Using a Mac full-time: the good, the bad, and the pretty

I think most new Mac users come straight from Windows. I’m now using my wife’s old Macbook Pro as my main computer (pretty much as a desktop, since the battery life is abysmal), and my Ubuntu netbook (for portability). Here are some good and bad experiences I’ve had. First, the good: Audio simplicity. I can… Continue reading Using a Mac full-time: the good, the bad, and the pretty

Why I might switch to Mac from Ubuntu

Who am I? I’ve been using Ubuntu for almost five years now. I’ve offered some technical support on the Ubuntu Forums and been a moderator there off and on. I’ve maintained a new-user-targeted documentation site for every release of Ubuntu except the very first (4.10). I’ve also contributed to a few official Wiki pages. Even… Continue reading Why I might switch to Mac from Ubuntu

Tech “journalism” strikes again: of course Apple will recommend antivirus eventually

A self-proclaimed analyst at CNET has predicted that Apple will recommend antivirus. Apart from the fact that Apple already did recommend antivirus a few months ago (but has since removed that page), isn’t that quite obvious? Some prediction. Unfortunately, the reasoning for that recommendation makes me wonder what Jon Oltsik is analyzing. Here are the… Continue reading Tech “journalism” strikes again: of course Apple will recommend antivirus eventually

Should Linux users hush up about Microsoft?

Someone linked to Good Linux Users Don’t Talk About Microsoft on the Ubuntu Forums. I started to type up a reply, and then it got so long that I figured it was more of a blog entry than a forum post. Besides, who wants to hear about our broken toilet flush, anyway? Okay, let’s see.… Continue reading Should Linux users hush up about Microsoft?

Safari 4 has almost caught up to other browsers

When I read the features in the new Safari 4 beta, I got really excited. My wife uses Safari on her Mac because when she first started using OS X, Firefox and Camino weren’t very stable (the user profiles kept getting corrupt). Now Firefox is much better, and she uses it at work for the… Continue reading Safari 4 has almost caught up to other browsers

Do comparisons have to be fair?

If you’ve spent any time on a Linux forum, you know people there love to debate about Linux v. Windows v. Mac OS X. Throw in the term user-friendly or easier, and you’ll likely fan the flames so they can be put out only by a discussion thread closure. One type of objection Linux defenders… Continue reading Do comparisons have to be fair?

The effectiveness of “security through obscurity”

I don’t believe that security through obscurity is ideal or ultimately effective. I don’t believe it’s a generally good security approach. Nevertheless, it is not often the same as no security at all. Security through obscurity can have its place. A few years ago, when it was brought to light that the newest (at the… Continue reading The effectiveness of “security through obscurity”

Ubuntu: The Open Source Apple Challenger?

Mark Shuttleworth’s vision I know I’m not the only Ubuntu user blogging about Mark Shuttleworth saying he wants to make Ubuntu better-looking than OS X in the next two years. He also says I can’t say we will succeed at this, but we will make a significant attempt to elevate the Linux desktop to the… Continue reading Ubuntu: The Open Source Apple Challenger?