Questions from a Linux user considering a Macbook

[Dave Mason]

It's all been pretty-much said, but I thought I'd add a couple of comments.

1) Price: As has been said, at least in notebook-land, I think it's
pretty comparable *for comparable machines*.  iMacs also seem like
fairly good deals.  This may be less true in server-land.  My ex bought
some windows laptop at the same time I got my Titanium; it cost more,
and never worked as well.

2) Reliability: I've had lots of "PC" laptops, and now 2 Mac laptops
(that Titanium from 2002, and an Air that's about a year old).
Reliability seems comparable.  However, I encourage you to buy the
extended warranty as it covers you from stem to stern and is reasonably
priced.  Apple replaced almost all of the Titanium over the 3 years of
the warranty (I wasn't as gentle as I could have been), and I used it
until I got my Air, and it still works fine although the
battery-charging circuit is kacked so it doesn't like being unplugged
for too long.

3) Software: As has been said, lots of cool stuff.  And virtually
everything Just Works (tm).  Also X lets me ssh -X into my Linux servers
to run emacs or do sysadmin stuff.  I used Fink a lot on my Titanium;
haven't gotten around to installing it on the Air.  A lot of things that
I needed it for in earlier versions of OS X are now included.

4) Mac OS X versus Linux: my time is worth more than the machoness of
rolling my own.  That's why I went to the Mac (originally on my laptop,
now on my desktop), and I'm certainly happy I did.  On the other hand
Linux has improved markedly over that period, and a lot more stuff works
smoothly there, now.  My server/myth-machine at home has been up 85
days.  My Mac laptop about the same.  I'm happily in both worlds.  (As
opposed to how I'd feel if Windows were my only alternative to Linux!)

Hope this helps.

../Dave
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