After 12 years of running Linux as my desktop and 8 years of running Linux on my laptop, I’m making a switch. This is a pretty big event for me.
I wouldn’t leave the comfort of Linux for just anything. It would have to be unix based. Having done a bunch of Windows development in the past year, I knew I would just not be comfortable there. Linux still gave me everything windows would, and then some. The powerful unix command-line made up for wireless and multi-headed operation being slightly more difficult. So I was fairly happy until… Well, lets backtrack a bit.
When Apple first released OS X in 2001, I started tracking OS X and keeping an eye on it. When Dave got a Powerbook a year or two ago and loved it so I continued to pay attention. With each release OS X has fixed or added items to the unix level as well as the GUI level that made it more and more attractive. Last year, things were good enough that I made the statement that if Intel Powerbooks come out, I’d switch. Then it happened, it snowed in hell, and Apple made me have to put my money where my mouth is. 
Last Monday my linux-running Thinkpad A31p was replaced with a 15" 2Ghz MacBook Pro. I’ve been slowly getting up to speed. Moving on to the new laptop is taking a bit longer then I expected. As of last Friday I’m at the point where I have most of apps I use every day, or their OS X equivalent.
From the unix to unix perspective stuff has just worked. I’ve rsynced my files from my old laptop over. I’ve resorting things to fit into some of the OS X default folders.
One thing i have been surprised by is the number of open source apps that I’ve been able to use. The open source community has welcomed OS X with open arms, for the most part. I was already using Firefox and Thunderbird on Linux, so I was able to use those exact same programs on OS X. For instant messaging, I’m using Adium, which supposedly uses code from GAIM. For an RSS reader, to replace liferea, I’ve gone with Vienna. All the X applications and other unix command line tools that I use often, such as a2ps, ethereal, nmap, and others have been contained within DarwinPorts. For coding, OS X uses the GNU toolset, so everything I need for building is there. Command-line Emacs is already there, but I’m playing around with Aquaemacs for my emacs needs. My biggest problem with this switch is that I’m switching from XEmacs to straight emacs. Since XEmacs is a fork of Emacs, most stuff works but the little bit where the configuration is different is slowing me down as I recreate the equivalent configuration.
iTunes has become a pretty good replacement for how I used xmms to listening to mp3 streams and music files. As an added bonus, I’m actually using my iPod with iTunes instead of gtkpod. Its not making any difference in how i’m doing things, but I’m finally doing what everyone else who has an iPod does.
Microsoft doesn’t have an Intel native version of Office out for the Mac yet, and I could run it under Rosetta , but I’m on a quest to not run anything under emulation. Fortunately, most of what I would need Office for is contained in Apple’s iWork suite: presentation software and a word processor. When I need a spreadsheet, I’ll turn to OpenOffice.org. Unfortunately, OpenOffice.org does not have a native GUI port, but they do have an Intel build that will run under the X11. For my meager spreadsheet needs, that should be fine.
One thing I’m not entirely happy yet is virtual desktop support. I generally like DesktopManager, but its not running happily on Intel yet. For now I’ve settled on VirtueDesktops, which gets the job done, but is definately not my favorite. At least I have virtual desktops, though.
All in all I’m extremely happy I made the switch. On a server, I’m sticking with Linux. On a desktop I could still very happily use Linux, but OS X is great there as well. But for a laptop, OS X is the winner hands down. Everything that I listed above that I could do, but not easily on Linux, just works on OS X.
Of course, the side benefit of this is that ezRETS will soon work on OS X. :)
