Fri, 07 Jan 2005

This laptop is sweet

I had been thinking about getting a laptop for over one year, but never decided to do it because I had gripes on most of the models I saw here and there, or when I saw a model that seemed to be more or less decent, someone else would come and told me "No way dude!". So I just kept saving money without knowing what to buy.

Recently, I've been travelling more than usual: Málaga, Oxford, Mataró, etc. and during the Free Software conferences I've attended I saw more and more people with Apple laptops. Being used to see the normal screens in the average PC laptops, I thought these 15" powerbooks were fabulous, and started to think seriously about getting one. Very recently I finally made up my mind and settled on one of them instead of a Thinkpad, pushed by carlos and sjoerd, with elmo's approval at Mataró, and sto and Pablo at work, and finally knew what to buy exactly. It would be a 15" Powerbook with a 1.5Ghz G4 and a Superdrive.

During mako's stay in València, he suggested that he could buy the computer for me in the states and I could get Paula, one of Kiko's workmates, to bring it back just after New Year. This would apparently save me big money, because the Dollar is currently quite fucked up with respect to the Euro...

On Tuesday, I picked up the laptop at Paula's house, who told me how one of the idiots at the airport nearly tossed the laptop bag as if it was normal luggage, and stared at her like saying "hey, calm down dude!" when she started shouting at him.

The laptop is a US model, so I either need to get the keyboard replaced (not so difficult) or get used to it, and get a new power cord, as the plug is for the US plug model, and I currently have to use an adapter. Besides the keyboard, the hard drive couldn't be upgraded in time for Paula's departure to the faster option, which is a pitty, but it's not that expensive to replace at some point in the future if I really care.

The first night, I had no Debian install CD to start setting my new system, so I played a bit with OS X. Lovely, but after a few hours, I got the same sensation of unproductiveness that you get with Windows: you have nothing useful installed by default, except for a browser and mail program that you don't really want to use. And I wasn't going to bother with Fink so early. So in the morning, I started setting up Debian, and after solving a few issues with X, I've got a GNOME desktop up and running. I feel clumsy, though.

14:19 <@jordim> I feel kind of like a newbie these days.
14:19 <@jordim> can't type, can't config X on my own, can't middle click.
14:19 <@jordim> wtf!
14:19 < sjoerd> you just entered the world of !i386 dude :)

But it's good. :) I need to find a new pcmcia wireless card for now, and need to transfer all my stuff to the new home. I also need to urgently rethink my handling of the stuff I have in /home, because the current incarnation is a big mess, with more than 500 files and directories in the toplevel directory...

I seriously need to rethink my mail handling too, because now I'll want to have a main mail server and some way to sync the mail into and from the laptop. Given mako advertises his greatest talent a lot, I guess I will ask him for suggestions on how to fix my mail setup. Currently it's so bad, that my inbox is about to hit 1000 unclassified mails, many of them which need replying...

18:13 | [] | # | (comments: 11)

Make sure you only get a new figure of 8 power cord thing not the whole power adaptor as they are stupidly expensive and the fig of 8 works just fine... - usually used with cd players and radios

Posted by Tobias at Fri Jan 7 20:15:11 2005

What do you mean with figure of 8?

Thanks for the suggestion!

Posted by Jordi at Fri Jan 7 20:45:28 2005

Congratulations Jordi!!

Finally, you've joined the PPC club. :-)

Posted by projas at Fri Jan 7 22:36:10 2005

I just ordered one myself this week after a few years of temporary exile in Intel-land... looking forward to it arriving even more now :)

Posted by Calum Benson at Fri Jan 7 23:47:57 2005

For mail syncing, offlineimap rocks - give it a try!

Posted by Steve McIntyre at Sat Jan 8 01:43:53 2005

Jordi, I'm not totally sure what Tobias meant by "figure of 8", but my suggestion may be the same.

The Apple power adaptor comes in two main parts, the square transformer brick and the cord that goes to the power mains (there's also a little plug that goes directly in the brick). Just replace the cord (or the little plug) and you'll be fine, because the brick handles European AC.

The "figure of 8" may refer to the "figure eight" shape that the cord makes as you wrap it around the prongs on the power brick? In which case, that's what I think too: don't replace the brick, just the cord.

Have fun - it's a sweet machine!

Posted by John at Sat Jan 8 19:15:18 2005

P.S. If you're going to replace the keyboard, then the place where you get it should have the power cords/power plugs as well. They're the same as what you could use with the iPod power brick (but the iPod brick is smaller, lower power requirements).

Posted by John at Sat Jan 8 19:16:21 2005

>and get a new power cord, as the plug is for the US plug model

Just cut the US plug on and put a Spanish one on instead. A girl I work with just got her Mum, in Ireland, a US laptop. She said she just cut off the US plug and wired on a Irish 3 prong plug and it works. The power supply, unless Apple is different than the PC world, should support, 110 and 220.

Luck
Mick

Posted by Mick at Sat Jan 8 19:47:34 2005

Hey, thanks for all the comments.

Yeah, I see: I guess you can replace the little part in the brick. Hopefully, because these Apple dudes are experts when it comes to taking money from you.

Mick, there's nothing I can cut here, the apple power supplies are a bit weird. But yes, the brick is usable here, with a simple adapter.

Posted by Jordi at Sun Jan 9 20:23:53 2005

While browsing for toys for myself, I came across this at the Apple store: the World Travel Adapter Kit.

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/spainstore?productLearnMore=M8794

It's for the iPod, but the plugs are the same format as for the Powerbook transformer brick. I know you you only need Europe, but hey... :-)

Posted by John at Tue Jan 11 00:27:19 2005

Figure of 8 describes the end of the power cable which goes into the white brick.  Looked at end on it resembles an 8.  I bought one in a Sony store in the UK for about $6.  It's the same cord, apparently, as they use to power an electric kettle.

Now, if anyone can tell me where you can buy the bit that you remove from the brick (US two prong) ...

Posted by Fred Speirs at Wed Jun 8 08:06:18 2005