Re: [tlug] Linux-compatible Mac laptop?

[Joseph Essertier <essertier@example.com>]

> I doubt this is a worry any more.  
 Then I should just get the machine I want? :)
I looked at a colleagues' MacBook today.  From a distance, it doesn't look exciting, like the PowerBook G4 (Titanium) did when it came out.  But wow!  iMovie has come a long way in the last few years, and iWeb is very cool.  The magnetically-attaching adapter, the hard disk that stops when the computer is moved suddenly, etc.  There are some nice new hardware features too.  The simplicity is appealing.

> If you've got software you like, stick with it unless you have a good
> reason to change. 

Yes.

"Mac joshiki":
> everybody thinks the Mac Way is the only natural way.  Because of
> this there's generally less need to make gratuitous choices on the Mac
> than on Linux.

I see.

 CUPS has been a constant source of
> annoyance, 

Yes.  Not being able to print out at work has been a big annoyance for me.  I've put up with it, and used Ubuntu anyway there, but I'm at a different university now, where there are more Mac users, and more of the projectors and printers work with Macs.

Debian on the PrimePC works fine with my Linux-compatible printer, however, which has been a big source of satisfaction.
 
> I haven't upgraded Office in 4 years (the iBook I bought last year
> doesn't even have it installed). 

On a new Mac, I would use OpenOffice.  

multimedia apps (iPhoto, iMovie, Garage Band, ...) seem to
> be pretty usable

Yes, they would be for me too.

The final question I have in mind now is whether I should get the Power MacBook (about 250,000 yen), or the regular MacBook (about 170,000).  The differences between them don't seem all that great.  I don't need a huge screen.  The regular MacBook seems plenty fast enough.  The only drawback for me might be that the MacBook is a little heavy.  A Sony Vaio from 3 years ago is much lighter.  But 80,000 yen extra just for that?  I'm not going to be carrying it around every day.  Maybe twice a week I'd move it.

It would be so cool to be able to use Linux applications like the Gimp, through Fink, or whatever on a Mac laptop.  We'll see.

Joe