Whilst I tend to use my computers until they’re in the ground, I do seem to have a periodic refresh, and not just to the same platform.

Mostly I have switched between Apple and Windows but threw Linux into that mix for a couple of years. For the time being I am not using Linux on my computers, work demand is such that I need to run a lot of Windows applications at the moment, most notably SQL Server 2005. On the laptop front, that is more my personal computer than my desktop is, which is  really just a workhorse.

I have been using Macs on and off since 1994, and Windows PCs for the same time. I sold my PowerBook in late 2006 due to financial reasons, and then got a Power Macintosh G4 which I upgraded massively, but then had to sell that when things got tight. Eventually I ended up with a Dell PC, and my current ThinkPad T40 (which I have had now for about 3 years.)

I have had a bit of a clear out and up until last week I only had my new desktop PC (the only new desktop computer I have ever owned) which runs Vista (which is just fine thanks), an old iMac G3 which gets used as a DVD and CD player as well as basic MS Office machine and the ThinkPad. I sold my eMac as it wasn’t getting used, a second Dell which was going to be a network attached storage device was sold. And now the ThinkPad wil be sold too.

Why?

I got my Apple notebook back this week. Partly because a job I’m doing which needs a Mac but because since December 2006 I was gutted having to sell my pride a joy PowerBook 12″ which I saved long and hard for. I haven’t bought a PowerBook, nor a new Mac notebook - they’re too expensive for what they are (no really they are, sorry Apple die-hards but you can get a much better Windows laptop for much less, and as nice as OS X is, it isn’t worth an additional £400-600 on top of a similar specification Windows laptop for a MacBook (white or new aluminium one.)

However, selling a ThinkPad for £140 and buying an iBook 12″ from mid-2005 (I used to sell this exact model when I worked for Apple) with 1.33ghz processor for £250 seemed very decent value overall.

I know Apple has very speedly moved away from its PowerPC platform and in some respects is now discontinuing support for some applications and the next version of OS X is probably going to be Intel only — that’s just a fact of owning an Apple machine.

But the iBook is still a very nice laptop.

I haven’t been using my blog much over the ast few months. I have generally been very busy with life in general. Not least of course with work which has been a great player in my life this year. Not in a negative overtaking way but apart from my photography and walking, it has been my main creative output. So, trying to get things back on an even base before I leave once again for a weeks (for Christmas and New Year) it’s about time I updated this blog on my exploits with OpenSUSE 11.0.

OpenSUSE 11.0 Desktop with Firefox 3 and LyX

I think about 3-4 months ago I decided to give the distribution a go to see how it was compared to Ubuntu (which I was getting somewhat disenchanted by with its somewhat sloppy approach to testing it seemed, and the general default aesthetic looking like arse — don’t get me wrong I know it can be changed but first 8.04 was meant to be featuring a new theme, then 8.10 and I can’t see any real difference… Way to go! Especially with so may talented theme makers throwing their ideas into the pot.)

The only thing I have changed since switching to OpenSUSE 11.0 is not the distribution, but I have dropped KDE 4.1 for Gnome. I think KDE has come a long way but to make the most of it, it does need something a little more juicy than a Radeon 7500 (which is what my ThinkPad T40 has, and that chip was out of date when it was put in this notebook in 2003, and yes — I still have the T40 and no I don’t need a new laptop.)

The main thing that I like about OpenSUSE is the way it really does just work. I have had no problems with media, video, general office applications, networking (wired and wireless), sharing files with Windows/Mac OS X… It all just works. Granted on almost 6 year old hardware, the compatibility should be pretty good now

With Compiz, the equivalent of Vista's Aero, you can get snazzy desktop effects. The difference is they run, and quite well at that, on very modest hardware like an ancient Raden 7500 Mobility GPU!

So where does this leave me in the future? Well in 4 days I understand OpenSuse 11.1 is released and I shall upgrade to that as well. But the bottom line really does seem to be that as an OS, it works so very well. And if you have a fairly well established system (i.e. not bleeding edge) — I cannot see why unless you have to connect to a Windows managed domain and you need specific applications which only exist on Windows — OpenSuse is just about great for everybody. Even complete novices.

Note: Yes I have skinned my OpenSUSE system to look somewhat like Vista with OS X’s Leopard default background. I like it like this, it works well, aesthetically pleasing and it looks quite professional, which quite a lot of themes for Linux[1] don’t.

[1] : I’m well aware that Linux is a bad turn of phrase here with there being KDE, GTK, Metacity etc. etc. themes but for simplicities sake, this makes sense.

Around the web a search for Vista alone will yield many an article about the terrible experiences people have had, how much better Windows XP is, and how it’s just junk.

It isn’t.

I’m saying this as ever, as a new user to the system, and as a Mac OS X and Linux user too. I’ll wager many of those proponents of the ‘Vista sucks’ message are either those who need/want to drive up visitor numbers/advertising revenue and those willing to read that message to confirm a half baked belief that will vindicate them as right. But this isn’t about what is right or wrong, just the facts. Just the facts Jack.

I purchased an Acer Aspire M1640 the other week as I had decided that I needed to have Vista to develop sidebar gadgets as part of my work. Also the Dell was getting somewhat long in the tooth. So I bought my first new PC ever. I bought it pre-built as it worked out cheaper, quite a lot cheaper. £279 bought a Core 2 Duo E4700 system (2.6GHz), 2GB RAM, 250GB HD, Vista Home Premium license, DVD+/-RW, etc. A good solid middle of the road base unit.

 
The Vista desktop definitely isn’t lipstick on a pig!

I can only liken the situation with Windows Vista to that of when Windows 95 came along and replaced Windows 3.1/11 for Workgroups. For the first time in history 95 worked somewhat different to how Windows had up until that point (centered around the MS-DOS Executive/Program Manager) and suddenly that was out and a more Mac/Amiga alike desktop came along with the desktop being fundamentally very similar. Windows 95 also made the 386 history and it really did deserve a Pentium machine with 8MB of RAM — this was quite a big thing in 1995 when a 486 with 4MB was more common.

 
Flip3D is a gimmick and Compiz has it roundly beat but it’s pretty.

Vista, particularly the Windows Explorer has changed quite dramatically from the Explorer that has evolved from 95 through to XP/2003; and some people are very resistant to change. I work on websites that have a few customers who sadly are not very forgiving of any change, even when it’s for the better.

The start menu goes a bit further than XP did and one thing that got me right away was the lack of the Run command by default. It’s easily added back but then you start using that instant search facility (much better in location/immediate use than Apple’s Spotlight but this in part related to the horrible Dock concept, IMHO.)

Searching for a file based on a meta-tag

You then realise not only can you tap in Word and enter to run Word, but us old school types who have found it easier to do Start + Run and tap in winword and enter will find that works as well.

 
Instant search also finds applications by filename, not just shortcut name!

It even takes parameters. So instant search is search as well as the run command combined.

The start menu also no longer folds out to reveal forever expanding menus that head to the right of the screen. It all works in place. Again takes time to get used to but it is better, but then I like the new KDE 4 Kicker menu! Some don’t.

In terms of speed, so far no problems at all. It boots quicker (and I have loaded up most of what I need) and the applications open quicker. Word 2007 took an age for example (compared to 97-2003) on my P4 Dell with XP but on this it’s open in seconds. Certainly I have better hardware now, but even so, the oft mentioned bloat does not appear to be causing problems at all.

 
Adding tags to files is a breeze

I will be continuing my observations but what certainly is clear is that particularly in the SP1 era, Vista is actually a great improvement over the slightly anaemic looking XP in comparison. It seems better thought out and has broken away from those conventions first established in Windows 95. This is a good thing.

 
Windows Explorer gets a needed update for a world hooked on data and lots of it. It’s very nice and better than Mac OS X’s Finder.

I’ve never hated the Mac OS X interface but I have never adored or loved it, mostly because I cannot stand the Dock which is an awful way of managing windows but with Vista it felt very much like what I already knew but with good improvements. In many respects it has a lot of the things that I like about KDE 4.1 about it.

Tune in for more