httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpXdk-dkQ_E

Filmmaker Greg Richters had enough with blue screens of death and viruses. So he made this aggro ode to Microsoft which ends in flames.

“I used PCs all the time but I got fed up with its bugs and constant crashing and so I switched to Mac three years ago,” he tells Cult of Mac.

The video shows a frazzled Microsoft user fighting his virus-ridden PC, until it explodes in its face — something that does actually happen with PCs.

(And a few Apple devices, too, we note. But not as many? And what’s with all the burning and blowing up of innocent computers lately?)

Anyway, the message? “Just say no to Microsoft, get a Mac,” Richters tells us.

Via Films United

Research in Motion has taken to YouTube to compare its recently unveiled PlayBook tablet with the leading iPad from Apple. After RIM CEO Jim Balsillie last week said its tablet would beat Apple on price, now the Canadian BlackBerry maker now has a video claiming to show web browsing on the PlayBook is faster than the iPad.

The video, showing the PlayBook loading pages at a faster clip and with complete Adobe Flash support, reminds one of an earlier showdown between Apple’s iPhone 4 and RIM. Earlier this year, Apple briefly posted a video on its website hoping to illustrate the iPhone 4’s much-discussed troublesome antenna was actually a problem shared by other major handset makers, including the BlackBerry. After a storm of complaints from its rivals, Apple quickly removed the video, instead announcing a free bumper program.

Apple’s accompanied its surprise announcement of the Beatles coming to iTunes with the expected press release, but this one’s more worth reading than normal: it’s filled with winning quotes from Ringo Starr, John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

As predicted, Apple’s big iTunes announcement today wasn’t iTunes in the cloud, or streaming, or a subscription fee… it’s John, Paul, Ringo and George. After ten years, the Beatles and their music catalogue have finally hit iTunes.

Although it’s not been announced on Apple.com as of writing, the Beatles’ presence on the iTunes Store now commands most of the upper fold. The entire catalog seems to be available, along with a link to the band’s page, the Beatles Box set and more. You’re even getting a decent deal on the Beatles Box Set: it cost $250 when it was released last year, and currently costs $154.99 on Amazon at a heavily discounted price. Apple’s price? Just $150 for every Beatles song ever recorded.

The sudden resolution of Apple’s decades-long standoff with Apple Records, first for the Apple trademark and then for the Beatles catalog, has happened swiftly. One thing’s for sure: however Steve got Apple Records and EMI to agree to iTunes’ terms, it’s going to make one hell of a read when the story finally comes to light.

Although many of us already own the Beatles’ catalog — I have the full collection of the recent remasters already converted to lossless MP3s — and while many will be apathetic to this news, this is a big win for Apple, as the record labels release their death grip on one of the last digital music holdouts.

CDs and records aren’t the future of music anymore: iTunes is, and the labels have finally been forced to give up one of their last aces-in-the-holes in order to stay relevant.

When you’re under as much scrutiny as Apple, even the smallest change or briefest of retractions is bound to provoke comment, so it was no surprise that when Apple briefly pulled the Mac OS X Server 10.6.5 update was briefly pulled yesterday, it almost immediately raised questions about what was going on.

Not to fear, though: it’s now back online with a 1.1 version number, available for download from Apple Support or by hitting up Software Update.

Since the iPad launched, scams luring gullible folks in with mirage of free ones have proliferated almost as fast as the device itself.

Now that desire for Apple’s magical tablet is at its peak — only world peace is slightly more desirable — watch out for the iPad bait-and-switches.

McAfee Labs investigated the top 12 Scams of Christmas — sing along with us now — and the first to put dancing plums over the eyes of eager consumers are iPad scams.

Now that Consumer Reports has deemed pretty much the entire line of Apple notebooks the “Best in Class” in every configuration, it stands to reason you may be seeing more and more of them wherever you go. And not that you’d let your own far enough out of sight to risk its possibly getting mixed up with someone else’s, but there is something to be said for personalizing your Mac. And certainly lots of options exist for doing so — from getting laser etched engravings to getting artful skins to getting brightly colored cases, and more.

Here’s a gallery of a dozen artful, yet subdued decals that make interesting use of the Apple logo and express a bit of whimsy and personality, all of which are available from Etsy. The website has literally thousands of decals to choose from, offered by a wide range of artists, at prices ranging from a couple of bucks to about $15. As always, click on each image for a larger view.

Be sure and let us know in comments about your own favorite decal artists and other outlets for personalizing your Apple gear.

At the top of our favorite iOS apps list this week is Time Flies – a simple but useful application that helps you keep track of how long it’s been since you last completed a chore or task. It’s now even easier to remember when you last called your parents, bought flowers for your wife, or cleaned the house.

Our second must-have app is a quick and powerful to-do app called SpeedTask. It features a simplistic, easy to use user interface, with free ‘cloud’ syncing that allows you to access your tasks from any device, or sync them with iCal on your Mac.

Also featured this week is the redesigned ReBirth, which is now available on the iPad, emulating the classic Roland TB-303 Bass synth and the Roland TR-808 & 909 drum machines. Making music on your iOS device has never been so powerful!

At the top of our favorite games list this week is the second instalment of Amateur Surgeon – the game that lets you attempt surgery with a pizza cutter. With new patients, new surgeries, and a whole slew of medical ethics violations, this sequel sure packs an entertaining punch.

Gobliiins is another of our must-haves this week. Relive the Gobliiins adventures in this blast from the past that redelivers the original screenplay and soundtrack from the classic puzzler.

Also on our list of must-haves is the fantastic LEGO Creationary and Spider-Man Total Mayhem in HD. Check them out after the break!

The Modern Mom wears many hats. Weekends are devoted to soccer games and parties; weekdays are spent getting the kids off to school, planning meals and PTA meetings. How she manages to keep on top of it all is a miracle! Here are some worthy gifts for the Modern Mom.