I've decided to get a Mac 

Yes folks, now that the Mac will support booting into Windows and Mac OSX, I'm going to get myself a Mac with the dual Intel processors!

As a designer and a programmer of websites for people who have the choice, I have to be able to test out functionality on all desktop systems (within reason). Also ,as a programmer of websites in various scripting languages, I need to be able to build systems and scripts, which will run on the target server - usually a Linux box.

So, having the opportunity to switch/boot back and forth and get the best of both (all) worlds is a "createc's dream". I'm looking forward to using apps on OS X which are suited to the job, like video editing. Photoshop, Flash and Director make no difference to me, as they run the same on both, more or less (given a few speed differences on start up). I'm looking forward to trying out Front Row, and developing some video podcast channels for that. I'm looking forward to building and compiling cool Unix based stuff in Mac OS X Darwin - apart from a few things, it's just the same as being on the command line on my remote Linux box.

Lots and lots of things to do. I have heard that Windows running on these things is 'the fastest I've ever seen Windows run'. I quite like the Mac OS X interface, but I have been a Windows user for so long, I get annoyed with the way that Apple do some things. It's really not that intuitive, imho.

Now, the question is : Which one to get? I think it's going to be one of the laptops. But I bet they'll release a wider MacBook Pro, just as I buy the 15 incher. Also, the idea of having a MacMini sit above a cupboard acting as my home server / gateway is very attractive. It will depend on the noise levels. Also the 20 inch iMac is great value, but isn't as versatile with where I can put it.

I can't wait! But, I'm going to have to, as Easter is upon us and we're off to Bonny Scotland to se the Doc's family. Heh. They have wifi now, so I'll still be able to get a fix online ;) [and do some more WORK!]

Just to also add, this isn't a full-on SWITCHEROO. I need one for all the right reasons to be a responsible developer of cross-platform stuff. I'll still be using my PC Desktop, alng with the others which I have lovely built and nurtured over the years. Now, that's something *I* can't do with a Mac : build one myself. (One of the big reasons for not having one before).

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Leaving the Beeb 

I just added a little video clip to the side bar here, which I took while walking out the doors of the Beeb.

Of course, I stopped in the bar, on the way down. Heh.

What music do you think I should put to it? It has to be an old BBC favourite. Heh. "Some Mother Do Ave 'Em"?

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Good questions from David Wilkinson 

Over on the OPML Community Support blog, David asks some important questions about the hardware required to run and serve an OPML Community Server for thousands of users.

I think you'd be amazed what Dave runs the most of his sites on. It's mostly about the connectivity deal you can get to cope with the traffic. IE: The spec and costs will also depend on how frequently your userbase uses the system and how attractive your users' content and data is to visitors.

More RAM is always good. Think of RAM like increasing the machine's 'conscious brain capacity'. As opposed to data storage and access - memory and retrieval, which can be 'unconscious'. It's just 'stuff' unlike the scripts, which need 'brain power'. And cheese.

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Right-Click Menu Hack : Halo Comment and Trackback 

I've just added a right click menu option to aid addition of the Comments and Trackback system provided bby HaloScan.

I right-click on the blog entry outline, choose 'Add Comments and Trackback' and it asks me for a 'seed' word. Make this unique, though I do add a random number to add further obscurity, to avoid dupes.

The script then adds the required HTML to your post, at the bottom of the entry. Phew! I have meaning to do this for ages! After spending many wasted moments copying and pasting from saved OPML scripts, then editing the HTML source, using Ctrl+ ` [backtick] !!!!

This is MUCH easier! The comments links below were added with it.

When I get round to it, I plan to do it for all the little 'diggy', 'reddy' chicklets we see so much of too. Though here, you'd need to determine the final permalink url (from the date and/or file name/path), plus the anchor (from the title) to create the link required to the entry you are adding or editing.

By the way, I found this full list of links to instructions of all the Frontier commands here. There's ALOT you can get this to do, at a glance of that list. That whole clump of docs need to be navigatable via a single, root OPML file.

Here is a link to a OPML file for you to open in the OPML Editor and try it out yourself.

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Last modified: Friday, October 31, 2008 at 6:20 PM.