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Sunday, June 08, 2008

The iMac

The Mac is a wonderful machine I find to be a cross between Unix and Windows, so far. It is by far the most elegant of them all, and OsX is a joy to work with, once you understand how things are done. A lot of people I know who switched from Windows to Linux made a big mistake by jumping over the Mac. It is by far a much superior machine that is very pleasant work with.

Now that I have a full English keyboard (thank you Mac Expert at the Apple store in the Eaton center), one that is unwrapped, typing is much easier. It's not a PC keyboard though and I'm typing at about 60-70% but I can see myself getting used to it. It is very sturdy and has an excellent feel.

Working on a 20" 1680x1050 screen is amazing. The OS looks great on it and is a joy to work with, apart from the idea of having the top menu bar morph into whatever program you're using, instead of having a menu bar on each window. I understand the need for this on a small 9" screen. On a 20" inch screen, I find I do a lot of travelling with the mouse, a lot more then I should. I'm sure it's even worst on a 24" screen.

As far as the OS goes, there is a learning curve and I'm climbing it. But just the fact I could easily fire up a terminal, type python and see the familiar prompt within 5 minutes of starting the computer is good enough for me.

If Windows is like a normal sedan like a Ford focus, or a Toyota Corolla, Linux is like a Yaris, a Geo, a Kia, a Hyunday or any small high production car that doesn't cost much. Working with a Mac is like driving a Smart, a Prius, a Mini, a small Mercedes, a car that has a certain amount of elegance and pizazz not everyone is ready to pay for.

It's too bad, it's a great machine.

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