Feeling increasingly alienated by commercial software companies and increasingly uncomfortable with my absurd level of Mac lust, I finally decided this weekend to get off the Apple train and make the switch to Linux.
Until I’m sure I’ve worked out all the kinks, I’m running a dual boot setup of Ubuntu 8.10b and Mac 0S 10.5 on my MacBook Pro. It was a pretty simple operation, which took up the better part of my Sunday morning, but not much more than that. I more or less followed the Ubuntu support community’s MacBook Pro documentation line for line, and everything more or less seemed to work. A few quick Google searches showed me how to install Skype and a few other applications that aren’t included in the main Ubuntu repositories. Aside from a couple minor annoyances (e.g. “right-click” is confusingly keyed to F12 or a two-finger trackpad click) so far I’m very happy.
In the coming weeks, once I’m sure I have everything I need off my old system, I hope to leave Apple entirely. I’m a little worried about what I’m going to do about my music; I’ve bought quite a bit from the iTunes Store. But the fact that my music is locked up in iTunes shouldn’t be a reason for sticking with Apple. It is yet another reason to leave.
Currently I’m looking at a combination of a Dell Mini 9 and either a desktop or 15″ laptop. If nothing else, I have a whole new range of hardware to ogle.
6 responses ↓
1 Karin Dalziel // Oct 26, 2008 at 10:20 pm
You can convert your iTunes music. The legal way involves burning it all to CD and then re-ripping, but I hear there are less than legal ways as well…
2 Bill Genereux // Oct 26, 2008 at 11:15 pm
I admire your commitment. I assume you can run every application you need in with that platform?
I’m a Linux dabbler, but never had the guts to commit to its full time use.
3 Cameron Blevins // Oct 27, 2008 at 9:03 am
Wow, bold decision. Best of luck, and I’m interested to hear how it turns out.
4 Wally Grotophorst // Oct 31, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I’m enjoying Ubuntu eee on an Asus 1000 and will recommend that to you when you tire of the giant screen and spacious keyboard on that MBP. The 1000 has a larger keyboard & screen (larger than the little EeePC I showed you in your office a year or so ago) and goes about 4.5 hours on a charge.
5 Tom Hohenstein // Nov 5, 2008 at 11:51 am
Awesome move. I took the leap, like you to Ubuntu with a dual boot, over a year ago. After 2 months of Ubuntu, I ditched the dual boot and I’ve never looked back.
6 Tom Hohenstein // Nov 5, 2008 at 12:25 pm
http://ubuntuforums.org/
Just as a FYI
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