To the darkside

 I realize it has been quite some time since I last posted anything. As with everyone else, I am extremely busy and have been for a long time.

What is the Darkside?

I bought a MacBook Pro. There. I said it! I feel dirty for saying it.

This is not a something that I under took lightly. I've been thinking about doing this for several years, but I really couldn't justify it until recently. A few months ago I unexpectedly parted ways with the company I'd been with for 3 years. This lead the opportunity of opening my own consulting business and to become my own boss. With this business comes a new attitude that makes me not want to be tied exclusively to the MS sandbox as I have for more than a decade. But you say that I did not need to abandon Windows, right? Correct, there are many Windows equivalents for Mac; Lamp development stacks, Ruby on Rails stacks, etc. 

For me the decision came down to the fact that I wanted to be able to develop many different types of applications on many different types of platforms. By using the MBP, I am able to use those tools in their best of breed environments using quality hardware in a top notch product. 

What makes the MBP so much better?

I just bought an Alienware M17x about 6 months ago. I knew it was going to be heavy, I also thought it would be top notch quality. Lets start with the fact it weighs 12 lbs, then mention the fact the power supply is at least 3 lbs. It runs super hot (on stock factory settings), it is load. It is also fast, powerful, and has great graphics. What it does not have is a quality fee to it. It just feels flimsy and plastic. But at the end of the day it was not what I needed, I could not run everything I wanted without hacks.

The MBP on the otherhand is

  • High performance
  • Light - 6.6 lbs
  • Light Power supply
  • Awesome graphics
  • Runs much cooler
  • Can run Windows via Bootcamp or VMs (I chose VMWare Fusion).
  • Made from a solid chunk of aluminum

Some of you at the point might be asking yourself why this is such a big deal, big enough for me to post it. Well simply put, I view Apple in the same light some people view Microsoft or Google. I got rid of my iPhone for an Android (now using a Samsung Note). My wife has the iPad, I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

What this does not mean

I will not be jumping ship and abandoning MS or .NET. MS.NET is the core of what I do and the core of my consultancy. I will not become a mindless Apple fan-boy, don't we get enough mindlessness with Politics and Religion? 

What did I get?

I ended up getting a 17" MacBook Pro.

  • 2.5Ghz Intel core i7
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 750GB 7200RPM HDD
  • 17", Anti-glare, UXGA

3 Comments

  • Same as you. I been a self confessed .net lackey for going on 8 years now. I love my MBP. Just for fun, I suggest you check out MonoDevelop. I'm loving VS11 but it's nice to have variety

  • I bought a 17" three years ago, and with an SSD upgrade, it's still the fastest thing I own. I used the original 15" Intel model before that. iMac on the desk. They're fantastic computers. It shouldn't be a dirty feeling. It doesn't make you a child molester.

    I like Parallels better. :)

  • I do not regret the decision to switch one little bit. It really is a quality machine and OS X Lion is a quality OS. I just need to forget some of the Windows functions I use all the time in Windows 7 like snapping a window to a side or top by simply dragging it there.

    I've got Fusion all set up and have been developing on it most of the weekend.

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