For those of you who haven’t been questioned by an Apple employee about purchasing extended Applecare for your new Mac (and for those that have), you are faced with the decision most customers generally dread at other stores. The question that runs through your mind is this: is this just a scam for more of my hard-earned money, or is it really worth it and necessary?

Not that this will come as a particularly big surprise, considering NBC’s harsh falling out with Apple recently, but Apple doesn’t want to go play in the sandbox with NBC and its bully friends AT&T, Microsoft, Sandisk and Phillips; those select few have united against filesharing in a sort of DRM alliance, but Apple won’t have any part in it.

In a world where the public taste is turning towards all things Apple, PC manufacturers have been largely left out in the cold; to regain a foothold, they are attempting all sorts of crazy things to breathe life back into a asphyxiated industry.  News flash: bright, bold and shiny cases still won’t make Windows-based PCs Apple Macs.

Though I wince every time I consider how dependent the free world is on Microsoft products, I must admit that Microsoft Office is most times a necessity for Mac users; with that in mind, it either gives me great pleasure or makes me slightly nauseous to announce that the newest iteration of Microsoft Office, 2008, for Mac will be coming out of its closet at MacWorld.

So, you got a few Apple gift cards or some extra spending cash, and you’re about to burst with excitement over your upcoming Apple purchase, right?  But wait, MacWorld is just around the corner; could what you’re wanting to purchase become even shinier, prettier, nicer between now and January 15th?  The answer to your question is forthcoming.

For the longest time now, those who have chosen to take the “unpaid” route for Apple software have been able to do so without repercussion; however, Apple submitted a patent earlier this month that might be looking to crack down on all those hapless pirates.

For many university students, adapting to Mr. Microsoft’s exchange server for sending and receiving mail has become a way of life.  What would be fantastic is if Mail app for OS X “just worked” with those confounded exchange servers; sadly, it isn’t quite that easy.For some reason, Microsoft-based exchange programs tend to allow OS X Mail to receive incoming mail, but not send outgoing; me, being the resourceful college student that I am, decided to consult my Frostburg State University computer help desk, as I was unable to come up with a solution.Let me tell you, do not think that all universities are fully staffed with Mac-savvy attendants, yet.  To be quite honest, the lady went through the same steps I did, and said she didn’t know; she recommended I just check my email via the web client.Unacceptable, frankly.  I shouldn’t have to check the web client; for most mail providers, OS X Mail “just works.”Most M$ supporters would say there is undoubtedly a problem with Mail app; the real answer is that, most obviously, we are still living in a Microsoft world.Here’s my duck taped-solution, and if anyone has any better ideas, please leave constructive comments:  I receive mail from the exchange server like normal in Mail app from my university, but also have my Gmail account linked to Mail, so I use Gmail for outgoing mail.It isn’t perfect, but it works.I’d love a sure-fire solution, but I haven’t been able to find one.  Update: my fellow writer Leslie Poston led me to a site that provides a fairly comprehensive fix, though I haven’t been able to wade through it yet.  Here’s the link; apparently part of the problem is an inconsistency with Office 2007 protocol.  Enjoy, and thanks Leslie!

Most Mac owners are quite content with the security that accompanies each copy of OS X.  Symantec, provider of various protective software services, claims that OS X is just as vulnerable to attacks, and the same kind of attacks, as Windows.

One of the top reasons people won’t commit to switching to Macs is price.  Though Mac technology isn’t any more expensive than Windows-based technology when considering long-term value, here are a few great ways to break into the Mac world without buying a brand spanking new iMac or Macbook.

One of the most frustrating things about trying to convert your friends and family to Macs is that, no matter how strong your arguments of quality, performance and stability are, one counter-argument continually pops up: price.