Unstable Platform
What should I do about computers? I am now somewhat unsure of which way I need to move. At the moment I have a Mac mini, a Windows PC, 2 Linux Servers and a laptop (that has been commandeered by my mother who has been eaten by the eBay bug). I need a new laptop as a priority but my main computer could do with an extensive upgrade aswell. Two weeks ago I was set to buy a Powerbook initially to cover the laptop side of things. This would let me retire the Linux servers into other homes and use the Mac mini as my main server. The plan was to then get all of the software I would need on the Mac platform before shutting down my PC and investing in a Power Mac. Unfortunately, things change… including the architecture of Apple’s computers! At this stage, I am not sure I can move to Mac’s completely until the new machines are released. Apple has claimed that they will support PPC for a long time, but in computers that could be just a few months. My instincts tell me to keep my current PC for as long as possible (It’s not really that bad, I just like to have the latest and greatest!) and buy a new PC laptop to use for the next couple of years. Is that the right way to go? I am not sure but if you have any thoughts, please feel free to offer advice!
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#1
Two years is a long time to spend in the company of a computer and an operating system. Given my choice, I’d spend that two years in the company of a PowerBook running OS X. I use PCs regularly at work; ways of doing on a PC just seem inelegant by comparison.
My PowerBook has survived my students spilling softdrinks on it, not once, but twice, and it even survived the kid who tripped over the cord, yanking it hard off my desk to the tile floor. (The edge of the Titanium frame is just the least bit bent now, and I have to use a mouse rather than the trackpad.) My previous laptop, a mid-range Dell, died just after its warranty expired, without apparent cause.
It’s likely that you’d find uses for a PowerBook years after you’ve upgraded again. I’ve owned eight Macs and always gave them away in working condition when there was no longer any reason to keep them. Truth to tell, the IIE I gave my mother many years ago still works. That gift was a mistake, in fact, because for years she thought as long as she had a working computer, she really didn’t need another. Aaargh.
I do like a thing well designed and made. For me, that’s a Mac. Fact is, as long as you avail yourself of the tools you need to do what you want to do, there’s not really a wrong choice. Anything one buys now will be trumped in two years anyway! Good luck with your decision.
Comment by Lisa Erwin — 22/6/2005 @ 1:24 pm
#2
Some good points to ponder Lisa, thanks! I have read about the ruggedness of the Powerbooks and that is certainly one of the attractions for me. I also prefer the OS which is important!!
Comment by Phrixus — 22/6/2005 @ 4:21 pm