Time to give PCs the flick?

Hi,

Here's my brief story...

I'm a veteran software designer/computer programmer (30 years).

Unix expert (now Linux).

I'm old enough and know enough to realize (20 years ago) that the IBM PC and compatible (Intel architecture) was complete rubbish.

But, that's where the whole market was.

Now, I'm about ready to give PC's the flick.

I got rid of my desktop computer 2 years ago because of the constant noise (fan and disks). I got an Asus Laptop and ran Linux. Several annoying problems that never got solved (display, mostly).

Gave Windows the flick 2 years ago at the same time (except I write some Windows software so I have to have a Virtual Machine with the stupid thing in it).

Bought a new laptop computer, but the fan only works properly if running Windoze.

The manufacturer has agreed to refund my money.

So, I'm thinking...time to get of this junk and switch to the *only* alternative - a MacBook.

I know nothing about Mac's except they run a version of Unix.

Here's what I need:

1. A powerful notebook computer (equivalent of 2.5GHz Dual Core PC expandable to 8GB ram, 250GB+ hard disk, running fast 7200rpm)
2. An host OS that works
3. Virtual Machine support (I need to run a Linux Guests and Windows Guests). Does VMware work on MacBooks? The VMS need to run near-native performance so that I can do software development.
4. Usual external HW support: USB, eSata, external monitor, external KB and mouse)
5. Working audio (need to run Band In a Box - I have it for Windows, so it should work OK in the windows virtual machine), right?

I've started doing research, but the above information is hard to find.

Even figuring out whether VMWare works has proved difficult...there's a thing called Parallels, but does this only work on certain types of Mac hardware (i.e. Intel)?

So, will a MacBook work for me, or should I retire from the computer industry and sell real estate?

Also, what do I actually need to purchase should I wish to do Mac development? (Do you know this is impossible to find the answer to on Apples website?)

Any advice gratefully accepted.

cheers,
RR

Any recent Macbook or Macbook pro that is Intel indeed runs what is essentially a Mach kernel BSD variant of UNIX complete with all the tools and goodies you've come to know and love. bash, ksh, tar, cpio, awk, vi, emacs, perl and all those other tools are built in. Anything that isn't out the box can be had by the Darwin ports system. All of your shell scripts you may have whipped up should port right over. When I switched, all of mine came over and work brilliantly.

In addition to the wonderful GUI that MacOS provides, there's a full-blown X server/client system as well, though you have to specifically install it from the provided DVDs as well as the XCode development system which comes with the OS, and this provides you with a standards-compliant gcc compiler.

As for virtualization you have VMWare or Parallels. I have Parallels and use it to keep a Windows VM in my pocket to do the occasional Windows thing (in my case, it's to use a VPN client to VNC into my work laptop remotely; there is the same VPN client native to the Mac along with a VNC client as well as Remote Desktop, but when I'm VPN'ed into my employer's network I can't get to other web sites or my email, only what the employer provides, hence allowing only the VM to do the VPN-ing in freeing the host OS to use services on my network.) You can run any OS that runs on Intel, and yes it does have to be an Intel Mac.

With the exception of a few games and what-not, there is pretty much a native equivalent of any Windows or Linux applications available for Mac OS. Paid for stuff like Photoshop, MS Office, iTunes for music, iMovie and all for video editing, and all the media players are available, some for free. For example I edit music that ultimately goes into iTunes with the Mac version of Audacity (though Garageband which does the same comes with Mac OS X, I just know Audacity very well) and record said music from internet radio with Audio Hijack Pro, which is not available for Windows or Linux.

If you want to get into Mac OS on the cheap, you can get a Mac Mini for a low entry price. If you absolutely must have portability, you can get a lot of that with the Macbook Pro 13" for only $1200 out the door. It comes with everything you need. Any firewire or USB external drive works with little pain; I have two directly connected to my Macbook when I'm at home, and I backup to another that is hooked up to MY Mac Mini that I bought to get into the Mac world which has a 1TB USB drive. The backup being done over my Wifi network. Granted the first one was with the 1TB drive directly hooked up, but subsequent partials are done over the network, and automatically.

You get Windows sharing, Apples sharing, NFS, all that network stuff, plus even remote stuff if you want.

It's a whole new world. And as a UNIX/Linux veteran, you will find it a very pleasant environment, as have I. You have to actually get one and live with it for awhile. I can't really tell you, or anyone else how it is. It's one of those things you just have to experience. I have a Linux/UNIX sysadmin in the cube next to mine that is die-hard "Linux is the way" about her systems, and even though I've shown her my Mac is really UNIX (and real UNIX, not Linux) she isn't interested in anything Apple.

So there you go. Best of both worlds.

That whole post was very odd. I'm glad you felt the need to wave your credentials around, but just so you know, since 2006 Macs are "almost" PCs. They use Intel CPUs, common PC board chipsets, PC graphics chips, PC audio codecs, etc. They throw a fancy "EFI" on it to replace the BIOS, throw it in an elegant case, and say it's a Mac. And then it's a Mac.

Quick facts:

Macs since 2006 can run Windows natively, so you don't need to virtualize it if you don't want to. Since again, Macs are almost PCs, Windows just sees an x86 or x64 architecture and runs with it. Yay. Macs can also run Linux, though the EFI is not particularly designed to do it, and from what I have seen there are some workarounds required to get it going. While virtualization is an option, as someone well aware of the limits of virtualization, you will find them the same in OS X virtualization packages. VMWare Fusion is nice but it's not "OS on bare metal" nice.

Macs have specs that will be parallel to a PC of the same specs. A Macbook with a 2.66ghz processor and a 9400M video chipset and a 7200rpm hard drive and gigabit ethernet will be the same as a PC with a 2.66ghz processor and a 9400M video chipset and a 7200rpm hard drive and gigabit ethernet. The Macbook has a fancy trackpad, a glowing apple logo on the lid, and is stylish. Those kinds of things are the only stuff that differentiate a 13" Macbook from any 13" PC notebook. Of course Apple has their own path, and as such things like eSATA are foreign to them, and their idea of external displays these days are mini-DisplayPort ports and pricy DisplayPort->DVI adapters.

OS X is very fun and easy to use, and brutally intuitive. As a power unix user, I'm not sure what your impression would be of OS X, since while based on unix underpinnings, a lot of it is intended to stay static. It's not common (or wise) to start trying to change pieces of the OS and recompile core components. Apple intends the OS to a large degree to be a certain way, and making big changes will potentially bork future updates or applications. OS X is nice for tinkering with other things, but not so much for tinkering with OS X itself.

You seem to be raging against the machine, while asking if the best solution is to get another machine.

I think a Macbook Pro would fit your needs perfectly.

walkerj pretty much explained everything very clearly. I think a Macbook Pro would give you the power you want running a VM. I use VMWare Fusion and I think it's fantastic. Although Parallels is good too. It's just whatever you prefer. If your used to VMware then I would say go ahead and stick with it.

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

They've cut through a lot of junk for me and saved me heaps of time.

Pity about the eSata, but I can live with that.

I'll start getting some quotes.

Then, I'll make the big life changing decision.

thanks again,
RR

Glad we could help! Enjoy the new computer!