The Sad Thing Is...

... that the police are still searching for him. How many dudes covered in tree branches are wandering around the streets of Manchester?

http://wbztv.com/watercooler/local_story_188151230.html

Spying On Myself From Above

Well, this may seem tame in light of the recent flurry of activity surrounding Google's new Street View option in Google Maps, but I have to admit a slight thrill seeing my car immortalized in this shot from space as it sits waiting dutifully for me at the train station.

What?? You think I'm actually going to tell you which one it is? Those who know can pick it out pretty easily...

Dear Santa...

As an adult, when friends and family ask what you'd like for Christmas, I'm sure you give them a list of items along the lines of a DVD, book or CD. Something not too extravagant or expensive, but something you'd like to have nonetheless.

As I helped my 7 year old daughter with her Christmas list, however, I began thinking about how my "wish list" would take shape now ... as a grown-up with different fantasies of what we'd like the big guy in red to place under our tree.

So I sat down to write it out and here is the result, in no particular order:

Canon Digital Rebel XTi - Yes, I know, I have the original Digital Rebel, but this one is faster, lighter and a higher pixel count. Never mind that I had my first FILM SLR for over 20 years and I've only had the DR for three... I want this new one. In black please.

Mac Pro - Time to shove my last Windows desktop computer out the door. Though my primary computer is a MacBook Pro, I need a system to handle the constant influx of digital photos, video and audio files filling up my hard drive. In addition, I'd slap a couple 500GB drives in the empty bays to use for backup storage of my media as well as the occasional Virtual Machine for Linux, Windows and other testing purposes. Serving as my media center, scanning and printing station, the Mac Pro would be the ultimate desktop machine. And I would no longer have to feel bad about firing up my beige Windows computer next to my sleek and sexy MacBook Pro.

iPod Video (80 GB) - I've already blogged about this. Though now I'm leaning more heavily towards waiting for the long rumored -- but as yet unannounced -- widescreen model.

Sizzlers - I played with Sizzlers endlessly as a kid and I loved them. This year Mattel re-released them IN THE SAME PACKAGING as they had back in the 70s. The Juice Machine ("gas pump") even looks the same -- I should know ... I have one in my basement. And checking them out in Target last week, I noticed the illustrations on the box had not even changed. This is an awesome marketing scheme to hook and reel in people like me. And let me tell you ... it works.

2007 Mustang GT in "Grabber Orange" - It's a hot, fast, head snapping car with strong ties back to the original Pony cars of the late 60s and early 70s. Need I say more?

1967 Mustang - as seen at the Volo Auto Museum last weekend - Well, if I can't have the '07....


That's it. Not a big list by any means. Just a little something I'm sure the Elves can whip up during a long weekend ... although now, with Christmas only a few short days away, it may be more difficult for them, seeing as they are busy loading up the sleigh for all the good boys and girls throughout the world.

But as I used to think many years ago while I wrote out my list of childhood Christmas dreams, it never hurts to ask.

Right Santa?

Time to Play Catch Up OR Where the Heck Have I Been?

Sorry for abandoning this blog for a few weeks months. In all honesty, you should expect it to happen again. I'm just that way. Though my Dad has always been big on chronicling the important events in life, I've just never been one to do so myself.

I love to take photos, though I'm not big on video. I podcast, but don't vlog. I'm earned my BA in English, but actually writing? ... not so much.

So when I started this blog, I certainly didn't have big expectations for logging in every day and writing about the ennui and dreck of day to day life. For me, it's a matter of something just clicking that light bulb on in my head and then willing myself to commit the words to screen.

In the mean time, however, I've been keeping busy nonetheless.

Since my last blog entry, I've published another issue of ESC! Magazine, produced 3 new episodes of "ESC! Magazine's Coffee House to Go", started yet another podcast on November 13th entitled, "For Mac Eyes Only" which is a new weekly show for Mac users everywhere ... And I've conducted one more interview for "Across the Mic" (which will debut soon) and lined up my next interview for January by which time at least one more "Coffee House to Go" and three more "For Mac Eyes Only" will have aired.

*whew!*

So I've been busy, and blogging just hasn't entered into my sub-consciousness and for that, I apologize.

But if you've been wanting for content from me, there certainly is no shortage of it, so when the next dry spell hits -- and it will -- please check out some of my other projects and let me know what you think!

What's Missing From iTV

Am I the only one who finds Apple's upcoming "iTV" box a bit underwhelming?

I think it's a great piece of technology for streaming content from your Mac or PC to your TV, but ... that's it then, isn't it?

For $299, however, I have to ask: Where's the recording capability? I want to time-shift the programming content I'm already paying for through my DirectTV subscription and, surprisingly, there are no inputs for pumping your satellite box into the "iTV." So, though it's tentatively called "iTV," I see no evidence of there being any "TV" involved other than the TV content you purchase through the iTunes Store. It's more of an AirPort Express for video.

Ideally, and perhaps this is the end goal we have not yet been made privy to, Apple would meld the "iTV" with a Mac mini and slam a tuner in as well, so that not only do we have the Mac with a big honkin' hard drive recording shows for us (as scheduled by our iCal calendar) and automatically placing them into our iTunes library, but then we'd have the outputs to drive it to our television as well.

Yes, of course this can be done we third party solutions, but we shouldn't have to do that, should we? Apple is known for elegant solutions, so why -- when they are sooooo close -- would Apple put on the brakes and stop short like that?

I guess this shows my age. I take issue with spending 99 cents per music track, $1.99 per episode of a TV show or even $9.99 for a movie when I can get that same content at higher quality, with more features, AND be able to rip that content to my computer or iPod if I so choose, getting the best of both worlds for the same or less money.

Well ... that's it then isn't it? Nothing like spending $1.99 per show and then streaming it to your $299 "iTV" box.

After reading comments on various message boards about the "iTV," I can see that it is a generational thing. People aged 28 - 30 and younger have no issues at all with downloadable content and don't seem to realize what they're giving up in exchange. Then again, I still note the lack of liner notes and extra album cover art that was lost in the transition from LP to CD.

Now ... where did I put my "walker"...?

"A Genuine College Degree - In just fifteen day"

This subject line just cracked me up.

Of course I never open spam -- and neither should you -- so I don't know how well the words in the rest of the e-mail are composed, but I can only imagine it reads something like this:

Yes! You too can get a college degree in only 15 day! And soon you'll be able to form sentences as well as we are too! (sic)

*sigh*

Steve Irwin Dead at 44

I just learned that a mere few hours ago Steve Irwin -- he of Crocodile Hunter fame and proprietor of the Australia Zoo -- was killed in a freak accident while filming a new documentary about stingrays.

It's reported that a ray lashed out with it's tail and pierced Mr. Irwin's left chest, killing him instantly.

For those who understood how much Steve Irwin did for the rehabilitation of animals and their habitat, they know the animal kingdom has lost a great ally today. His life's mission was to speak out for those who couldn't speak for themselves.

Far more important, however, is the tragic loss to his family. Wife Terri Irwin, 8 year old daughter Bindi and 3 year old Bob (Bob Bob). As a father to a 7-year-old, and someone who lost a parent and a young age, I think I understand the sorrow they must feel ... my family's hearts and deepest sympathies go out to his children at this time in their young lives. No one should have to endure the loss of a parent, especially children so young.

Watching Bindi in so many of Mr. Irwin's television specials, I could see that his love for animals (inherited from his own parents) had passed down to his young daughter as well. I hope that as she ages, she'll continue to use her gift in order to preserve his great work and carry on the family tradition for generations to come.

Steve Irwin will be missed.

I Would Like A...*

I had a small blessing of time the past two nights so, instead of doing things I'm supposed to like edit down the new episode of Coffee House to Go's Across the Mic, I, naturally, used this time to catch up on some of the video podcasts I've subscribed to but don't have an easy way to watch -- except by playing them back through the computer.

With this new MacBook Pro, I've got Front Row to watch the videos in -- and that's great -- but it sure would be nice to have an easy way to watch them on the go -- like during my commute where I listen to all the audio podcasts I subscribe to -- without hauling out the laptop.

So I've decided that -- until I get one (which I'm not likely to do using my own money mind you) -- from now on, when someone asks me what I want, I'm going to reply: "A video iPod."

It won't matter what the question is.

"What would you like for Christmas?"

"A video iPod."

"What would you like for your birthday?"

"A video iPod."

"What would you like for dinner tonight?"

"A video iPod."

Well ... you get the idea.

I figure at some point people will get so sick of me responding, "A video iPod" that eventually I'll get one just to shut me the hell up.

Of course there are other ways I might get one. Did you know that Adam Christiansen of the MacCast was gifted a video iPod by one of his listeners?

Yes, that's right!

If you've been a loyal reader of the free PDF edition of ESC! Magazine or you listen to my free podcast, Coffee House to Go and have always felt like you wanted to contribute something to help out ... well, nobody's saying you have to contribute cash. Heck NO! Think of all the extra time I'll have to devote to both of my projects that you enjoy so much if I were able to watch my video podcasts on the go!

So if you are so inclined to help out, please don't be afraid to ask, "What can I contribute to the cause?"

I might just answer, "A video iPod. Uh ... in black. Please."




* If you feel this reads as a "Oh, poor pitiful me, I don't have a video iPod while millions of kids are starving and homeless around the world ..." Well, you'd be right!

In all seriousness though -- and I hope you understand today's post was made in jest ... err, mostly -- if you are inclined to do something to help our efforts here at ESC!Webs, we'd be just as grateful if you let us know how much you enjoy our projects and, instead of sending cash our way, made a donation of any amount to your favorite charity and drop us a postcard to let us know.

We all know there are folks out there who need our help much more than you ... *sigh* okay, fine! ... or I ... need a video iPod. Even if it's in black.

Is This How They Handle Things in California?

Since I'm boycotting the local Subway because ... well, because the guy who runs it is a jerk, I popped up Google Maps to search for other local fast food joints.

Imagine my surprise when THIS came up:

I realize that strays and homeless animals can be a problem, but is this really the solution?

After all, I'm hungry, but not THAT hungry!

A Win for Bloggers Journalists

Finally some sanity in our courts:

"We can think of no workable test or principle that would distinguish 'legitimate' from 'illegitimate' news. Any attempt by courts to draw such a distinction would imperil a fundamental purpose of the First Amendment, which is to identify the best, most important, and most valuable ideas not by any sociological or economic formula, rule of law, or process of government, but through the rough and tumble competition of the memetic marketplace."

http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2006_05.php#004698

Why They're Not Called "Catpads"

Our cat, Alexi, has always been really interested in the computer -- even as a kitten. Well, if not the computer itself, then the act of interfering with our USE of the computer.

Most of the time he'll perch up on the back of my chair as I work or keep my lap warm in winter, but once in a while he just HAS to get on the desk and wend his way around my mouse and keyboard and, ultimately, block my view of the screen.

Today I'd had enough and said, "Look cat, if you want to work on the computer, let's work on the computer" and I took his paw to my laptop's trackpad and tried to make the mouse cursor move on screen. To my amazement it didn't work.

Without getting too technical, a trackpad works -- not by pressure or heat -- but by "electrical capacitance." Essentially there's a grid of wires that pass a charge through your finger so that when your finger passes over them, it can measure where on the grid your finger is located and transfer that information to the computer. That's the gist anyway.

But Alexi's paw didn't allow for this to happen!

Now, because the trackpad relies on this current to be able to pass through your finger, it won't work if you have gloves on or try to use a pen cap on it. Since Alexi has long hair on his paws, I carefully pushed it aside and made sure his paw pads (toes) touched the pad directly. Still nothing.

By now he was getting quite annoyed with me so I let him down, but my question remains: Why can't a cat use a laptop's trackpad?!?

Of course YOUR question still remains as well: "Just how on earth did I manage to get a cat to even attempt to use a trackpad?"

Well, let's just say I'm glad no one was video taping it.

Now ... where's the Bactine?

Dumb Things Corporations Tell Us #3

Today I set out to replace a new clothes washer because our previous one gave up the ghost and, as all things are in this throwaway society, it will cost more than a brand new one to get it fixed. Silly me for not paying the "protection" money ... uh, er, buying the extended "warranty."

Anyway, I went to Sears and found a great deal on one of their many Kenmore (see Whirlpool) models. Upon check out, there was a slight glitch in the process in that the register told the clerk to call a number, verify it was me making the purchase and then get an approval code.

Okay. I've worked retail and I know the drill. This is a major purchase so the credit card company is probably just verifying it's me.

And that, indeed, appeared to be the case because the purchase went through at that point without further complication.

Until I went to PetSmart and my card was flat out denied. After paying with another card, I went out to the car and immediately called Chase to find out what the deal was.

It turns out that because I bought gas the same day I purchased the clothes washer, their "security" system was triggered and flagged the card as potentially stolen. So they froze it.

Here's where it gets dumb.

The "Chase representative" on the other end of the conversation with a customer who was obviously upset told me the following:

1) The fact that I bought gas before buying the washer is what triggered the alert.

Right. I can verify that it's entirely possible to use the card to drive all the way to Minneasota, blow a gob of cash at the Mall of America and then drive home without ONE security alerty being triggered. (Because we all know the first place a thief would NEVER go is the Mall of America!) BUT if I buy gas for MY car at the same gas station I ALWAYS go to and then buy a washing machine and have it delivered to MY home ... well, that's the FIRST thing a card thief would do. Of COURSE!

2) The purchase at Sears did not match my normal purchasing patterns.

Well DUH! It's a washing machine! WHO buys washers as part of their normal pattern?

3) I didn't TELL them I was going to make a purchase of this size.

I'm sorry, but where in my customer agreement does it say that I need to ask permission before using my credit card? Okay, I'll put it in writing here for them. Please Chase Bank? May I pleeeeeeease buy a new washing machine to replace my old one? I PROMISE I'll pay you back ... I'll use my allowance! Really!

So there you have it. I should point out that it's not just Chase who does this. I had the exact same "gas station" trigger pulled on my CitiBank card a number of years back.

Hmm. I wonder if CitiBank noticed I stopped using their card then? Probabaly not.

Well you know my ol' saying. Screw me once ... well, just screw me once and I never use your service again.

Happy Birthday Apple!

Today, April 1st, marks Apple Computer's 30th birthday.

It seems strange, doesn't it, to celebrate a computer manufacturer's BIRTHDAY. Most, I expect, would note an anniversary of incorporation or some such dealy, but not with Apple. No, it's a birthday.

I have to admit I'm not as big a zealot as many of Apple's "enthusiasts," but Apple has played quite a role in my love of computers and, ultimately, my career choices. Let me explain:

If you were to ask me outright, I'd say that I'm a "Sinclair" guy. The first personal computer I ever owned was a Sinclair ZX80 purchased from my friend Ray F. The transaction took place in the school cafeteria in high school. I believe I paid around $70 for it. Shortly after that, I moved to the American version of the Sinclair ZX81, the Timex/Sinclair 1000, which I purchased from Osco using money earned from bottle returns. It was a $100 computer and I think I earned 80 cents per 8 pack of bottles. In 1983, I moved to the TS 2068 color computer and finally to the Sinclair QL. Soon the "IBM PC" revolution took place and somewhere around the middle of college, with the slow demise of Sinclair, I finally switched to a PC. More in a moment.

In any event, long before the ZX80, my first personal computer experience came in 7th grade when a couple of brand spanking new (and extremely expensive) Apple II+ computers were installed in the "library." I remember spending a lot of time playing "Lemonade Stand" as well as tinkering around with various graphical applications such as Logo. I would spend as much time on the computers as possible with my friend Scott R. and we'd even continue at his folks house where his Dad had an Apple II as well (being Principal had its perks I suppose).

In high school, I got my first real (paying) job. It was as a lab supervisor in the North building of my high school. Of course the lab was filled with Apple IIe computers and I spent a good part of my time working out Print Shop problems and printer issues. This also afforded me my first opportunity to pop open an Apple and get to the "guts" inside.

At the same time, the main library at the high school's campus got in, not a Macintosh, but a Lisa. Wow! That was an awesome computer and I was lucky enough to get to play around with it for a few minutes, but I recall that it was "for the teachers" so I never really got to fully experience this precursor to the Mac as it was too expensive to let the kids use it.

In college, I brought my trusty T/S 2068 with me, but one of the reasons I had so much trouble with my accounting and calculus classes was because I spent so much time helping Tina M. with her "computer graphics" course. This involved not only work on her Apple IIgs, but the occasional trip to the computer lab to get some hands on work with an early Apple Macintosh (512? Plus? -- I don't remember.)

So, really, for the first 10+ years of my love affair with computers, I was a Sinclair and Apple guy! I guess I never really thought about how much of a role Apple played in those years until I sat down to type this entry. Unfortunately, the Mac (and IIe) was always too expensive for me to own, so I traveled the route of DOS / GEM / Windows which allowed me to build my own computers and thereby save a bunch of money for things like ... food. And shelter.

I always thought Windows was somewhat of a pain in the ass, but in August of 95 when Windows 95 hit the streets, I became more of a proponent of Microsoft products for the home. Mostly, I think, because they were "more affordable." Windows 98 was the best OS Microsoft made for home users and soon we all looked forward to Windows 2000 after the much more difficult to use but more powerful, Windows NT (Microsoft's fork of OS/2) attempted to make inroads in our homes and businesses.

Over in the Mac camp, however, OS 8 and OS 9 were pretty stuck in the 80's/early 90's where I last used them. There was little support for running multiple applications at the same time and the interface was suffering from age.

Soon "we" all moved on to Windows XP, but it turns out Apple had a few aces up its sleeve as well. And their trump card was OS X. A 'written from the ground up' replacement for the beleaguered OS 9.

When both Windows XP and OS X came out in 2001, we IT guys tried to show that XP was superior to Apple's product, but over the years, as Microsoft kept sticking its foot up its own ass over and over and over again while Apple managed to release multiple revisions of its OS with greater improvements in usability and security, I quickly realized that I would soon need to switch back to my original path and abandon my foolish trip down the "shortcut" path that was Windows.

So here I am, on Apple's 30th anniversary, waiting for a 17" MacBook Pro to be released so I can replace this Windows laptop I've been using the last few years with something much more stable, secure and fun to use than anything Microsoft could dish up. After 11 years of Windows 9X and NT/XP, I'm tired of dealing with the constant security problems and I honestly don't think "Vista" is going to be any better.

So here's to you Apple on your 30th birthday! Thanks for the memories past ... and memories yet to come.

Refurb-a-licious!

So after harping on some of the problems I'm having integrating a couple of new PowerMacs into our business environment (here and here), I thought I'd take a second to mention something that Apple does better than any other computer manufacturer out there.

In truth, I hesitate to mention this at all because I don't want them to sell out too quickly, but Apple's little secret in the Apple Store Online is the Apple Certified Refurbished products link.

I've been using this quite a lot and I am very impressed with the quality of the packaged product and Apple's attention to detail when boxing up the computers.

Some of the things I've noticed when buying a refurbished Mac:

1) If Apple's standard equipment or software packages change, you'll often get a machine that meets the new spec even if it says otherwise on their site. Of course this means you may very well NOT get the new spec, but a couple examples of where this worked in my favor include: the purchase of an iMac G5 that was supposed to come with 256MB of RAM but came with 512MB instead -- the new Apple standard; a PowerMac that was supposed to ship with iLife '05 came with iLife '06; and another Mac that was supposed to ship with OS X Panther came with OS X Tiger in the box. Thanks Apple!

2) Despite warnings the refurbished Mac may arrive with scratches or other blemishes (they ARE returned/used after all), I have yet to see one come that way. The iMac, PowerMac and a monitor I ordered all arrived in perfect condition. In fact, the PowerMac arrived wrapped up much nicer than the "new" one I purchased. Go figure.

3) By purchasing a refurbished Mac, you know that someone has had their "hands on it" making sure it's up to spec before boxing it back up to be sold. It's not like Best Buy where they slap an "Open Box" sticker on a box that is, in many cases, still open. No, these are fully checked out, certified and then put up for sale.

4) Unlike other manufacturers who sell refurb but offer virtually no warranty, Apple offers their full standard warranty on each machine they sell. That in itself makes it a no brainer in my book.

5) The discounts are substantial! They don't want this stuff sitting around too long, so to move these products out the door, you'll see some deep cuts off the sticker price. As a great example, as I write this there is a 15" MacBook Pro listed on the site for $300 off list ... plus free shipping! Sweet.

So what's the catch?

There are a couple of "gotchas" to be on the look out for:

1) The machine may not be free of surface defects. If that matters at all to you, then don't take a chance.

2) The quantities are very limited. If you really are in the market for a new computer and you see something you like on their sale page, you better not drag your heels for too long.

3) The savings come off the original list price of the computer in question. In other words, if Apple releases a new model with a lower price, the refurb model with the old feature set and higher price might not be all that great a deal in comparison. I've noticed that primarily with the iPod line.

Power Mac Woes, part II

If you'll recall my last post, we're experiencing some issues when trying to replace Windows XP computers with Apple Power Mac G5 computers in our Creative Services department here at work.

So far I've related the issues of:

1. Slow access to network file folders containing thousands of files.
2. InDesign's import filter problems
3. Poor font management
4. Font tearing in the Mozilla products

Each of those is high on my list of "Stoppers". That is, problems which would prevent the roll out of these very expensive machines.

Before I move on to the other, lesser, problems encountered, let me point out that I understand many of these issues I have related or will relate are not Apple's problem. Many of these are with 3rd party software running on the Mac. However, these same programs are available on BOTH the Windows and Mac platforms and I have not had these same bugs creep up on Windows computers within these programs.

Also, I'd like to point out that I'm a huge fan of the Apple platform and I would recommend one of their Macintosh computers to anyone looking for an easy to use and safe platform for their home or office. Ultimately, I decided to blog about this not to bitch about Apple, but rather because I'm hoping someone out there will have answers to these questions ... Especially the slow network browsing issue which really is holding everything up.

So with that all said, let's continue shall we?

5) When using Terminal Services utilizing Microsoft's client, the number pad on the Mac's keyboard does not work. I've found no workaround for this.

6) Adobe's Acrobat 7 Professional refuses to acknowledge that Mozilla Thunderbird is the default mail client. Or, rather, it acknowledges Thunderbird, it just doesn't want to play nice with it. If I try to send (e-mail) a PDF file from within Acrobat Professional, I get the following error message: "The SendMail doesn't know how to talk to your preferred mail client. Please select a different mail application to use."

Okay, Sendmail is a mail transfer agent in the UNIX/Linux world. The Mac is using BSD Unix as its base. Is this the same "Sendmail" being referenced in Adobe's grammatically suspect error message? If so, is this problem with OS X? Or perhaps Adobe Acrobat calling its own implementation? Or is it the fault of Mozilla Thunderbird?

To my knowledge, Thunderbird is recognized as the default mail client by all other apps, so the finger seems to point to Acrobat or Thunderbird. I've read somewhere online that the issue is that Thunderbird is not "Apple Scriptable." However, Acrobat gives you no way to choose a default client if you wanted to so... any thoughts?

7) Mozilla Thunderbird on the Mac doesn't recognize e-mail templates properly ... or something. When everyone was using Windows, we could pass e-mail templates around the office like candy and they would work fine at each workstation. Now on the Mac, I can load the templates into the user's "Templates" folder and we can preview it in the handy-dandy Preview Window, but if we open the template to create a new e-mail, all of the images are blank. The only workaround we found is to select "Display Attachments Inline", but this is kind of a pain because then ALL attachments in ALL messages are displayed inline.

This setting is not needed when using Thunderbird on Windows.

8) "Phantom" folders in Thunderbird at the account rep's station. I believe this has something to do with my bringing her Thunderbird Local Mail from a Windows computer to her iMac. However, mail files are just text and, from what I can tell, there's no issue with what we brought over.

For some reason her Thunderbird likes to take one of her existing folders -- usually the inbox, duplicate it and move that duplicate elsewhere within her local folders.

Strange huh? And since it's a duplicate of her original folder, she can remove it with no consequence.

I keep hoping with each release of Thunderbird that the problem will be fixed, but so far, no dice.

Update 04.04.06: When the latest and greatest pre-release build of Thunderbird 1.5.0.2 came out on April 2nd, we loaded that up at her workstation to see if the problem got any better. No dice. *ACK! Thbbbt!*

So there ya have it! My top 8 woes encountered when upgrading our creative department from Windows XP computers to Apple Macs.

Some will no doubt point out that by not utilizing the software bundled with the Mac -- that is, Apple's Mail client and the Safari browser as well as its built in PDF creator and Preview -- I'm asking for it. That I'm inviting these problems into my workplace and I've no business complaining about it.

To that I simply say, the Mac is a superior operating platform to Windows, but their bundled applications, while great for a home user, don't have the power and flexibility that other programs have. Yes, I've evaluated Apple's Mail client and I've deemed it inferior to Thunderbird for our purposes.

In addition, by using different applications on OS X and Windows I make my job that much harder because now I'm supporting not only two platforms, but two mail clients, browsers, PDF creators ... whatever.

But that's what makes the Mac such a great platform ... right? That I can choose to use OS X over Windows and, in doing so, give my organization better flexibility and security while still using the programs that I want to use. If I'm going to be locked in to a platform and its applications, then I might as well sigh, throw up my hands and use Windows ... just like everyone else.