Share
Virginia Tech students can take full advantage of the new operating system released by Apple.
OS X Lion is engineered to harness the technologies in every new and recent Mac and to deliver an intuitive computer experience.
The new operating system culminates the features from all of previous versions of Mac OS X.
It was designed to be easier to maneuver, meaning it will save students a couple trips to the computer help centers.
There are over 250 new features to the OS 10.7. It is specifically engineered for the processor architecture in all recent Macs to give them the best performance.
For Mac laptop users, Lion includes multi-touch support that lets users pinch, swipe, and tap through every app on the system.
Taking laptops to class will be a new experience for users.
With Lion’s longer battery life, searching and sometimes racing for an outlet does not have to be an issue.
According to the Apple website, everything was designed with simplicity and elegance in mind.
As a result, doing homework and projects can be different than in the past.
It’s built on a UNIX foundation for stability. It also delivers the best quality in performance, graphics, and industry-leading support for Internet standards, according to Apple.
This can be used by students working with programs like Adobe PhotoShop and InDesign and many others programs like these.
Students do not have to worry about losing photos, or documents to viruses since the operating system isn’t vulnerable to PC viruses.
The system was designed so that minimum effort is required to protect the computer. The operating system protects itself from malicious applications, according to Apple.
According to the website, every Mac ships with a secure configuration so the user does not have to make complex settings in order to stay safe.
Even with these self-protecting features, Lion doesn’t require constant security alerts and sweeps.
With FileVault 2 in OS X Lion, all the data on a Mac can be protected via encryption.
If a student recently owned a Windows PC, Apple has made it so they can transfer files, photos, and any other data from the PC to the Mac.
For those who are still not used to working on Mac programs, it’s possible to run them on the actual Mac.
To upgrade a Mac to OS X Lion, Tech students do not need to drive to a store.
They can click the Mac App Store icon, then choose Lion for $29.99, and the Mac OS X Lion installer will download.
The Mac App Store is loaded with several types of apps available for students, which can be used on Macs, rather than just iPhones.
For example, LyX is an app that allows students to type documents without worrying about the layout as the program does everything– processing is done using the TeX system via the click of a button.
Time Out Free is another application that students can use. This app will grey out the screen at regular intervals and remind you to take a quick break.
With over 250 new features, the OS X Lion gives the user the latest Mac experience for a reduced price, making it affordable for students.
Four years ago when Mac OS X 10.5 came out, it cost $129 to install Leopard on your Mac.
Now customers can upgrade to Lion for approximately a quarter of the previous cost.
With the new approach to Lion pricing, Apple seems intent to revise the pricing of software.
This is just another option, among many, for Tech students.
A version of this article appeared in the Jul 21 issue of the Collegiate Times.
Leave a comment 18 Comments Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
Yes, let's copy paste a bunch of things in a seemingly random order from the Apple press release and add a few sentences and call it an article.
Reply to this Top
Yet you jumped online as soon as it was published with glee and excitement and when you were uninterested you decided to be a hater. Grow up.
Reply to this Top
Jumped online? I subscribe to the RSS feed so I can see when new articles are published. This one was just too bad to not comment on.
If you're going to tell me to grow up, you might want to try to tell me to write my own article if I'm not happy with this one. Or perhaps you might even tell me that I used an apostrophe incorrectly.
Top
even better, you subscribe to the RSS feed so you're up-to-the-minute with your dear collegiate times, isn't that sweet. clearly I struck a nerve, you must know deep down what I have said is true.
Top
You've got it, I love the Collegiate Times.
Top
Last I checked a paragraph usually had more than one sentence.
Whereas, all of yours have one.
Just one sentence.
This means you like the enter key too much.
As a result, we can all ready articles differently than in the past.
Of course, I will spend the whole comment talking about how poorly written the article is.
Then I will end with a sentence that really enforces my main point.
This article is just super.
Reply to this Top
Arguing over petty articles on a terrible newspaper is juvenile and just plain stupid. I think we can all agree that the person who wrote this has no more than elementary knowledge of the English language, stop arguing over the specifics. Perhaps a change in major is due for the author? Is she perhaps a transfer from the prestigious Radford University?
Reply to this Top
I seriously don't see what is wrong with this article. There's plenty of people out there who are mac geeks and this exciting even if you already know this stuff. Just because you're not interested in the topic doesn't mean you should make foul statements about the author. you're only qualm is that you don't like topic, go read another newspaper!
Reply to this Top
"you are only qualm is that you do not like topic"
Beautiful. I'm sure your English professor would be proud.
Top
yeah absolutely - who cares about content.
congratulations, the grammer cop is policing one online news forum at a time
Top
News must be slow around here if this makes the headlines. Apple is overrated by the media everyday and Mac's are over priced anyway. How this makes the front page is beyond me. Then again, it is the CT
Reply to this Top
This story showed up at the front of quite a few news sources this week. Also, it was about a new $29 operating system, but Microsoft Windows is much cheaper than that, right?
Reply to this Top
I just don't get it. Time and time again poorly written articles about completely insignificant subjects are posted on this site. Just look at the quality of writing in articles like this and "Virginia Tech serves as Hogwarts for its students." I don't understand how students/readers can be content with drivel like this. Demand something better. This makes me embarrassed as a Virginia Tech student.
Top
Microsoft Windows is also a more business oriented OS. OS X evolved more for basic users who like the visual/sleek eye candy aspects of an OS but not for serious computing. Perhaps that's why it's cheaper?
Now Linux is the best of both worlds, it's a serious OS and it's completely free.
Top
Just because it's insignificant to you, doesn't mean it's insignificant to everyone. I, personally, found this article to be very helpful as this does impact me, a student and a mac user, and I otherwise probably wouldn't have paid enough attention to realize that the upgrade is something I can / should get.
I'm embarrassed that someone so self-centered as yourself to see that other people might be interested in something your not is a student here.
Top
*you're.
Commence your / you're jokes not.
Top
> Also, it was about a new $29 operating system, but Microsoft Windows is much cheaper than that, right?
Because Windows is the *only* alternative, right?
Top
This article and most of the others (Harry potter comes to mind) have been complete garbage. I have seen better papers and articles written by middle schoolers than most of the writers of the CT. Does anyone edit this stuff?
Reply to this Top