Why I got a MacBook…
I have been interested in and using computers since I was like 11 or 12. I have personally owned many computers over the years and used a number of different operating systems personally and professionally. My first PC was an IBM 8088 running various versions of DOS, then on to Commodore with an Amiga 500 and then an Amiga 1200. I got my first 486 PC after graduating high school in 1995. From that point forward I have used a number of operating systems and platforms.
I have used different versions of DOS, every version of Microsoft Windows from 3.11 for Workgroups to Windows Vista Beta, Amiga Workbench 1.2 and 1.3, various flavors of Linux like Mandrake, Red Hat, and Fedora, Solaris 2.6 and 2.8, IBM’s AIX (4.3.x - 5.x), OS/2 Warp, and am now extremely satisfied with and a “fanboy” of FreeBSD.
I have enjoyed the different environments, windowed or command line, that each of the operating systems has offered. In the *NIXs, specifically FreeBSD, Fluxbox is my window manager of choice. Gnome and KDE are great window managers but a bit too bulky for my taste these days. I have customized my Windows XP desktop to be as minimal as possible, and enjoy it like that, but the underlying system is still not my operating system of choice for daily personal use.
I know most of you out there have used a number of operating systems and platforms that I have never heard of, let alone touched. However, I feel that my experience with these different operating systems and architectures is greater than that of your average user. Although I feel like I have experience with a number of mainstream operating systems and machines, there has always been one that I have never messed with: Apple’s Mac.
There are a number of crazed Mac “fanboys” (and girls) out there. Many end users have never touched a PC and only have used Macs personally. When Chris and I went to Black Hat Federal 2006 earlier this year, a number of the presenters and attendees were carrying the new MacBook Pro. Why? That is what I aim to find out!
My first experiences with my MacBook (non-pro) have been wonderful. The design of the hardware itself is sleek and sexy, as is most everything Apple turns out these days including my 30GB iPod Video. The size and weight are minimal at 1.08 inches high, 12.78 inches wide, 8.92 inches deep, and weighing in at 5.2 pounds. There is no latch to open the MacBook. It is held closed by a magnet. The power cable, when plugged in to the MacBook, is also held in place with a magnet. Quite impressive if you ask me. A well designed piece of hardware.
The Main kicker of the Mac to me is OS X. The operating system is built upon FreeBSD which makes me like it even more. The GUI is far superior to any version of Windows I have used. As a matter of fact, it is better than any windowed environment I have worked in. The way applications install, uninstall, run, etc. is so smooth and intuitive. Most everything you do within the windowed environment is done by dragging and dropping, clicking, etc. Very little thought goes into using the Mac in my opinion. Apple has laid it out for you and it all makes sense.
I enjoy having a familiar command line interface on the Mac. When I open up a terminal I am staring at a bash shell waiting for me to enter the same old Unix commands I have been entering for years. There are some things that are a bit different from FreeBSD on the Mac like file locations, config files, etc., but overall anyone familiar with FreeBSD or Linux can maneuver through the shell without problems.
The only thing I am struggling to get used to right now is the fact that there is no right mouse button. I also am having problems doing key combinations on the keyboard as things aren’t the same as they are in Windows or on FreeBSD with Fluxbox. However, I am definitely up to the challenge and look forward to figuring out everything I can on this MacBook. I have a few simple how to’s lined up that may help some others “make the switch” in the future. I will also post my likes and dislikes with the system as I use it more.
Until next time…