My t61p arrived, and I have discovered that 64-bit Linux isn't ready for primetime in my book. Specifically, on Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) amd64, I could NOT get suspend to work at all. Actually, I could get it to suspend, but it refused to resume. I tried 8.04 (Bardy Heron) amd64 Beta as a live CD, and it appeared to have the same problems as Gutsy, so I didn't bother installing it. I've settled on Hardy Heron 32-bit, and things work MUCH better. Also, with 64-bit Gutsy, I had some strange problems, such as:
- the machine started to slow down for some unknown reason within the first hour of running.
- I could reliably lock up the system by trying to connect to a specific wireless network (!)
So it only sees about 3.1GB of RAM, which I'm going to convince myself is just fine. The display completely ROCKS at 1920x1200, and it's smokin fast. Plus, suspend and resume work just great.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Maybe I'm the only person who likes a Thinkpad more than a Macbook
So I got my Macbook Pro in August and have been using it (pretty happily) as my primary laptop ever since. But then this week I've been using my older Thinkpad with Ubuntu and it has shown me some things that I really don't like about the Macbook Pro independently, and some things that I like better about the Thinkpad.
Specifically, the things I simply don't like about the Macbook Pro:
1. It runs HOT. Not quite surface of the sun hot, but too hot for your lap. And the vent is on the bottom (?), so the longer it's on your lap, the hotter it gets.
2. That only-slightly-different, but completely freaky feeling Mac keyboard. There are no single-button pgup, pgdown, home, end, or delete keys. Maybe I use those keys more than most people, but having to use both hands to delete (Ctrl-Backspace) doesn't seem right.
3. That single mouse button just doesn't do enough for me. Granted, I often run a Windows VM and need to use Ctrl-RightClick in it. And I do have the trackpad configured to send a right-click when I have 2 fingers on the pad and click.
4. The wrist-rest area isn't very comfy at all. Maybe this is just in comparison to the Thinkpad, but the hard edge of the front are just uncomfortable at times (whereas the Thinkpad edges are angled down and really comfy).
The things I don't like about the Macbook Pro as compared to the Thinkpad:
1. The keyboard and keys don't feel as sturdy as the Thinkpad. The TP really has what I think is the best keyboard out there.
2. The whole computer feels less sturdy than the Thinkpad. For example, the top/screen flexes/rocks a couple of millimeters when it's closed.
3. No option for a second hard drive. I rarely use a CD/DVD drive, so an external one works just great for me. The Thinkpad has the kinda neat UltraBay Slim, which (with an adapter) supports a second hard drive or battery. So with Samsung's new 500GB 9.5mm 2.5 inch drive arriving in a couple of weeks, I'll have 700GB of on-board storage, which should last me quite a while.
4. Bunch of ports that are of no use to me. All of my peripherals are USB 2.0, and I often have to give presentations on projectors that only support a VGA connector. So I don't get any benefit from the faster/newer firewire and DVI ports. It actually forces me to carry around the DVI to VGA adapter along with the laptop.
The things I don't like about OS X:
1. OS X has some strange features that my brain can't deal with easily. Other than the strange key combinations needed, the main thing I can point to is the fact that you can't create a new file in Finder.
2. While based on BSD Unix, it's still a proprietary OS, with a smaller support community than, say, Ubuntu. Also, there's no free version of VMWare that runs on OS X. I'm all for paying for software (I have so far paid for VMWare Fusion and VMWare Workstation for both Windows and Linux), but it would be nice to have a free version, like there are available for both Windows and Linux.
3. Everyone I've talked to or read about could not successfully upgrade from Tiger to Leopard. All of those people eventually just started from scratch and then were happy.
4. Google's Picasa isn't supported on OS X. iPhoto is great and all, but I really like Picasa.
The things I don't like about the Thinkpad:
1. The OS, and I'm gonna fix that by installing Ubuntu 64-bit (whether I install 7.10 [Gutsy Gibbon] or 8.04 [Hardy Heron] will depend on when the laptop arrives and when 8.04 is actually shipped).
That's it. For my uses, I like EVERYTHING physically about the Thinkpad. It's comfortable, sturday, has the best keyboard out there, has all of the ports I need, actually has a better resolution (1900x1200) than the 15 inch Macbook Pro, lets me get close to 1TB of disk in it, and runs VERY cool. The Macbook Pro is a nice looking machine, and I'm certain that it's great for a lot of people (I'm actually going to keep mine as a backup machine). But for me, none of the Macbook's physical design is a benefit. And while the OS is better than Windows, I find that it's not as good as Ubuntu. So I'll post again once the new Thinkpad arrives and I get switched over to it.
Specifically, the things I simply don't like about the Macbook Pro:
1. It runs HOT. Not quite surface of the sun hot, but too hot for your lap. And the vent is on the bottom (?), so the longer it's on your lap, the hotter it gets.
2. That only-slightly-different, but completely freaky feeling Mac keyboard. There are no single-button pgup, pgdown, home, end, or delete keys. Maybe I use those keys more than most people, but having to use both hands to delete (Ctrl-Backspace) doesn't seem right.
3. That single mouse button just doesn't do enough for me. Granted, I often run a Windows VM and need to use Ctrl-RightClick in it. And I do have the trackpad configured to send a right-click when I have 2 fingers on the pad and click.
4. The wrist-rest area isn't very comfy at all. Maybe this is just in comparison to the Thinkpad, but the hard edge of the front are just uncomfortable at times (whereas the Thinkpad edges are angled down and really comfy).
The things I don't like about the Macbook Pro as compared to the Thinkpad:
1. The keyboard and keys don't feel as sturdy as the Thinkpad. The TP really has what I think is the best keyboard out there.
2. The whole computer feels less sturdy than the Thinkpad. For example, the top/screen flexes/rocks a couple of millimeters when it's closed.
3. No option for a second hard drive. I rarely use a CD/DVD drive, so an external one works just great for me. The Thinkpad has the kinda neat UltraBay Slim, which (with an adapter) supports a second hard drive or battery. So with Samsung's new 500GB 9.5mm 2.5 inch drive arriving in a couple of weeks, I'll have 700GB of on-board storage, which should last me quite a while.
4. Bunch of ports that are of no use to me. All of my peripherals are USB 2.0, and I often have to give presentations on projectors that only support a VGA connector. So I don't get any benefit from the faster/newer firewire and DVI ports. It actually forces me to carry around the DVI to VGA adapter along with the laptop.
The things I don't like about OS X:
1. OS X has some strange features that my brain can't deal with easily. Other than the strange key combinations needed, the main thing I can point to is the fact that you can't create a new file in Finder.
2. While based on BSD Unix, it's still a proprietary OS, with a smaller support community than, say, Ubuntu. Also, there's no free version of VMWare that runs on OS X. I'm all for paying for software (I have so far paid for VMWare Fusion and VMWare Workstation for both Windows and Linux), but it would be nice to have a free version, like there are available for both Windows and Linux.
3. Everyone I've talked to or read about could not successfully upgrade from Tiger to Leopard. All of those people eventually just started from scratch and then were happy.
4. Google's Picasa isn't supported on OS X. iPhoto is great and all, but I really like Picasa.
The things I don't like about the Thinkpad:
1. The OS, and I'm gonna fix that by installing Ubuntu 64-bit (whether I install 7.10 [Gutsy Gibbon] or 8.04 [Hardy Heron] will depend on when the laptop arrives and when 8.04 is actually shipped).
That's it. For my uses, I like EVERYTHING physically about the Thinkpad. It's comfortable, sturday, has the best keyboard out there, has all of the ports I need, actually has a better resolution (1900x1200) than the 15 inch Macbook Pro, lets me get close to 1TB of disk in it, and runs VERY cool. The Macbook Pro is a nice looking machine, and I'm certain that it's great for a lot of people (I'm actually going to keep mine as a backup machine). But for me, none of the Macbook's physical design is a benefit. And while the OS is better than Windows, I find that it's not as good as Ubuntu. So I'll post again once the new Thinkpad arrives and I get switched over to it.
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