[lordhamster]

Well folks,

I just took the plunge... I'm a Mac user now. After years of using Dos and Windows PCs, I've finally decided to go to the dark side and buy a MacBook Pro. I ordered the Macbook 2.16 ghz w/ 1gb Ram and 100gb @7200rpm sata drive. I hope I get it before the 3-4 weeks they are saying.

I'm a web-based database application developer / consultant and had my HP notebook just die on me. I did some reseach and found that almost every application that I currently use has a counterpoint for MacOS X. Including Oracle, Dreamweaver, Apache, PHP and Tomcat.

Hopefully the learning curve for a hard-core PC user like me won't be too steep.

Anyone have any websites they could suggest for someone like me making the switch? (other than the apple switch pages)... Any must have software?

I'll update y'all as to when I get my MacBook... I ordered it just about 30 min ago. 2-20-2006

[macboy]

Welcome to MacNN. Here are 2 quick links you might wanna check out. I recently moved from a Compaq to a Powerbook

http://123macmini.com/news/story/398.html

http://plasticbugs.com/?p=312

[cambro]

Originally Posted by lordhamster

I'm a web-based database application developer

Me too, in an academic environment.

You are going to LOVE your book and OS X for web database development!

Here are my key apps/tools:

BBEdit &/or TextWranger
Custom-sized and colored semi-TRANSPARENT terminal window (set in Window Settings)
Exposé (OMG how nice is this when coding in a bunch of different windows!)
PHPMyAdmin
Fugu (ftp client, free, nice)

That's pretty much it for my development needs.

PHP & Apache come installed on every OSX machine, just gotta change the httpd.config and php.ini files to your liking and turn on the server with a click! I use MySQL..very easy to install.

[lordhamster]

Originally Posted by macboy

Welcome to MacNN. Here are 2 quick links you might wanna check out. I recently moved from a Compaq to a Powerbook

http://123macmini.com/news/story/398.html

http://plasticbugs.com/?p=312

Thanks for those links! They are fantastic.

I've now got 3-4 weeks to learn everything there is to learn about macs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my 2.16 unit might ship early.

[terigox]

Me too lordhamster, ordered mine Jan 30th after playing for a couple of months in the new Apple store near my house.

I was actually inspired by a guy in one of my classes back at school that had a 15" Powerbook, thats when I fell in love.

I'm going to check out those links too, this forum definitly seems like it has a nice group of people

I am awaiting my macbook 1.83, 1gb ram. I couldn't bring myself to spend too much more $$

[cambro]

Also, don't forget these keyboard shortcuts (apple.com).

The screen capture ones are really, really handy. I use shift-crtl-apple-4 all the time and it is great!

[lordhamster]

Originally Posted by terigox

Me too lordhamster, ordered mine Jan 30th after playing for a couple of months in the new Apple store near my house.

I was actually inspired by a guy in one of my classes back at school that had a 15" Powerbook, thats when I fell in love.

I'm going to check out those links too, this forum definitly seems like it has a nice group of people

I am awaiting my macbook 1.83, 1gb ram. I couldn't bring myself to spend too much more $$

For me it was a very hard decision because I use my PC for my business. Like I said, I'm a small business owner and I mainly use my pc for writing web-based database apps and doing customer presentations etc.... As such, I can deduct the price of this unit off my taxes as a business expense... so the price isn't quite as bad.


I'm very nervous about this switch, but it looks like the folks here on this board will be very helpful.

[terigox]

For the development I use, mainly Macromedia products (well Adobe now), and SSH based database or web based database utilites, it was a no brainer for me.

I'm not quite sure why it took so long, perhaps for me to "grow out of" gaming or something along those lines.

I'm really looking forward to it, and I'm thinking that in the long run I will actually be more productive with OSX, similar to that I have already with my Linux based desktop.

[lordhamster]

Originally Posted by terigox

For the development I use, mainly Macromedia products (well Adobe now), and SSH based database or web based database utilites, it was a no brainer for me.

I'm not quite sure why it took so long, perhaps for me to "grow out of" gaming or something along those lines.

I'm really looking forward to it, and I'm thinking that in the long run I will actually be more productive with OSX, similar to that I have already with my Linux based desktop.

I like the idea of Linux, but it is just too much of a pain in the rear to use. I hate all the hassle associated with installing applications and devices. My dealings with Linux in this business are usually quite unpleasant.

Do you know of any good SSH file tranfer programs I can use w/ the mac? I know for regular SSH telneting I can use the built in terminal.

[terigox]

If it is from another Unix based system, scp is the best I've used, I think it just copies over the SSH protocol.

http://www.eos.ncsu.edu/remoteaccess/man/scp.html

I haven't actually gotten my mac, but that's what I'll use most of the time, that and Samba shares

[k2director]

Congrats!!!

Just to set expectactions, you may experience some moments of frustration, when you discover that things on the Mac don't work exactly as they do on a PC, or that there's not an exact equivalent to a very specific feature you may have gotten used to on your PC.

Just know that such frustration may be par for the course, but it will pass soon enough; you'll find alternatives that work just as well, and you'll quickly reach a point where you feel quite at home with the Mac way. Enjoy!

[yticolev]

Originally Posted by lordhamster

I just took the plunge... I'm a Mac user now. After years of using Dos and Windows PCs, I've finally decided to go to the dark side and buy a MacBook Pro.

Interesting perspective. Most Mac users think Windows is the dark side. Welcome to the light!

[jhonizzle]

i actually have done the same, and i think it's ironic that most PC users that switch over to Apple refer to Apple as "the dark side". Any way I ordered my MBpro Feb 7,and i've been reading these forums ever since. I joined today because of this post, and the fact that i'll probably be asking a whole bunch of stupid questions. I first started wanting a Mac when i started running the x86 version on VMware....i just can't wait until March 8'th when my MBpro gets here!!

[onlykaria]

Originally Posted by lordhamster

Well folks,

I just took the plunge... I'm a Mac user now. After years of using Dos and Windows PCs, I've finally decided to go to the dark side and buy a MacBook Pro. I ordered the Macbook 2.16 ghz w/ 1gb Ram and 100gb @7200rpm sata drive. I hope I get it before the 3-4 weeks they are saying.

I'm a web-based database application developer / consultant and had my HP notebook just die on me. I did some reseach and found that almost every application that I currently use has a counterpoint for MacOS X. Including Oracle, Dreamweaver, Apache, PHP and Tomcat.

Hopefully the learning curve for a hard-core PC user like me won't be too steep.

Anyone have any websites they could suggest for someone like me making the switch? (other than the apple switch pages)... Any must have software?

I'll update y'all as to when I get my MacBook... I ordered it just about 30 min ago. 2-20-2006

i would strongly recommend that you go to your nearest apple store and get a procare membership.

it doesnt have anything to do with your warranty, but it does have some nifty features:

1-free transfer of all your data from your pc to your new mac as long as the old pc is still in working condition,
2-you can make one on one personal training setions with a mac genius of your choice once a week every week you need to.
3-see the mac genius of your choice
4- get seen same day even if there are no appointments left
5- get any repairs or care that your computer needs first
6- yearly "tune up"

alot of it is just hype but the data transfer alone is worth more than the cost of the membership.

[Gee4orce]

Transmit (www.panic.com) does ssh file transfer - it's great. Also, make sure you install Quicksilver on your Mac and you will not believe the productivity boost you'll get.

As for text editors, check out TextMate.

Another neat tip for developers who use the terminal a lot is to save pre-defined sets of windows. You can use property list editor to tweak them (for instance, the command that they run when opened). Then in terminal, select the set from the File->Library menu. I have a set of 4 windows that open my error log, access log, Postgres database and a shell session, all neatly sized and colour coded. It's a massive timesaver every morning !

[thephotodork]

I would also recommend Panic's Transmit FTP Client. It is an amazing FTP client, actually worth the $$$.

BTW, congrats, welcome to the mac way of life . . .

[terigox]

Originally Posted by Gee4orce

Transmit (www.panic.com) does ssh file transfer - it's great. Also, make sure you install Quicksilver on your Mac and you will not believe the productivity boost you'll get.

As for text editors, check out TextMate.

Another neat tip for developers who use the terminal a lot is to save pre-defined sets of windows. You can use property list editor to tweak them (for instance, the command that they run when opened). Then in terminal, select the set from the File->Library menu. I have a set of 4 windows that open my error log, access log, Postgres database and a shell session, all neatly sized and colour coded. It's a massive timesaver every morning !

This quicksilver Gee?

http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/

[mwurman]

Yeah i just switched over from Dell to a 12" Powerbook G4! I am a Dell hardware tech and everything (and that is a reason I switched haha) Guess i learned to much about how much better mac is!

Anywho, I have 1.25 GB Ram in this thing and it still lags when i only have a few things open. Anyone have any ideas on why this is? thanx!

[GeneShifter]

mwurman:
I, too, am a convert since 2001. My experience is that my powermac and powerbooks are slower. period. I have everything maxed out but certain things just take a while to load. I think it is a limitation of the OS. I like the macs better since they are more stable, though. I do a lot of programming and this thing works better. I can compile or even run a program while also still checking the internet, something that slowed my windows pc down drastically.
Sorry, but macs are a little slower in my opinion. But, maybe the intel hardware will change that

[GeneShifter]

dupl.

[justinkim]

Originally Posted by lordhamster

Do you know of any good SSH file tranfer programs I can use w/ the mac? I know for regular SSH telneting I can use the built in terminal.

I'm a huge fan of Interarchy http://www.interarchy.com

[Eriamjh]

I made the switch 6 years ago and in spite of the windows users at work "not getting it", I have been very happy and I doubt I will ever buy a windows machine ever again.

[lordhamster]

The only problem now is the wait. I use my notebook for business and being without a notebook for 3-4 weeks is kindof a pain. Hopefully I'll get lucky and get shipment much earlier.

[Bbazzarrakk]

Originally Posted by justinkim

I'm a huge fan of Interarchy http://www.interarchy.com

I'm all about Cyberduck myself.