Apple-fy
I’ve decided that I’m going to apple-fy my entire house in the (near) future. All Apple products in the house. And of course, they’re all going to be Apple White too! 
First, an Apple-fied house isn’t an Apple-fied house with at least one iMac. Beautifully sculptured and bleached white to perfection.
Perhaps if I had enough money, I could even throw in the Mighty Mouse and wireless keyboard, wireless and cooler than any other accessory in the market.
Of course, an iMac isn’t complete without wireless internet! And the solution to this is the Airport Extreme.
Featuring the latest in wireless networking technology, the 802.11n. Speeds up to 5X faster and 2X the range of a normal 802.11g network. Connects up to 50 users at once (excellent if I have 20 kids in the house!). The good thing Airport Extreme offers is wireless printer and file sharing. There can be up to 50 computers in the house sharing one printer wirelessly in a central location! How good is that. Plus it’s pretty…
Next is that Airport Express. Works the same as it’s big brother, the Airport Extreme just that it’s much smaller than it’s bigger siblings. In fact it’s so small, it can fit into your palm easily and weighs less than 500g!
It’s used to extend the Airport Extreme’s range if there’s a computer out of the range of the Airport Extreme. It can also do printer sharing too. But the best thing the Airport Express offers is AirTunes! Listen to music from iTunes from your Mac anywhere in the house. Just plug the stereo’s input cable into the port and listen away to your favourite tunes from your Mac anywhere in the house whether it’s the kitchen or the living room or the garage or even outside, heck even the toilet if you do have a stereo in the toilet!
Oh, the joy doesn’t end here. There’s still the Apple TV! Watch movie on your computer on your Widescreen HDTV (doesn’t have to be widescreen or HD though) anywhere in the house. Just plug it in, it’ll join the Airport Extreme’s wireless network and Apple TV will automatically stream all Music, Movies, TV shows, Photos and Podcasts from the computer wirelessly.
Plus it comes with a super cute tiny remote similiar to those used with iMacs and Macbooks.
If I do every manage to Apple-fy my house, it’s a dream come true. I’ve always fancied Apple products just that the wonderfully beautiful and shocking price tag keeps hindering me from getting one.
I think I’m starting to sound like an advertisement here. I better stop.
Apple-fy away! *crosses fingers*
But Apple is mostly for people who’d choose design over substance. Why in the world would I want to have my house full of that? There are much more worthwhile things than something as grossly inflexible (systemwise) and proprietary as Apple.
Guang: It’s true but I have to admit, I’m using a Windows PC now and I have to spend so much time and money just to keep it free from pathogens (viruses, adware, spyware, the list is endless). Plus Apple almost has nil. of those pathogens to invade.
Besides, I don’t need such a substance-full computer. I’m not going to need it to design buildings or build bridges or anything like that. Therefore, for me I choose design over substance and I don’t care whether it’s grossly inflexible because I don’t need such flexibility.
P.S. I’m going to Apple-fy my house IF I have excess money to spend on. It isn’t a MUST for me to do that though.
Edrei
28 January 2007 at 10:46 am
Cool~! Apple TV can be void, not so much useful in Malaysia too, think of Streamyx think of lag, so forget it…
Guang: Apple TV doesn’t need internet. All it needs is just the file from your computer to work. As long you “legally” downloaded a movie from the internet or ripped it off a DVD then it’ll be streamed to Apple TV automatically. No internet required.
Drew
28 January 2007 at 10:49 am
I wish you all the best in Apple-fy your hope. I myself a long time Apple fan had devoted my soul to Apple. Welcome to the cult!
Don’t take any note from Apple haters who says “Apple is mostly for people who’d choose design over substance”. Apple are for people who choose substance with design.
Guang: Haha, yay! Finally someone that actually agrees and supports what I want to do! Thx a bunch!
Jibone
28 January 2007 at 11:23 am
you might be interested in this.
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/pcs/the-house-that-apple-built-231783.php
Guang: I am an Apple fan, but I’m NOT a hardcore Apple fan. I will certainly not do that to my house. But well, the photos were very interesting indeed. Thx!
FoRtmiNoR
28 January 2007 at 12:39 pm
Well the irony is this. If more people start using Apple…then black hats would migrate to designing Mac viruses and hack. It’s not uncommon. The difference is, it’s easier to protect PC’s from viruses because it’s quite well maintained (assuming you do maintain your system on a regular basis).
It’s a catch-22 it is.
Guang: The un-irony of this is that there aren’t that many people migrating to Apple.
And I’m sure it isn’t going to happen in my lifetime unless suddenly one day someone comes out with the “ultimate virus” which Microsoft can’t solve which in turn causes Microsoft to go bankrupt will then only people will start to migrate to Apple.
Plus Apple have their own firewalls and anti viruses. I think it’s adequate for me.
Edrei
28 January 2007 at 1:55 pm
When I read: “The difference is, it’s easier to protect PC’s from viruses because it’s quite well maintained”
I thought to myself: Wow. This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how computer code operates.
…but then I got to:
“someone comes out with the ultimate virus which Microsoft can’t solve”
Now THAT shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how code works!
Tee Hee. “Ultimate virus”. Yes, my script says to enter through port 8815, and it can do it 8815er than your script can.
It’s just instructions. They stop when they get to an instruction it can’t follow. If port 8815 is closed, then there is nothing it can do but stop or go to the next instruction.
A “virus” is just a slur. Cut it and it will not bleed any more than any other text. REAL hackers (not those script kiddie street thugs who use hacker knowledge to pick your pocket online) wrote the first port/packet sniffers and self-replicating code to make a point: You missed a spot.
Sometimes that spot was a port. Sometimes it was a file. A port is a door and keys are kept in files.
Unfortunately, if you tell everyone you know that your friend Thomas never closes his door and leaves his keys in his car – eventually Thomas is going to get robbed blind.
Whose fault is it? This is the hacker dilemma. To make it worse, the “crackers” who crack into your system got called “hackers” by the press so much that the name (which means “writer” but is often thought of as “crap writer”) stuck – and he coders stopped sharing knowledge – except in Linux land, but the bickering there isn’t any better than in the Unix world they said they were replacing with their clone.
And the insulated windows users, never hearing “non-approved by big brother” sources, and who only talk among themselves gather to espouse opinions based on their limited personal experience, completely forgetting that life existed before the start button came out 12 years ago.
Those who don’t study their history are doomed to repeat it, and those who forget that “official history” is written by the victors will fare no better.
Microsoft is where IBM was in 1976. Look up Commodore and Atari, Osborne and ADAM, Wang and DEC. Hell, get Apple history from a source that was at Apple in the 70s, and not working for a competitor (or magazine that covered a competitor) at the time. (search words clues: Texaco Towers, Lisa, and pirate flag)
Study 1976-1980. If MS doesn’t, it will make the mistake IBM made in 1980.
2008 is the make or break year for MS – if they somehow manage not to screw it up in ‘07.
In the mean time, use this simple buying guide:
On a piece of paper, write two things.
1. Your occupation. 2. Your number one hobby.
While looking at them, ask yourself what is more important:
A. That you continue to do these things in the WAY you are used to, or
B. That you do them well and with minimal fuss?
Only when choice B is more important to you are you ready for change, no matter what you currently use. Change is scary and if you haven’t grown enough to embrace it, it’s too soon to even consider it. And if you aren’t even considering it you can’t look at it objectively. You are the definition of “biased”. (another word that’s been drug through the mud). There is NOTHING WRONG with choice A, even though some would make you feel bad for it.
If, however you do feel choice B is more important – then you are free to own whatever works best for you, and keep religion out of it.
If you are a (high school student / gamer)… your needs are different than a (grad student / flikr addict), or a (corporate drone / YouTuber), and only a PC will do. The other two, a Mac may make them happier.
Guang: *Lost in the flood of almost-a-thousand-words*
I must tell you, the “ultimate virus” thing is just a dash of sarcasm. Everyone knows it will not take place. But I do appreciate your view though it’s a little wee bit long to elaborate just on the topic of the “ultimate virus”.
Anyway, I still think my choice will be B. I’ve been through many changes, it won’t be the first time I’m using a Mac anyway.
P.S. You make it sound like I got myself into a big mess here and getting lectured for it. LOL
Tedious
28 January 2007 at 7:50 pm
I’m an expert user-bot, have been using computers since 1982. I’ve been using Macs exclusively since 2001 and really haven’t had any sacrifices. My Macs work very well, I have tons of excellent software. I can’t think of a category of software I use that I’d be better served on Windows (except games). For games, I’m enjoying my XBox 360.
To Edrei, I’m amazed that you can call a Unix-based OS proprietary! Surely MS Windows is more proprietary than Unix-family operating systems if you can apply that term to either anymore. The word proprietary used to be used to indicate a platform that suffered because it couldn’t run existing software. Applying that to the Mac with its large software library is almost laughable. That’s not even considering the open-source software that will run on OS X.
And Inflexible? The flexibility of Unix’ sophisticated command-line apps and piping system are * legendary *. Higher up, the combination of Automator and Applescript offer the ultimate in flexibility.
Your human logic mystifies me. No offense
Bot
Guang: Very interesting info. Thx!
ex2bot
29 January 2007 at 3:30 am
Edrei.. long time no see.. I dont think you remember me though.. I hope I’m talking to the right Edrei.. hehe
Adrian
29 January 2007 at 3:50 pm
Sounds great. i have a Mac mini at home which acts as my print/scanner/fax/file server, and is connected to my house-wide wireless network (all using Airport Expresses). Also connected to the network is my MacBook Pro, MacBook, and my roommate’s PowerBook 12″. i have an AppleTV, a 23″ cinema display for my MacBook Pro, and a projector setup connected to the AppleTV and my PlayStation 3 and Wii. i have to say, i love the set up.
i used to be a Windoze admin back in the late 90’s, while i was also a Mac admin… now i’m only a Mac admin, and i’ll never go back. Supporting Windoze is a total nightmare. Supporting the Mac is a dream. And i don’t know what some of these people are saying about the Mac not having substance… it’s got a full layer of BSD for pete’s sake! Anyone who makes that argument doesn’t know unix. The Mac can be customized incredibly easily and thoroughly, and the argument that there aren’t lots of applications for it is ridiculous. There may be 300 image editing applications for Windoze, but if none of them is as good as Photoshop then i wouldn’t use them anyway. Quantity does not equal quality. There are MANY more reasons why your Mac setup will be easier to support than a similar Windoze setup, but i don’t have time to write a novel.
Good luck, and have fun!!!
cory.
Guang: Thanks a lot for the support! It is my dream too! Just that it hasn’t materialised yet.
cory.
7 February 2007 at 7:01 pm