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What laptop should I get?
iBook
43%
 43%  [ 7 ]
TiPB
37%
 37%  [ 6 ]
why are you using a Mac, you freak?
18%
 18%  [ 3 ]
Total Votes : 16

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Houdini
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Joined: 14 Jun 2002
Posts: 224
Location: New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM

PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2002 9:30 pm    Post subject: Mac n00b, buying new Apple toys Reply with quote

So, I've decided I need a laptop for school. Taking notes, network testing, coding, games... I mean, "graphics programming testing" :D

Anyway, no PC laptop can hold a candle to the battery life and raw shiny that a Mac can. So, I'm buying either an iBook or a PB Ti. A few questions before I take the $2500 plunge, though:

1) Can anyone tell me which I should get? I know that a PB will be faster, more RAM, bigger HD, etc. But, I want to know if either of them will have more problems with Gentoo. I need LAN, sound, and video to work. Airport card would be nice, but not a requirement.

2) What sort of things will be radically different from using Gentoo on my x86 machine? Will most things work (random stuff I emerge)?

3) I'm a CS student, so I have to be able to program. Will things I write under gentoo-PPC work on an X86 machine? I know assembler won't work, but what about random C/C++ programs?

4) I'd also appreciate anecdotes people have about installing on iBook/TiPB machines, with advice attached.

5) Not really the point of this forum, but why not... How about programming under OSX? Can I write programs that will be compatible with X96 machines using gcc? OSX is too sexy to ditch entirely, and it would be nice to not have to switch between it and gentoo just to work on a bit of homework.

(I had to try out the poll option, never played with it before)
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rac
Bodhisattva
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Joined: 30 May 2002
Posts: 6553
Location: Japanifornia

PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2002 10:19 pm    Post subject: Re: Mac n00b, buying new Apple toys Reply with quote

Houdini wrote:
2) What sort of things will be radically different from using Gentoo on my x86 machine? Will most things work (random stuff I emerge)?

An easy way to check which packages are supposedly marked as "ok for ppc" is:
Code:
$ find /usr/portage/ -name '*.ebuild' | xargs grep KEYWORD

...anything that comes up with ppc in the KEYWORDS has supposedly been tested on PPC.

Quote:
3) I'm a CS student, so I have to be able to program. Will things I write under gentoo-PPC work on an X86 machine? I know assembler won't work, but what about random C/C++ programs?

Put it this way: if they don't, you'll probably get bad grades on that particular assignment, as the program wasn't portable. :) Seriously, there aren't too many portability issues between the two platforms, especially when you're using the same compiler.

Quote:
5) Not really the point of this forum, but why not... How about programming under OSX? Can I write programs that will be compatible with X96 machines using gcc?

I don't know if you get a student discuount on Apple's developer tools, or whether they come with things now, but if you install those, you get GCC 2.95 on OS X 10.1, and something 3.x on 10.2. Look into fink - it's a great way to get lots of command-line Unix tools running under OS X. Just don't get addicted to Project Builder, and you shouldn't have portability problems.
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zojas
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Joined: 22 Apr 2002
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Location: Phoenix, AZ

PostPosted: Sun Sep 01, 2002 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

don't buy ram from apple. get the laptop with the minimum amount of ram apple will sell you, then buy a 512 mb so-dimm from 18004memory.com. much cheaper. $115 last time i checked.

get an ibook. the only thing extra you get with the power book is shorter battery life, more heat, and altivec, which is not worth the minimum $700 price jump. (you also get slightly higher resolution screen, but the ibook's screen is nicer and brighter. look at them side by side at the store).
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arshmuck
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Joined: 23 Jun 2002
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2002 4:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

be sure to register as an apple student developer before making your purchase for a 20% discount.
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Houdini
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Joined: 14 Jun 2002
Posts: 224
Location: New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM

PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2002 8:47 am    Post subject: Multiple replies in one Reply with quote

zojas wrote:
don't buy ram from apple. get the laptop with the minimum amount of ram apple will sell you, then buy a 512 mb so-dimm from 18004memory.com. much cheaper.


Good tip, thanks. I wonder if I can talk them into giving me the high-end iBook with no extra RAM (128 MB).

rac wrote:
Put it this way: if they don't, you'll probably get bad grades on that particular assignment, as the program wasn't portable. Seriously, there aren't too many portability issues between the two platforms, especially when you're using the same compiler.


Bah, the graders at my school slack in low-level classes. I've gotten a grade on code that the TA couldn't understand (I'm a TA's worst nightmare, I can turn "hello world" into a learning experience for a graduating senior). If it looks like it compiles and runs, it's worth an A.

I can't find the developer tools on their site at ALL. Not to buy, or just to look at. Oh... ok, just found it, it's a free download to "members", which I am (to get the discount).

Well, thanks all (all 3 of you) who replied. I've got my answer, and I'll let you know when I have my new (shiny) iBook 8)

Oh, does anyone know if OSX uses the same IP libraries as a UNIX machine? It would really throw off my learning to do network code...
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