Random Article
TechStuff
Navigate today’s cutting-edge technology with the gurus from HowStuffWorks.
TechStuff Podcast Roundup: Mac Clones & NASA
May 1, 2009
2 Comments | Add Comment
On Monday’s episode of TechStuff, Chris and I examined the issue of Mac clones. If you want to buy a PC, you can purchase one made by Dell or HP or any one of a dozen other manufacturers. But if you want a Mac computer, you have to go through Apple. At least, that’s the official route. But a little company called Psystar is offering computers running on the Mac OS X software for a fraction of Apple’s asking price. Psystar’s computers are made from off-the-shelf parts. We talk about the history of Mac clones, the mysterious nature of Psystar and how Psystar’s machine stacks up against an iMac.
We’ve had a few listeners write in and ask why we didn’t compare the Psystar computer against a Mac Mini, which at first glance seems like a similar machine. Neither the Mini nor Psystar’s computer come with a keyboard or computer monitor. The Mini is much cheaper than the iMac. But I chose the iMac because the processor’s specs and the computer’s RAM and storage capacity was closer to that of Psystar.
Oh, and there is an Easter egg: I invented a new word in this podcast. See if you can find it (note: “invented a new word” is tech jargon for “said a word that does not, technically, exist”).
On Wednesday, we responded to listener mail and talked about technology inspired or invented by NASA. There are a lot of rumors about various gadgets, technologies and even tasty treats that supposedly began in NASA test labs. We get to the bottom of the matter. Which inventions really started out as part of the space program? Was Velcro the brainchild of a NASA engineer? Did a scientist working on the Apollo program come up with the idea for scratch-proof lenses? And just what’s the deal with Tang, anyway? We hit all these pressing issues and more in TechStuff.
As always, feel free to discuss the podcast episodes here. Chris and I are happy to answer questions, respond to feedback and bask in adulation.
While we’re waiting for waves of applause, you can read up on some of the subjects we discuss at HowStuffWorks.com:
How NASA Works
How Space Food Works
10 NASA Inventions You Might Use Every Day
I listened to your NASA related podcast, in which you talked about NASA spinoffs. You guys mentioned CAT scanners and MRI scanners as being spinoffs from NASA technology—this isn’t true, the technology that was borrowed from NASA for these scanning modalities was for image processing and image reconstruction, nothing else. Both of these technologies had been around in primitive form long before there was a NASA or even a space program.
Tomography since the 1940’s and MRI (as NMR) as a chemical analysis adjunct since the 1920’s. Great show guys–keep up the great work.