Powerbook Setup

[Paul Robinson]

On Mon, Oct 18, 2004 at 06:51:23PM -0500, David Kelly wrote:

> Some are simply jealous that Apple was able to pull off such a coup. 
> Who ever thought my *mother* would be able to use a Unix machine? 

My mother, step-father and elder sister, all computer illiterate do just
fine on laptops with FreeBSD + KDE installed. If they need something
installing or changing, I can normally talk them through it, or ssh into
the laptops and do it for them. I don't see why anybody else should have
problems with any other parents or computer-illiterate people.

Plus, Mac OS X is barely Unix. If it is, it's the Fisher Price version.
It's like needing a pair of scissors, and somebody handing you a really
blunt pair like the ones you got in 3rd-grade.

> You won't find any other OS which requires less fiddling than MacOS X. 
> If it doesn't employ MSCE's then IT departments will not allow it.

You're on the FreeBSD list. Think FreeBSD requires "too much fiddling"?
You know what to do don't you? Ahhh, but you want the easy way out. And
to get there, you're prepared to pay 30-60% over the odds for a badly
built laptop relative to many of its competitors with a poor support 
chain behind it. I pity you.

> Paul Robinson is incorrect re: 3rd party hardware. I purchased a 
> Toshiba 60G HD from my local PC Clone Store. Only needed a Torx #8 or 
> #9 screwdriver to install. MacOS X install CD had no qualms about 
> formatting it for me. Powerbook memory is no more special or unique 
> than any other laptop memory. Laptop CD/DVD drives are unique to each 
> brand/model.

Try and get your screen replaced. Try and get the motherboard replaced.
Try and get an extra battery for it. Do all of these without talking to
Apple or an Apple-reseller who will end up talking to Apple on your
behalf. Hard drives and RAM are easy. Try something a bit tougher.

I used to be a Tech Director of an Apple reseller. I am speaking out of
experience, not spite. Actually, working for an Apple reseller/dealer
soon fills you with spite, but you users probably won't get to that
stage for at least another 2-3 years yet.

> BBEdit is a cool example of how Mac developers (and users) Think 
> Different.

Oh, FFS. Yes, you're right. You pay $179 plus sales tax for an editor
that is a bit like the GPL cream extension for gvim. That is EXACTLY how
Apple users "think different". You pay for software others are giving
away better alternatives for, for free.

-- 
Paul Robinson

http://www.iconoplex.co.uk/
  "The philosophers have only interpreted the world in different ways; 
   the point, however, is to change it." - Karl Marx