Is it really possible...

Years ago, my good friend Jos Visser wrote some web pages on the subject of living without windows and walked the same path, trying to leave Windows and stick to Linux and other Open Source software from that moment onwards. We both have a Unix background and as such are no real fans of the Microsoft software family, although I admit to “play” Ms Flight Sim occasionally.

By the end of 2006 I wondered if I could now live without Windows and use a Mac in stead. Why? Well, stemming from a Unix background I like the fact that Mac OS X is based on a Unix flavour. But I am no die-hard willing to spend hours to get things running on my computer. That is, professionally I see my laptop as a tool. It should just work. I tried Linux, but found that getting it all to work is tricky. Bluetooth, suspend/resume and on some systems even the wireless network usually don’t run “out of the box”. No problem for my ‘sandbox’ systems at home, but inadequate for my day-to-day professional toolkit.

I have owned numerous computers, from a ZX 81 up to a Mac Book Pro. My professional background is in ICT, but I like to use computers in the rest of my daily life too. I play music using iTunes, like my digital pictures, record some of my own piano music.

My curiosity regarding Apple and Mac OS X started when I watched some of the “Hello, I am a Mac” TV ads on Apple’s website, especially when I read about “it just works”. Now, that is of course what they all say, so I decided to check that statement... You’ll find some of my experiences one these pages. Check them out!