Now that I’ve got the awkwardness of the first post out’ve the way, we can move on…
Ever since moving into the new house (about 3 months ago), I’ve been rethinking my computing needs. I’ve got a pretty big under-stairs cupboard that’s being eyed-up for conversion into an office. While it may be larger-than-average, cupboard wise, it’s not quite big enough to accommodate all of my hardware, so something has to go.
Deciding what was to be turfed out meant evaluating exactly what I use a computer for when at home. Do I need a big, gaming orientated desktop, when I have two games consoles that aren’t exactly getting worn out by over use? Do I need a high-spec Centrino laptop when I’m never more than 2 meters from a power socket? What about that Epia-based Media Center that’s gathering dust in the removal box?
It’s all a bit OTT, really.
Once you start looking at the hardware, attention inevitably turns to the software/OS side of things. Do I like WinXP? No, definitely not. Does it have good software? Yes. Do I like Linux? It’s better, but a pain to setup/manage – particularly on my laptop. Does it have good software? I guess, but not so far as web development stuff goes, IMHO. What about Mac?
Ah. Mac. I’ve never used a Mac before. I know nothing about Macs. Other than they look pretty. Really pretty. Actually, I do know something – they have a fair bit of good web development software. If all else fails, Macromedia Studio MX is available on Mac.
A Mac is sleek and sexy. A Mac is powerful. A Mac is… how much…? A Mac is expensive. Or maybe it’s just me. Getting onto the bottom rung of Apple systems will cost £600. That’s the very bottom, barebones eMac. Prices then go astronomical once you start adding features like AirPort, Bluetooth, SuperDrive or even just bigger RAM or harddisk. But that PowerBook looks so damn sexy…
It’s all a muddle and no mistake. What would you do in my position? Stick it out with the laptop + whatever OS you think is best? Get a new PC/laptop? Get a Mac? I need help choosing people – influence my weak mind!