the dust that floats high and true
day two with the macbook. i've gotten Windows fully loaded up and our documents migrated over. most of the issues have been ironed out - leaving the two outstanding problems with the Windows setup as (1) the broken as crap trackpad. no two-finger scroll, no right-click without an external app, no two-fingers-on-the-trackpad right click... i can't see how that would be really difficult for an apple developer to write. maybe they will someday.
(2) no delete key! i will probably resort to finding some keyboard-hacking app to reassign the key to the useless second "enter" key on the keyboard. someone tell me why that's there.
quicksilver is indeed a sweet application - a combination of a command line and a desktop search app. pop up a box with ctrl-space, start typing, and QS locates what you're looking for (an application, a file, a directory)... instead of opening the 'Finder' file manager app or digging through menus. this would be a great addition to Windows - i'm sure something like it exists somewhere, i just haven't bothered looking for it. really, i don't need it there, i have the Windows-R shortcut key. so there are some powerful tools that let you get granular in OSX, beyond the cute blue bubbles that make up the OS, but they're all external tools and not built-in.
there seems to be a common problem with the macbook on battery power dropping the wireless connection. doesn't happen in windows, strangely enough, but consistently in OSX i will have to manually reconnect to the AP. it happens at the most frustrating times. hopefully they will fix with a driver update or something - i'm gonna call support about it today.
still a little paranoid about the discoloration issue. there's lots of chatter about the subject, enough that i'm considering picking up a protective shield for the wrist area. it may even warrant returning the device for a black one if mine ends up getting bad.
i'm getting used to OSX, although it's taking time to grow acclimated to new keyboard shortcuts. firefox is a good example. in Windows you're used to ctrl-T for a new tab, ctrl-W to close a tab, ctrl-K to jump to the search box, ctrl-L for the address bar, ctrl-tab to switch between tabs, etc... the OSX release has similar ones, except that it's option-T, option-W, etc... but it's still ctrl-tab to jump between tabs, because option-tab acts like alt-tab in Windows. although not really - it doesn't jump between windows, just applications. so let's say i have a text editor open, and firefox, and in firefox i have a browser window and a download manager window. option-tab jumps between the text editor and firefox, but not between textedit-browser-downloads.
i haven't tried to load any X-windows apps, mainly because i can't think of any that i really want to use. i will probably avoid picking up Office for OSX - i think the iWork suite (which i haven't used yet, and includes a word processor and a presentation app) should do the job.
the real test will be on vacation and seeing how well it works on the road.
Yeah, until they get with it and design a mouse with ATLEAST 2 buttons, you can count me out! I try to use Sarah Mac, but that thing is stupid, if you even think about even resting your hand on it, it clicks! The whole mouse is the button! And the whole idea of not being able to close your programs by hitting the "X" is stupid! What's the point in the "X" then? Doesn't it just do the same as "Minimize"?
I'm still not convinced...
I'm just too lazy to do anything with the keyboard while I'm on my computer! That's why I have a 7 button mouse. I can do it all from one hand!
im all about the keyboard - drives me nuts to have to use the mouse for anything.
btw apple did make a two-button mouse called the mighty mouse. it blows.
Yeah, there was a time when I wouldn't touch the mouse, but unless I'm typing, there's no need to touch the keyboard anymore. I should just get one of those microphone things and just speak and let it do the typing for me... who needs a keyboard anymore, they just take up space!
You can use any 2-button mouse. Dara has a USB one she plugs in. 2 buttons, right and left click.
what the hell are you guys talking about.
7 days without penn station makes one WEAK!!!
mikey: is it really necessary to remind you that sometimes its not exactly convienient to plug in an external mouse? :)
Did you not notice at the apple store that there is only one button on EVERY STANDARD MOUSE/LAPTOP THERE?!? It's been like that for eternity.
The only way around it is to plug in an external, or quit your bitchin ;)
P.S. At lightborne, we used 5 button intellimice and they worked just fine.
Glad to hear you like it. My new job is buying me one right now. I'm quite excited.
Have you tried out the iLife apps? They rock. Also, you need to get Taco Edit, it's a great text editor.