Macintosh

1. A line of personal computers designed, marketed, manufactured and devolped by Apple Computers. It was the first operating system to feature a GUI (Graphical User Interface). Introduced in 2001, Mac OS X was based on Unix and was a more secure sucessor to the older Mac OS 9. Mac OS X is directly derived from NeXTSTEP, the operating system developed by Steve Jobs’ company NeXT before Apple bought it. The Macintosh line has been responsible for many innovations which have had signifigant impact on modern computing, including the indroduction of the GUI as mentioned above. Other innovations include the introduction of standard audio in/out ports, the abandonment of the floppy disk drive, and the support of multiple monitors. Macintosh has also greatly contributed to the field of portable computers, being the first to introduce the touchpad, which ahs now become an industry standard. The Macintosh differs noticably from other personal computers, especially those running Windows operating systems. All macintosh hardware and bundled software are assembled by Apple, whereas Microsoft supplies their software to third-party producers such as Dell, who make the hardware using a much wider range of components. The fact that the Mac OS is a less common operating system means that there is less third party software available for it, although suitable applications, such as Microsoft Office, are available in most areas. The design of the Macintosh operating system has contributed to the near-absence of the types of malware and spyware that plague Microsoft Windows users. However, recent security issues have made headlines, including a alleged severe hole in the Safari Browser and a "slew of malicious code" including the “Leap” & “Inqtana” worms to infiltrate the system. This has led some industry analysts and anti-virus companies to issue warnings that Apple's OS X is not immune to viruses. While no operating system is completely secure, there is no extant malware for Mac OS X -merely "proof-of-concept" code. Many computer-users prefer Macintosh because of its user friendliness and integrated software, which gives it an ease of use that appeals to more casual computer users. Apple's minimalist design principles often appeal to the aesthetic, and many choose to buy a macintosh in part because of this. The Macintosh is also used widely in the field of graphic and video editing. Detractors cite the non-upgradability of most macs, as well as the inability of a user to customise the Operating System through direct contact with the code, due to the lack of a command-line interface. Many criticisms of the macintosh focus on its inappropriatness for gaming purposes. Though the recent release of "Boot Camp" allows the Windows OS to be run on mac hardware, thus allowing the running of many previously unavailable games, macintoshes are certainly not optimised for maximum computer gaming performance. 2. (Also known as "Makintosh", and nicknamed "Mac") A type of waterproof raincoat, sold first in 1824 and made from rubberized fabric. The Makintosh was named after its inventor, Charles Macintosh. The name Macintosh has since become a generic term, but a geniune Makintosh coat is distinguished by being made from made from rubberised or rubber laminated material. 3. A type of apple (known specifically as the "McIntosh Red") with red and green skin and a tart flavor.