Do Apple Powerbooks have a hibernate mode? I put my powerbook to “sleep” yesterday morning and ended up not using it till the train ride home last night at 10:30PM. It had run out of power while sleeping all that time. Not sure if the Powerbook is screwed up or if that is what is supposed to happen.
Mac
Recomendations
I was backed into a corner to make a recommendation on a laptop to buy. My brother in law’s mom wanted one and she said she trusted my judgment and wanted me to decide for her. After 3 conversations where I said I don’t like to do that and I like to make suggestions only, she convinced me to take the plunge. That means this decision will come back to haunt me later. She is nice, and just want somethings that works. I recommended the Apple ibook 12″. It fits her requirements and I think it will be easier to use than a windows machine. I like mac’s now, but I would not normally recommend it to a windows person. I did for her since she used mac’s in the past and had good things to say about them.
Lets just hope that she is as happy with an iBook as I am with my Powerbook.
iTunes For Windows
So like allot of people I downloaded Apple’s iTunes for windows when it came out. Actually it was a few days after it came out since I was sick and didn’t read about its release for a while, but you get the point. It looked great, exactly like iTunes for Mac. The problem is that when I run it on my Thinkpad T40 it brings the system to a crawl. I cannot click or move the iTunes window when it is running. I am not sure what is wrong. I installed it twice to make sure nothing went wrong with the install. Still no dice. I am going to try it on another machine at home and then decide if it is worth the trouble. It just works on my mac!
I think that ends my bitch session about recent technology that I have dealt with…
iChat AV
So I looked at the Apple iChat AV program yesterday. I have also played with it in the Apple store before. It is really cool. I think I would actually try to use it. The only problem is that it only works with other iChat AV users. I am not buying hardware for a chat system that only like 10 people use, and none of them are people I know. I do want to play with a net cam. It is a dead fad, but I think it was a good idea.
Mac OS 10.3
So I went out and bought the new Mac OS that came out Friday. This was actually the first time I purchased an OS without a computer since I bought the upgrade version of Windows 95. I wasn’t sure if the upgrade was worth the money? But I figured I would give it a try.
Being the good engineer that I am, I did a clean install of the OS. I totally formatted the drive and started from scratch. That meant I spent most of the afternoon backing stuff up onto my desktop. I got most of the stuff. I am usually good with backing things up. I just realized what I forgot to save as I was typing this blog. I had a bunch (like 3-4) blog entries that I wrote early this week and never posted them. They are lost forever. I think I got everything else. I burned my app’s to a DVD. I copied my MP3’s to my desktop. I lost the playlist’s in the process but I have all the music. I also copied my personal files to the desktop but in the end I just restored them from a DVD I make last week. I didn’t do anything since then anyway.
I just got through installing most applications I use. I am going to wait on putting the rest on. I have crap that I think I don’t ever use. I also went without putting a classic (OS 9) system folder on it. So far the 12″ Powerbook I have with an 867 MHz G4 and 640 megs of ram is running 10.3 just fine. I haven’t used many programs at once so the jury is still out on it.
More review’s as I use it.
This entry was written while listening to Like A Prayer from the album “The Immaculate Collection” by Madonna
The Best Laptop(s) I Ever Had
Technology is supposed to get better over time. You are supposed to have a “better” computer, PDA, Phone, etc. as time goes by. But is that always the case? Think about cars. My dad talks about some old car he had in the 70’s that was probably the best car he ever had. Tons of people like classic cars, and would go back to them in a flash. Does anyone really want to go back to a 286 computer and use DOS again? That old 10lbs laptop from 12 years ago cannot be dreamed about. I mean you can think back to the good old days with nostalgia, but do you really want that old equipment over what you have now?
I just thought of that when I declared (with Gus) that the IBM Thinkpad T40 I have is probably the best laptop I have ever had. But if it wasn’t wouldn’t we have a problem? It is of course the newest laptop I have. It should be the best. Shouldn’t it? Now my last laptop an IBM Thinkpad T31 or the Dell Latitude C400 I had before that were good solid machines, but the T40 is just rock solid awesome computer. The little things push it over the edge from company computer, to the best machine I ever had.
On that same note, I have to say things about my Powerbook 12″ that I have. You can and cannot compare it to a Thinkpad, or a Windows computer. They are the same, and different at the same time. I think that the powerbook is also one of the best computers I have ever had. I have had machines the size and capabilities of the Powerbook before. It is actually a bit bigger than my Latitude C400. It is just better. The keyboard is the best or one of the best I have ever used on a laptop or off of one. The DVD Burner is amazing. The port layout and other features make it fantastic.
The question is when these machines get a bit older and I upgrade, will I look back and wish I still used them? After all their is always something better just down the production line.
Bring Your Powerbook To Work Day
I didn’t take my thinkpad home last night due to the dinner. So I decided to commute in to work today with my Powerbook. It is the 2nd time in a week that I am doing it. For some reason I just feel comforatable typing on it, but not on the Thinkpad. I miss the blog entries on the train like today’s entries. Of course because I have 30 minutes to type I tend to ramble on about useless stuff. That is just what a blog is supposed to be. I will see if I will want to commute with both. I doubt it though. We shall see…
I Am Glad I Kept The Powerbook
As much as Gus made sense when he said I should sell the powerbook and buy a desktop mac, I am glad I didn’t listen to him. I love this little powerbook. I don’t use it on the road much anymore, but when I do it is golden. It is light, the keyboard still is one of the best laptop keyboards I have written on, and the screen is bright. The fonts may be a bit small, but I can deal. Granted I use it plugged into my desktop monitor at home most of the time, but this type of portability is awesome. I also don’t like putting all my personal stuff on my work computer. I just got around to putting quicken on my Thinkpad. The only reason I did that was so I can sync quicken with my Treo.
The downside of this powerbook is that it gets HOT. Man this thing is charging and my legs are getting hot with it on my lap right now.
Ipod is drained
I went to grab my trusty iPod when I booted up my powerbook so I could listen to some music while I did this blog. To my dismay I found it drained of power. Turns out I really need a case for that thing. After a drunk night getting home from the bar I lost the case while on the LIRR listening to music. Without the case the keys get pressed and the iPod runs and drains its power. I know there is that lock switch but if you forget to press it you have an iPod without power. Thankfully for now I am using the powerbook to listen to music. I found headphones that work in the bottom of my luggage. Oh, thanks apple for making the iPod headphones not work in regular headphone jacks.
I am on Amtrak right now. Like I always say I do allot of my best writing on the train. I just passed the Tapanzee bridge on the way to Kingston. This trip is always relaxing, as long as you don’t get all wound up about traveling like I do sometimes. So far this has been a restful trip. As Gus would say, I am getting rid of all my negative energy and centering my Chi. Eh, something like that.
Not sure how hot it is today, but it looks beautiful outside right now. Being so busy recently I am trying to stop and take notice of stuff like that.
Stress And More Stress
Yes I am stressing over this move. Dan and I just got back to the hotel from work. We went to the Hotel restaurant for dinner and drinks. We stay at the luxurious Kingston Holiday Inn while we stay in Kingston. It is ok as motel’s go. What is funny is that it is supposed to be the best “hotel” in the area. Everyone we ask says it is without any argument. I guess it is ok. Nothing special. I just like my apartment. I like travel, but travel for work is old for me now. I like working up in kingston. The new site is cool, but the staying overnight sucks. I just like sleeping in my own bed at night.
I hope to get to bed early for the first time in over a week. I wanted to blog a bit before then. I haven’t been writing much recently. I have been crazy busy as I have described, but also because for some funny reason I don’t feel comfy writing on my thinkpad when I am on the train. I commute with it every day now. That is good since it is my main machine with all my work on it, but because of that I don’t go many places with the power book. That means I don’t blog as much. when I get home at night I am tired allot so I haven’t been writing. Some people don’t know why I even keep the power book if I have a company laptop, but I like it and don’t think I would use my mac any different if I sold the power book and bought an imac. Well off to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be as productive as today.