[ale] [OT] I just bought an iBook, what now

[Mark Wright]

I use Safari and Mail almost exclusively.  I have Firefox installed so 
I can access sites that use Microsoft NT authentication.  I use 
Sherlock to find Movies but it has other good uses.  I use Abi word, 
Open office for anything that the Mac native Text edit and Preview apps 
won't open.

I use Gimp instead of Photoshop even though I have Elements 2.

There is a wonderful app  by a true programming hero called Desktop 
Manager. http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/21594
It gives you virtual desktops.  The was the one thing, even with Expose 
that I missed most from my Linux desktop.

I have Zterm installed to make serial connections over USB to old IBM 
and STK hardware. ( I know I could use Kermit in a terminal window but 
its fiddly)

What I do with it is keep it beside my Linux boxes on my desk.  It is 
the only box configured to clear the server after it gets the mail.  It 
also is the only box that works with all the printers!  So far it is 
the only one I can get to talk to my iPod.

When ever I go out it goes too.  I can use it any where.

I once asked to connect to the network at a large client of mine.  The 
tech guys gave me a worried look but ducked the task of saying no by 
calling some one in New Jersey who was supposed to preside over 
corporate PC rules.  When they got him on the speaker phone and 
explained what I wanted he started into disclaimers about needing to 
scan my PC and put their approved virus software on it first.  He 
started to say that no one there had time to do this for me right now 
so I interrupted and told him it was a Mac.  There was a long pause and 
he said "Oh, well go ahead then."

Since my Powerbook has a 60 gig drive (not as big as it was two years 
ago) I have used it as an FTP server for G4U.  This was great because I 
can carry it to a machine that needs to be ghosted.  I rescued some 
data for a customer like this once.

Heck if you can't think of anything else to do with it go to apple 
website and spend a few hours watching all the movie trailers in 
Quicktime.  Oh wait, better if you can't find anything to do with iLife 
drop the disks in the mail to me.  Mine didn't come with Garage Band 
and I am sure if I had that I would become a Rock Star!

There is one thing I would watch out for.  Don't let you kids near it.  
I don't share things as personal as a computer well, especially a 
laptop.  My girls would line up to use my laptop if I let them.  I have 
already lost my wired phone to them and I draw the line at the Laptop.

;-)  Mark

On Feb 17, 2005, at 4:41 PM, Nathan J. Underwood wrote:

> Well, we had an issue come up that required a Mac to test, which 
> prompted the purchase of an iBook from Micro Center (spur of the 
> moment thing, but the experience was pleasant).  At any rate, it's 
> ours now, and I've never used one before (well, that's untrue, but the 
> last Apple that I tinkered with was an Apple ][, it's been a while).  
> After tinkering with it for most of the day, I've gotta say I really 
> like it, I just don't know what to *do* with it.  I've got FireFox and 
> Thunderbird installed (that was easy), and I have 2 user accounts 
> setup on it.  My question is, what now?  Are there any 'standard apps' 
> that you guys can suggest?  Anything I need to watch out for?
>
> -- 
> --
> registered linux user # 73046
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
>