Is there a cumulative reduction in friction everywhere? I'd say yes. I've used Unix, PC and Mac for years and have always found I get more done and am happier when it's on a Mac.
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Ask YC: Why do you recommend a Macbook?
71–80 of 118 posts
Re: Ask YC: Why do you recommend a Macbook?
#72Aqua looks nicer than any windows manager has to offer. I run Ubuntu for my work desktop, and Debian for servers, but at home I have a macbook and a mac mini running 10.5. Before that I had a powerbook for 4 years. They are all awesome machines. I didn't have to spend time tweaking config settings to try to get the sound card working, or deal with updating and breaking everything. On OS X I've never had to fix something after an update, and sound always works. I'm not dissing any linux distros, but they are truly for hackers that want to spend time tweaking on things getting them to work and dealing with problems. OS X allows me to get more work done because I'm not dealing with those hassles yet I still have vim/emacs/whatever other unix app I want to install. The only complaint I have is that the packaging doesn't seem to be as good as Debian/FreeBSD/Gentoo. Maybe this has changed in the last couple years, but Macports and fink never really worked out all that well for me.
Re: Ask YC: Why do you recommend a Macbook?
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
To work with other people wherever they end up. We're not working in some cubicle day in and day out, we need to go to our co-workers and sit there next to them hacking on problems. I prefer hacking on my desktop too, but I could not operate without the ability to take my work with me.
> sit there next to them hacking on problems This is high level design, no? It works fine on paper/white-board. You sit alone to refine it and do any implementation. You pair program on one machine if someone is clueless and being ramped up.
I find that it can be useful to just be in the same room when working on dependent, if separate tasks. It's often necessary to nail down details as you're thinking through every possible different situation, which really only occurs once you're coding every possible situation.
Re: Ask YC: Why do you recommend a Macbook?
#74I have a macbook which I run linux on. I get the best of both worlds having a great laptop with lots of 3rd party hardware(and now x86). And all the fun of recompiling my kernel.
well there you go. although i don't know how much fun anyone can have recompiling kernels ;) cheers.
My friends and I used to drink cold beer while the kernel recompiled in the background. Happy times. Almost 10 years ago! (Kingfisher (Indian beer))
Re: Ask YC: Why do you recommend a Macbook?
#75I use a MBP at home, because there's nothing within a light-year of Lightroom (or Aperture, which is pretty much an equivalent package) for RAW photo workflow. If it weren't for that single piece of software, I could switch to Ubuntu/Debian full-time and be quite happy.
When I'm at work writing code, it's 98% Linux, with occasional compatibility testing on a Mac or Windows system. Apache, Vim, Ruby, and PostgreSQL all run just as well on Debian as they do on a Mac, and a lot of other packages work much, much better -- plus, they're just an 'apt-get' away.
Re: Ask YC: Why do you recommend a Macbook?
#76Becauthe they're thabulouth.
Re: Ask YC: Why do you recommend a Macbook?
#77Because it's the best desktop unix machine available. Where else can you find true unix with a great user experience and full hardware and software support? I don't use Linux because I no longer enjoy doing sysadmin crap. I also like the MacOS UI.
Every OS has its own version of 'sysadmin crap' to deal with... While I noted that OS X is easier to get up and running optimally, Ubuntu's package management definitely has it beat as far as maintenance goes. Automated software installation / configuration / upgrades goes a long way.
Re: Ask YC: Why do you recommend a Macbook?
#78I switch between Macbook and Thinkpad/Ubuntu almost daily. Why? Because I get bored on either of them fairly quickly :-) I love both of them, but my vote goes towards Ubuntu/Linux (and I mainly code on ThinkPad) for three reasons: 1. Most hackers' software is native on Linux, although nearly all of it exists for OS X. But nothing beats Debian/Ubuntu's aptitude: nearly everything imaginable is a few keystrokes away: c…
"3. Linux is more flexible. It's not the "sysadmin carp" that some people from the 90s complain about, it's genuine flexibility that comes with choice. There are many more different terminal apps, different ways to manage workspaces, various window management plug-ins, screensavers even! OS X is more commercialized."
Agreed. It'd be nice if there's an up-to-date binary repo of MacPorts packages. Flint has apt-get for binary packages, but a lot of them are pretty outdated.
Re: Ask YC: Why do you recommend a Macbook?
#79Because it's the best desktop unix machine available. Where else can you find true unix with a great user experience and full hardware and software support? I don't use Linux because I no longer enjoy doing sysadmin crap. I also like the MacOS UI.
Every OS has its own version of 'sysadmin crap' to deal with... While I noted that OS X is easier to get up and running optimally, Ubuntu's package management definitely has it beat as far as maintenance goes. Automated software installation / configuration / upgrades goes a long way.
http://www.macports.org
I'm not saying the mac doesn't need any administration -- I'm saying that it's a lot less, and it's less annoying. I haven't ever had to recompile my darwin kernel nor sit around tweaking DMA and PIO settings.
Re: Ask YC: Why do you recommend a Macbook?
#80There are some things about Macs that drive me a little nuts, same as any other system, but they do have the very most awesomest terminal program in existence. I can spend ten hours straight in ssh terminals on those things, and that makes 'em almost worth the price tag for me.