What's this all about?

IBM ThinkPads are great laptops. I acquired one two years ago when I began working for my current employer, based in Chantilly, VA. Those IBM engineers (hardware and software) really designed their hearts out and came up with a near-perfect package. Just look at what you get:

• A standard keyboard layout, including the hard to find insert/delete/home/end/page up/page down configuration (upper right corner of the image). This means the laptop keyboard feels the same as your standard PC keyboard, assuming you don't have the Microsoft configuration, which is more vertical.
• A nice LED night light that shines down on the keyboard.
• Great software, including one that detects if the laptop is tilting or falling, and locks down the hard disk drive accordingly. It actually works, and works well.*
  

This laptop has served me well as I design and implement my various web applications, which is my profession (Software Engineer, mostly Java-based web applications). I am a seasoned Windows user, and have passing knowledge when it comes to UNIX platforms; I prefer Windows as my development environment though. I've been using it since Windows 3.11 back in 1992 when I was in 10th grade at Robinson High School in Fairfax, VA. I consider myself a veteran power user and might know some shortcuts you don't (we'll find out).

Apple computers are a different story. I used a few Apple computers running OS 7 at a job back at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA (1997) and honestly have no fond memories of it at all (I remember the machine would crash at least twice every shift; Windows 95 wasn't too great either, but it definitely didn't crash as much). Oh yeah, and my Uncle Mark had one of the first Apples and I remember trying out PaintBrush on it, then going back to the Commodore 64 in the basement which had better video games.


So, why on earth am I writing this on not only a different laptop, but one engineered by Apple, running OS X Tiger? My reasons are mostly personal, and I'm guessing common as well:

• It was time to upgrade my laptop, and my choices were to get a new PC from IBM (now Lenovo), or a cutting edge, dual core MacBook Pro, either choice completely maxed out to the fullest (note: IT employers, always treat your knowledge workers well, above all else).
  
• Many people I respect, either personally or in the blogosphere, have already made the switch.
• Using one will make me smarter (I'll be forced to think differently as I'll not only learn one new OS, but two (OS X is built on a version of FreeBSD). This will carry over into how I design my own applications.
• It can be fun to try something new; and as a programmer I'm always trying to improve my productivity with a computer.
• The MacBook Pro is roughly four times faster than my old IBM ThinkPad. Before I acquired mine I had a co-worker compile one of his applications on the ThinkPad running Windows XP (2G RAM, 1.4 GHz CPU, decent HDD), and the same application on his MacBook Pro (2 G RAM, 2.1 dual core CPU, decent HDD): 12 seconds on the ThinkPad, 3 seconds** on the MacBook Pro! That's huge, especially for a programmer...
  

My intention for this blog is to archive, in detail, my experience with the switch, hopefully help others decide to make the leap (or not), and perhaps get some answers for the things I just can't figure out on my own. I'm confident I will accomplish at least 1/3 of these.

Thanks for reading.

"If you want to attract hackers to write software that will sell your hardware, you have to make it something that they themselves use. It's not enough to make it 'open.' It has to be open and good."

- Paul Graham

* MacBook and MacBook Pro both support this feature as well: "Your MacBook Pro has Sudden Motion Sensor technology, built-in protection for the hard disk that is designed to help prevent disk failures if the computer is dropped or experiences severe vibration." If you're an uber-dork, you can leverage this technology to emit lightsaber sound effects from your MacBook when you shake and wiggle it by downloading the MacSaber.
** I'm guessing the latest ThinkPad will perform just as well (update: it does if it has a 7200 RPM HDD).