[Previous entry: "Chrome"] [Next entry: "Cyberduck"]

08/19/2010: "Drinking the Kool-Ade"

Well, I've finally done it. I've migrated over to the hipster world.

Yesterday I went out and bought a 13-inch MacBook Pro. It's a lovely machine. In terms of pure horsepower it's not spectacular, but I'm continually amazed by all the little touches that have gone into it. For example, the keyboard is backlit and its intensity is automatically controlled by an ambient light sensor. Sure, other laptop makers could have done this, but none as elegantly as Apple.

The precision machining of the aluminum skin alone is staggering.

In my defense, the MBP was $200 off the list price. And one of the first things I did was put a sticker over the big glowing Apple logo on the cover.

OS X integrates very well with the Linux environment at work. An X11 server automatically starts as soon as you ssh into another machine and launch any X application. And, of course, all the standard Unix tools are built in.

The 13-inch screen (1280x800) is a tad small, but usable - at work the machine is connected to a fairly large external monitor, freeing the laptop LCD up as a second display. Again, I was pleasantly surprised that when I pulled out the cable to the external monitor everything was quickly moved over to the internal display. Linux was a nightmare in that regard.

So far I've no major complaints, other than the lack of proper focus-follows-mouse, which Apple seems to have no intention of implementing.

The 13-inch MBP is only available with a glossy glass display. The larger models can be had with an optional matte display, where the glass is removed (for extra $$$, of course). I initially though that I'd be bothered by the gloss but I'm finding I actually like it. Glare hasn't been a problem for me yet, and I think that the display actually looks crisper than with the matte option.

Another glass of Kool-Ade, please. Yum.