MacBook
So I finally bit the bullet and shelled out for a brand spanking new laptop and to break the mould I got a MacBook. Although I have worked on Macs in the past I was surprised how much I’ve been blown away by the experience.
The first thing that shocked me was how easy it was to get the MacBook up and running. In short, everything just worked. I wasn’t having to fight with the operating system, it just did everything I needed it to. Ok, there have been a few strange things I didn’t expect, such as no direct hash key (annoying for creating files) and the quote and @ symbol have swapped places from what I am used to, but I’m certain I’ll get my head around this.
The next thing that impressed me was the wealth of affordable software available that adds a huge amount of value to the operating system. These include:
TextMate is a great editor tool. It was recommended to me by a couple of friends of mine and when I first got it I just thought it was a nice little editor. I have since learned very differently. For example I am able to write and test php all within TextMate. It allows me to also write HTML code and when I switch between different file types it changes it’s highlighting for the appropriate keywords. The list of coding languages etc that are editable within TextMate is staggering and the bundles allow you to do more than just edit. Another great features is that I can edit my blog within TextMate and this is my first post using this technology.
As I am a .Net developer I do need to set up the ability to write .Net code and test it on IIS, so I have used VMWare Fusion to create a virtual machine using Vista. The most amazing feature of VMWare Fusion is that I can make the virtual machine merge with the Mac OSX, and thus flick between different applications with a simple click. I’m completely amazed that it is possible to merge the two technologies together with a simple click. The thing that made me laugh the most was that it was easier to setup Windows on my Mac than my old PC. Oh the irony, I think Bill you may have lost me, and by all accounts more and more people are switching to Mac.
I get the new Leopard OS tomorrow (costing me a mere £5.95) and I can’t wait to see all the new features and to be honest I think it will blow away Vista.
In conclusion I’d recommend a Mac to anyone. Nice and simple, get a Mac…..it just works.