Comments on: MacBook http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sat, 26 May 2012 21:58:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: James http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-167196 James Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:38:06 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-167196 Why would you ever turn your MacBook off? I have a PowerBook that I haven't turned off in almost three years (aside the the reboots necessary for periodic OS patches). Just close it. It sleeps. No fuss; no muss. Why would you ever turn your MacBook off? I have a PowerBook that I haven’t turned off in almost three years (aside the the reboots necessary for periodic OS patches). Just close it. It sleeps. No fuss; no muss.

]]> By: a cornellian http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166870 a cornellian Tue, 01 Aug 2006 02:33:29 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166870 For TeX I love emacs. Nice and simple, has a very nice color scheme and (atleast on both linux and windows) has a nifty "tex now" command. And it's free. For TeX I love emacs. Nice and simple, has a very nice color scheme and (atleast on both linux and windows) has a nifty “tex now” command. And it’s free.

]]> By: W. Kiernan http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166852 W. Kiernan Mon, 31 Jul 2006 23:00:16 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166852 My Panasonic Toughbook has a heat sensor built into it and there's code in the BIOS so that when it is running in an extra-hot environment it slows the processor speed down so it won't crash. A Toughbook is designed to actually be used out of doors, not just shut down and gingerly carried from one air-conditioned room to another. Once I left it out on my truck hood and came back to find the keyboard brim-full of rain water, turned it over to pour the water out, and kept on computing. It has a shut-down mode that doesn't set the box on fire, too. Push the power switch and it writes the contents of RAM to a partition on the disc drive and powers down; then when you want to use it push the power switch again and about twenty seconds later it comes up with all the programs still running just as it was when you shut it down. I reboot maybe once every three months. However if you yank out the PCMCIA wireless network card while it's hibernating you can get it to blue-screen. My Panasonic Toughbook has a heat sensor built into it and there’s code in the BIOS so that when it is running in an extra-hot environment it slows the processor speed down so it won’t crash. A Toughbook is designed to actually be used out of doors, not just shut down and gingerly carried from one air-conditioned room to another. Once I left it out on my truck hood and came back to find the keyboard brim-full of rain water, turned it over to pour the water out, and kept on computing.

It has a shut-down mode that doesn’t set the box on fire, too. Push the power switch and it writes the contents of RAM to a partition on the disc drive and powers down; then when you want to use it push the power switch again and about twenty seconds later it comes up with all the programs still running just as it was when you shut it down. I reboot maybe once every three months. However if you yank out the PCMCIA wireless network card while it’s hibernating you can get it to blue-screen.

]]> By: Thom Brooks http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166752 Thom Brooks Mon, 31 Jul 2006 08:38:33 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166752 I admit it....I think I'm hopelessly turned off Apple laptops now! I admit it….I think I’m hopelessly turned off Apple laptops now!

]]> By: agm http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166745 agm Mon, 31 Jul 2006 07:33:29 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166745 Quite easy to reproduce a crash of the OS: just try having OS X do anything with less than a gig of swap. In any case, yes, I quite like the possibility of having all 3 OSes on one system, so I am watching Parallels' evolution. Quite easy to reproduce a crash of the OS: just try having OS X do anything with less than a gig of swap. In any case, yes, I quite like the possibility of having all 3 OSes on one system, so I am watching Parallels’ evolution.

]]> By: Steve http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166738 Steve Mon, 31 Jul 2006 04:06:37 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166738 Chris, if you like Quicksilver (which I find indispensible, if only for the "Append To..." action), you may be interested in playing around with some of the other Mac productivity widgets out there. For whatever reason, Macs seem to be a much more hospitable ecosystem for these guys to flourish. QS has two notable shareware rivals (Butler and LaunchBar), there are a billion and one little notetaking apps (Mori, DevonTHINK, Yojimbo, VoodooPad, etc.), there are a billion and three clipboard buffers (my own Jumpcut being my personal preferred one), and so forth. Hawkwings.net and 43folders seem to be the best resources for the incessant fiddler. Chris, if you like Quicksilver (which I find indispensible, if only for the “Append To…” action), you may be interested in playing around with some of the other Mac productivity widgets out there. For whatever reason, Macs seem to be a much more hospitable ecosystem for these guys to flourish. QS has two notable shareware rivals (Butler and LaunchBar), there are a billion and one little notetaking apps (Mori, DevonTHINK, Yojimbo, VoodooPad, etc.), there are a billion and three clipboard buffers (my own Jumpcut being my personal preferred one), and so forth. Hawkwings.net and 43folders seem to be the best resources for the incessant fiddler.

]]> By: Jon H http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166731 Jon H Mon, 31 Jul 2006 00:26:07 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166731 The last time I tried to run Google Earth on my mac book pro, it reliably locked the computer up to the point where I had to hold down the power key to force the power off. (I tried again after the first time it happened, and it happened again.) The last time I tried to run Google Earth on my mac book pro, it reliably locked the computer up to the point where I had to hold down the power key to force the power off. (I tried again after the first time it happened, and it happened again.)

]]> By: nick s http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166707 nick s Sun, 30 Jul 2006 18:42:04 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166707 <i>The problem was this: that I’d imagine I had shut down the machine, but I’d actually closed the clamshell before the shutdown process finished.</i> That's a bit of PC-centric behaviour that you'd be better off unlearning. Macs simply don't need to be shut down unless they tell you they need it, for things like critical upgrades, or unless circumstances dictate it, such as a flight. 'Sleep' runs in very low power mode, and Macs do fine on lots of uptime. The problem with sleep mode mentioned @20 is MacBook specific, and if there's not a firmware fix, then you ought to call on AppleCare to do something about it. The problem was this: that I’d imagine I had shut down the machine, but I’d actually closed the clamshell before the shutdown process finished.

That’s a bit of PC-centric behaviour that you’d be better off unlearning. Macs simply don’t need to be shut down unless they tell you they need it, for things like critical upgrades, or unless circumstances dictate it, such as a flight. ‘Sleep’ runs in very low power mode, and Macs do fine on lots of uptime.

The problem with sleep mode mentioned @20 is MacBook specific, and if there’s not a firmware fix, then you ought to call on AppleCare to do something about it.

]]> By: rupes http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166698 rupes Sun, 30 Jul 2006 17:14:03 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166698 To add a twist... My PC suffers a similar problem. (Dell X1 - which I think is actually a rebadged Samsung). Quite frequently I will open the lid to find it alarmingly hot (or dead battery) with the screen live and an alert saying the cryptic "Insufficient sytem resources exist to execute API" which I have worked out means "I had not gone into stand by when you closed the lid, so I will just sit here sulking & drawing power" To add a twist…

My PC suffers a similar problem. (Dell X1 - which I think is actually a rebadged Samsung).

Quite frequently I will open the lid to find it alarmingly hot (or dead battery) with the screen live and an alert saying the cryptic “Insufficient sytem resources exist to execute API” which I have worked out means “I had not gone into stand by when you closed the lid, so I will just sit here sulking & drawing power”

]]> By: John Faughnan http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166683 John Faughnan Sun, 30 Jul 2006 13:40:55 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166683 I don't think anyone would say that OS X applications don't crash, but that's not the same as the OS crashing. XP rarely crashes, but it can become unusable. OS X really is significantly more stable. The failure to sleep on lid closure is a bug in the new machines. My iBook has never failed to sleep on lid closure. I don’t think anyone would say that OS X applications don’t crash, but that’s not the same as the OS crashing. XP rarely crashes, but it can become unusable. OS X really is significantly more stable.

The failure to sleep on lid closure is a bug in the new machines. My iBook has never failed to sleep on lid closure.

]]> By: jonathan http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166664 jonathan Sun, 30 Jul 2006 05:39:15 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166664 The only time I have had OSX crash on my own Mac was when a memory chip failed--and I run NLE video editing and 3D animation programs on it all the time. I HAVE seen an OSX crash while running MOTU's Digital Performer. I assume it had something to do with a glitch in all the hardware that DP was running at the time (a whole BANK of MIDI sequencers.) The only time I have had OSX crash on my own Mac was when a memory chip failed—and I run NLE video editing and 3D animation programs on it all the time. I HAVE seen an OSX crash while running MOTU’s Digital Performer. I assume it had something to do with a glitch in all the hardware that DP was running at the time (a whole BANK of MIDI sequencers.)

]]> By: Peter Hollo http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166662 Peter Hollo Sun, 30 Jul 2006 04:55:42 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166662 I think Chris made it fairly clear that he <i>did</i> mean that the OS crashes as well as individual bits of software. I've practically never had a bluescreen in Windows XP for years, and I frequently hibernate for days on end without rebooting. On the other hand, I've seen Macs in recording studios hang/crash quite frequently (not just Pro Tools, the whole computer freezing up). So Maynard is right that both the main OSes are pretty stable these days, and Mac-evangelists are well off-target in suggesting that the "blue screen of death" is any kind of issue with Windows boxes these days. I like the idea of the SideTrack software for emulating a right mouse button, as I still think the single mouse button on MacBooks is a real turn-off. Still, my Del Inspiron 9300 has a lovely keyboard layout, and has mousewheel emulators on its trackpad. Two-button mouses are just passe these days ;) I couldn't live without my mousewheel... I think Chris made it fairly clear that he did mean that the OS crashes as well as individual bits of software.
I’ve practically never had a bluescreen in Windows XP for years, and I frequently hibernate for days on end without rebooting. On the other hand, I’ve seen Macs in recording studios hang/crash quite frequently (not just Pro Tools, the whole computer freezing up). So Maynard is right that both the main OSes are pretty stable these days, and Mac-evangelists are well off-target in suggesting that the “blue screen of death” is any kind of issue with Windows boxes these days.

I like the idea of the SideTrack software for emulating a right mouse button, as I still think the single mouse button on MacBooks is a real turn-off. Still, my Del Inspiron 9300 has a lovely keyboard layout, and has mousewheel emulators on its trackpad. Two-button mouses are just passe these days ;) I couldn’t live without my mousewheel…

]]> By: sara http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166647 sara Sun, 30 Jul 2006 02:25:15 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166647 The heating problem seems to plague Apple's other notebooks. I have a rather old iBook (2002), but even when it was new, it would tend to heat up in use, and when I've been working on manuscripts for several hours, Word would crash with the mysterious "KERN ROOT FAILURE" message in the log. Since most people now accept global warming, I hope that Apple could come up with a way to produce laptops that do not double as space heaters. The heating problem seems to plague Apple’s other notebooks. I have a rather old iBook (2002), but even when it was new, it would tend to heat up in use, and when I’ve been working on manuscripts for several hours, Word would crash with the mysterious “KERN ROOT FAILURE” message in the log. Since most people now accept global warming, I hope that Apple could come up with a way to produce laptops that do not double as space heaters.

]]> By: Maynard Handley http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166645 Maynard Handley Sun, 30 Jul 2006 02:17:03 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166645 Could I put in a plea that people are computer-sophisticated enough to have a blog ought to be sophisticated enough to understand what "crashing the OS" means. No-one claims that applications on OS-X won't crash. How could they make such a claim? The writing of third party apps has nothing to do with Apple. The claim is that the OS itself will not crash, ie, as you stated, a flawed app will kill itself and affect nothing else. Of course XP is no different in this respect. In both cases, to bring down the OS requires either faulty hardware, faulty 3rd-party drivers, or very special circumstances. We're living in 2006. Finally, thank god, both the major OS vendors are aware that they need to offer their customers such fine 1960s technology as memory protection, pre-emption and SMP. Therefore, when people want to rant and rave about how great their OS is compared to the other guy's, could they please perhaps bring up 21st century issues rather than this same old shit? Examples of 21st century issues are * security (Apple is quite a bit ahead), * network transparent graphics and computing (Apple is way behind, MS is OK, not great, Linux/X-windows is better, still not great) [Yeah, yeah, MacOS X supports X windows --- which is absolutely zero help for running what most people think of as Mac apps over a network] * a slew of issues related to backups (everyone is pathetic on this front) * virtualization (very much in a state of flux these days, changes day to day). Could I put in a plea that people are computer-sophisticated enough to have a blog ought to be sophisticated enough to understand what “crashing the OS” means.

No-one claims that applications on OS-X won’t crash. How could they make such a claim? The writing of third party apps has nothing to do with Apple. The claim is that the OS itself will not crash, ie, as you stated, a flawed app will kill itself and affect nothing else.

Of course XP is no different in this respect. In both cases, to bring down the OS requires either faulty hardware, faulty 3rd-party drivers, or very special circumstances.

We’re living in 2006. Finally, thank god, both the major OS vendors are aware that they need to offer their customers such fine 1960s technology as memory protection, pre-emption and SMP. Therefore, when people want to rant and rave about how great their OS is compared to the other guy’s, could they please perhaps bring up 21st century issues rather than this same old shit?
Examples of 21st century issues are

  • security (Apple is quite a bit ahead),
  • network transparent graphics and computing (Apple is way behind, MS is OK, not great, Linux/X-windows is better, still not great) [Yeah, yeah, MacOS X supports X windows—- which is absolutely zero help for running what most people think of as Mac apps over a network]
  • a slew of issues related to backups (everyone is pathetic on this front)
  • virtualization (very much in a state of flux these days, changes day to day).
]]> By: gray http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/comment-page-1/#comment-166630 gray Sat, 29 Jul 2006 21:37:09 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/29/macbook/#comment-166630 Macintouch.com has a good forum and posts concerning the day to day experiences of using macs. I got quick answers concerning two minor issues with my new Macbook there. As other posters have noted simply find a two button mouse you like and plug it in. Many commenters question the value of .Mac. The synchronization is slick but the cost is relatively high. Unless you work between two macs it is probably not worth it. Keynote has some really nice features and looks better in the end, but it takes longer IMO to put a presentation together than PowerPoint. I've had the same difficulty with NeoOffice you mention, I'm hoping the latest version fixes that. I'm not sure that Camino will work with the plug-ins you require but if they do, look at it because it is generally held to be faster than Firefox and more consistent with the Mac interface. Macintouch.com has a good forum and posts concerning the day to day experiences of using macs. I got quick answers concerning two minor issues with my new Macbook there.

As other posters have noted simply find a two button mouse you like and plug it in.

Many commenters question the value of .Mac. The synchronization is slick but the cost is relatively high. Unless you work between two macs it is probably not worth it.

Keynote has some really nice features and looks better in the end, but it takes longer IMO to put a presentation together than PowerPoint. I’ve had the same difficulty with NeoOffice you mention, I’m hoping the latest version fixes that.

I’m not sure that Camino will work with the plug-ins you require but if they do, look at it because it is generally held to be faster than Firefox and more consistent with the Mac interface.

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