Within minutes I had the package unpacked and the OS loading on my iMac G5. I had read online that I should opt for doing the save and install option, but I decided to simply go with the upgrade. The save and install actually puts your Pather OS in a folder that you can revert back to if something goes wrong. The upgrade is supposedly a little riskier, although, I haven't heard of anyone having major problems with it.
After about 30 minutes Tiger was up and running! The first thing that actually annoyed me was that in my fast user switch drop down I don't have the option of my administrator account anymore. When I went to my login screen, I couldn't see it there either. However, I knew that the Apple community is fast to address any minor problems, so I went to the Discussion forums at Apple.com. It just took a few minutes until I found a thread that described how to enable root. Now when I go to the login screen it is very easy to access the Administrator account. It's listed as other and you have to know the name of the account. This is simply another security feature that is above and beyond what Windows does.
The two features that everyone is talking about are the two I'm really enjoying. Spotlight is a lot of fun and works a little better than Google's desktop. I also enjoy that I don't have to worry about an application running. It's smooth, it's stylish, and it's all integrated in my OS. Another good feature of it is that you can add other search options into it from 3rd parties. This is wonderful.
The other feature that is great is the F12 button enabled widgets. You simply hit the widgets button or press F12 to see these little applications that reside in the background. Right now I'm using a Dictionary/Thesaurus, the weather from Accuweather, a calculator, itunes, delicious library (a wonderful application that allows you to have a virtual bookcase of all your books), Yahoo! Travel which shows me where traffic jams are in real time, and a mini calendar. There are more widgets being released on a daily basis. You don't have to have all of them active if you only use them occassionally. It's easy enough to activate them later if you want to use it temporarily.
Overall I'm extremely happy with Tiger. I've been a Windows user since Windows 3.1. Before that I had an command prompt Sanyo that was great. The only time I ever used Macs were in elementary school. Suffice it to say that I'm not a Mac person. At least I wasn't until I started to really like their style and their operating systems. I think they are above and beyond Windows in nearly every way at this point. The switch came for me when I tried to use my iTunes Shuffle on my Windows laptop. Like Raffi Melkonian, I had it crash a few times while trying to load it:
I think the Ipod shuffle is a wonderful device. Now, I don't normally listen to the kind of music Ipods are good at unless I'm at the gym, or running outside, so I don't need or want the storage capabilities of the higher end models. But for $99, the thing is amazing - it doesn't skip, sound quality is just fine, it's incredibly light, and I can tuck it in almost any pocket without worrying about it feeling funny as I run. As for the battery life, it's almost outlandish. I've used the Shuffle on the same charge for four workouts in a row without any problem at all. In fact, my only objection is that my computer often crashes when I'm trying to load music.
All that Mr. Melkonian says about the Shuffle is true. I run about 4 times a week and only need to charge the Shuffle once a week (if that). It's light and easy to control when you're on a run. Plus, I like all of my music (unless it's over 5 minutes or shorter than a minutes -- which I excluded from being downloaded onto the Shuffle with smart playlists in iTunes), so I don't have any problem with it being a Shuffle function. I actually prefer it because it surprises me when the next song comes on.
Anyhow, if you don't have Tiger you should get it if you already own a Mac. If you don't own a Mac now, you wouldn't regret checking one out the next time you are shopping for a computer.
