access by clicking the banner on that same page.

** Macworld NY

Macworld New York set records for attendance and the number of vendors presenting.

What was interesting was there were a number of new vendors, at least new to the Mac platform that were showing items that used to be only avaiable on the Windows platform.

In fact the trend seems to be what vendor can provide the latest hardware and software to the Macintosh platform the soonest! Vendors are realizing the Mac market is exploding in all directions and they want a piece of it.

Even Microsoft has promised that most if not all of their games will be available on the Mac. They are even coming out with Office 2001 for the Mac with features only available on the Mac.

When the director of marketing was demonstrating Office 2001 at Macworld he kept repeating, “Only on the Mac” for feature after feature! Lets face it Microsoft knows where the profits are!

And so it went at Macworld New York, vendor after vendor has committed to the Macintosh platform……

That old tired saying, “there is more software for the PC” just doesn’t hold water!
One more thing while I am talking about PCs.
The processor speeds you are hearing about like 1GHZ Pentiums, 1.2GHZ Pentiums sound impressive. Yet the Macintosh is only available in up to 500MHZ for now. How does this compare.

Interesting that you should ask. A demonstration with Photoshop was conducted at Macworld between a Pentium at 1GHZ and a PowerMac at 500MHZ. Do I need to say it, yes the Mac was faster! And now you can get a PowerMac with TWO 500MHZ processors, that would be like a 2.5GHZ Pentium, if you can find one!!

You want speed, the Mac has got the speed you want and need….

** Just in time for school

If you are wondering what to get your child to help prepare for school, wonder no more. The new iMacs are just the thing.

Your child should be started as soon as possible, 2 years old is not too soon. I have personally seen a 2 year stated on a Mac and by the time she was 3 she had her own Mac. And now she has her own website at: ( http://www.mespm.com/christina ) and I am sure there are many, many others.

Lets face it, computers are the future. Why not give your child a headstart. How would you like to see your child able to read before kindergarden? There are so many unfortunate people in the world that cannot read. It is a real shame that with all the technology and freedom we have in the United States of America that we still have people, not just kids either, that cannot read.

The Macintosh is just a tool. Why not provide the tools to our children that will allow them to excel in what ever they want to become.
The children truly are the future and need to be prepared for it. The futre is coming fast, don’t let your child get behind.

Have a good week. Remember school starts soon.
Are you ready?

See you here and on the web next week.
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Bill Michling is a computer professional and welcomes any comments or questions you may have. Just send email to: bill@mespn.com or michling@usa.net.

You may also go to Marianas Electronics and ask help from the friendly staff there, or call them at: 234-5424, Just ask for Annie, Jun or Joseph.

For world access this Wednesday column is also on the Saipan Tribune website at: (http://www.saipantribune.com) or at the mespn.com site at: (http://mespn.com/techArticles/ ), now connected to the internet via broadband T1+………..