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Is MacOS for me?

R

rcn

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 30, 2006
15
0
Hi!

I am writing to listen to your advice. I am almost decided to buy one of those macbooks. I currently use Linux and Windows and NetBSD, and this is what I expect from the macbook+MacOS. Should I go for it?

- MacOS to take advantage and support well all hardware within the macbook

- MacOS GUI to be well integrated with the rest of the system (I mean software/drivers installation or updates, and system configuration)

- At the same time, MacOS to be a usable UNIX OS. I mean, running all the UNIX apps I am used to in Linux or NetBSD, such as:

bash
vim
gcc
octave (IMPORTANT)
lyx
openoffice
mysql
gimp

- MacOS to be stable and quite error-free

- Software already included to: watch videos & DVDs, burn CDs/DVDs, listen to audio.


Any comment would be highly appreciated. Thanks :)
 
rcn said:
Hi!

- MacOS to take advantage and support well all hardware within the macbook

- MacOS GUI to be well integrated with the rest of the system (I mean software/drivers installation or updates, and system configuration)

- At the same time, MacOS to be a usable UNIX OS. I mean, running all the UNIX apps I am used to in Linux or NetBSD, such as:

openoffice
gimp

- MacOS to be stable and quite error-free

- Software already included to: watch videos & DVDs, burn CDs/DVDs, listen to audio.
Click to expand...

I can say a definite yes to these, and I'm not sure about the rest.
 
rcn said:
- At the same time, MacOS to be a usable UNIX OS. I mean, running all the UNIX apps I am used to in Linux or NetBSD, such as:

bash
vim
gcc
octave (IMPORTANT)
lyx
openoffice
mysql
gimp
Click to expand...
Most of these are available via Fink (including Octave you'll be glad to hear). Just install the X11 environment that Apple supply with every Mac, download Fink Commander and you're away. The only obvious omission is Lyx, although that is available here

As for the other stuff, that's the thing that makes OSX such a great UNIX. It has all the media and commercial software available for it too.
 
Thanks everybody for your fast answers :)

With all that said, I think I will get it. This may not be the appropiate place for this question, but... Do you think prices will raise much after xmas? It is because I should wait to have it until I do my january exams in order to study xD
 
rcn said:
Thanks everybody for your fast answers :)

With all that said, I think I will get it. This may not be the appropiate place for this question, but... Do you think prices will raise much after xmas? It is because I should wait to have it until I do my january exams in order to study xD
Click to expand...
Apple are known for keeping constant prices only with the occasional change when they release new models.
 
annk said:
Open Office for Mac is called Neo Office.
Click to expand...

Since the OP is an experienced *nix user it´s safer to tell the whole story, ie: Neooffice is a fork of Openoffice.org, made by a small team that is focusing on perfect integration with OS X. This software is Beta-quality, and it shows.

The original OpenOffice.org suite can be found at the usual place, built with no change from the other OS versions. To make it work properly with OS X, it runs on top of X11 thus losing a bit in style and consistency with its OS X surrondings. Copy & paste from other apps doesn't work.. it's like an alien application but it's a finished product.
 
The price will stay the same, though after Christmas (12th January to be exact) you will get iLife 07 instead of iLife 06, and possibly iWork '07.


Also OpenOffice themselves are currently porting OpenOffice so it will work on the Mac without X11, though it isn't ready yet.
 
Eraserhead said:
The price will stay the same, though after Christmas (12th January to be exact) you will get iLife 07 instead of iLife 06, and possibly iWork '07.


Also OpenOffice themselves are currently porting OpenOffice so it will work on the Mac without X11, though it isn't ready yet.
Click to expand...

iWork is only bundled as trial software with new Macs.

iLife is given free.
 
fink is outrageously outdated.
openoffice and gimp have OSX version, you need X11 to run gimp.
 
nplima said:
Since the OP is an experienced *nix user it´s safer to tell the whole story, ie: Neooffice is a fork of Openoffice.org, made by a small team that is focusing on perfect integration with OS X. This software is Beta-quality, and it shows.

The original OpenOffice.org suite can be found at the usual place, built with no change from the other OS versions. To make it work properly with OS X, it runs on top of X11 thus losing a bit in style and consistency with its OS X surrondings. Copy & paste from other apps doesn't work.. it's like an alien application but it's a finished product.
Click to expand...

This is true, I should have mentioned it. I've been using Neo Office for 2.5 years no with no issues whatsoever, so I tend to view it as just another program.
 
clevin said:
fink is outrageously outdated.
openoffice and gimp have OSX version, you need X11 to run gimp.
Click to expand...
True for those apps, but the rest of rcn's requirements are mathematical and scientific programs which aren't Aqua'd yet if they ever will be. He's looking at OSX as "UNIX + other things", rather than how most Mac users see it, a general computer that happens to be UNIX.

Personally in his position I'd run it all in X11. You are then instantly familiar with the apps running on other UNIX flavours if your Mac isn't available.
 
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