<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 TRANSITIONAL//EN">
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; CHARSET=UTF-8">
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="GtkHTML/3.18.3">
</HEAD>
<BODY>
Hello,<BR>
<BR>
Certainly Mac computers are aestheticaly pleasing, very well marketed and their operating system apparently is a very good one. <BR>
<BR>
Hoewever, I also think Mac's are very expensive for what you are getting and if you use Linux, I do not see the point in having one. Linux can be very empowering and the perfect way to get all the features of a Mac--or better--at a fraction of the cost. Mac's are too darn expensive (in my opinion). Also, I have spoken with several laptop repair persons who say Mac's are fragile and if they last long--it is because people who shelled out a bundle of cash for them treat them more carefully. My opinion is that you get the sturdiest machine for your money--like a business class laptop from any manufacturer--Lenovo, Sony, HP, Toshiba, Dell, whatever. They are usually less expensive than a Mac, have just as much power if not more so--and with a Linux OS, you will have the best of all worlds. <BR
>
<BR>
I have an IBM thinkpad from 1996 that still works. That thing is a brick.<BR>
<BR>
The big problem with *some* PC manufacturers are the spurious claim that you have to pay the Windows tax and use nothing but Windows if you want a warranty. That claim can (and is) being fought. I got word from an HP rep that warranty can be backed if you use Linux and you don't have to pay a Windows tax--but I will believe it once the sales people tell me so as well. <BR>
<BR>
My opinion is find the best value for your money--do not pay for the MAC machine OS/X if you can avoid it. Use the extra money on something else. <BR>
<BR>
That's my 2 cents.<BR>
<BR>
-Ib- <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 2009-02-20 at 17:41 -0500, S P Arif Sahari Wibowo wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>
<PRE>
On Fri, 20 Feb 2009, Aaron Vegh wrote:
> I'm not familiar with gvim, but there are GUI vim apps for OS
> X. Here's an example: <A HREF="http://code.google.com/p/macvim/">http://code.google.com/p/macvim/</A>
There are also vim-app port from macports.
> There is fink for OS X, but the community prefers Darwin Ports
> for running *NIX applications on OS X. <A HREF="http://darwinports.com/">http://darwinports.com/</A>
I think it is officially moved to <A HREF="http://www.macports.org/">http://www.macports.org/</A> ; and
the download from MacPorts does not ask for personal
information, so I definitely suggest that.
MacPorts is a portage system: on installation it will always
compile things in your machine, no prepackage binary around.
However, if you want, MacPorts system can produce rpm binary,
which then you can install in other OS X system without
compiling (e.g. when security dictate a system without
compiler).
Fink should have some prepackage binaries, but in my experience
most things I want to install does not have binary available, so
fink will compile it in the machine.
> Overall though, the environment is nearly identical to Linux;
> you'll be comfortable and productive on the command line right
> away.
There are some differences originally since OS X is a BSD system
(on Mach kernel). However if it bother you, there are several
sysutils packages / ports (such as coreutils, findutils,
diffutils) which will make sure your tools work are as what you
expected in Linux.
You can even install common linux desktop manager, such as
Gnome, KDE, or XFCE. Haven't tried that, though.
> VMWare is what I use, however, and it works very well.
That's what I use as well. I tried QEMU but VMWare definitely
much more usable.
> To my mind it's the perfect platform. It's the only hardware
> that will (legitimately) let you run Mac OS X, while also
> letting you run Linux and Windows easily and quickly.
My thought as well. As hardware I think it is generally a nice
one in perfomance, reliability, and durability. At least
comparable to non-Mac on the same price point.
Just a note: make sure you have more than 1GB memory, make a
quite a difference. :-)
</PRE>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
</BODY>
</HTML>