text:
February 24, 2006 12:13 PM PST
Are Usenet fans vulnerable to copyright lawsuits?
- Related Stories
MPAA sues newsgroup, P2P search sitesFebruary 23, 2006
Hollywood, BitTorrent creator strike dealNovember 22, 2005
Studios mine P2P logs to sue swappersAugust 25, 2005
Court: Hollywood gets P2P giant's server logsFebruary 10, 2005
This corner of the Internet, largely a leftover from the days before the Web exploded into the mainstream, rarely gets much attention. It's still primarily a forum for text discussions (and overwhelming amounts of spam), where techies help one another with Windows and driver problems, and animal lovers share cat stories.
But in the last few years, a handful of technologies have emerged that have made newsgroups a much more fertile place for downloading copies of movies, music and software. Here's a quick primer on what happens there and what the Motion Picture Association of America has done.
Q: What are newsgroups?
A: Also known as Usenet, newsgroups are one of the earliest forms of sustained conversation online. Initially started by Duke University graduate students in 1980, Usenet evolved over the years into thousands of individual newsgroups that focused on specific subjects such as dogs, science fiction authors, politics or pornography.
Readers post messages similar to e-mails to a specific group. All the content of that group is relayed through servers across the Net, and can be read with a newsgroup reader such as Forte's Agent, or inside some other Web browser and e-mail programs. Most ISPs subscribe to a newsgroup feed, though these are becoming harder to find. Google archives much of Usenet's traffic, all the way back to January 1981, at groups.google.com.
Another historical note: Before becoming a Web standby, the "frequently asked questions," or FAQ, format was widely popularized on newsgroups (though it didn't originate with them).
Q: What does this have to do with piracy?
A: Early on, people learned to send pictures, movies or even full software applications through Usenet groups by breaking the large files into small individual pieces and sending them separately. These large files, called "binaries," could be reconstructed by most newsgroup software, as long as all the pieces came through.
Q: Is this the same as file-sharing?
A: In a sense. Uploading a copyrighted file to a newsgroup is illegal, and the recording industry has targeted individual posters in the past (though largely before peer-to-peer networks emerged).
But unlike peer-to-peer networks, the files uploaded are stored in pieces on the Usenet servers around the world, not on individual computer users' hard drives.
Q: Isn't all this harder than using BitTorrent or eDonkey?
A: For most of Usenet's history, it has been much harder, and more inefficient. Big movie or software files can be broken into hundreds of individual pieces, for example, and if one or two get lost, it can make the whole movie or application unusable.
But in the last few years, several technologies have emerged to make this easier.
One, called Par files (shortened from Parity), lets big files be reconstructed even if some of the individual pieces are missing. Par files are used in other places where data transfer is unreliable, and they are becoming increasingly common on Usenet.
The other technology is an innovation similar, in a sense, to BitTorrent's torrent files. Dubbed NZB files (and created by a company called NewzBin), they automatically group together all the disparate pieces of a big binary file, allowing it to be downloaded and reconstructed with a single click.
Q: Who is the MPAA actually targeting?
A: With this round of suits, the MPAA is focusing on a small group of companies that search the Usenet feeds for movies, software, music and other files. Some of them provide the NZB files along with the search results, so the files can be instantly downloaded. Others simply provide an index of everything that's been posted to newsgroups.
Q: Are newsgroup search engines illegal, then?
A: That's a tricky question. The MPAA says all the sites they've sued are facilitating piracy. But the legal status of search engines has never quite been clarified, and indeed, Google itself is the largest newsgroup search tool in existence.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act provides a legal shield, or "safe harbor" for search engines that meet a certain set of requirements, including the ability for copyright holders to request that links to copyrighted material be taken down.
BinNews, a Florida-based site that was sued on Thursday, contends that it doesn't provide direct links to files and in fact helps copyright holders find their works on Usenet so they can be removed. Its owner, a 31-year-old businessman named Joe (he declined to provide his last name), says he'll fight the lawsuit.
Q: Are people who have uploaded or downloaded copyrighted files from Usenet at legal risk?
A: The current lawsuits are targeting only the search engines and NZB file hubs. However, as with virtually every activity on the Internet, uploading and downloading files from Usenet does leave a trace that can be tracked back to the individual ISP and computer, if copyright holders dedicate enough resources to it.
See more CNET content tagged:
Usenet, newsgroup, lawsuit, BitTorrent, P2P
33 commentsJoin the conversation! Add your comment
- Something is not quite right?
- Given the basic precepts of how both usenet and bit torrentent function, together with the fact that the sites listed are the indexes only and not the library(unlike Napster), something is very fundamentally flawed here with this announcement!
The question is, where is the actual legal evidence of these actions filed allegedly by the MPAA, ie which court,where, when, where are the copies of the subpeona's, court records et al!
Finally, why didn't the filing reporter ask all the basic six journalist stock in trade questions, failing to do so equals propaganda in any language!
So the new question is , is it fact/fiction or propaganda, to ensue the MPAA bought and paid for congressmen and senators pass the new DMCA act on steriods to outlaw all fair use in preparation for the launch of the tied rights HDTV and Bluray?
Oh well, until the correct fact and information arrive on the scene, I can only deem this as pure corporate propaganda of the 1st magnitude!
Shame, the reporters and the current mainstream news media appear to follow the Judith M. New York Times style of fiction before the fact reporting!
Time will tell!!!!!!!
Give us all the evidence, not propaganda!
- Like Reply Link Flag
- Just a matter of time
- Has anyone done a study on the amount of resources, time, money, and effort that the RIAA and MPAA have spent in tracking down these numerous piracy activities? I'm sure it's in the BILLIONS if someone were to add it up.
Now, take into account how much return they've gotten from it. Sure, you hear about the $10,000 plus settlements here and there as scare tactics, but I'm sure the return is FAR less than the effort spent. Also, with declining sales in both the Movie and Recording industries it's just a matter of time for one of the following situations to occur.
1. The MPAA and RIAA will decline into smaller and smaller insignificant industries as they lose more and more money by suing their own customers, until we won't need to hear about their stupid ranting and raving about how EVERYONE's involved in piracy!
2. The MPAA and RIAA will get off their high horses and come to terms with reality. BOTH of their OLD SCHOOL business models are history. Technology evolves WAY faster than the courts can handle their sue-happy lawyers. WAKE UP YOU IDIOTS! Get smarter and use HALF of the efforts you spend in tracking down piracy activities and use technology to your advantage! Come up with new business models that cater to the download happy masses. Some companies are already doing this. Ever heard of iTunes?? Ever heard of ClickStar?? (Intel and Morgan Freeman's company for downloading theatrical content). Speak to those companies to get ideas on how to MAKE money using Technology as you seem to be having trouble doing this yourselves!
- Like Reply Link Flag
- If truth be told!
- If truth be told they have not spent one razoo of their own money, it has come from all those funds that MPAA/RIAA collect under copyright license(call it incidental/other/???(full artist audit is long overdue) prior to disbursement to the actual copyright holders!
This is an industry, that is notorious for keeping two books, to hide real profits from the artists, as Eliot Spitzer in New York AG, amply demonstrated last year!
A full independent audit would be required, to ascertain as to where the resultant recovered funds are being disbursed?
The ENRON collapse and the resultant destruction of Arthur Andersen, along with the very dodgy, recent illegal tax fraud scams run by both ERNST YOUNG and KPMG(see federal AG actions and industry fines recovered), show that even large accounting firms are not immune to conspiring with large corporate clients, to re-write company books to suit any occaision!
- Like Link Flag
- Not their fuction.
- The MPAA and RIAA do NOT make money! This is the thing you are missing, these companies "protect the rights of their members" through multiple means. They file these suits against infringers and lobby the law makers for new changes that make their job easier or more effective. Any money they make in settlements they use to continue their actions. Their members pay them for this service so they don't have to take the actions themselves.
- Like Link Flag
- A nit
- "Uploading a copyrighted file to a newsgroup is illegal"
Hmmm, no. Surely you meant "Uploading an unlicensed file to a newsgroup is illegal". FreeBSD is copyrighted, yet freely redistributable. Heck, every single fotograph made is copyrighted by default, courtesy of the Berne convention, yet lots of people have pics in flikr under Creative Commons freely redistributable licenses.
- Like Reply Link Flag
- USENET is vulnerable
- I keep hearing that they can never tame USENET. Not being familiar with the way it is set up makes me wonder why can't they sue the USENET providers? Dosn't Giganews, Newsgroups.com, Newsguy, and etc. actually provide you with access to unlawful content? Doesn't it make these business vulnerable to the DMCA?
Isen't this a Republican made problem?
- Like Reply Link Flag
- Hey, I remember you....
- You never "know much". But regurgitates politically correct rants and rave. Than somehow, it's a "repugnicant" problem.
Hey, how's your god Bush? He caused the hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, temperature changes, et al.
- Like Link Flag
- :)
- Looks like its a DEMOCRATIC run school system thats "the problem"
Isen't this a Republican made problem?
- Like Link Flag
- Usenet is not vulnerable (yet).
- The article wants people to think Usenet itself is under fire based on the title and heading. This isn't the case, and won't be for quite a while.
Usenet providers are protected in the same way that email providers are. I could send you copyrighted work via email just as easily as Usenet. Right now content stored on Usenet does infringe on copyrights, and it's a matter of time before the MPAA and RIAA target the content (and not links to it) more directly.
They may already be doing this with how they lobby the law makers. Some laws need to change before they can really take Google or Giganews to court and require them to take down content. They are a neutral party providing a service that is not designed for the kinds of file trading that the current P2P networks are.
The MPAA and RIAA will next step up to track those who post this material and likely request IP addresses of those who have downloaded specific posts. In Usenet you download headers that give you the subject, email and other data related to the post without being able to read the entire post. Once you download the post, you have received the infringing content.
The DMCA provides for the RIAA and MPAA to go after you for digital versions of the material even if they are not intact. So if you download 5 out of 2000 chunks of a file, they can still sue you.
- Like Link Flag
- USENET is NOT vulnerable
- > I keep hearing that they can never tame USENET.
At the end of the day, it's almost impossible to tame USENET.
> Not being familiar with the way it is set up
> makes me wonder why can't they sue the USENET
> providers?
Think of USENET as a public distribution list. You post a message to a USENET group and it gets sent to thousands of machines worldwide, each with its own copy of your message. If the MPAA/RIAA sued USENET providers, to be completely effective, they'd have to sue _all_ USENET providers worldwide. For each and every infringement.
> Dosn't Giganews, Newsgroups.com, Newsguy, and
> etc. actually provide you with access to
> unlawful content?
USENET is not necessarily unlawful. Google Groups is nothing more than a Web interface to the text-only parts of USENET.
That's why it's so hard to shutdown USENET. It's distributed nature makes it hard to target one company/computer. The fact that Google works with the legal parts of it also helps it stay alive.
- Like Link Flag
- Not sure if downloaders' effected.
- Not too sure how people who download from newsgroups will be effected. Sure, people who upload copy righted material can be hunted down if they're stupid. But most people upload via anonymous servers in Europe.
To track the downloaders, you'd need one VERY Broad subpoena to each ISP. And I thought ISP's have a legal umbrella protecting them from such onerous "fact finding" stunts.
Put another way: if Microsoft can't hunt down and prosecute people who downloaded their OS' from the newsgroup, how's the MPAA going to?
- Like Reply Link Flag
- It is easier than that...
- The DMCA provides them with the way to request that information be taken down. They just need to use it. MPAA and RIAA can request that specific Usenet posts be removed because they believe in good faith that these infringe on the copyrights they are authorized to enforce.
They can then seek that the courts provide a request for all of the data stored on the servers related to those posts. If the Usenet provider records each download then the MPAA or RIAA can go after those downloaders.
It's important to note that you have two types of downloads in Usenet. One is just pulling the headers (no copyright material is moved). The "reading" of the post you pull the MIME encoded attachment to the message.
DMCA further provides them with means to go after people who have only a portion of a digitial version of the copyrighted works. So you can download 1 piece of 20,000 chunks and be violating the law.
- Like Link Flag
- Where is the BSA?
- The BSA has been a long time watchdog on the Usenet where software file trades have been more common than music or movies. I don't see mention of them yet.
- Like Reply Link Flag
- BSA seems to be useless
- I reported a former employer regarding illegal use
in-house of Microsoft and other software and after
months of so called investigation they closed the
case with no action taken!
I suppose small businesses aren't worth their
efforts to prosecute, so individuals on Usenet
probably aren't worth going after either.
- Like Link Flag
- FreeBSD
- FreeBSD is copyrighted, yet freely redistributable. Heck, every single fotograph made is copyrighted by default, courtesy of the Berne convention
http://www.hostcube.co.uk/1and1-review.php
- Like Reply Link Flag
- Some notes
- It's been a looong time since Usenet was primarily for
discussions. Google Groups gives a distorted view of things
because it leaves out the binary content, but Web boards have
really taken over that function in many cases.
There have been copyright actions here and there in the past,
but they have been on a small scale. The server operators are in
a somewhat better situation than the P2P operators, in part
because there is some legitimate traffic left and also in part
because the client-server arrangement means that there are
service providers in place who get some OCILLA protection.
Posters are exposed to liability, but it would be much harder to
shut down Usenet server operators than it would be to pull down
a company like Grokster. With server operators scattered
around the world and not all subject to the same laws, it will be
tough for copyright owners to do much more than slow things
down slightly.
- Like Reply Link Flag
- Yes, they go after people who post movies
- I've twice had movie studios serve takedown notices to my ISP
because of movies posted to Usenet. In both cases it was
because someone posted movies using fake email addresses
that happened to match a domain I own. So yes, they go after
posters--but they aren't always too bright about how they do it.
On the other hand, when I set up a cancelbot to delete forged
postings from my domain, and cc the fact to the ISP/news-
hoster where the postings were made, I got some very negative
backlash from the companies. Some of them do *not* want to
know about illegal activity by their users.
- Like Reply Link Flag
- I agree
- They go after people who download movies... by the way is it still illegal if you download movies just to watch them and not sell them...?
"If you think you know everything, you should know about http://www.enthem.com by now"
- Like Reply Link Flag
- Irresponsible Written Hype Piece BS
- This "news" piece is a hype propaganda piece that is irresponsibly written.
They author's title,
"Are Usenet fans vulnerable to copyright lawsuits"
asks a question that it doesnt even address much less answer. The subject of the content is the MPAA is going after some search engines. What does the actual story have to do with the title asking if the users are risking lawsuits?!!
Then, the lame final statement saying that all internet has a trace when responding to the question is an irresponsible hype statement. Usenet POSTERS can be tracked if they are sloppy. Usenet leachers are not traceable any more then your email can be picked out of the hat to see if you are doing anything illegal.. P2P and Usenet are day/nigh different creatures. To imply so or even ask the question about risk in this Authors context is both HYPE, shows his ignorance and lack of knowledge and only scares people who don't know otherwise. All this the sake of catching your EYE,, This type of "journalism" has no place here. Shame on Cnet for publishing this.
- Like Reply Link Flag
- Don't worry too much ...
- Ol' n3td3v has been copying and pasting his way to his present reputation for some time now. The more you read of his blather and the more sites he complains about that banned/moderated/ignored him, the more apparent his unimportance will become. He's quite a chuckle in FD...
I think I'll start the "International L0ngJ0hn Group" and claim posting to forums and newsgroups constitutes worldwide collaboration with real people - but then I might end up like him and start actually believing it :-)
- Like Link Flag
- Irrespnsible Article.
- This "news" piece is a piece that is irresponsibly written.
They author's title,
"Are Usenet fans vulnerable to copyright lawsuits"
asks a question that it doesnt even address much less answer. The subject of the content is the MPAA is going after some search engines. What does the actual story have to do with the title asking if the users are risking lawsuits?!!
Then, the final statement saying that all internet has a trace when responding to the question is an irresponsible hype statement. Usenet POSTERS can be tracked true, but Usenet leachers are not traceable any more then your email can be picked out of the hat to see if you are doing anything illegal.. P2P and Usenet are day/night different creatures. To imply so or even ask the question about risk in this Authors context is both HYPE, shows his ignorance and lack of knowledge and only scares people who don't know otherwise. All this the sake of catching your EYE,, This type of "journalism" has no place here. Shame on Cnet for publishing this.
- Like Reply Link Flag
- Go after the source
- I'm waiting for them to go after the REAL source...
the politican who claimed credit for inventing the information superhighway.
- Like Reply Link Flag


text:
February may be big for beetsFARGO, N.D. — February will be a key month for the Roundup Ready sugar beet case. Legal and administrative issues remain in limbo for 2011 and beyond, says Luther Markwart, executive vice president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association in Washington.
By: Mikkel Pates, Agweek

subset: commoncrawl


text:
» Print Recipe
Member Chef
I enjoyed cooking class in High School and went on to doing Hospitality Management Diploma after completing my HSC in 99'.
Please note, LifeStyle cannot respond to all comments posted in our comments feed. If you have a comment or query you would like LifeStyle to respond to, please use our feedback form.
We arrange Following Bank Instruments Letter of Credit ( LC) From Various Banks in Singapore / HongKong / Europe /USA Used For Import / Export Business and Trade Finance . 90/180DAYS Bank Guarantee ( BG ) Fresh Cut Slightly Seasoned Seasoned Stand By Letter of Credit ( SBLC ) 90DAYS / 180/ 365DAYS Regards Email me for procedure and terms Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Skype: kong.mingdao1
» 1h ago
Dear sir/ma I am driect to providers who can offer and issued BG, MTN , LC, DLC , SBLC from top 25 rating bank project funding amount: USD/euro 1 Million to USD/euro 5 Billion all our instruments are specifically for lease. POF Delivering via Swift MT760 within 5 to 7 banking days after the contract signed and issuing banks are Credit Suisse, Zurich, HSBC Bank London, Barclays Bank London, Deutsche Bank AG Frankfurt and Nat West London. Leasing price of (3.0% + 0.5% + X) of face value of the instrument. Contact: Mr.kong mingdao Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Skype ID: kong.mingdao1 We works with Intermediaries, Consultants, Brokers who can bring their clients and fees are 100% protected
» 1h ago
Dear sir/ma We are project funder with our cutting edge and group capital fund we can finance your signatory projects and help you to enhance your business plan, our financial instrument can be used for purchase of good from any manufacturer irrespective of location. We specialized in BG, SBLC, MTN, CD,DLC , Non collateral loan, confirmable Bank Draft and other financial assistance from AAA rated bank (Prime Bank). The financial instrument can be invested into High Yield Trading Program or Private Placement Programme (PPP). Please see our instrument description and leasing procedure as follow. DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUMENT: 1. Instrument: Bank Guarantee {BG} /StandBy Letter of Credit{SBLC} (Appendix A) 2. Total Face Value: Eur/USD 1M{Minimum} to Eur/USD 10B{Maximum} 3. Issuing Bank: AAA Rated Bank (Prime Bank). 4. Age: One Year and One Day 5. Leasing Price: 5.0% + 2% Broker commission 6. Delivery: S.W.I.F.T MT-760 7. Payment: MT103 (TT/WT) 8. Hard Copy: Bonded Courier Service We specialize in Bank Guarantee lease and sales, there are two types of bank guarantee which are Direct Bank Guarantee and Indirect Bank Guarantee. Its used as Bid Bond, Payment Guarantees, Letter of Indemnity, Guarantee Securing Credit Line, Advance Payment Guarantees, Performance Bond Guarantee E.T.C. Intermediaries/Consultants/ Brokers are welcome to bring their clients and are 100% protected. In complete confidence, we will work together for the benefits of all parties involved. Thank you BROKERS ARE WELCOME & 100% PROTECTED!!! Contact Email :ba Skype ID: kong.mingdao1
» 1h ago


text:
LANTA suspends bus service Monday afternoon
Published: Feb 03 2014 02:41:01 PM EST
LANTA buses stopped running early Monday afternoon because of the snowstorm.
"Due to worsening road conditions, LANTA will be suspending bus service effective at 1 p.m. Monday for the remainder of the day," announced Owen P. O'Neil, plannning director at the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority
Copyright 2014 WFMZ. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Has anyone seen this movie or read the book?
It is one of the best films that I have seen in a LONG time.
Thoreau is one of my all-time favorite authors, and this movie really "spoke" to me. I got the book for christmas and have read a bit of it so far...
Sean Penn really did do an amazing job with this film. All the actors were brilliant in their roles as well.
McCandless' relationship with the old man was especially poignant to me.


text:
Modified Mustangs & FordsFeatured Vehicles
1967 Ford Mustang Super Snake - Wildest Shelbys!
Crazy Combos, Wild Rides, And Untold Stories From The Cobra King's Early Ford Years
Shelby has arguably built more of the wildest interpretations of the Ford automobile than anyone we know. His cars are held in awe by the vast majority of Ford enthusiasts. Even late-model Ford guys know Carroll Shelby and his menagerie of wild beasts. But within the wild there are always standouts and strange animals. From mavericks that bear Shelby nameplates to Cobras that inspired a Cosby comedy record album, Shelby kept American Ford fans on the edge of their seat wondering what manner of wicked wildness would come from deep within his garage space.
Here, we hit the ones that piqued our interest and made us want to research the stories on them. Some-like one of the four convertible GT 350s-beg for us to ask more questions than the Shelby American World Registry (SAWR) can answer. So another story might be in the offing.
Sit back, grab a cold one, and delve into the wild world of Shelby circa '65-'72-that's right, '72.
A Little Tex-Mex Anyone?They like Shelbys south of the border, too. Eduardo Velasquez was the connection in Mexico. He bought a Mustang hardtop from Shelby in 1965. SAAC believes this hardtop might have been one of the two prototypes Ken Miles drove to engineer the GT350 suspension components. Velasquez raced the car. by 1966, he had become a Shelby parts dealer. In 1967, he entered into a partnership with Carroll Shelby to build Shelbys in Mexico. The company was Shelby de Mexico, which is also what the car was called.
All the Shelby de Mexicos are odd-looking performance Mustangs because they are based on the hardtop body style. The assembly plant in Mexico, source of the Shelby Mustangs, did not produce the fastback. So they had to use the hardtop. Apparently, none were convertibles. These cars are obviously Shelbys with their fiberglass body pieces, taillights, and various badges and emblems.
Production was 169 in 1967, 203 in 1968, 306 in 1969, and about 200 in 1971. Production in 1970 was limited to one race car. two race cars were built in 1969. Velasquez also campaigned a Shelby Group II notchback race car in 1966 and 1967.
Drop-Tops (Nobody Rides For Free)At the tail end (the last four cars built until the continuation cars of the early '80s) of the '66 production run, Carroll Shelby built four GT350 drop-tops. Though there is speculation Shelby gave these four cars away, as far as we can tell, all the cars were sold within six months to a year of their production by Shelby-authorized used car dealers. Here is how it went down:
The first one was a green convertible with a black top, an automatic, chrome magnums, and no stripes. The car was sold to one of Shelby's dealers as a used car, leading us to believe this might have been a company vehicle, though we have no supporting info for this . . . yet.
Next in line was the yellow with a black top equipped with a four-speed and chrome magnums. This car also was sold to a dealer as a used car. though the SAWR clarifies it as a used company car.
Third was the red with a white top convertible. This one is a bit screwy in many ways. The SAWR lists it as red with a white top, but shipped condition was red with a black top. The car was shown to have a four-speed, but also equipped with air conditioning-a no-no for a hi-po. It also had the chrome magnums. Further muddying the waters, it had not been shipped to a dealer, but sold to Bob Shane of the Kingston Trio. It was not shipped at all, Bob came to Shelby and picked up the car. There is also a credit memo issued in 1967 on the car. it shows the car sold used to the same dealer as the other two.
Last, but not least, is the blue with a white top convertible This car had a few differences from its sibs. For one, it got a fiberglass hood; the other three had all steel. it also had ten-spoke aluminum wheels rather than the Magnums. It was used by Ray Geddes of Ford Motor Company as a company car until sometime in 1967, then shipped to a dealer and sold used.


text:
|calendar>>September 28. 2009 Juche 98
Plunder of Farm Products by Japanese Imperialists
|Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- The Japanese imperialists are the sworn enemies who had imposed immeasurable misfortunes and sufferings upon the Korean people during their 40-odd-year long illegal occupation of the country.
One of their pernicious crimes committed in Korea was the pillage of farm produce.
The cunning imperialists enforced deceitful and gangster-like predatory policies including "Grain Expropriation Decree" and "Plan for Increased Rice Production" to ship a large amount of agricultural products to Japan.
They, who had enforced the "System of Forced Grain Delivery" by force around the provocation of the Pacific War, stepped up the plunder of grain and other farm products under the cloak of "delivery".
The grain which the Japanese imperialists carried away in 1944, a year before their defeat, under the pretext of food, industrial raw materials and military provisions amounted to 60-70 percent of Korea's total grain output.
In order to depredate rice in an extensive way, they set up lots of predatory machinery such as "grain inspecting office" and "grain co-operative" in different parts of the country including South Phyongan, Kyonggi, South Chungchong, South Jolla and North Kyongsang Provinces, major granaries in the country.
According to the curtailed data released by the Japanese imperialists, they took away 190 million soms of rice (one som equivalent to 150 kilograms), and, if added by cereals, 260 million soms of grain during their colonial rule over Korea.
The Koreans who were robbed of rice were subjected to double and treble exploitation by buying negligible amount of rice at an expensive price under the name of "ration".
The huge amounts of rice and cereals plundered by the imperialists during their colonial rule reach astronomical figures if calculated in money.
Nevertheless, Japan has failed to make reparation for their crimes still today even though more than six decades have passed since the defeat.
Japan must apologize and make reparation for all the crimes they had perpetrated.
Copyright (C) KOREA NEWS SERVICE(KNS) All Rights Reserved.


text:
Dancing With The Stars
Bristol Brings Tripp to Rehearsal
Bristol Palin decided Saturday was "Take Your Son to Work Day," as she brought 21-month-old Tripp to rehearsals.
Tripp is living in Los Angeles with Bristol, who moved there to shoot Dancing with the Stars. Where's Grandma Sarah? She'll be in the audience tonight, presumably holding baby Tripp. Can't wait to see the happy family all together again...
Source: RadarOnline.com
Jake Pavelka Is Dying to Meet Sarah Palin?
Gallery: Before They Were on DWTS


text:
Well, kids, I'm off for the weekend.
Maybe I'll see some of you in Vega$?
Don't try anything funny while I'm gone. I have an expert watching the store.
87 thoughts on "Comfort Eagle"
Hey, this is completely off the subject, but I'm watching my ST:TNG Season 4 DVD's right now and there you are! It's a whole little Wesley thing on there. I may be a big geeky dork, but I think it's really cool to hear/see you say things that you've said here on your site. It's like you're an honest to goodness real person! *remembers to turn off sarcasm mode* Seriously, great segment/special feature whatever that was.
Viva Las Vegas! Viva Las Vegas!
The fabulous all 3 foot pools, the ability to smoke anywhere ya want, the Liberace museum, inclinators, the cheapest/tastiest buffets on the planet, and the ghost of Elvis!
Don't forget to check out that tacky ass bronze statue of Ziegfield & Roy in front of the Mirage. The most celebrated homo couple in the world!
Where else can you have so much fun in so little time?
I hope you went on the 'Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton' For those who have been on it how – great transporter effect (still don't know how you could be standing on a cement floor with yellow lines one minute then after ligths out and the transporter effect you are on the transporter pad) – for those who haven't it is definitely worth it.
I would love to see the looks on the faces of the employees! I think it would be extra cool if you jumped out of the crowd and manned your old station during the bridge portion of the simulation. Hell, who could argue with you, you flew the damn thing for four years!
And yes, I also saw you on the DVD year 4 interview. You really arn't a Jim Henson puppet!. And for those who haven't seen it yet Uncle Willie curses during his interview. Really! He says 'for Christ's sake' during it. I wonder how much was edited out? Let us know.
Actually the interview was a well done section flipping back and forth between Stewart and Wheaton. Maybe you can post your interview on this site. OOPS, Paramount would have the goons after you in a flash wouldn't they.
Still looking forward to the: ALASKA CRUISE TREK REPORT! Did you really go?
I'm still monitoring the charge on the electron and am happy to report it hasn't changed yet.
Wil, I hope you have a good weekend and all but please, if you ever force me to open a large picture of Spock onto my computer screen again, there will be hell to pay.
Hey Wil, I hope you went to Quark's Bar at the Hilton and ordered the Warp Core Breach and some Moogie's Pasta. Anyone who has been there knows what I'm talking about!
i recogize that image…it's spock…reading the lyrics from the enterprise karaoke machine…"row, row, row your boat…"
Wheaton, I hope you're proud of yourself. No, I take that back. I hope you come back from Vega$, read ALL the responses here and in the Funky Pants thread and laugh your ass off!
That's what I love about this place — one day we're all rapping about the state of politics in America and the next day we're sharing personal stories about funky jeans with complete strangers…
ya gotta love it!
Sorry this is so off subject but doesn't anyone of you ever wonder if/why the other actors don't do this… I mean what IF just what IF it really isn't Wil and just some phsyco stalker (note the phsyco)that wants to be him? I mean really either this is someone that idelizes him and like follows him around all day seeing what he does and then writes about it here, or he is a little maybe just a little geeky-er than he think or lets on. I don't know really why this goes through my mind maybe it's because i have had a VERY long week at school and needed something to think about. Whatever it happend to be that set this thought off in my head I decided that i should share it with the world… or atleast part of it… Right? I am 13 going to be 14 in december specifically th 27th, and well, i like to come up with stories and things, mostly wheni get bored which happends a lot. This was just what i came up with after watching one of those news reports on stalking… this idea came in to my head at 3:oo this morning though also.
-bored as heck needing something to occupie herself
Ok this is totally off topic and down here at the bottom where no one will even read it but I'm way totally excited about this…
I've FINISHED the archives and caught up with present day! This totally RAWKS! Only took me about 3 months or so of constant obsessive reading, and having to reassure my husband constantly that I still love him and that I'm not leaving him for Wil. (Yeah, like THAT would happen, NOT) So Yeah I'm just another lame fangirl who taped Foreign Corrospondents the other day at 6am so I could see Wil in something even if he is sort of secondary and only in half the movie. I am so embarrassing. not to myself, of course but I'm sure someone is embarrased by my rabidness. Hey Andie Gypsy-girl! Look I finally caught up! Yo Sis! What are you doing hiding over there?
I would've liked to have been in Vegas this weekend. Instead, I had to sit here and listen to KU get beat by UNLV over Yahoo! Radio. Though I doubt that's why you went, so I'll be quiet now.
Looks like based on this:
Wil Really RAWKED the house there in Vegas this weekend! Then again, what else would we of espect, from the Great Uncle Willie?
Have a good time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
must be nice.. and if you lose to much..
what's next for the ebay auction block ???
until you post again…
umm…. I dont know what to say. I'm in shock. This site is so random. I dont think I really believe what I am seeing….. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared and confused…. I don't even know you people! Hmmm I think I'll just go…. all this talk of vegas – I can't handle it! I'm not even American. Having second thoughts about posting this… what the hell. This is too weird for words!!!!!!
Well, how much did you lose in Vegas? — Hope you broke even and had a good time.
Anyone else besides me just DYING of Impatience for Wil to post his Vegas Exploits?
Come on Wil! I can't hold my breath much longer (smile) … spill the beans … how WAS it?!!!!
I hope you are having a great weekend in Vegas. I hope you tell us about all your adventures when you come back. We live vigouresly through you. And hope that guy you hired to watch the store is doing a good job.
Well. This is my first time coming to this website and I just want to say It's about time that ther is something all about Wil Wheaton! Also I would like to comment that you are indeed what I thought you would be(of course this is in a good way).
I want to start off by saying I hope you had a slammin time in Vegas.I hope you hit the jackpot twice and wont have to put up with anymore crap from anybody ever!! If not just think of it this way at least YOU can take a trip to Vegas.
You're a very intresting and sweet guy (although others may not think so, so what!)and I wish only good things for you and no matter what you'll always be the guy of my dreams!
I'll definitly try to keep in touch.
I have to say I do not really care for the shoes. Just not enough ankle support for me. On the other hand I have to say that I do like your site. It has been a funny read and it is very interesting as well. I rented the royal tenenbaums and it was good but it was painful to watch as well.
Keep up the good work Wil. You are a good person so you will be rewarded. I hope I will be able to see your improv group in action.
Have a good time in that godless desert land of Vegas
Jon's post was post #69.
Just thought I'd point that out.
i love cake and george clinton too…
"free your mind and your ass will follow"
It was the first convention i'd been to that you were at. You were very humorious. You probably don't remember this but i took a picture of you with my friend and said that he didn't like your character before i took the picture. hope it turns out good!
It was really nice meeting you in Vegas. I especially enjoyed it when you got up during Klingon karoke and sang.
That was fun. Hope to see you again some day.
It was really nice meeting you in Vegas. I especially enjoyed it when you got up during Klingon karoke and sang.
That was fun. Hope to see you again some day.
Hi Everyone; Now I have NO idea how I ever got to Your site and well I guess that really doesn't matter much! The point IS I am HERE and WILL post a comment! After reading about this guy Will's trip to Las Vegas with All the good wishes then to NOT hear the outcome; I must say I am a bit puzzled and bewildered but hey I'm ONLY a visitor on Your great planet. So kids; whats the latest in Your daily activities. I started a NEW charity organization last week. "Recycle Smiles America" a nonprofit organization to bring comfort to children worldwide and in a large global charitable way save animals. http://[email protected] SEND Your much needed stuffed animals (plush) to us for children everywhere. We are at this time gathering/providing plush toys for the fire related victims of this California Firestorm we are experiencing! Please DO Your share and find it in Your heart to donate stuffed toys to us. All monies please direct to the Fire Relief Fund. Information can be found at http://www.ABC7.com website Channel 7 Los Angeles, California or the American Red Cross. Please contact me with any suggestions or questions pertaining to this great charitable venture. I have created a charitable nonprofit organization Recycle Smiles America
Congratulations to Chocolate Covered World
Full name: Michael Joseph Jackson
Born: August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana
The Jackson 5: Signed with Motown in 1968; first single released in 1969. First four singles went to No. 1.
First No. 1 solo song: "Ben," 1972
"The Wiz": Jackson co-starred with Diana Ross in the 1978 retelling of "The Wizard of Oz."
Thrilling achievements: 1982 album "Thriller" became the best-selling album of all time, with around 45 million copies sold worldwide. The album produced seven Top Ten singles and won Jackson eight Grammy Awards.
'Bad' is good: 1987 album, "Bad," became the first album to produce five No. 1 hits. The supporting world concert tour was the highest-grossing tour ever to that time.
Trouble in Neverland: In 1993, Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy on his Neverland Ranch. Jackson denied the allegation, and no charges were ever filed. Jackson and the boy's family settled out of court in 1995.
Wedding stories: Married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of rock legend Elvis Presley, in 1994; marriage lasted 19 months. Married nurse Debbie Rowe, who is the mother of two of his children, 1996; couple divorced in 1999.
Hall of Fame: Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
Full name: Michael Joseph Jackson by David Harrison Levi .. Beverly Hills USA 90210
— Michael Jackson launched a Web site Monday dedicated to countering what he called "a big lie" — the child molestation accusations against him.
The statement reads:
"To my fans, friends and family: As you know, the charges recently directed at me are terribly serious. They are, however, predicated on a big lie. This will be shown in court, and we will be able to put this horrible time behind us.
"Because the charges are so serious, I hope you all will understand, on the advice of my attorneys, I will be limited in what I can say about the situation. There will be times when I cannot comment at all. No doubt, this will be frustrating for all of us.
"For that reason, I have set up this website to serve as a source of official communications on my case. Any statement that does not appear on this website must be considered unauthorized.
"You are right to be skeptical of some of the individuals who are being identified in the mass media as my friends, spokespeople, and attorneys. With few exceptions, most of them are simply filling a desperate void in our culture that equates visibility with insight. We will not engage in speculation. We will not provide running commentary on every new development or allegation du jour. We intend to try our case in the courtroom, not in the public or the media.
"I thank you all for your support and understanding.
thank you all for your support and understanding.
"God bless you, Michael Jackson."
Along with this latest statement, the Web site (http://www.MJnews.us) initially included the three statements issued in the last week by Jackson as he reacted to developments in the case.
Michael Jackson launches Website to Fans … (http://www.MJnews.us) by David Harrison Levi
All that makes me who I am;
And everything that you see;
Is all because I belong to you.
And you belong to me.
My mind thinks only thoughts of you;
My heart spills over with love.
All because our paths have crossed;
With the help from Him, above.
Every breath I take, I owe to you;
And every smile that dons my face;
Are all because of you, my love.
You put them in their place.
I give you my all, my everything;
My days, my nights, my soul.
Making you happy and being with you;
Is my one and only goal.
Every night you fill my dreams;
And every day, I start anew.
And all of this is possible;
Just because you're you.
You will always have my heart and soul;
And everything that is me.
It's all locked up inside me now;
And you have the only key!
"All That I Am!" by David Harrison Levi
All that makes me who I am;
And everything that you see;
Is all because I belong to you.
And you belong to me.
My mind thinks only thoughts of you;
My heart spills over with love.
All because our paths have crossed;
With the help from Him, above.
Every breath I take, I owe to you;
And every smile that dons my face;
Are all because of you, my love.
You put them in their place.
I give you my all, my everything;
My days, my nights, my soul.
Making you happy and being with you;
Is my one and only goal.
Every night you fill my dreams;
And every day, I start anew.
And all of this is possible;
Just because you're you.
You will always have my heart and soul;
And everything that is me.
It's all locked up inside me now;
And you have the only key!
"All That I Am!" by David Harrison Levi
Designer Profile … Anand Jon
Anand Jon developed a passion for metals & fabrics growing up in South India, under the tutelage of master artisans and his Grandmother, one of the most influential women in his life. During these formative years, his deep involvement in the Yogic disciplines set a metaphysical yet playful flavor to all of his creations. Anand Jon often pays homage to his heritage, while also embracing the metropolitan vibe of New York City & the raging progress of modern technology. At 17, Anand Jon ventured on a scholarship towards an Associate Degree at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he was graduated as student speaker. Transferring to Parsons, NYC, he began to experiment with the transition from fine art to fashion, showcasing limited edition adornments while at The New School for Social Research/ Parsons School of Design with majors in both Fashion Design in Communications(98)
Top Model Xenia, Stylist Marcy, MTV's Ananda Lewis, Sanjana, Anand Jon, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos (Ritz Carlton), Princess Olivia de Boubon of Spain, Actress Izabella Miko
Since his critically acclaimed debut (Spring 99), Anand Jon has taken a subtle yet center stage in the luxury world with his riveting collections available at some of the most exclusive stores such as Bergdorf Goodman (NYC,) Wilkes Bashford (San Francisco), Stanley Korshak (Dallas), Luisa Via Roma (Italy). "Functional Luxury" (says Women
Cat Cloning Offered to Pet Owners
Now cats may have more than nine lives. The company that funded the first successful cloning of a domestic cat two years ago has gone commercial.
An e-mail sent in early February to the company's gene-banking clients offered to clone up to six cats. The cost? U.S. $50,000 each. Clients had less than a month to take advantage of the offer, which ended Friday, February 27.
Genetic Savings and Clone has successfully cloned cats, including CC (above), the first cloned cat. The company had four clients sign up to have their domestic cats cloned for U.S. $50,000 each.
A cloned cat is a unique, newborn animal that shares genes and possibly behavioral tendencies with its genetic predecessor.
Ben Carlson, vice president of communications for Genetic Savings and Clone, said four clients signed up to duplicate their cats, and work to reproduce the pets will begin immediately. The privately held company based in Sausalito, California, plans to present the clones to owners in November.
Three cats owned by the company will also be copied. The cats and their genetic donors will be displayed at the American Veterinary Medical Association conference next year, Carlson said, to give veterinarians an opportunity to see them and learn about the technology.
The company is also working on duplicating dogs
i see adult movie totally free just now.But i don't pay anything for seeing.
Once upon a time there lived a turkey that was always funny. They named him The Funny Turkey. He was everyone
My Dearest Bianca, I would like to extend my sincerest sympathies to your Mom and your family on the passing of your beloved mother and grandmother. She must have been a kind and loving person to all who knew her. I think of You both Bianca and Your Mom daily and I only hope and wish this New Year 2005 ahead will be filled with health and joyous times and the sadness which You feel now, will be replaced by laughter and goodtimes May fond and loving memories always fill Your hearts when You think of Your Grandma. I am sure this is not an easytime for You, but should You need anything, I am here for You. May you all be comforted at this sad time. You are all in my prayers. May her soul rest in peace. God bless you all. With my deepest love and respect; I remain; Your Friend; David Harrison Levi Beverly Hills, California 90210 USA
Personal Quote: "LIVE EACH DAY AS IT COMES, DON'T DWELL ABOUT YESTERDAYS, TODAY IS A GIFT, LIVE IT!"
The Complete ELVIS by David Harrison Levi
Elvis began his adult performances on July 17, 1954
Presley Biography- the early years Elvis Presley birthday: January 8, 1935
Birth place: Tupelo, Mississippi
Birth name: Elvis Aron Presley
Died on August 16, 1977 in Memphis Tennessee
Elvis was born in Mississippi and then lived in Memphis beginning around the time of his teenage years.
Elvis Presley, in the 1950's created "the" image of rock and roll. His early records including "That's All Right Mama", and "Blue Moon of Kentucky", were hits by 1955.
In 1956 , under the RCA label, "Heartbreak Hotel"was his first #1 hit. Then came "Hound dog" and "Don't Be Cruel," which also were big hits for Elvis.
Though the parents, and eventually the Church, rose in protest against pelvic gyrations, Hollywood was quick to sign him for movies. He had just time enough to finish "Love Me Tender", "Loving You", "Jailhouse Rock", and "King Creole," before Uncle Sam in 1957 paged him for a still bigger roll– that of G.I. # Us53310761.
Elvis began his adult performances on July 17, 1954, but before this he held one in a school auditorium on the evening of April 9, 1953 during the Humes High School 'Annual Minstrel Show.' The first ones were held in his hometown, but Memphis soon became too small for this great performer and he began to "wow" fans in other cities as well.
In 1954, Elvis did many concerts: amateur concerts, benefits, and his first professional ones. These took place in sites like the Bon Air Club, the Bel Air Motel, the Eagle's Nest, and Bellevue Park. These clubs were the first ones lucky enough to hear Elvis On Stage. He then began to extend his concerts into Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas……and Highway 79 became a path to Heaven !
In 1955, Elvis did several tours outside of Memphis. On Sunday, February 6th, he met Colonel Tom Parker… and you already know the rest of the that story! Thousands and thousands of miles, more than 30 tours, festivals and jamborees followed.
By 1956, Elvis had become The King Of Rock 'n Roll. Through his initial hits on the RCA label, his TV shows and his first movies, he endeared 54 million fans, and now there are 54 million or even more fans with the same mindset: Elvis is the one and only !!!
By 1957, Elvis didn't do many concerts. He did studio sessions and soundtracks with RCA, followed by a stint with the US Army!
By 1961, After coming back from the Army and recording some big hits, Elvis did only three concerts, both of them for charity.–
Comments are closed.


text:
Visit Malaysia
How to Go
Places to Visit
Hutan Lipur Konifer
Genting Highlands
Gunung Nuang
Pulau Santap
Bukit Tinggi
Ulu Tampit
Le'Manah Retreat
Cherengin Hills
Seri Pengantin
Suria Hill
Pulau Santap
Pulau Santap is a picnic area at the confluence of Sungai Benus and Cheringging rivers at Janda Baik. It's a long stretch of river and natural rainforest surroundings, making it popular with families for day trips or overnight camping. 'Pulau' means island, while 'Santap' is a royal word for eating - In ancient times, a small island rose above the confluence of rivers, where it was used as a leisure spot for meals by Pahang's sultans. Over time, the island was eaten away by erosion and no longer exists today. Several resorts and chalets have opened up accommodation along this spot, but the main area has a small park with broad section of shallow river to enjoy.
Pick an image below to see the photo appear here at left, along with captions. Pictures may take a while to load, depending on your connection speed.


text:
"I didn't just want to go through five or six years of hell and then go on with my life as if nothing happened," Rocco said. "I know there's a purpose for everything, and now I want to help. I have a passion for this, and I want to get through to my peers by telling them my experience."
Her message to those peers has been to look at beauty differently — to look past the Adonis and the belle and the fox and the hunk and the hottie and the stud — and to find a person's inner virtue.
It's hard in this advertising age, but so far the response has been overwhelming. The words "thank you" have also helped in Rocco's own therapy.
Rocco's ambition is to someday work as a nurse in a hospital trauma center. If she can keep her eating disorder in check, I'd be shocked if that doesn't occur.
Considering all that has happened, it would definitely be worth cheering about.
If you know of someone who would be interesting to feature in a column, call Jim Rothgeb at (951) 676-4315, ext. 2621, or email firstname.lastname@example.com


text: One of the Spice Girls almost pulled out of the closing ceremony The Spice Girls Mon-20-Aug-12 09:49 Share this Tell Us What You Think WTF 0 LOL 0 FAIL 0 OMG 0 HOT 0 CUTE 0 ] By Jay-Jay FeeneyWhen The Spices Girls reunited to perform at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics last week, they almost went out without Victoria Beckham. Posh Spice had a panic attack backstage and freaked out.Emma Bunton calmed her down.Victoria says, "I was in the taxi with Emma before we started and I nearly just got out of the car. I was so nervous. I felt sick and Emma was so amazing. Honestly, that's how you know a real friend. If it wasn't for her, I would not have been out there." You May Also Like Michelle Jenneke: The Sexy Australian Hurdler Sh*t never said during the Olympics Russian high jumper turns up drunk Become a fan of The Edge on Facebook and on Twitter .


text:
Jamie Foxx calls Barack Obama 'lord and savior' at Soul Train Awards in Las Vegas
Jamie Foxx may have taken his worship of Barack Obama a bit too far at the Soul Train Awards, when he took the stage to proclaim Obama the Messiah.
"First of all, give an honor to God ... and our lord and savior, Barack Obama," Foxx joked. "Barack Obama," he proclaimed on stage in Las Vegas. "Y'all stand up right now."
A longtime supporter of Obama, Foxx did an impersonation of the president at his 2009 inaugural celebration. At the time, Foxx called Obama's 2008 acceptance speech "the most incredible moment of my life and all of your lives." You can relive that moment with him in the video below.


text:
Our fondest memories from 30 years of the Mac - what are yours?
Everyone remembers their first time. What was the first Mac you ever owned, or used? Here are some of our first experiences
This week marks the 30th anniversary of the Macintosh. We thought it'd be fun to take a trip down memory lane: To remember the first Mac we ever owned or used. We want to hear from you too. So once you've had a chance to read our memories, post some of your own in the comments!
Anthony Casella
My first Mac was a hand me down MacBook Pro. Up until that point, i hadn't touched Apple hardware or software since my first computer, an awesome Apple IIc (Choplifter represent!) when I was 14 years old.
Working in IT I had to use various tools to maintain our various systems, most of them UNIX based. I naturally used Linux (various flavors) because of the customizability, plentiful GNU software, scripting, and modular design. I also enjoyed the Open Source Ideology. I usually kept my desktop running gnome or some other default desktop manager. The one drawback with Linux at that time was that I always had to fiddle to get things too work properly. 3D, playing various media, Wi-Fi and many other things had to be tweaked to work. Eventually I'd get it, but it was always a chore.
Then, one fateful day, my company started to get a few Macs running OS X. A UNIX based system with gorgeous UI. It looked amazing. Everything just worked. On top of that, it had access to all of the various GNU tools and software that I needed for work. At first I was reticent to admit my jealousy. I went COMPIZ crazy trying to outdo the beautiful desktop the Mac had to offer. After a lot of under the hood configuration, I could arguably say that my Linux UI and desktop was just as beautiful as any Mac OS X desktop. But the time it took to get there was too long. Too much fiddling. The next year we got more Macs in and I got offered one of the originals. I jumped at the chance and finally had my first Mac. I was very comfortable with the UNIX underpinnings right away. Terminals, X11, access to GNU software. All this, and a fully functional, easy to use an beautiful desktop UI. It felt like Linux+.
I have not looked back since. I have at times wondered if I would enjoy going back to using a Linux box. I think of using some of my old Mac hardware to install some modern distro but Mac OS X works so well even on my older hardware that I can't stomach the idea of trying to configure everything to get it to work as well it already does with Mac OS X.
The best part of my journey from Linux to Mac is that I now appreciate the amount of work it takes to tweak an OS and a desktop UI to get to the highly polished level that the Mac has to offer.
Marc Edwards
The first Mac I owned was an LC 630, bought predominately for writing music and using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Coming from an Amiga 1200, it felt in many ways like a step back. No preemptive multitasking? Really?! Not as many games. No demo scene. But, in most other ways it was a giant leap forward — a far nicer user interface, quicker hardware, and far, far better software. Deluxe Paint and OctaMED on the Amiga were great, but basic in comparison to Photoshop and Logic on the Mac, which I still use today. It's pretty insane to think I've been using those apps on a Mac for a greater portion of my life than not. I have no idea what I'd be doing as a career if I didn't buy a Mac 20 or so years ago.
Richard Devine
Being younger than the Mac, I've not had the pleasure of experiencing some of those classic older models. My first Mac experience came 8 years ago, when I acquired an 11-inch iBook around the time of my 21st birthday. It was also my very first laptop computer, since in prior years there had been little need for one with a custom built Windows box at home.
Immediately it was a thing of lust; I saw it, I wanted it. The white polycarbonate shell left the iBook standing out among the dreary, black, boring looking Windows laptops. It was also at that time considerably smaller than most of the competing laptops. I just had to have it.
Moving from Windows wasn't the chore I expected it to be, either. Using the Mac felt immediately more natural to me, the computing experience I'd always wanted, but never been able to get with Windows. And so it began.
I've had another Windows laptop in between, but since that day I've owned another 5 different Macs, both laptop and desktop flavor. The Retina MacBook Pro is something even my wildest nerdy dreams couldn't have imagined 8 years ago. But one thing's for sure; I can never go back.
Joe Keller
The first home computer that my parents bought for the house twenty years ago was a Mac. I don't remember the model. I thought it was a fine little machine, but after a few years, we ended up replacing it with a Windows computer. We went through a couple of Gateways and a Dell, before I went to college and got my actual first computer, a Tangent laptop. That was a piece of junk. I think it actually might have been made from old parts.
After Vista took my laptop from barely usable to something that snails actively derided as slow, I decided that enough was enough. In late 2007, I got my first Mac, the first-generation aluminum iMac, with a beautiful 24-inch display. Not only did the iMac differentiate itself from my Windows laptop immediately by working properly, but I was amazed how much friendlier it was. The mental switch from Windows to Mac took almost no time at all, and I was still able to do everything that I needed to do. Everything was so responsive, so smooth, that I couldn't imagine going back. I still can't.
That first impression was so strong that my iMac was soon followed up with a 15-inch MacBook Pro. Both machines have always been so reliable. That's what impresses me most about Macs: the consistant quality of the experience. From hardware to software, I've never regretted switching to Mac.
Derek Kessler
My first exposure to Mac OS came in my elementary school days — I distinctly remember playing The Oregon Trail on one of the three Macintosh II beige boxes we had in the school library. We had recently acquired an Intel 486 computer at home, and though it ran DOS, it also ran my impression of what computers were. My friend Seth's family had a Mac, but when I grew up it was most definitely a time of overwhelming dominance for the PC.
Fast forward to my freshman year of college. The time is 2005, the location is the computer lab at the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning at the University of Cincinnati. I have a PC, specifically a Motion Computing M1300 tablet (with Gateway branding), and while it is a pretty cool stylus-driven Windows XP machine, I need the power of the computer lab to power through some heavy-duty 3D rendering I need to do for my class. The tablet's served me well up to this point, but the lab full of Mac Pro towers is more to my needs — powerful, and with large screens to boot. And it had the requisite software that the PC lab did not have (the School of Architecture and Interior Design was very Mac-centric, while the Planning school worked on PCs)
This was my first real exposure to Macintosh. In retrospect, coming from a Windows household and coming to scorn Macintosh for no real reason, it's surprising how quickly and comfortably a slipped into using a Mac. I even liked it! I resolved that by the start of the next school year, a Mac would be in my bag. No longer would I fight with Windows to get it to work. While I waited for sufficient funds to accumulate I even started tweaking my Windows XP tablet to look and act a bit more like OS X. I was a convert before I even had a Mac of my own.
And so it was done. My first Mac was a 2006 MacBook Pro 15", the first generation of Intel-powered Macs. It packed a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and weighed in a 5.6 lbs. It changed my computing forever. That purchase set me down a path that six years later saw every one of my family converted to Mac, even my technology-challenged father and grandmother. They're all on iOS now too — I like to keep the tech support calls I receive to as few platforms as possible.
I'm on my third Mac now, having owned a unibody MacBook Pro and now running on a 15" Retina MacBook Pro. A lot has changed since I first toyed with a Mac back in third grade. Hell, a lot has changed since I bought my first Mac seven years ago. But one thing's for certain: I'm not regretting making the jump.
Chris Parsons
Compared to some of my colleagues, I was a late starter into the Mac world. I got my first white MacBook in 2007, picked it up used for $500 but still in beautiful shape. Still have it to this day in fact, albeit in rougher shape but it still boots up and runs like a champ.
I was always a 'build your own' Windows machine type of person but Apple really sold me on the whole do more on a Mac philosophy and as it turns out, it's entirely true for me. There was very little learning curve with OS X and I found a lot of what I liked to use, was already part of the OS. It made the transition insanely easy and the overall app experience itself was / is better for me.
These days, I honestly cannot even touch a Windows machine — I dunno how to use them. I used to know everything about them and if there was issues with something, I knew how to fix them. I've seemingly wiped all that from my brain and even have a hard time using a Windows computer keyboard if it's not one that ripped off Apple's styling.
As the cliche goes, how has Apple changed your life? They sold me a MacBook and enabled me to do more, faster and easier.
Rene Ritchie
My first computer was an Apple II plus with a green CRT monitor and external disk drive. I loved it. My father later had a Lisa at his office and I remember marveling at how amazing it was to drag everything into the trash can. I wasn't allowed to touch it again. I had DOS boxes at home after that, and then Amigas. My first Mac was a rather clunky Performa something-or-other that I used to build my first webpage with — in a text editor and Fractal Painter. I had a Windows laptop at the time, though, and ended up using that more often because, mobile. I stayed on PC, thanks to freebie work laptops, for the next few years until Vista made it impossible. Then I demanded, and got, a Mac.
It was a 17-inch Intel MacBook Pro running OS 10 Tiger and I loved it. The build quality was amazing, the user experience astounding, and I never looked back. I was working in design at the time and living in Adobe products, and the combination of the big, beautiful screen, not having to worry about viruses or, worse, anti-virus software, and the multi-window workflow which, ironically, was better and faster than on the OS called Windows, sold me completely. I quickly replaced my home XP machine with a Mac Mini, then a Nehalem Mac Pro, which I still use as my podcasting machine to this day. I've gone through a bunch of Mac laptops over the years as well, each and every one of them the best damn computer I've ever owned.
Today, when I think about the Mac, I think about quality and passion and great products made by people who themselves want to make and use great products. The Mac isn't great because the Mac is great. The Mac is great because, product after product, with purpose and intent, the people at Apple consciously and consistently strive to make it great. And as a customer, that means the world to me.
Ally Kazmucha
You can single handedly blame Windows Vista on me ever purchasing a Mac. True story. It all started with a super expensive Sony Vaio laptop with numerous hardware defects and warranty claims. Vista was the final straw since after installation, basic functions of the Vaio just stopped working, like the trackpad that you know, is a vital component of actually being able to use the computer. Out of frustration, I went back to Best Buy filled with rage after Sony refused to help me.
This is where I ran into one of the most awesome store managers ever. Out of anger I told him I was ready to chuck this laptop into the lake and drive to the nearest Apple Store to buy a Mac. He had been looking over my warranty information since I had purchased an extended one through them and I think he sincerely felt bad for all the issues I'd had. His response? "Well we don't carry Macs but our Best Buy about an hour away does. How about a gift card for the price of this laptop and you can take it up there and try one out? I love mine."
Not exactly the response I was expecting. But it's how I ended up with my first Mac, the original 2006 white MacBook. For that, thank you Best Buy dude.
My MacBook was loaded up with OS X Tiger and I absolutely loved it. My love for it was reaffirmed when the first iPhone was released in 2007 and I found out how amazingly well Apple products were designed to work together. I had my own little Apple ecosystem. Everything just worked. From that moment on, I was hooked.
All of a sudden I didn't understand the origin of all the terrible stories about incompatibility that kept me from trying a Mac for so many years. I could save files in Microsoft Office format, share videos and photos, and so much more. What the heck was everyone yelling about? What couldn't I do on a Mac that I could do on a PC? I still never figured that one out. Unless you were a gamer, I didn't see what the big deal was.
The best part was that my Mac came with all the programs to do lots of amazing things built right in. With Windows I would have had to buy hundreds of dollars in software to achieve the same result.
That little white MacBook was a trooper and lasted me until I was finally ready to upgrade to a MacBook Pro in 2011. It was then passed down to someone else before finally being laid to rest in 2013. RIP white MacBook, you served me well.
Peter Cohen
The first Mac I ever laid eyes on was at a computer fair held in the parking lot of a high tech company not too far away from my house. It was 1984, and it was the summer after the Macintosh had first debuted. Amidst the piles of manuals, miles of cables and bins of computer parts sat a Mac on a desk, its owner behind it. It was unlike anything I'd seen.
I was a teenage computer nerd. I had a Texas Instruments home computer - a TI-99/4A. One of my favorite things to do on it was to program bitmap graphics, which I would do by drawing a scene on graph paper, dividing the paper into 8 x 8 squares, then calculating how those squares would be represented in hexadecimal code. I'd type that in as data strings in a BASIC program I'd written, then print the output to the screen. Et voila, like magic, an image would appear. It was an arduous process, prone to errors.
Seeing Apple's MacPaint on the tiny screen of that first Mac was a life-changer. You could draw on the screen with the mouse? Are you kidding me with this?
I'd get my own Mac within a year. It was a Fat Mac, just like the original Mac but with an astonishing four times the original memory: 512K, instead of 128K. (That's right, kilobytes, not megabytes or gigabytes.
The Mac's display was black and white and fixed at a resolution of 512 x 384 pixels - a postage stamp compared to the systems today. One lone 400K floppy drive was all I needed at first: that was enough space to store a bootable system volume and the application software I needed. Though I'd eventually get as second floppy so I didn't have to swap out disks a hundred times in order to save files.
I didn't realize it at the time, but the most life-changing Mac app for me was MacWrite, the original Mac word processor. Words I typed looked the same on screen as they did on paper - the very definition of What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG). That empowered me to be more confident in my writing, and I've been using my Mac as an essential writing tool ever since.
Your turn
OK, we've had our say - now I want to hear from you. What was the first experience you had with the Mac? And do you have one now? What was your first Mac model? Please share your experience with me in the comments.
Have something to say about this story? Leave a comment! Need help with something else? Ask in our forums!
Reader comments
Our fondest memories from 30 years of the Mac - what are yours?
Apart from MacBooks I still regard Apple computers as overpriced and overrated. I deeply enjoy my MacBook air (my first Mac, been a DOS/windows/Linux guy since the 80s) and iDevices, but I see no real reason (for me!) to buy an iMac or Mini.
My first Mac was a Centris 660AV that my dad brought home from work. I still have it on a desk, and it still works. After that, I got a Macintosh SE, and then an iBook G4, and then a White 2007 iMac, then a Macintosh Plus for Christmas, then a 2008 MacBook Pro, and finally a 2009 Unibody MacBook.
My first computer was an Apple IIc with an amber monitor and a laserwriter printer. I learned to code on that machine with the magazines of the time. Later in life, when I could purchase a computer with my own money, I brought a Power Macintosh 6100. That computer lasted me about seven years, but alas, I had to give up Macs because of work which required PC's (DOS and Windows 3.11 at the time). Finally came back in 2003 when compatibility caught up with a Powerbook 12" (Late-2013) and haven't looked back since. Still have to use PC's for work (unfortunately), but my main computer is a 2012 13" MBA. Apple is truly the only general computing hardware I recommend.
I had always been an anti-Apple guy because their computers seemed elitist or limited in abilities. In other words, I bought into the hype, the false idea that they would hold me back in some way. And it really bugged me when a few people I knew would trot out the "too bad you don't have a Mac" or "get a Mac" when something was wrong with my Windows machine.
And now, 2 years after getting my first Mac, I have actually said similar things on occasion! When HP killed my beloved Palm Pre, I got an iPhone 4S and loved it. It then occurred to me to go all-in and get a Mac, a 2011 iMac 21 inch. I REALLY loved it, and still do! (Looking forward to the day I can afford a Mac Pro!)
Now I feel really old.
My first computer was in 1980ish -- an Atari 400. It was really a glorified gaming machine with a flat keyboard. In the years that followed I upgraded the heck out of the thing, adding an external real keyboard, a 5 1/4" floppy disk drive and a whopping 16K of RAM. I had a word processor on it, learned to program in BASIC and connected to some early BBS systems using a 300 baud modem.
My first Mac was an SE when I went away to college. It had a 20MB internal hard drive and I think at some point I upgraded it to what seemed like a crazy 1MB of RAM.
Over the years I have supported both Windows and Mac, from Windows 95 to XP, Vista & 7... and Mac OS from System 7 all the way to 10.9. (Although tech support is not my main job and never has been.) Sure, I'm more than slightly biased, but I have always found Mac systems to need far less (although far from zero) attention over the long term.
Productivity is great, but, since we are disqualifying Apple ][ and nobody has come clean to mention games:
- playing Dark Castle ( http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Castle ) for the first time. The first great platformer on the Mac, with good gameplay, humor, fantastic graphics, and way-ahead-of-its-time use of sound. We literally had not heard anything like its use of samples outside of arcades - it showed us what these newfangled home machines could do.
A video trip down memory lane for us old farts:
Sent from the iMore App
My first Mac was in 2005/2006 area. My friend and I thought we needed laptops and wanted to see which ones were the best. Went to the apple store and the apple employee showed us FaceTime or whatever it was called in back in 2006. We were hooked. We bought Macbook's before ANY one else was recreationally buying $1000 laptops. We used those respective MacBooks for 5+ years and people always marveled at how they didn't get viruses. Been buying Mac Mini/Macbook Pro/iMac/Mac Air, iPad, iPad 2, iPad Mini/iPhone's ever since
My company offered interest free loans for computer purchases. So, back in 1987 I purchased a Mac SE with a 20 Mb hard drive for about $2800 US. That's $5,817.94 in today's inflated dollar. My twelve year old daughter sat down at it, opened MacPaint, and within hours created a 1x1 inch magazine, printed on the StyleWriter, folded and stapled, for play use. Creativity? Priceless.
I'd been using PCs with all of their attendant frustrations when a friend who worked for a windsurfing magazine suggested I try a Mac. They were then in their SE iteration 12" B&W and everything, and expensive. I took delivery of the Mac, still not sure I'd done the right thing, and left my nine year-old daughter playing with the intro disc for twenty minutes. When I cam back she was flying round the operating system like a seasoned pro and I realised I had not made a mistake. I've had at least two Apple devices in the house ever since.
The daughter, now in her thirties, has recently released her fourteenth studio album 70% of them self-penned on Macs, toured the US with Joan Baez & Joe Jackson, played Glastonbury 3 times and runs a Words & Music Festival in Cheshire, UK which goes from strength to strength every year. Thank you Apple.
My first Mac was the original iMac in blue. My elementary school had 29 Windows 95 computers and just 1 iMac. I loved using it. The graphics, speed, and look of the iMac were amazing! Unfortunately, my school replaced the Mac with a PC and forced me to use it since it "wasn't fair to the other kids." >_>
Sent from the iMore App
My first Mac was a Macintosh SE with 20 MB of HD and 5 MB of RAM. I bought it to substitute a Phillips computer with 2 3,5" Floppy Drives and 640 KB of RAM, with a 16 colour monitor. Although the SE was a BW computer the interface was awesome with all these windows, icons and crazy real sounds. It changed my life with computers forever. I've own several mac computers through the years, never coming back to PC's except for company work. These computers really create an emotional bond with the user.
The first actual computer I ever touched was a neighbour's Macintosh Classic in the early 90s. But my parents bought a cheaper PC at the time, so I stayed on the MS platform and had a succession of those until 2010.
That's when I went back to school and decided to ditch the Windows XP box sitting on my desk at the time for a beautiful MacBook Pro: 13 inches of crisp and clear screen real-estate, the best keyboard I've ever touched and, of course, my favorite feature of all: the trackpad! I touch a mouse only when I absolutely have to now, mac or pc. Thank you to one of my colleagues for talking about his experience on OS X!
I've since bought a MacBook Air, an iPhone and just got a new MacBook Pro. Right now i'm in the process of selling my old MBP and it will be a bitter-sweet parting, i'm sure...
My father also had a Mac Lisa at his office and, oddly enough, like Rene I was enamored with the drag to trash can feature. Later the family got a Mac Plus and I remember being addicted to a game (it might have been a very early Castlevania). I received my own Mac Plus some time in college. With the built in "handle" on the back I felt so cool being able to carry it to a friend's room. The screen was small, everything was monochromatic, but I loved it. Sadly, when that departed I entered the windows world for a long, long time. There were hits and misses as I progressed through a Packard Bell, Gateway 2000, HP, Dell. I survived Windows 98, 2000, XP and Vista. When my HP Media Center desktop died I fulfilled my dream of moving to Mac. It was three times more money than I had ever spent on a desktop computer but it was worth every penny. Purchased it in June 2012 and every day I still get a little tingle of joy when I use it. With my iPhone 4S and iPad Air I have a happy little Apple family.
Peter, small point of correction, your Mac 512K's screen was even smaller than you remember: 512x342. I remember as I learned to program on my Mac Plus with the same screen and then later upgraded to a Mac LC with 12" colour monitor, with 42 more vertical pixels at 512x384.
My first computer was an Apple IIe in 1983. I was using Dollars & Sense to do my checkbook and playing games like Choplifter, Dino Eggs and Hard Hat Mack.
But when I saw a Lisa computer at a computer store in Bellevue, Washington, I was amazed at the user interface. I knew that was the future of computing.
But I did not get my first Mac until 1987. I was working as a field service engineer in Seattle and while working on a DEC PDP 11 at the Sheritan Hotel, I noticed a Lisa computer sitting in the office and was able to spend some time seeing what it could do. I was once again amazed.
At that time, the Lisa had been replaced by the Mac. That prompted me to make the leap from Apple II to Mac in 1987.
I am writing this on a 2013 MacBook Air, which I love. I also have a 2010 iMac 27" and a couple of Mac Mini's
Since 1987 I have owned so many Macs that I cannot remember them all.
I have been forced to use Windows PC's in various jobs and consider them to be an enormous waste of productivity due to the extensive labor time required to maintain them.
I love my Macs.
I wrote about this back in December of 2011 for an now defunct Mac e-zine known as ATPM.
Happy 30th. Macintosh.
My first experience with a Mac computer was in my college design courses. They were loaded with OS 9, and I soon received my first Mac from my parents for design courses. My first Mac was a 14" iBook in it's beautiful white casing. I've never gone back to PCs for personal use, and continue to use Macs in my work as a magazine art director. I've been through several iMacs (now using the 27" aluminum body), and use my Mac Mini at home for my home entertainment set up, as well as my latest addition, the 13" MacBook Air. My ecosystem is complete with mine and my wife's iPhones, iPad Minis, and Apple TV.
I was working in the graphic design department of a large corporation when the first Macs arrived - an all-in-one SE and a Mac II with color(!). Apple has been a part of my life ever since then. I moved into web design, and switched companies, and continued to work on Macs. At home I began with a Performa, slowly moving the family into other Macs (I'd buy them used from work when they were replaced with new models). At one time our family of four had four Macs at home (and I think, a laptop).
Then came the lean years. Our school system switched from Macs to PCs (the kids hated them, by the way). My job decided to no long support the use of Macs, so everyone had to go PC. I was on a Mac Mini at home, which worked quite well for my home needs., but since it wasn't feasible to work remotely on it, I purchased a PC laptop running (you guessed it) Vista.
As my daughters reached their college years, their computers of choice were Mac laptops, and that is when, I think, the tide started turning. We all got into iPods quite early - click-wheel iPods and Minis, and the USB stick style Nano.
As smartphones began to become popular, I quickly realized I wasn't going to be able to afford iPhones for all four of us, and our first smartphones were underpowered LG Android phones. We compared it with the two iPod Touches that we had at the time, and realized that a mobile device could be so much better than those stupid LG's.
The business I work for started getting interested in mobile, and bought some early first-generation iPads to experiment with. The execs were impressed, to say the least. Quickly our company became known for our early implementation of mobile capability.
And during those first few months of our mobile initative, I took one look at that 3 or 4 year old Sony laptop...and decided to sell it for a refurbished first generation iPad. Haven't owned a laptop personally since then, although my husband and I inherited a 3 year old Macbook from my younger daughter last year when she upgraded to a Macbook Air. And yes, we finally all got iPhones, since the contract price on them has dropped to a fairly reasonable level.
Still using Windows at work, but most of my non-work "computer" time these days is spent on my iPad. The first generation one was handed down to one of the kids, and I got an iPad 2. I hope to buy a refurbished fourth generation or Air this year.
Since I am familiar with both Apple products and Windows (and I did a test drive on a Surface a few months ago, which I hated), I can honestly say that I have believed for a long time that Apple products simply work better. They are more expensive than cheap Windows laptops and underpowered Android cell phones (and a good Android cell phone will generally be in the same price range as an iPhone), but the Apple products have tended to last longer and have generally been supported longer in their life cycles.
My first Mac was a Performa 200.
I think it was $999.00. Bought it at Silo. A consumer electronic store that eventually fell to Circuit City.
40 MB hard drive Wow. Never filled it up.
Sent from the iMore App
It was 2005, I was in college and I had my dad's 2003 HP laptop which at the time was a big deal for me because it was my first away from home computer and a laptop to boot! One night I was writing a 12 page research paper in Word and I was on page 4 when the laptop shut down for no reason. I lost two pages of work because I didn't save and I never saw the shutdown coming.
The HP did this to me three other times during the semester and they were all during crucial moments of writing. I asked my tech friend what I could do and he told me to go buy a Mac, I scoffed at first, but I researched Macs some more and purchased a white 13 inch MacBook.
It blew me away! No more viruses, no more bad hardware, and I could write in Word without having to worry about a shutdown. Fast forward 9 years later and I'm typing on my MB Pro Retina that I use for work about why Macs rock my world. Thank you Apple for making me more productive by giving me great hardware, and eliminating my need of worrying and tinkering with an OS.
I used the vic-20 when I was in grade school, but it wasn't mine. My very own computer was the Apple IIGS. I was the envy of all my classmates and I used it up to my first year in college. After that I began using the Unix system's computers on Campus and using LaTeX to type my papers. My second computer was a windows laptop with a docking station that I paid $5,000 for. Since then I got a new windows laptop every two or three years, while using Linux at school and making a Linux box for myself. This occurred until 2007, when I went back to mac and bought a Macbook Pro. I bought another one in 2011 and I'm buying another one this year when my three year Applecare runs out.
I first used apple IIs in elementary school. The first computer I owned was an apple IIe and commodore Vic 20 with tape drive and a modem that I got used for Christmas. In 87 or 88 my dad bought the family a Mac plus. I loved using it for school work and playing Dark Castle and Beyond Dark Castle in black and white. After that it was all PCs for me except at school. I was a photographer for the school paper in high school and college, so around 93-97 is was on a performa or a Mac quite a bit. I bought a white iBook G3 in the early 2000's and still have and occasionally use it. I've had an iPhone since day 1 in 2007, and wonder why I haven't bought another Mac yet. I guess the iPhone mostly does everything if need a computer for, and for everything else I have my iPad and a cheap ass netbook that (barely) gets the job done. Truth is, I just don't use computers outside my phone or iPad anymore, and use LogMeIn wherever I am to access my always on netbook if I do need a computer. This past year I've strongly been considering a Mac mini. Waiting for a refresh to decide if I want the new one, or a discounted old one when they come out with the new one.
Sent from the iMore App
I bought a Mac Plus in 1986 to write reports and term papers on while attending grad school. Due to lack of funds I started using various PCs but was never that happy with them. I finally went back to Apple with a G4 MacBook. My wife liked it so much we've bought Apple ever since.
Sent from the iMore App
My fondest Apple memory was the US Festival and the tech tent. The 83 year. I think they had a precursor to the Mac on display.
Posted via the Android iMore App!
Wow you guys are so lucky to own and worked on such early Apple models back in the 80s! I wished I did but like a few others here I am a late comer to the Apple scene at my age (born in 60s) and was using windows for years since I saw it at my first job in 1989 and then bought my own PC from Gateway in 1999 for 1000 quid. Had that for about 5 or 6 years till I bought another PC from Dell. So like a few people here I was v proficient at windows by then and was not thinking about Apple computers at all until I met my girlfriend from Croatia. She has an iMac at her home so I played around with it for ages and discovered that it's so nice and simple but I was still not convinced yet. It took her a year to persuade me to have a leap of faith and buy an aluminum MacBook which I did in 2008. Man, I fell in love with it as soon as I started to use it. It was so exhilarating and awesome in terms of experience and ease of use. I still kick myself for not going for Apple earlier! I'm still with her and we have a lovely array of Apple stuff now, two iPhones, iMac, iPad Air, retina MacBook Pro and Apple TV here at home. Never ever going back to Windows that's for sure!
Sent from the iMore App
Edit: disregard...wasn't a fond memory...came across as trolling.
My first experiences with Apple computers was way back in "ancient times" when I was in elementary school (circa 1980), in computer class. I vaguely remember using one of the very early pre-Mac Apple computers, I think it was an Apple ][ or something like that. I was intrigued by them but I wasn't a very geeky or computer-inclined kid so I usually just left them alone.
Fast forward to 2008, when I finally got my first Mac. My big, noisy, antiquated Fujitsu Windows XP tower was dying, and I was tired of Windows-related issues anyway, so I began looking at alternatives. One of my coworkers was selling his 2006 Mac mini for only $300, and I had heard good things about Macs, so I decided to buy it off him, despite knowing almost nothing about Macs at all.
That Mac mini was the best little computer I ever had. It never gave me any issues the whole time I had it. I was amazed at how capable it was despite being so small and quiet.
Then in 2009 I upgraded to a 2008 iMac, which I've had ever since. It's almost 6 years old and still soldiering on running OSX Mavericks 10.9.1 (or whatever the latest release of it is). I've never had any significant issues with it either and l'll probably keep it til it dies.
My next computer will definitely be a Mac too, most likely a 15" retina MacBook Pro, once I can finally afford it. And maybe one of the new Mac minis for home use.
It seems like a lot of iMore started out on Tiger - so did I. My first Mac was a 2005 G5 iMac (purchased just a little over a month before the Intel announcement - argh!) and was a perfect example of the iPod halo effect. :-)
I transitioned later to a 2007 white Macbook which lasted me till the 2011 MBA I'm currently on, so will be coming up on 9 years of Mac usage. It's definitely been remarkable seeing Apple's growth in that time!
The day I brought home the original Mac 128k with an external disk drive and ImageWriter printer. I still remember the other kids looking in envy over the true script fonts printed out while they kids were still handing in dot matrix Epson printouts.
I remember first sitting down in front of the Mac at a computer shop that I was working at during the summer back in 1984. I Remember saying to myself and anyone who would listen that it was the future of personal computing.
My first mac was a Mac Pro. I really didn't know what I had at the time. Then I moved to the iMac.
Sent from the iMore App
My first Mac was the Macbook Air 13" 2012. Well, technically, i'm a newbie, eh? Since the first day of the transition from Windows to OS X, I've been experiencing a fast, convenient, and sleek computing compared to that of Windows (XP, Vista, and 7). Top 3 OS X features that distinguishes the Mac (for me at least) 1. Precise Trackpad gestures 2. No virus environment 3. Deep integrted cloud system 4.
Sent from the iMore App
The 1st computer I ever used was in my elementary school in 1995 or 1996, its was a Classic Mac, with color I think. Last year, I bought a Mac Mini and got rid of all my PC's with Windows(which I had used for most of my life). I thought I would need them for some apps but I was wrong, I like the iMessage app which I can text my friends(also can get thru iPhone and iPad Mini). Loving it so far.
My first was a Mac 128k with the telephone cable hookup for the keyboard and a rather large, single button mouse. I remember it was a single-sided, single-density 3.5" floppy drive. It was amazing, even when dealing with dozens of floppy swaps per sitting (unlike Peter, I did not get a second floppy). It also had a serial number of *A<forget how many zeros>9*. Wish I never sold it, as it would be a great keepsake.
Then it was an LC (forget which model, but it was a 68040 processor). Then a Performa 636, Performa 6400, G3, G5, 2007 iMac (that I still use today), and a hand-me-down 2008 MBP. Each machine introduced me to so many new things that I could do and each one "pushed the human race forward" :)
This might be a little long so apologies in advance.
My first mac was a Plus circa 1988. According to some articles of the times, it was among the first million sold. My fave moment with it was during the 1989 loma prieta earthquake in San Francisco. Now, in spite of me living in the area - years later - I was linked to the area via a beta test program from Colorado with the online proto FPS multiplayer game "Amazing" aka : Mazewar on (the) GEnie (online network) which was being played with a handful of us testers and some at GEnie (and or) Macromedia devs. I'd developed some custom skins and mods for the game so I was on it a-LOT. When the quake hit - the tv in our college dorm room previously showing the World Series went static but after a few minutes every player who got knocked off (in the Bay Area) reconnected. The phone lines were jammed - but not the lines being used by the modems / online services. We spent the next hour making collect phone calls for those players in the earthquake zone to notify their family and loved ones that they were alive and ok. I'm sure there's other great mac-moments - but that's my tip-for-the-top.
Pre Mac, my Father and Grandfather built a kit computer based on the Superboard II around 1978, followed by Sinclair ZX80, ZX81 and ZX Spectrum. I had a lot of fun with those machines.
The first computer I bought was Amiga A500, followed by Atari 1040ST (for the MIDI ports and Pro 24). I had a brief encounter with a 486 PC / Windows 3.1 in the early 90s.
My first Mac was a Quadra 650 with Pro Tools (1994). Followed by a G3 desktop, G3 PowerBook, Titanium PowerBook(s), 17" MacBook Pro, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" MacBook Pro, 13" Retina MacBook Pro, and a 2013 11" MacBook Air.
3 of those MBPs and the MBA are in active service. I sold the 13" MacBook Pro a couple of years ago.
This years marks the 20th anniversary of my first Mac.
Sent from the iMore App
I don't own any Mac. And I WAS actually one of those people that doesn't really know better why other people chooses to buy a Mac. I used to say why pay for something that's overpriced when you can build a Windows computer with similar specs that costs less and offers more flexibility. Now I believe I'm starting to get it. Really.
It was really fun reading everyone's experiences with their first Mac (Go Vista! lol)
Hoping I'll have a story of my own someday. Cheers!
I work in IT and since doing 3D and programming in HS I was a Windows man. I didn't have any bias in truth I didn't even know about Macs. The company I worked for only had one Mac when I started. It was the graphic designer and unlike the other users he took care of his own machine. In time after he left the marketing dept. got a few more Macs and the new graphic designer became one of my best friends. This is when I started to learn a little more about Macs. My support of them was limited they were a bit walled off in the 95% Windows network. When I did help my friend was usually doing most the work while I watched. I wotk at an architecture firm and a student doing his work term became the third member of our trio. He was in university so he had a 17" Core 2 duo MBP running Tiger. When he decided to upgrade he offered to sell it to me. I figured with Marketing demanding more support and being more integrated into the network. It would be good for me to know Mac OS. I still needed to run Windows so I maxed the specs out and loaded up VMware Fusion running Windows in parallel. I have learned so much not only about the Mac OS and Macs but about running Windows in parallel vs BootCamp. I still use Windows every day. I enjoy using both OSes. There are things I love in Windows and things I love in Mac. I love using the newest of both and seeing the changes. Sometimes I contemplate going all Windows for the hell of it. Then I laugh it off but luckily I have computers running both OSes so that I don't feel like the grass is greener on the other side. Since that core 2 duo I have owned 3 other MBPs along with my iMac and new old school G4 Mac.
Sent from the iMore App
My first Mac experience was in the early 80's on the Apple 2c (or something like that). As a kid I thought it was great but to be fair it wasn't an Apple specific thing. Our school had COMPUTERS! It didn't matter what brand they were it was new technology and cool. Especially since they played Oregon Trail. Actually I think that was later. I want to say that all we did at first was practice programming in Basic (drawing lines with the "Turtle").
Anyways, fast forward a dozen years or so and I'm doing tech support for Symantec for their database app. My crash course in Mac was my lead coming by and dropping one off at my desk (can't remember what model). "Learn it", she said "Because you're on the phones tomorrow." This would have been in the mid 90's well before OSX. I enjoyed the challenge of learning a new OS and being able to support it in a day. Overall the experience was okay but nothing that blew my mind (only one mouse button?). The Mac was a fun toy but it was no replacement for a NT or Novell based network. Troubleshooting network issues with AppleTalk? Made Netbui look good by comparison.
Fast forward another dozen or so years and you have what I call the "second coming" of Apple. All the devices we see today starting really gaining mindshare a few years ago. Not just the phones and pads but the mac books. We've let a few into the enterprise and stopped there. It's even been a few years since then and really no progress has been made to make Macs an enterprise platform. There's a long list of reasons why but ultimately it comes down to interoperability problems (directory services, browser, printing, file sharing, hardware, etc etc). Thank goodness for Windows virtual desktops. Maybe if we had nothing but Apple on the floor it would be workable - except that half of the vendor apps would stop working - maybe more :)
Sure some organizations use Apple exclusively - very successfully - I'm not trying to knock that. Windows has deservedly earned itself a lot of scorn but cost and flexibility keeps it winning out in large enterprises. For now... maybe when we fast forward another dozen years or so the business world will be shifting as much as the consumer world.