Using a Mac

This Mac thing is just a phase. Between the dominance of Windows and the energy of the open source desktops, it's hard to believe it will last. Nice hardware though - assuming it wears well. The following are some notes on trying Mac OS X on a Macbook Pro.

Software

open source essentials

VLC - http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-macosx.html - Isn't it cheesy how Quicktime only shows video in a tiny window, and Microsoft doesn't provide a media player for the Mac anymore? This player plays almost anything, with full resizing.

NeoOffice - http://www.neooffice.org/ - Mac OS port of OpenOffice

AdiumX - http://www.adiumx.com/ - multi protocol instant messager

Virtue - http://virtuedesktops.info/ - virtual desktops - a few glitches but decent

Shell - Built in ;) - but iTerm - http://freshmeat.net/redir/iterm/49825/url_homepage/iterm.sourceforge.net - is better

Note the lack of Camino, "Firefox for the Mac." I don't get it. Sure, it uses the Mac's native interface, but it is lacking in so many ways - no search in history, no inline page search, a whole new set of keyboard shortcuts that relate to nothing else - that I can barely stand using it. Thank heaven Firefox is available for the Mac.

other required software

parallels - http://www.parallels.com/ - if you need to run windows for testing or basic games, as well as having a Linux 'sidekick' OS for self contained server work.

- I installed Win2k since I had it lying around. Basic install, update, no usage. Noticed it was acting funny. Run the MS Malicious Software Removal Tool and it has over 1000 infected files. Go windows.

google earth - the most interesting way to view the earth

Best Shortcuts

Amusingly, the Mac has some of the most complicated and inconsistent keyboard shortcuts ever invented.

Type a directory location

- in the finder, and saving files using the default open/save dialog

Cmd-Shift G

Copy screenshot to clipboard

Cmd-control-shift-4 - press space if you want to switch to the "window" camera, then use the mouse to select your capture area.

Peeves

- An article on UI that pointed out how valuable edges are - so much easier to "select" than any screen area (since when you overshoot you've still got it) - really turned me onto the sensibilites of a good UI design. So why, then, are the shortcuts for ejecting a CD and opening the insipid Front Row located in these key positions? (the latter is miskeyed when using the switch-between-windows key)

- Cursor keys - different combinations in every app. Why?

- The whole keyboard muddle makes switching between operating systems especially frustrating.

- Frustratingly, the guideline of there being "no maximized windows" is upheld in apps such as firefox, where you can't "press f11 for full screen mode."

- Speaking of function keys... what the #($((#*?

- There's a limit of ten connections to your host for file sharing, for more you have to buy an add-on.

In September the 64bit Merom mobile chips will be out, and I have to wonder how much support there will be for 32bit macs considering their window will only be a year. Wish I could have waited, in addition to the 64bit potential (more registers, more future ready) Merom is supposed to be 20% faster at the same clock speed and can throttle the CPU down way lower when not in use for a cooler and longer running notebook.

Looking forward to

Mac's a second class citizen when it comes to things like Java support. Oh, Apple tries to deny it by saying they have an "enhanced" Java with support for their platform only goo, but that's missing the point for a cross platform language.

- https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=145890 (http://www.myeclipseide.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=12464&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15)

- http://kberg.ch/q/

- TASpring on Mac

- Decent power management/external screen support for Linoox