Re: [tlug] Linux-compatible Mac laptop?

[Joseph Essertier <essertier@example.com>]

Before responding specifically to Stephen's message (below), first let me apologize to everyone for not responding sooner.  'Had to do a few days of work unexpectedly.  But I read all the messages posted, and they are, taken as a whole, very helpful.

"Stephen J. Turnbull" wrote:
> They all are, although whether you'll be able to get it working with
> minimal work is another matter.

I was worried that such might be the case.
The PrimePC desktop was not hard, but I worried that a Mac laptop might be a whole new ballgame for a beginner like me.  (To give you an idea what stage I'm at, I still have not learned how to back up properly in Linux, although I have all the notes from TLUG members I received, and plan to do it right, this year?  I did indeed do a "simple" backup though).  I also had trouble installing Ununtu a few years ago on my G4 PowerBook, and that experience was in my mind.

> Why use Linux when you can use the far superior Mac stuff for that?

This question got me thinking.  For video and photo editing, Mac software may be best indeed for someone like me.  I've used the Gimp software a bit, and come to like it, but I have not seen any of the Mac equivalents in the last 3 years.  


> Almost all of the software you'd want for Linux is easily available
> through the Fink and MacPorts projects.

I didn't know about either of those projects.  After reading your message, I read a little about them at their web sites.  They look promising, buthonestly,  I wonder if I'd be able to actually set up and use the Linux applications I've come to like.  I'll read more though.  They may well be the perfect solution for me.

> 
> The remaining issue is MS Office.  

Yes.  I hated how Office would hang for 5, even 10 seconds sometimes, when I hit the space bar for kana to convert to kanji.  That was on a G4 PowerBook about 4 years ago.  I always felt like, "Why?"  Kana-kanji conversion should happen instantly.

OpenOffice and the free Linux conversion software that I found in Ubunto solved that problem, and lots of others, like strange glitches with fonts, especially when mixing Japanese and English text on the same page.  In general, OpenOffice was just more stable and reliable.  It did what it was supposed to do.  That was one of the things that attracted me to Linux.


NeoOffice (the Aqua port of
> OpenOffice.org) is *not* anywhere near MS Office compatible for the
> user.  

Thanks for letting me know.


> I'm not telling you *not* to install Linux on your Mac; just that you
> should ask yourself if you really need it.

This seems like good advice.
The main reason I thought I would install Linux is because I'm used to it now.  Going back to Mac might be painful and time-consuming I thought.  But if the Fink and MacPort projects have attained their goals to the extent that I (me, Joe E.) can really run Linux applications within Mac OSX, then maybe I can enjoy the best of both worlds.  I mean, that's what I really want to do.  

The Mac iSight software seems cool.  I heard it's really easy to set up video conferencing.


> New Mac means new fancy hardware.  You'll get used to it ... quickly.
> Beware: it's addictive.

Very true.  And expensive, if you don't have fellow Mac users around, from whom you can "borrow" proprietary software.  Without such friends around, to enjoy the latest basic software, like photo and video-editing, and MS Word legally, you've got to fork out $1,000 a year.  That's how it was a few years ago at least.

Thanks again to Stephen and everyone.

Joe