syphax's Journal: Mac

This is a boring read; I'm just documenting progress in the home LAN.

I just got my wife a 12" Powerbook (and just heard today that new Powerbooks may be announced in a week- d'oh!).

So now we're running Windows (my work notebook), Linux/Wn98 dual (old desktop in the cellar), and OS X.

So far, OS X seems cool. I had forgotten how clean the Mac GUI is compared to Windows (and how different!). And Apple definitely knows how to seduce the user- the nice PB case, the glowing Apple on the lid, the pulsing sleep light, the excellent keyboard, etc. You pay through the nose, but at least you feel like you got something for it. These nice touches may not make you more productive, but they do make you happy.

I also got 802.11g up and running this weekend, in about 20 minutes (access point + PC card + PB, which came with Airport Extreme). Slick all around. Seems like I can do 54 Mbit/s, even with the Mac going; I thought that I had read that Airport Extreme would force a non-Apple 802.11g node to 802.11b. I'm not sure what the Apple can do; Airport seems to offer connection info less readily than the Netgear software.

Next up: Get Linux full time on the desktop (biggest hurdles with prior attempts were the wife, who was unwilling to deal with another complication in life- we had twin baby boys who were a few months old at the time, can't blame her; and getting the HP810c to print decently under Linux). I think the printer will be the biggest hurdle. I also hope to revive the IBM 560X which my wife had been using until the HD died to run the 2-3 apps that may not run on Wine, and that I don't want on my work computer.