As I've stated repeatedly through this thread, I don't think anyone's ripping off anyone - just that Konfabulator predated Dashboard.
My point was that only Apple got it right (well, it is not under context of your thread, but what the hell). E.g. as for an developer, Dashboard is more lovely and better done in its architecture. It is not really cross-platform, but in this case I do not really care. Same with Spaces: the topmost implementation that is actually usable. And yes, you are free to love/hate anything you want (which I do not care at all).
Virtual Desktops were got "right" long before Apple copied the concept.
Arguable. You dislike Spaces? OK, it is your right. But having everything accessible and visual -- very good idea.
Personally I always hated Dashboard/Konfabulator/etc.
Nobody enforces you to use them.
Spotlight managed to freeze the whole machine to the point where a forced reboot was the only way out in less than 15 minutes.
If I do not own 4 macs and home with Leopard installed, then I would probably believe you. But even on iBook G4 Spotlight works fine. You know, there is a thing, called "index". All you have to do, is to give Spotlight reasonable scope and properly index that.:-)
For an example of Apple getting something right
Everything you can see on desktop. Including your iPod.:-)
The context of the discussion is innovation, not who got it right. Taking someone elses idea & putting it in your OS is called integration, not innovation.
*sigh*
Integration is combining parts so that they work together or form a whole. Nothing common with refactoring the ideas.
Virtual desktops: you mean "Stepping Out" feature that has been available in old Mac OS that has been created by Wes Boyd in 1986?
Konfabulator: OK, you are one of those, who claims Dashboard is a rip-off, ignoring the fact of different code base, engines and markup. But probably you also have to remember "Desk Accessories" that has been available in Mac OS yet in 1984, and has been written as a device driver, conforming to a particular programming model.
However, Konfabulator got it right - or do you disagree?
If you want to see where OS X has borrowed from OSS, simply look at spaces (predated by Virtual Desktops), Dashboard (predated by Konfabulator), Spotlight (predated by Beagle), etc.
I'll be honest--I have no clue what mac excels at other than 'image'. I last used a mac for day-to-day stuff back in 93. It was an LC II. I've played around a bit on newer macs, and watched a few demos on apple.com--so I'm not exactly qualified to give an opinion in that area. I suspected that.:-) Therefore I can not say that you have *enough* experience supporting 10.4 Tiger and 10.5 Leopard at enterprise level...
Then why do they still have the market majority? Keypoint: still. Because:
People do not like the changes
People get older, changes shocks them more strongly.
Most people learning curve is quite costly and long. They do not want to do it again.
Most people once got their job position, wants to just keep it.
Most people are not Albert Einshteins that can afford change technologies as quickly as you do change socks every day.
The list above can be prolonged to really impressive size. Only those, who are geeks and love technologies, curious to things and are willing to learn new stuff, they are not in the list of that majority of which you are talking about.
No, OS X is not a "plain Unix". It's a unique, proprietary OS that is also a certified UNIX(tm). If you write a UNIX application, of a portable sort that can be compiled and run on any properly POSIX-compliant platform, then it will be a very poor OS X application, because good OS X applications are not UNIX applications in any way, shape or form: they are OS X applications, written using Apple's proprietary and totally non-standard Cocoa API.
Well, not really.:-) First, you are mixing up a framework, infrastructure, deployment and kernel all together for some reason. Please be careful when you way "proprietary OS" when defining what actually is proprietary. Second, you have to be really clear what means "poor OSX application", because there is X11 apps that are Unix ones, and there is Cocoa applications that are OSX-specific ones. There are also carbon thing that is a Cocoa predecessor, roughly speaking. So in terms of POSIX application, this is the same thing as you can get anywhere else: on Linux, on BSD, on Solaris etc. And you have absolutely the same "apt-get-install" thing that works in the same manner.
OSX-specific applications that you are talking about are framework based and they are mostly all drag-droppable that means them totally different from the packages paradigm. Once you drag-n-drop it, typical package manager like dpkg or RPM will simply lose a track of where software gone. However, in terms of use "plain Unix" software, you can run the same plain GNOME or KDE and use the same thing as you do in Solaris or Linux or BSD. On Windows you would do that through Cygwin, that is Linux API emulation layer that provides substantial Linux API functionality. It is also a collection of tools which provide Linux look and feel. But if you run stuff on Mac OSX, you run them natively.
Most of the mac users have lived in 25 miles radius of my town. And there are a lot of assholes here. I'm one of them.
DarkPixel, please get me right: I am not going to offend you, neither make down your experience. But you must agree that 40 people is NOT any experience. And I am sure you know that, but you just must be angry on something etc. Let me say it again: all software sucks. I would say, if you support Mac on enterprise like we do for a few years, then probably you would speak quite different. Because at the enterprise Windows really good in many points that Macs, neither Linux can achieve it. I'd rather would love to get those points in Linux and Mac instead to flame and hate each other.:-)
Wait -- you have six thousand internal users, and you can't afford to hire one Linux geek to get them configured properly?
That's not entirely rhetorical, because it might be true, it just seems very odd.
I know it sounds odd.:-) But there are number of limitations that Linux has. It is not just configuration of properly does. And we are that geeks that can do the same. However, not everything easy as it looks like. One of the many examples is a Microsoft Office suite, which is absent on Linux or Solaris. You want it or not, but it is de-facto standard that very often used... I know it is stupid, I know all this bla-bla-bla that we, geeks, banging into the wall with our foreheads daily, but... it is life.:-(
Yes, we have OpenOffice.org officially installed, iWork 08 etc. Personally I find iWork the best thing ever I used before for office. I love it and I use it for most all internal documents. For diagrams I use OmniGraffle Pro. Very nice thing. However, not everybody are geeks.:-) This M$ crap also must be used too, and in some cases, if document got crippled by wrong importing within OOo or iWork -- it won't be accepted anymore by, let's say, audit. Sounds stupid? Yes, but it is like this. See, this is not only technical reasons, but lots of political bullshit that this sort of corporative world is all about. Sad, but true. However, more truth that big corporations are those shitty names that smaller corporations looks at. Thus you have a chain of "I do because John does the same", therefore from top to down you will find a sort of environmental cloning... You know what I mean?
It's not really open source at all. Parts of the kernel, and parts of the web browser. Beyond that, it's more locked down than Windows.
And if the iPhone is any indication, we can only expect more and more tightly held proprietary software, hardware, and patents from Apple.
I would not too much hurry to agree with this, sorry.:-) OK, let's define why. WebKit is totally opensource, rigt? So Safari is just a wrapper, as same as Shiira on BSD licence or whatever else that use the same webkit as rendering engine. Parts of the kernel... Here are "parts": http://www.opensource.apple.com/darwinsource/ Now, do you really have at least small part of the Windows kernel just like this, that you say it is more locked than Windows? What about all the BSD stuff that you can find in CLI is also OSS and they are default cornerstone mainspring of the OS? You can get a source of "ls" as same as TCP/IP layer lib, but you can not get even a part of the source of "dir" that is in Windows. Right? I guess, you already has been here: http://developer.apple.com/opensource/ and you are not going to show me Microsoft shared source licence, that denies any rights on your changes but treats all source belongs to M$? As for clear example, their research project: a Singularity OS.
It is insane to judge entire nations by few morons that belongs to it. Same thing with your poor "experience" that makes me laugh.
JFYI: We are running a bank that machines are only macs. And at least our 6K internal users has totally opposite behavior as your customers.
These days OSX is a Unix. Just that plain Unix that is registered at Open Group consortium (well, Linux since not Unix, hence is not there). Lots of my friends that are Ph.D. actually, moved from Linux to OSX just to make stuff really done. We all use Linux and we love it in its niche. However, our time is expensive, thus waste our time to configure it *properly* -- too costly for us. Among with that, Microsoft Windows even not considered to look at because we already has been there and know where it sucks and where it really wins.
Summarize, Macs are not problem-free or bug-free. In some cases OSX Server is like Microsoft product or sometimes worse. All software sucks, no matter what you use. But despite of this, Macs still does *much* more efficient at the end of overall run: they are cheaper, stable and better integrated. Personally I watch how Linux evolutes and how OSX does. And currently I can say: "Bravo, Steve!" for how clever Apple combine proprietary and open source together. Yes, I would love it more open source than it is. But I see evolution and see how Apple moves to the right direction.
What this sort of articles wants to say me? Use Windows? -- no, thanks. Use Linux/BSD? -- I do for years, I know them all. Apple is very serious about software. And probably this is the answer why.
I own MacBook Air among other laptops in my home. This is just different device and I'd say with just different approach on portable computing, if I can say so. I really can not get why people comparing it just by features? Because it does not have 5 USB ports as any 5kg weight Asus laptop has and does not have DVD drive?.. Well, IMHO it is kind of irrelevant. It is as same as compare BMW Z4 with... let's say Huyndai Amica (both are small) and complain that Amica has much more features (extra seats, extra doors, bigger space for cargo etc).
Now, for curious people a bit semi-numbers of performance. Machine is 1.8GHz CPU since 1.6GHz is not the point: if you decide to buy it, then you buy it right (in my opinion). I did not got it with SSD because for me it is too pricey so far. So, I use Windows XP on VmWare sometimes, because I develop stuff for web and MSIE still on rails, unfortunately, and also I need other Windows-only software. I also tried to play on this thing various 3D games, watching video (of course!), music stuff, Flash sites, Photoshop things and so on. Folks... it just that works fast enough and never gets hot. I also surprised of HDD's 4200rpm must be too slow. However, in fact, as for such machine it is not.
Lenovo X300 or MacBook Air or something else -- each product should be reviewed according to damn CUSTOMER'S OWN NEEDS. Is it not stupid to look at a product that does not match somebody's specific needs and say "this product does not match everybody's needs"? Lenovo X300 match needs for those who does not care screen size, keyboard comfortability but care about DVD drive, need Windows/Linux/*BSD as main OS, wants it rather smaller by width then height. MacBook Air are for those, who want it lightweight nearly 1kg, but still need normal keyboard with backlight and decent screen size. Among other users, MBA definitely perfect for writers, for business, for (maybe) programmers (like me) and for wives on sofa.:-)
I am not bashing anything or saying that MBA is something mega-incredible. I just feel sick when reading bullshit articles, called "strong opinion" though they just comparing apples with oranges: each product is individual and has its good or bad points.
Your answer to that issue is indeed a multiple machine approach.
Rather multiple gadgets approach, which is already approach of almost everybody. And I suppose it what MacBook Air is built for. As any other sub-notebook in the World.
So when you're away with the kids do you take your small cute Linux machine and your multi-terabyte home storage with you?
LOL! You make me laugh, man. You are funny. Yes, I take my machine with me, full of movies already pre-buffered. The thing is called Visual Hub. Google it for your own information. And kids (I have two of them) actually use Sony 2000-PSP, which is way better for them, because apart of movies they also can play amazing games and surf the network, using Skype, listening to Internet radio, watchint TV, while keeping the device in the pocket. Still nobody need DVD thing ever. Besides, you can purchase external DVD drive for you, but I am really sure you will need no one right after you change your way of thinking.:-)
There is also a thing, which is called iPod Touch. So if you go portable, then go REALLY portable and have things tiny and neat. The iPod Touch brings you amazing video quality, just excellent when you are on airplane or something. And if you go watch movie at home, then forget the idea watch it on 13" notebook, but watch it on big large comfortable screen with nice surround sound instead.
P.S. And I did not call you dumb. I was dumb...:-) So stay portable and cool. Cheers.
Big plus for me... my laptop MUST have a built in DVD drive as I use it as an entertainment station for the kids while we're away, and having a separate drive hanging off on a usb cable is a big NO NO.
Dude, I used to behave this way exactly 5 years ago, when I was too dumb to use WiFi. Now I have very small cute Linux machine smaller than Mac Mini, that is connected to my big Sony screen and it does pre-buffers DVDs from my online home storage (oh, just a few terabytes, not as much as your Lenovo has...). I can operate it remotely using my mobile through Bluetooth and software is MythTV.:-)
P.S. Lenovo is using at its best just a fugly Windows. Thanks, for *desktop* I'd stay with OSX and build another home Linux server on some low-powered hardware, like Kurobox for example.
I have no idea what Synaptic is, but I could download and install FF in 30 seconds on a windows box.
Dude, parent says something more than FiredFox browser. E.g. to setup stupid Linksys WiFi card takes ages to figure out WTF is going on when access point is seen, but card does not works. I mean, in Mac you plug stuff and it fucking works. In Linux you can not setup it properly without hammering it.
Windows is far simpler to use than Linux right now, sorry but that's the facts.
Right. And OSX even easier than Windows. So who needs Linux then anyway? If average Joe buys a computer in the shop, he considers a price, pays and don't gives a shit. What does average Joe with Linux? Right: deletes unusable OS and installs Windows, where plenty of incredible software, installation is nice from user's point of view (it is crap only from tech point of view) and everything "suddenly clicks".
fanboys who don't understand how someone can't figure out how to use a command line tool
Linux is free because someone's time has no value. Once someone realise that 1 hour costs some nice amount of US dollars (or EUR), he/she will definitely fuck Linux on desktop, buy a Vista or (better) Mac and do not give a shit of command line crap, but will focus on own job. Besides, command line in Mac works absolutely same, but with the difference that it is not needed for system setup.;-)
To be clear: I use all of them: Mac, Linux, Solaris and QNX. I have no problem with Linux. But this is because I am not average Joe in this case.
Your Air? Yeah. It looks pretty, but I guarantee that thing will break within a day of giving it to a VP. It would maybe last 15 seconds going through ATL on the way to ORD through CLE. The design of the Air--to me--just screams cheap and flimsy. Pretty, but flimsy.
Yeah-yeah... I heard this exactly to MacBooks right after they appeared. In fact, they do works very well, do not breaks, looks nice and pretty. I own one that black with extra memory added, and really-really happy with that. I do Java programming on it, run Tomcat on it, doing some Unix SA and playing with something very different: mixing music with Cubase AI4. And flaming-trolling to Slashdot sometimes...:-P
Guys, yes, Lenovo pad thing has more features, yes. But comparing Apple Air to Lenovo thing -- It is like comparing Lexus to Hyundai: anyone says Hyundai is better, because it has more features, more horsepower and thicker wheels?.. Then maybe you need russian tractor TR-40 then?.. -- it really has way more horsepower than BMW, incredible passability, world thickest caterpillar tracks and a hidden rocket launcher against potential yankee attack... In fact, those machines you can get much cheaper than decent BMW car.:-)
In my opinion, the core feature is MacOSX -- the best desktop OS ever with no very serious competitors these days. And slick light laptop is exactly where OSX fits. IBM is running Windows, it is heavier and your life style is not bound completely to WiFi, as it should be, but more to cables and plastic disks you are going to put into DVD drive. I personally do not remember when I use DVD drive last time, though I have 9 machines at home.:-)
Here you go: Ethernet should be WiFi, as it was designed in the initial idea (because it is Ethernet). And all things you should do with slick mobile device with fast WiFi. This is probably the best way how small movable gadgets should work, no matter Apples or Oranges.
To make long story short, I returned it in disgust and got a Linux laptop instead. So far, all is fine.
If I say that I returned Linux laptop in disgust, I will get "-1 Troll". If I say I returned Mac in disgust to get Linux one, I will get "5, Insightful". Thus I will probably wish you the best with your Linux and next time maybe read more Apple documentation.
I am a programmer and I am on Apple, because I have VmWare with Win, Lin, Solaris and other things. You have VmWare too, but you have no MacOSX, so no tests for your programs.
They allow you to install pretty much anything you want in a PowerMac/Mac Pro, and it doesn't affect the stability of those machines and seems to cause little fuss.
You tellin' me. Apple.Japan started putting some very-very-very-very crappy Trident videocards into G5 XServers in that time and we had tons of problems with that. The quick solution was to remove the bloody videocard and then SSH to the server.:)
Slashdot Mirror
My point was that only Apple got it right (well, it is not under context of your thread, but what the hell). E.g. as for an developer, Dashboard is more lovely and better done in its architecture. It is not really cross-platform, but in this case I do not really care. Same with Spaces: the topmost implementation that is actually usable. And yes, you are free to love/hate anything you want (which I do not care at all).
you fanboy.Nope. Your own webpage says you are. :-)
Arguable. You dislike Spaces? OK, it is your right. But having everything accessible and visual -- very good idea.
Personally I always hated Dashboard/Konfabulator/etc.Nobody enforces you to use them.
Spotlight managed to freeze the whole machine to the point where a forced reboot was the only way out in less than 15 minutes.If I do not own 4 macs and home with Leopard installed, then I would probably believe you. But even on iBook G4 Spotlight works fine. You know, there is a thing, called "index". All you have to do, is to give Spotlight reasonable scope and properly index that. :-)
For an example of Apple getting something rightEverything you can see on desktop. Including your iPod. :-)
*sigh*
- Integration is combining parts so that they work together or form a whole. Nothing common with refactoring the ideas.
- Virtual desktops: you mean "Stepping Out" feature that has been available in old Mac OS that has been created by Wes Boyd in 1986?
- Konfabulator: OK, you are one of those, who claims Dashboard is a rip-off, ignoring the fact of different code base, engines and markup. But probably you also have to remember "Desk Accessories" that has been available in Mac OS yet in 1984, and has been written as a device driver, conforming to a particular programming model.
However, Konfabulator got it right - or do you disagree?I like real WebKit and ability to extend JavaScript with Objective C. The rest you can find here: http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/macosx-10-4.ars/17
The point is who actually get it right...
The list above can be prolonged to really impressive size. Only those, who are geeks and love technologies, curious to things and are willing to learn new stuff, they are not in the list of that majority of which you are talking about.
Well, not really. :-) First, you are mixing up a framework, infrastructure, deployment and kernel all together for some reason. Please be careful when you way "proprietary OS" when defining what actually is proprietary. Second, you have to be really clear what means "poor OSX application", because there is X11 apps that are Unix ones, and there is Cocoa applications that are OSX-specific ones. There are also carbon thing that is a Cocoa predecessor, roughly speaking. So in terms of POSIX application, this is the same thing as you can get anywhere else: on Linux, on BSD, on Solaris etc. And you have absolutely the same "apt-get-install" thing that works in the same manner.
OSX-specific applications that you are talking about are framework based and they are mostly all drag-droppable that means them totally different from the packages paradigm. Once you drag-n-drop it, typical package manager like dpkg or RPM will simply lose a track of where software gone. However, in terms of use "plain Unix" software, you can run the same plain GNOME or KDE and use the same thing as you do in Solaris or Linux or BSD. On Windows you would do that through Cygwin, that is Linux API emulation layer that provides substantial Linux API functionality. It is also a collection of tools which provide Linux look and feel. But if you run stuff on Mac OSX, you run them natively.
DarkPixel, please get me right: I am not going to offend you, neither make down your experience. But you must agree that 40 people is NOT any experience. And I am sure you know that, but you just must be angry on something etc. Let me say it again: all software sucks. I would say, if you support Mac on enterprise like we do for a few years, then probably you would speak quite different. Because at the enterprise Windows really good in many points that Macs, neither Linux can achieve it. I'd rather would love to get those points in Linux and Mac instead to flame and hate each other. :-)
I know it sounds odd. :-) But there are number of limitations that Linux has. It is not just configuration of properly does. And we are that geeks that can do the same. However, not everything easy as it looks like. One of the many examples is a Microsoft Office suite, which is absent on Linux or Solaris. You want it or not, but it is de-facto standard that very often used... I know it is stupid, I know all this bla-bla-bla that we, geeks, banging into the wall with our foreheads daily, but... it is life. :-(
Yes, we have OpenOffice.org officially installed, iWork 08 etc. Personally I find iWork the best thing ever I used before for office. I love it and I use it for most all internal documents. For diagrams I use OmniGraffle Pro. Very nice thing. However, not everybody are geeks. :-) This M$ crap also must be used too, and in some cases, if document got crippled by wrong importing within OOo or iWork -- it won't be accepted anymore by, let's say, audit. Sounds stupid? Yes, but it is like this. See, this is not only technical reasons, but lots of political bullshit that this sort of corporative world is all about. Sad, but true. However, more truth that big corporations are those shitty names that smaller corporations looks at. Thus you have a chain of "I do because John does the same", therefore from top to down you will find a sort of environmental cloning... You know what I mean?
I would not too much hurry to agree with this, sorry.It is insane to judge entire nations by few morons that belongs to it. Same thing with your poor "experience" that makes me laugh.
JFYI: We are running a bank that machines are only macs. And at least our 6K internal users has totally opposite behavior as your customers.
These days OSX is a Unix. Just that plain Unix that is registered at Open Group consortium (well, Linux since not Unix, hence is not there). Lots of my friends that are Ph.D. actually, moved from Linux to OSX just to make stuff really done. We all use Linux and we love it in its niche. However, our time is expensive, thus waste our time to configure it *properly* -- too costly for us. Among with that, Microsoft Windows even not considered to look at because we already has been there and know where it sucks and where it really wins.
Summarize, Macs are not problem-free or bug-free. In some cases OSX Server is like Microsoft product or sometimes worse. All software sucks, no matter what you use. But despite of this, Macs still does *much* more efficient at the end of overall run: they are cheaper, stable and better integrated. Personally I watch how Linux evolutes and how OSX does. And currently I can say: "Bravo, Steve!" for how clever Apple combine proprietary and open source together. Yes, I would love it more open source than it is. But I see evolution and see how Apple moves to the right direction.
What this sort of articles wants to say me? Use Windows? -- no, thanks. Use Linux/BSD? -- I do for years, I know them all. Apple is very serious about software. And probably this is the answer why.
I own MacBook Air among other laptops in my home. This is just different device and I'd say with just different approach on portable computing, if I can say so. I really can not get why people comparing it just by features? Because it does not have 5 USB ports as any 5kg weight Asus laptop has and does not have DVD drive?.. Well, IMHO it is kind of irrelevant. It is as same as compare BMW Z4 with... let's say Huyndai Amica (both are small) and complain that Amica has much more features (extra seats, extra doors, bigger space for cargo etc).
Now, for curious people a bit semi-numbers of performance. Machine is 1.8GHz CPU since 1.6GHz is not the point: if you decide to buy it, then you buy it right (in my opinion). I did not got it with SSD because for me it is too pricey so far. So, I use Windows XP on VmWare sometimes, because I develop stuff for web and MSIE still on rails, unfortunately, and also I need other Windows-only software. I also tried to play on this thing various 3D games, watching video (of course!), music stuff, Flash sites, Photoshop things and so on. Folks... it just that works fast enough and never gets hot. I also surprised of HDD's 4200rpm must be too slow. However, in fact, as for such machine it is not.
Lenovo X300 or MacBook Air or something else -- each product should be reviewed according to damn CUSTOMER'S OWN NEEDS. Is it not stupid to look at a product that does not match somebody's specific needs and say "this product does not match everybody's needs"? Lenovo X300 match needs for those who does not care screen size, keyboard comfortability but care about DVD drive, need Windows/Linux/*BSD as main OS, wants it rather smaller by width then height. MacBook Air are for those, who want it lightweight nearly 1kg, but still need normal keyboard with backlight and decent screen size. Among other users, MBA definitely perfect for writers, for business, for (maybe) programmers (like me) and for wives on sofa. :-)
I am not bashing anything or saying that MBA is something mega-incredible. I just feel sick when reading bullshit articles, called "strong opinion" though they just comparing apples with oranges: each product is individual and has its good or bad points.
Subj. ;-)
NDISWrapper is the only thing that can run tons of devices... Ohwell...
Title says 185 pages, while quick summary says 158 pages. I guess those 27 pages left are similar slashdot comments. :-)
Rather multiple gadgets approach, which is already approach of almost everybody. And I suppose it what MacBook Air is built for. As any other sub-notebook in the World.
LOL! You make me laugh, man. You are funny. Yes, I take my machine with me, full of movies already pre-buffered. The thing is called Visual Hub. Google it for your own information. And kids (I have two of them) actually use Sony 2000-PSP, which is way better for them, because apart of movies they also can play amazing games and surf the network, using Skype, listening to Internet radio, watchint TV, while keeping the device in the pocket. Still nobody need DVD thing ever. Besides, you can purchase external DVD drive for you, but I am really sure you will need no one right after you change your way of thinking. :-)
There is also a thing, which is called iPod Touch. So if you go portable, then go REALLY portable and have things tiny and neat. The iPod Touch brings you amazing video quality, just excellent when you are on airplane or something. And if you go watch movie at home, then forget the idea watch it on 13" notebook, but watch it on big large comfortable screen with nice surround sound instead.
P.S. And I did not call you dumb. I was dumb... :-) So stay portable and cool. Cheers.
Dude, I used to behave this way exactly 5 years ago, when I was too dumb to use WiFi. Now I have very small cute Linux machine smaller than Mac Mini, that is connected to my big Sony screen and it does pre-buffers DVDs from my online home storage (oh, just a few terabytes, not as much as your Lenovo has...). I can operate it remotely using my mobile through Bluetooth and software is MythTV. :-)
P.S. Lenovo is using at its best just a fugly Windows. Thanks, for *desktop* I'd stay with OSX and build another home Linux server on some low-powered hardware, like Kurobox for example.
Dude, parent says something more than FiredFox browser. E.g. to setup stupid Linksys WiFi card takes ages to figure out WTF is going on when access point is seen, but card does not works. I mean, in Mac you plug stuff and it fucking works. In Linux you can not setup it properly without hammering it.
Right. And OSX even easier than Windows. So who needs Linux then anyway? If average Joe buys a computer in the shop, he considers a price, pays and don't gives a shit. What does average Joe with Linux? Right: deletes unusable OS and installs Windows, where plenty of incredible software, installation is nice from user's point of view (it is crap only from tech point of view) and everything "suddenly clicks".
Linux is free because someone's time has no value. Once someone realise that 1 hour costs some nice amount of US dollars (or EUR), he/she will definitely fuck Linux on desktop, buy a Vista or (better) Mac and do not give a shit of command line crap, but will focus on own job. Besides, command line in Mac works absolutely same, but with the difference that it is not needed for system setup. ;-)
To be clear: I use all of them: Mac, Linux, Solaris and QNX. I have no problem with Linux. But this is because I am not average Joe in this case.
Yeah-yeah... I heard this exactly to MacBooks right after they appeared. In fact, they do works very well, do not breaks, looks nice and pretty. I own one that black with extra memory added, and really-really happy with that. I do Java programming on it, run Tomcat on it, doing some Unix SA and playing with something very different: mixing music with Cubase AI4. And flaming-trolling to Slashdot sometimes... :-P
Guys, yes, Lenovo pad thing has more features, yes. But comparing Apple Air to Lenovo thing -- It is like comparing Lexus to Hyundai: anyone says Hyundai is better, because it has more features, more horsepower and thicker wheels?.. Then maybe you need russian tractor TR-40 then?.. -- it really has way more horsepower than BMW, incredible passability, world thickest caterpillar tracks and a hidden rocket launcher against potential yankee attack... In fact, those machines you can get much cheaper than decent BMW car. :-)
In my opinion, the core feature is MacOSX -- the best desktop OS ever with no very serious competitors these days. And slick light laptop is exactly where OSX fits. IBM is running Windows, it is heavier and your life style is not bound completely to WiFi, as it should be, but more to cables and plastic disks you are going to put into DVD drive. I personally do not remember when I use DVD drive last time, though I have 9 machines at home. :-)
Here you go: Ethernet should be WiFi, as it was designed in the initial idea (because it is Ethernet). And all things you should do with slick mobile device with fast WiFi. This is probably the best way how small movable gadgets should work, no matter Apples or Oranges.
I am sure it runs Windows and probably Ubuntu Linux, which means from African: "I can not setup Debian". But can it run MacOS? :-)
Sex was always very expensive all times. Especially, if you have merry with afterwards. :-)
If I say that I returned Linux laptop in disgust, I will get "-1 Troll". If I say I returned Mac in disgust to get Linux one, I will get "5, Insightful". Thus I will probably wish you the best with your Linux and next time maybe read more Apple documentation.
I am a programmer and I am on Apple, because I have VmWare with Win, Lin, Solaris and other things. You have VmWare too, but you have no MacOSX, so no tests for your programs.
You tellin' me. Apple.Japan started putting some very-very-very-very crappy Trident videocards into G5 XServers in that time and we had tons of problems with that. The quick solution was to remove the bloody videocard and then SSH to the server. :)