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Zen of Mac
- Thread starter ngift
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2007
- Messages
- 3,269
- Reaction score
- 270
- Points
- 83
- Location
- Oakton, VA USA
- Your Mac's Specs
- White MacBook Intel C2D 2.2GHz, 2G, 250G, SD, Leopard.
Interesting question. I assume you are in fact Noah Gift. I too am a Python programmer. I'm also a hard core command line Linux user since '97. I'm in r&d.
When I discovered Linux, I learned I had almost no experience in Unix, but quickly gained it over the years. I recall a discussion with some friends, most of whom were *Nix types with one accomplished Windows type. We had a discussion of which was better, *Nix or Windows. My response was something like, 'When I do something in Linux, I don't even have to think about it.' One of the higher level engineers in my company introduced me as the "Mad Scientist" to some foreign visitors. ^_^
Again I work almost exclusively on the command line. When I program in Python I develop in emacs, my favorite debugger is the simple print statement, and I keep track of everything through multiple xterms.
Coming over to OS X and Mac, I've found there are lots of things that are fun and interesting with the graphical interface. Multimedia is fantastic, connecting to other machines works great, and mostly my machine is reliable, both with s/w and h/w. Still, the most direct programming is on the command line, and I expect to be able to type something into my machine and get an answer.
Darwinports is uneven. OS X doesn't exactly give me everything I need at the *Nix level. I have at present one desktop, and typically use eight in my normal work environment; I look forward to multiple desktops in Leopard.
I worked with a first gen Mac in 1984, eventually had a IIci at work, and then was dumped into the world of Windows. I used MS Flight Simulator with the original Mac, used fractal programs on the IIci, but mostly they were desktop office-type machines. Linux showed me just how much a computer can do when things don't get in your way.
(I've worked with lots of other computers and OSs: DEC, Apollo, HP, SGI; VMS, HP-UX, Solaris, for example. My experience isn't just with desktop machines.)
Is there a Zen of Mac? There's Zen in the design of Apple equipment - Mac, OS X, iPods, the iPhone. Simplicity, beauty, elegance. There's Zen in having someone put all of this together and making it work. Still I've found my needs somewhat unmet at the command line, and so I'd say it's still on the path to enlightenment.
I'd say there's a Zen nature to Mac, but that sometimes it gets lost.
Welcome to M-F!
When I discovered Linux, I learned I had almost no experience in Unix, but quickly gained it over the years. I recall a discussion with some friends, most of whom were *Nix types with one accomplished Windows type. We had a discussion of which was better, *Nix or Windows. My response was something like, 'When I do something in Linux, I don't even have to think about it.' One of the higher level engineers in my company introduced me as the "Mad Scientist" to some foreign visitors. ^_^
Again I work almost exclusively on the command line. When I program in Python I develop in emacs, my favorite debugger is the simple print statement, and I keep track of everything through multiple xterms.
Coming over to OS X and Mac, I've found there are lots of things that are fun and interesting with the graphical interface. Multimedia is fantastic, connecting to other machines works great, and mostly my machine is reliable, both with s/w and h/w. Still, the most direct programming is on the command line, and I expect to be able to type something into my machine and get an answer.
Darwinports is uneven. OS X doesn't exactly give me everything I need at the *Nix level. I have at present one desktop, and typically use eight in my normal work environment; I look forward to multiple desktops in Leopard.
I worked with a first gen Mac in 1984, eventually had a IIci at work, and then was dumped into the world of Windows. I used MS Flight Simulator with the original Mac, used fractal programs on the IIci, but mostly they were desktop office-type machines. Linux showed me just how much a computer can do when things don't get in your way.
(I've worked with lots of other computers and OSs: DEC, Apollo, HP, SGI; VMS, HP-UX, Solaris, for example. My experience isn't just with desktop machines.)
Is there a Zen of Mac? There's Zen in the design of Apple equipment - Mac, OS X, iPods, the iPhone. Simplicity, beauty, elegance. There's Zen in having someone put all of this together and making it work. Still I've found my needs somewhat unmet at the command line, and so I'd say it's still on the path to enlightenment.
I'd say there's a Zen nature to Mac, but that sometimes it gets lost.
Welcome to M-F!
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