[ale] New laptop

[scott mcbrien]

I agree with Brian.  I ran Linux on my thinkpads for 10 years before getting
a MB pro 15".  While I have several Linux VMs available under VMware, I
still mostly use OS-X.  Terminal, OOffice, Safari (or Firefox), Adium,
Xchat, VLC seems to be almost all I need, and they all run on OS-X.
-Scott

On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 8:49 PM, Brian MacLeod <nym.bnm at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 7:27 PM, George Allen <glallen01 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> My home laptop broke, physically, after 5 years of abuse (IBM's stand
>> up well), so I am looking to buy a new one. Considerations are:
>>
>> -Thinkpad T or X series. - I've had a T41 (still running headless w/
>> dead LCD after 7years) and X32 (latest, cpu fan died) I like IBM, like
>> the keyboard, prefer the trackpoint to a touchpad, and am satisfied
>> with the durability. Also- IBM hardware generally supports linux.
>>
>> -Apple- always wanted one, couldn't afford one before now, am tempted
>> but realized I could even get the IBM X200-Tablet for the price of a
>> 15in macbook pro. Also questionable linux support, because I would
>> install linux on this. They seem durable, but I don't know that I
>> quite like the keyboard/trackpad much.
>>
>> So, what are anyone's thoughts on running linux on a 15in macbook pro?
>> Any other suggestions aimed at good linux support, and general
>> durability? Fast is good, but not looking for more business than a
>> gaming machine, although gl support would be nice. Target range 1500
>> +/-500 depending on specs.
>>
>
>
> So, I'm going to go out on a limb here for just a bit, and make a slightly
> different suggestion, but this is highly dependent on your needs for your
> linux machine:
>
> Get the Apple, leave it running Mac OS X, but run your linux machine as a
> VM using (suggestions have been strong, and it is the one I use at home)
> VirtualBox from Sun to host it.  Then, depending on what you need, you can
> export your X apps to the Apple, or run a full desktop environment as a
> window on the Mac.
>
> My reasoning: when I need to get something done quickly (common office
> stuff, browsing, email), the Mac certainly fits the task.  When I need
> something more intricate, I can do what I need and easily acquire the
> software for linux.  I get the best of both worlds as far as productivity,
> and, if I do things right, can even revert changes I made to the VM or even
> spawn off a couple of clones. I also have Dropbox running on the physical
> and VMs as well as a Windows box elsewhere so I have access to my data.
>
> Now, if you're doing process/graphics intense stuff in linux, and the apps
> available on Mac won't fit/cost way too much, then obviously this suggestion
> may not work so well for you.
>
> And the touchpad on the Macs: once you learn the tricks, I feel I can do
> more (reliably) with the Mac touchpad than on any of my other machines.  Add
> Quicksilver to the Mac, and suddenly you can drive the machine by the
> keyboard pretty well too.
>
> Brian
>
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