The closing of the skylight Today was the semi-official closing of the skylight in our bathroom -- a clear sign of fall. I really like having it open, even when it is raining. And to close it requires a stepstool. So it usually stays open continually from spring into fall. But this morning the air was just a little too crisp. Yesterday came close to being a perfect fall day, and today may well be the same.

First impressions Of my new PowerBook -- very good. Getting it connected to my home wireless setup was trivial; just enter the WEP key and it was good to go. So was getting connected to Windows shares. Right after it came up it prompted me with an update to Java, and to the iPod software (I didn't do that because I don't have an iPod -- hey, one thing at a time here!) I'm trying out iMovie and iDVD right now, and they both seem exactly what I want for simple home video work. Importing video from my Sony camera was really easy; it isn't that hard on Linux with dvgrab, but this is nicer. The Windows software that came with the camera is really confusing, and I've basically not used it. I'm still a little confused by some things Mac. The Finder sometimes puzzles me (although I hear that's getting a big overhaul in the next OS X release). And I am a big right-mouse-button user on Linux and Windows, and also prefer eraserheads to trackpads, so an external mouse may be added soon (I might look at the Bluetooth ones, if they are not too expensive). More impressions as they come in...

Switching? Right now I'm awaiting arrival of a new PowerBook, which will be the first Apple I've ever owned. I'm not really switching from Windows -- I still use it, along with Linux. In the past I've used OS/2 as well. So why did I decide to go this way for a notebook? 1. I wanted to see for myself how good OS X is. I've heard good things, and I like the idea of a nice shell on top of a Unix base. 2. Although I'm fond of Linux (and use it on my work laptop, among other places), I've found that for some tasks, like movie editing, you have to do a little more work to get things set up than I'd like. 3. RedHat 9.0 makes a lot of improvements in things like fonts, the readability is still less than I'd like. And it still lacks in some areas running on a notebook (like being able to switch between using wireless and cabled Ethernet adapters, and between different WiFi setups). I could probably fix these problems if I had lots of time, but I don't. 4. I really ought to look at Web pages I do on a Mac as well as Windows and Linux. 5. The PowerBook looks very cool. 6. I've had problems with several of the major PC laptop brands, so I didn't have a clear choice there. 7. Having another Windows machine to keep security patching would be a pain (especially if it is going to connect to untrusted networks). You do need to patch Linux and Mac as well, but at least the threat volume is lower. Our Windows network in the labs at work is virus heaven. 8. There is no reason 8. 9. The PowerBook's SuperDrive will let me burn DVDs on the same machine that should make it easier to download from my camcorder, and deal with music files, etc. 10. iTunes Music Store. The last reason may seem silly -- I know it will be out on Windows sometime soon, but I really want it now. I love the idea of being able to get the music tracks I want, legally (and ethically). I've downloaded for free sometimes in the past, but I don't like the idea of making that a rule. Also, those services just don't work very well. And it would be hard to tell my kid not to do it if I do it. While the music industry is generally lame, and their lawsuits are a horrible mistake, we should try to support outposts of sanity. If this turns out to be more than an expensive toy, especially if it proves a good environment for developing Java (and other) software, you might see me owning more Macs (although I could never afford as many as I have PCs, most of which are cheap).

Where have I been If you check this space you've noticed I haven't posted anything in a while. There's no exciting reason -- just mostly exhaustion from our new 2-year-old, and forgotting anything interesting to post by the time I get time to post. But I'm not giving up here, just maybe slowing down a little