I am sorry for not updating this past month. A lot has gone on that has tied my time up. I hope you can understand (if there’s anyone out there that is reading this). The past few weeks I’ve had some trouble with my computer. It’s been a great computer these past 5 years, having built it around May of 2001. I haven’t done much to it other than upgrading the RAM, video card, and sound card. I think it knows I’m getting ready to replace it, so shortly before I get ready to purchase the new one it fouls up on me. I haven’t been able to effectively work on the manga page for a good while now. I’ve been just so annoyed over my computer along with spending time getting the funds and the loan together to purchase the new one. I know what’s wrong with it; it doesn’t cost much to repair it; but I’m not going to waste my money on a computer I’m not going to own for longer than a few weeks. I’m more sick with the operating system than the computer itself, actually, as my problems with Windows have lasted longer than the computer’s problems. Windows XP has been a disaster. I’ve gotten several viruses on the computer, along with updates to the operating system that just makes my toenails curl that doesn’t solve the security problems any (Security Center, anyone?). I built my computer, and I don’t feel like dishing out $350-$400 for a worthless OS when it comes out. I’m about sick of Windows and what it doesn’t offer me in terms of performance and features. I’ve tried out the Vista betas, and I just loathe it. I wonder what they have been smoking these five years to come out with this crap. There’s a tremendously huge open source community on the Macintosh that has swelled since OS X was released originally. There’s software to perform any task that I do in Windows, and almost all of the time it does it better and with less resources involved (not to mention most of the time FREE). The shell in OS X is quite powerful, as anyone who knows how to operate a UNIX shell can attest to. There’s just too many advantages for me to count. My first computer was a Macintosh, and I’ve spent a lot of time around them and working on them. I love them, so I’m finally going to replace my desktop PC with a Mac Pro. I am going to borrow some money to make the purchase, and I plan to have the loan paid off in short order. What I am going to be getting is overkill, but it won’t be in five years which is how long I hope to own it without having to do much upgrading (which you can do in a Mac by the way). In the end it will save me a good bit of money in wasted time and purchased computers.

I know a lot of people taking a look at this are Windows users and will probably hate me for stating this. Many hate the Macintosh without actually using one, but claim they have used one before. It’s a never ending struggle, but many of you need to see it my way. I realize that nothing is for everyone. Windows isn’t for me, so I’m going to the Macintosh. You might like Windows. That’s fine with me. I don’t like you any less than I would normally. Our computers and what we do with them are extensions of who we are. I’m an artist. I want an artist’s computer. I want a Macintosh.

Why if I’ve liked the Macintosh so much why haven’t I bought a desktop Mac already? Well, I haven’t always been a loyal Mac user. Sure I’ve used them and have liked them all my life, but as a personal computer they’ve been less than personal. For years they’ve lacked developer support and therefore the software base that Windows has experienced in its history. When OS X was released I was astonished by it. It was a rather useless OS then, but Apple has improved upon it these past years. It’s an operating system that’s easy to use, yet powerful if you need it to be. I’ve always had a soft spot for UNIX systems (when they work) such as Linux distributions (I’ve taken looks at both Gentoo and Ubuntu recently, too), but I’ve never been able to use them as a desktop platform because of a lack of professional graphics programs (sorry guys but The GIMP just doesn’t cut it) or the lack of time to actually get them working before I could do anything. Mac OS X contains many features (and will improve upon and add to the features) that I have grown accustomed to using that Windows doesn’t offer in any shape, fashion, or form even with third party software claiming to do the same thing. It’s all about what I want to use with a computer and not loyalty to a particular company. I have grown to hate Microsoft not out of a love for the Macintosh, but out of a hatred of their operating system through countless hours of harassment it gives me. I know my stuff as many who know me will attest to, but just because I know, can figure out, or can find out a method to solve my problem I want to do so on a daily basis. I’m just like any other person out there. I want my computer to work when I turn it on. If there’s a problem I will try to fix it (no platform is devoid of problems, not even the Macintosh), but I’m not going to spend most of my time fixing problems.

What about the Manga? I’m still working on it, but it’s at a snail’s pace. I’m sorry for having all of these posts with delays, but I’m working on it as hard as I can with what I have to do it with, my laptop. It does a good job at it, but having to do something you’re accustomed to doing on a desktop on a laptop takes a bit getting used to. It’s a tad bit slower than my PC, so there’s a bit of a production hit there, too. I want to update this manga on a regular schedule, but it never seems that it can work out that way. I have a job and other responsibilities. This manga is my escape from it all. It’s artwork I can do what I want and for enjoyment. As you can see I don’t get much pleasure these days. I try. If I don’t keep readers because of a horrible updating schedule (and this manga has had one of the worst I have ever seen) I can’t help it. I’m sorry. I have two people writing for me (and they do a damned good job at it), but I am the only one who can draw it. If I won the lottery (and won an amount I could live off of) I can assure you I would quit my job and work on this manga fulltime in a heartbeat.