Changes - Part II

Here's a real hoot for you: I just bought a Macintosh computer. Yup, I'm writing this entry on my new MacBook Pro laptop. OS X, 2 GHz Intel Dual Core processor, 1.5 Gb RAM, 60 Gb hard drive and a 15.3" widescreen display. And I'm in love.

I'd worked with Macs before, oh, about 10 years ago or so, back in the PowerPC days. I was working as a computer sales person and I volunteered to be the resident Mac guy. I learned a bit here and there, but essentially I remained a PC addict. Perhaps because so much of what I needed to do on a computer involved using PCs in the workplace. When I started working for the hospital, I discovered a culture of Macintosh Intolerance. And, even thought I never wholly bought into the prejudice, I allowed its effects to survive.

Lately, though, I've come to realize that none of my Windows based PCs has lasted more than 2 years. Some essential component always seems to fail. And the OS just doesn't have the kind of robustness that I would expect after so many years of development. I needed, I wanted, to try something different. And then these babies went on sale.

I suppose the most surprising thing to me is how incredibly powerful both the hardware and the software are. The bundled software is amazing and the OS itself is about as rock solid as they come - it is UNIX after all. I still have tons to learn about this beast, but it's fun again. And having fun is a very important thing for me.

NOTE: If there are any Mac folks out there that can help me with loading the X windows interface (X11 as it is called) I would appreciate it. I keep getting the message that it cannot be installed because newer software is currently installed on the volume [and it's not] - I've done some searching and found that others have run into the same problem, but no one has posted a fix.

Wow....what an adventure. (now THAT is a bit sad - my adventures are taking place from behind a keyboard!)