At the moment, I am thinking about ditching my 3 months old laptop to get a ibook. Why? My housemate bought one last friday and it is _gorgeous_. Okay, that would be a bit of a understatement but I am using a imac at work on and off.
But dang, I'm still impress with the ibook. Is it a smart move to ditch this laptop to switch over? Many people I have spoken to are doing this!
If anyone on this mailing list is using OS X. Please convince me if I really want to make the switch. So far, I am really appealed by the o/s, battery life and most of all, it's unixy feel! ;)
I'm interested to hear your thoughts!
On Thu, Jun 12, 2003 at 10:24:00AM +0100, Craig wrote:
At the moment, I am thinking about ditching my 3 months old laptop to get a ibook. Why? My housemate bought one last friday and it is _gorgeous_. Okay, that would be a bit of a understatement but I am using a imac at work on and off.
But dang, I'm still impress with the ibook. Is it a smart move to ditch this laptop to switch over? Many people I have spoken to are doing this!
If anyone on this mailing list is using OS X. Please convince me if I really want to make the switch. So far, I am really appealed by the o/s, battery life and most of all, it's unixy feel! ;)
I'm interested to hear your thoughts!
I have a PowerBook G4 15" and by jove it is a sexy little thing. I have Debian (Testing/Unstable) + Kernel 2.4.20 (benh) running on it and everything is great. X is great, sleep works, airport card works, sound works. Modem is a no.
The only thing that is downside is the latest Java SDK's available are 1.3.1. IBM is working on a 1.4.1, but that's only beta at the moment.
Oh, another thing is the single mouse button. I don't like trackpads anyway so I always stick in a three-button mouse, so it's not a problem for me.
Don't know how the above compares with an iBook, although I believe there are issues with maybe video card and ide stuff? Check out debian-powerpc list.
On Thu, Jun 12, 2003 at 12:23:37PM +0100, Andrew Keedle wrote:
I have a PowerBook G4 15" and by jove it is a sexy little thing. I have Debian (Testing/Unstable) + Kernel 2.4.20 (benh) running on it and everything is great. X is great, sleep works, airport card works, sound works. Modem is a no.
Weeeeee someone got one! ;) Well, I would like to use OSX to be honest, but then I could always run XDarwin and use a seperate desktop ;) Hmm!
The only thing that is downside is the latest Java SDK's available are 1.3.1. IBM is working on a 1.4.1, but that's only beta at the moment.
Hmm cripes. Thanks.
Oh, another thing is the single mouse button. I don't like trackpads anyway so I always stick in a three-button mouse, so it's not a problem for me.
Heh. Well that is a little bit of a downfall but then I am not really bothered as long I can get things done!
Don't know how the above compares with an iBook, although I believe there are issues with maybe video card and ide stuff? Check out debian-powerpc list.
Perhaps. Thanks for taking the time to reply! I will check out Debian-powerpc but then again.. there is always gentoo ;)
On 12/6/03 12:31 pm, "Craig" craig@wizball.co.uk wrote:
The only thing that is downside is the latest Java SDK's available are 1.3.1. IBM is working on a 1.4.1, but that's only beta at the moment.
Hmm cripes. Thanks.
Apple has 1.4.1 for OS X available at http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/java.html
If you're about to buy some hardware it may be worth while waiting for the WWDC (World Wide developers Conference) to pass as it's widely expected new 64bit PowerMacs to be announced which may have an effect on the pricing for 32bit equipment, if not you haven't lost anything (apart from two weeks of heaven).
Regards, Rob.
On Thu, Jun 12, 2003 at 01:29:17PM +0100, Robert Tillyard wrote:
Apple has 1.4.1 for OS X available at http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/java.html
If you're about to buy some hardware it may be worth while waiting for the WWDC (World Wide developers Conference) to pass as it's widely expected new 64bit PowerMacs to be announced which may have an effect on the pricing for 32bit equipment, if not you haven't lost anything (apart from two weeks of heaven).
Thanks to this department I am working in, I can actually buy one using their education discount. So a nice ibook (900mhz, 128mb ram, 40 gig hdd etc etc 12.1") is worth around �923 inc vat!
I could wait but really, the switch would be decent right now. Decisions, decisions!
On Thursday 12 June 2003 12:29, Robert Tillyard wrote:
If you're about to buy some hardware it may be worth while waiting for the WWDC (World Wide developers Conference) to pass as it's widely expected new 64bit PowerMacs to be announced which may have an effect on the pricing for 32bit equipment, if not you haven't lost anything (apart from two weeks of heaven).
This is a good point and especially the G3 ibooks should due to hit the end of production soon enough. I for one don't think Apple will be announcing any Powerbooks based on the PPC970 at the WWDC (despite what I keep reading on certain MacRumor sites).
But any new processor technology announced by Apple (even in a Desktop machine) will have a knock on effect on the pricing of all the lower spec models and I wouldn't be surprised if Apple actually announce price drops on certainly the G3 machines and possibly the G4's at (or just after) the WWDC.
There is a chance that they may wait to MacWorld Expo (which is about two months away) before announcing anything.
Personally I wouldn't buy an ibook, I'd save up some more money and go for a Powerbook. I know it's quite a financial leap but after using OSX on both G3 and G4 machines I'd have to conclude that it is a far better experience on a G4. Besides which the G3 is getting pretty long in the tooth now (even the bottom end eMac uses a G4)
I must admit I keep thinking about getting a Powerbook myself, Who'd have thought it...
All this talk about iMacs has prompted me to take a look at a thinclient I have lying around here... PowerPC 403GA processor with 8Mb RAM (wow !). To use this, I would need to build a cross-compiler toolchain. The question is - Do I need a little endian or big endian compiler ?
Regards, Paul.
On Thursday 12 June 2003 11:28 pm, Wayne Stallwood wrote:
Re: [Alug]Macs
On Thursday 12 June 2003 21:39, Paul wrote:
All this talk about iMacs has prompted me to take a look at a thinclient I have lying around here... PowerPC 403GA processor with 8Mb RAM (wow !). To use this, I would need to build a cross-compiler toolchain. The question is - Do I need a little endian or big endian compiler ?
I'd say big-endian as that is the default for PPC AFAIK
I think (and someone can correct me here) that the PPC little endian mode is not quite the same as TRUE little endian (although some PPC chips may support both)
Paul paul@bdiemc.fslife.co.uk wrote:
have lying around here... PowerPC 403GA processor with 8Mb RAM (wow !). To use this, I would need to build a cross-compiler toolchain. The question is - Do I need a little endian or big endian compiler ?
Apples always used to be the opposite of x86, didn't they? I'd just try it and use the other one if it doesn't work.
I've just bought a 12inch G4 powerbook, and I have to say, so far I'm extremely impressed. I /was/ going to go for the 17 inch model, but decided I couldn't justify the extra grand or so. Personally, I think £1300 (got a slight discount on mine) is extremely reasonable for a laptop of this quality.
One of my main concerns was the size of the screen (only 12 inch, and 1024x768), but I have to say, I've had no problems with it -- partly I suspect because of MacOS X's universal anti-aliasing and alpha-blending (Quartz rocks) approach.
Now all I want is for apple to write a full office suite to rival Office, and we'll be away (apple's prices seem much more reasonable than microsoft's as far as I can see).
Paul
On Thursday, June 12, 2003, at 11:28 pm, Wayne Stallwood wrote:
On Thursday 12 June 2003 12:29, Robert Tillyard wrote:
If you're about to buy some hardware it may be worth while waiting for the WWDC (World Wide developers Conference) to pass as it's widely expected new 64bit PowerMacs to be announced which may have an effect on the pricing for 32bit equipment, if not you haven't lost anything (apart from two weeks of heaven).
This is a good point and especially the G3 ibooks should due to hit the end of production soon enough. I for one don't think Apple will be announcing any Powerbooks based on the PPC970 at the WWDC (despite what I keep reading on certain MacRumor sites).
But any new processor technology announced by Apple (even in a Desktop machine) will have a knock on effect on the pricing of all the lower spec models and I wouldn't be surprised if Apple actually announce price drops on certainly the G3 machines and possibly the G4's at (or just after) the WWDC.
There is a chance that they may wait to MacWorld Expo (which is about two months away) before announcing anything.
Personally I wouldn't buy an ibook, I'd save up some more money and go for a Powerbook. I know it's quite a financial leap but after using OSX on both G3 and G4 machines I'd have to conclude that it is a far better experience on a G4. Besides which the G3 is getting pretty long in the tooth now (even the bottom end eMac uses a G4)
I must admit I keep thinking about getting a Powerbook myself, Who'd have thought it...
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On Fri, Jun 13, 2003 at 07:48:50AM +0100, russelp@mac.com wrote:
I've just bought a 12inch G4 powerbook, and I have to say, so far I'm=20 extremely impressed. I /was/ going to go for the 17 inch model, but=20 decided I couldn't justify the extra grand or so. Personally, I think=20 =A31300 (got a slight discount on mine) is extremely reasonable for a=20 laptop of this quality.
Going for the 17" model would be extremely ideal but then it would be far too big for my liking. It is all down to shaping what you want to do on a mac.
One of my main concerns was the size of the screen (only 12 inch, and 1024x768), but I have to say, I've had no problems with it -- partly I suspect because of MacOS X's universal anti-aliasing and alpha-blending
(Quartz rocks) approach.
1024x768 is still standards nowadays to be honest. I'm running 1024x768 on this and it just seems fine. Of course, going up higher resolution would be nice but I am not bothered as long _work_ can get done.
Now all I want is for apple to write a full office suite to rival=20 Office, and we'll be away (apple's prices seem much more reasonable=20 than microsoft's as far as I can see).
There is apple works but I agree with you.. with the way apple is going now, they should write an excellent office suite. Who knows?
On Thu, Jun 12, 2003 at 12:31:40PM +0100, Craig wrote:
Perhaps. Thanks for taking the time to reply! I will check out Debian-powerpc but then again.. there is always gentoo ;)
I've got it dual-booted with OSX, which is very very pretty, but I don't get a great feeling with it???? Perhaps, just haven't used it enough. I'm also a little miffed with Apple. All their blurb on their website say to go from OSX 10.1 to 10.2 (Jaguar) requires paying the full cost, about 90quid. jigsaw24.com do an upgrade disc (official apple) for less than a tenner! Dont' get me started...
I would like to stick OpenBSD on it, but as far as I can work out at the moment X is unaccelled for this model. Nevermind...
On 12/6/03 10:24 am, "Craig" craig@wizball.co.uk wrote:
At the moment, I am thinking about ditching my 3 months old laptop to get a ibook. Why? My housemate bought one last friday and it is _gorgeous_. Okay, that would be a bit of a understatement but I am using a imac at work on and off.
But dang, I'm still impress with the ibook. Is it a smart move to ditch this laptop to switch over? Many people I have spoken to are doing this!
If anyone on this mailing list is using OS X. Please convince me if I really want to make the switch. So far, I am really appealed by the o/s, battery life and most of all, it's unixy feel! ;)
I'm interested to hear your thoughts!
I'm using OS X on a 17" PowerBook. OS X has a location manager that changes your TCP/IP setting on the fly (without reboot) so I leave the PowerBook running and switch between Work/Home.
Apple provides a free X11 implementation so everything I do on our UNIX servers I still do but from the PowerBook. Most of my UNIX code seems to just compile on OS X without too much hassle (the Development System is included free on every Mac). I've started to learn Objective-C to write native Mac Applications. I have MySQL, PHP and all of the usual geeky stuff running (had to download those). Apache was installed by default.
So you get all this UNIX core plus a UI that's vastly prettier than XP and just works so nicely that I never find myself fighting it like I do if I'm forced to touch Windows.
Plus I've got MP3/ACC CD ripping and burning (iTunes), my digital camera works out of the box with no drivers (iPhoto) my Digital Video camera just works without drivers and I can edit my video (iMovie) and I can make my own Video/Data DVD's (iDVD). So far everything I've mentioned came free with the PowerBook. The only software I bought was Microsoft Office and Photoshop Elements.
I was originally going to buy an iBook but the screen is only 1024x768 (The same as my iMac) and although it has an external video connector the external monitor still only runs in 1024x768 in mirroring mode only.
If 1024x768 is too small you may want to look at the 12" PowerBook (just been reduced in price to £1,299 including VAT). It runs in 1024x768 but can run two monitors so you can use 1024x768 on the train but at the office you can plug into a 21" monitor and run the PowerBooks screen at 1024x768 but have the screen span both monitors I run my 21" at 1600x1024 (Will run up to 1920x1200). The 17" runs in 1440x900.
The 17" Also has built in 802.11g and Bluetooth that I use to communicate with my Sony Erriccson T68i (id I mention that worked out of the box with no drivers as well). One button sync's my contacts. I bought some $10 shareware that allows the T68i to be used as a remote control, so I can run PowerPoint using my phone as a remote keypad.
I hope to be able to make an ALUG meeting other than Elmswell at some point and bring it with me.
Let me know if you want any more info.
Regards, Rob.
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Andrew Keedle -
Craig -
MJ Ray -
Paul -
Robert Tillyard -
russelp＠mac.com -
Wayne Stallwood