From WinXP/Linux to OSX - 1000 questions.....

[billcd]

I drive a Mini Cooper so I think its time to get away from the PC and get something that’s….cool. I also am tired of Windows and I just can’t run all the great apps like Dreamweaver & MS Office on Linux. Any my laptop is dying.

So here is a butt load of questions. I’m a technical user so please don’t sugar-coat anything. I just want to be sure this is the right thing for me.

Ok there is a lot here. I appreciate every response I am really looking forward to getting a 2GHz 13 inch MacBook.


Virtual PC with Windows XP Pro.

I currently use Microsoft Street & Trips with the GPS module.
1) How well does Virtual PC communicate with the USB ports?

I use architectural software to edit house plans for customers.
This software doesn’t use a lot of resources but if Virtual PC runs like Vmware on Windows then it might not be usable, Vmware on Linux seems to run much better. I would assume Virtual PC runs fine on OSX since it is BSD based.
2) How well does Virtual PC run?

Web Development

I don’t have too many questions here, most of the apps I generally use like Netbeans, Dreamweaver, Apache, Tomcat & MySQL are available for OSX.

1) Is there anything else I need to be aware of?

UNIX/BSD Stuff

I am an avid Linux user, mostly Gentoo and SuSE. Actually, as the day goes buy, I can get twice as much done on a Linux desktop then when on Windows. I just feel more comfortable there, I grew up on Linux; I like it.

It looks like everything I am used to it there. I’ve used FreeBSD a couple of times and I liked it. Not sure if I have any questions here either, since most/all of the apps I use on Linux are ported to BSD.

1) Can I run ANY app that is compiled for BSD on OSX?

2) Hmm just read an article over on O’Reilly; is OSX very locked down? This is one of the things I really appreciate on Linux, I can change almost anything. And managing installed software is a breeze with apt-get or emerge….
http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2006/06/01/switching-back.html?page=1

3)Untill I can affourd another $1,000 in software I am going to be using OpenOffice & The GIMP; how do they run on OSX? Anything I need to be aware of?

Dual/Tripple Booting
This is another alternative to using Virtual PC although I would rather run an app then completelly reboot the system.

1) How does Windows run?

2) How does Linux run?

2) Do the both inerface with hardware as well as on a PC?

Other General Running Stuff

1) How is battery life?

My current laptop is a Dell Inspiron 600M, after 4 or 5 hours of use the bottom of the computer will burn your hand; this is with the CPU fan running and an additional two fan unit. When I went to the Apple store this weekend to lust over the MacBooks I did not notice any fan vents. I’m sure there has got to be a fan on this thing.

2) Do the MacBooks get very hot? I’m sure there has got to be a little warmth I am talking about uncomfortable to touch hot.

3) Does it suck? (oh just kidding, I can’t wait.)

 

[Satcomer]

Ok there is a lot here. I appreciate every response I am really looking forward to getting a 2GHz 13 inch MacBook.

Cool. i hope we can answer your questions. You have a lot of possibility with the new MacBook or MacBook Pros.

Virtual PC with Windows XP Pro.

With the new intel macs, why use an emulator?

I currently use Microsoft Street & Trips with the GPS module.
1) How well does Virtual PC communicate with the USB ports?

I use architectural software to edit house plans for customers.
This software doesn’t use a lot of resources but if Virtual PC runs like Vmware on Windows then it might not be usable, Vmware on Linux seems to run much better. I would assume Virtual PC runs fine on OSX since it is BSD based.
2) How well does Virtual PC run?

You have possibilities. GPS on Macs is not well supported. So you might want to look at using either BootCamp or Parallels and have no trouble using the same program.

Web Development

I don’t have too many questions here, most of the apps I generally use like Netbeans, Dreamweaver, Apache, Tomcat & MySQL are available for OSX.

1) Is there anything else I need to be aware of?

I don't know to much about HTML but you will be in heaven on Mac OS X. There is a plethora of programs for OS X web development. If you are a hands on code monkey of HTML then on OS X use the program TextWrangler or the shareware BBEdit (or it's little freeware cousin BBEdit Lite.

UNIX/BSD Stuff

I am an avid Linux user, mostly Gentoo and SuSE. Actually, as the day goes buy, I can get twice as much done on a Linux desktop then when on Windows. I just feel more comfortable there, I grew up on Linux; I like it.

It looks like everything I am used to it there. I’ve used FreeBSD a couple of times and I liked it. Not sure if I have any questions here either, since most/all of the apps I use on Linux are ported to BSD.

1) Can I run ANY app that is compiled for BSD on OSX?

The one word two things for this is with the OS X install disk install the optional X11 application. Also the word to remember is recompile for OS X.

2) Hmm just read an article over on O’Reilly; is OSX very locked down?

Yes, but you can get around this on your machine, if you know how to. Coming from linux, it should not be hard for you.

[/U] This is one of the things I really appreciate on Linux, I can change almost anything. And managing installed software is a breeze with apt-get or emerge….
http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2006/06/01/switching-back.html?page=1

OS X is a little locked down in that aspect because the top level is apple proprietary. You can get around some of that but I can't go into more detail.

3)Untill I can affourd another $1,000 in software I am going to be using OpenOffice & The GIMP; how do they run on OSX? Anything I need to be aware of?

I haven't run these applications. You might want to check out what people are saying in the VersionTracker and/or MacUpdate.

Dual/Tripple Booting
This is another alternative to using Virtual PC although I would rather run an app then completelly reboot the system.

1) How does Windows run?

2) How does Linux run?

2) Do the both inerface with hardware as well as on a PC?

Other General Running Stuff

See above for those answers. Also search this board and Boot Camp & OS Virtualization on Mac board.

1) How is battery life?

This article went into that. I think i read somewhere that with smart notebook practices some reviewer got a little of 4 hours on his MacBook.

 

[Satcomer]

One more thing. You might want to start reading daily the web site called MacOSXHints. If you are comfortable with Linux, this web site will be right up your knowledge alley.

 

[billcd]

ewww, I love this thing.

I didn't wait to here from you all, thanks very much for the help.

As of right now, it does everything i need. I have downloaded Parallels and I am waiting for a trial serial number right now.

This thing runs great, could use some more ram but other than that, it is great.

Thanks for the help, I'll be hangin out at this site for a while I think

 

[ex2bot]

Welcome to MacOSX.com!

A bit more information:

For Unix stuff be sure to check out the FINK project and Darwin Ports. Many of the top programs have already been compiled for OS X and are available. FINK was the first Debian ports, uh, port and probably has a larger program library than Darwin Ports. Did you find Terminal in /Applications/Utilities/ ? There are also alternate term programs available.

For the last three or four years, OS X has used the 3d graphics card hardware to accelerate window drawing. If I understand it correctly, the window contents become the "texture" that's mapped to the face of a 3d solid -- the face being the window rectangle. This technology is called Quartz Extreme. A similar feature will be available in Windows Vista too. [EDIT: They're playing around with OpenGL acceleration on Linux too, aren't they? I just remembered.] Some day. Anyway, Apple's X Window manager uses Quartz Extreme to accelerate X windows too!

You can also cut and paste between OS X "Aqua" windows and X11 windows.

OS X uses Apache as a file and web server for the system and SAMBA to communicate with Windows machines.

Virtual PC will NOT run on the Intel Macs. No big loss. (Virtual PC on the Mac emulates Intel chips, allowing Macs with Power PC chips to run, well, crawl through Windows or X86 Linux.)

The GUI part of OS X is a very powerful operating system. When you find yourself thinking, "I know how to do this in Windows/Linux. Can OS X do it?" the answer is almost always yes. To learn about OS X, including helpful keyboard shortcuts, from a gifted writer, I would suggest "OS X: The Missing Manual" by David Pogue.

I have been coming to MacOSX.com since I got my first Mac in 2001. It's a tremendous resource.

Doug