trifector

2007.02.08

a business i do computer support for switched to macs. they seemed open to letting me fumble through but i really don’t learn much and it’s a challenge to provide support for something i know none of the nuances. using any computer is easy. administering it, showing others how to use it, helping others, not so easy.

i tried the osx86project’s tips for getting OSX booting on a PC, but no such luck.

i took some extra student-loan money this semester and picked up a white macbook, 2ghz core 2 duo, 1gb ram, 80gb drive, 6x dual layer dvd burner.. my thoughts thus far:

Cons:

  • can’t right-click. I know there’s work arounds, but there aren’t two buttons. period.
  • default drivers from logitech for my mx518 doesn’t detect the extra buttons. currently, the only alternative is a pay-software called USB Overdrive. the shareware version is nagware.
  • sharp edges where the white plastic case meets the off-white keyboard tray/wrist rest. according to apple and the macalots on the discussion forums, i’m imagining it or have poor typing posture, especially when i’m using the touchpad. (2, 3) five minutes with a small file took care of it.
  • no dedicated Home/End, Page Up/Down, or Insert/Delete keys. with as often as i write (read: hack) code, i use theys keys often
  • constant sales and specials make “PC” notebooks of similar configurations 2/3 the cost
  • closing the lid suspends/sleeps the laptop. i hate it. the hack/apps out there don’t work on the macbooks (yet.)
  • constant harrassment from docah
  • initial screen calibration washes out bright-colors. a slight tweak for “Tube” worked wonders.
  • getting used to the modifier functions like apple+c/apple+v for copy/paste and how the fn, ctrl, alt, and apple + home/end page up/down arrows play together
  • window resize is lower-right corner only. c’mon apple, allow me to resize anywhere!
  • branding. not solely an apple issue, but can we do w/o all the flashy apple logos?
  • no equivilent of microsoft’s “offline files.” i tried setting up iFolder, an opensouce application claiming to do the same type of thing. a perfect example of why opensource sucks.
  • batterylife w/ wireless and bluetooth enabled

Pros:

  • two-finger touchpad tapping = right-click. i tap more often than use the button anyway, so two-finger tapping is neat. i wish my work-assigned dell had this.
  • two-finger touchpad dragging is scrolling. anywhere on the touchpad. both up/down and side/side.
  • magsafe power connector. some claim to have cord issues. i haven’t yet.
  • sleek hardware design
  • exposé
  • battery life is good after i disable wireless & bluetooth
  • having a unix shell wherever i go

OS X and its nuances are less scary now. otherwise, it’s just another computer. firefox installs just fine. so does open/neooffice. there’s a plethora of opensource applications (like cyberduck) out there for macs, many of which top their commercial counterparts.

having another OS under my belt is always good for the resume.

one comment

  1. I know i like ot make fun of you for it. Remember my last example of a mac user though? She not only didn’t know jack about windows, she didn’t know shit about OSX. Pretended to know Linux too, just to get points with geek males. As i recall she was dumb enough to buy a macbook when they still had “core duos” before the c2d’s came out.

    The one feature i want on my next laptop is the power connector. That’s it. I’ll take the price difference double my ram and get the next step up the vista ladder.

    docah, February 8, 2007

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