A new computer takes some time to get right

posted by Jeff | Monday, October 2, 2006, 9:25 PM | comments: 8

As much as I've always loved getting some shiny new hardware to play with, I have to admit that the transition to the new computer is always a something that takes more time than you like. It takes even more time when you're changing platforms entirely.

But in this case, I guess it hasn't been all that painful. I moved all of my iTunes library, which was super easy because of the awesome backup features in iTunes 7. They actually work between platforms. I also moved all of my photos over so I can use iPhoto. Since I had no real solution in the first place on Windows, this was a lot of fun and I made a bunch of new albums. I can't believe I've collected some 3,600 photos since early 2003, when I finally went to having a digital SLR. It should be pretty easy to make dupes for Stephanie too.

Aside from all of my development stuff, the only two Windows programs I need to use are Microsoft Money '97 (don't laugh, it still does exactly what I need) and Quickbooks '99. I'll just install those in Parallels.

The only real question mark I still have is with regards to my backup scheme. I've been using IBackup for years, and with one account I can backup my desktop automatically and my Web server. Now I'm not sure how I'm going to handle that. There are plenty of Mac-centric services that also do this, the cheapest actually being .Mac, but I don't want to pay for another service on top of IBackup if I don't have to. I could use IBackup in Parallels to get stuff from my shared OS X folder, but that feels dirty. At a little over eight bucks a month, I might as well just bite the bullet and get .Mac, and enjoy the doc sync to my MacBook Pro.

Overall though, so far I'm really pleased with all things Mac. I'm planning to do a little HD video experimentation on the nuclear machine later this week or next, and I'm anxious to see just how fast four Xeon cores will crush H.264.


Comments

Neuski

October 3, 2006, 1:43 AM #

After getting some more photos into Photoshop Album this week and playing around with iPhoto at work (Shhh! Dont' tell.), I want to get a Mac just to have a better photo solution than I do now.

Since you're counting, I might as well share my total. Since March of 2003, I've snapped right around 9500. (15% of them have include at least one roller coaster.) Do you know how many damn 3" CDs that is?

The question to be begged at this point is: Should an expensive tune-up of the Tib come before a Mac?

Jeff

October 3, 2006, 3:27 AM #

Is the Tib gonna stop running without the tuneup? Then get the Mac, obviously. :)

Neuski

October 3, 2006, 3:34 AM #

Not at the moment, but it needs some mid-life attention (i.e. preventative maintenance). My goal is 200,000 miles so I feel like it is a very important investment.

My Mac can wait. Besides, I haven't even picked out what I would actually get.

Gonch

October 3, 2006, 7:03 AM #

Pfft. Lightweights. ;)

I've snapped exactly 6547 pics with my XT alone since I got it in March 2005.

Eric

October 3, 2006, 1:01 PM #

Ahh the beauty of digital cameras, shoot and shoot and shoot and don't worry about anything else.

Hell, just like Dick Cheney.

Neuski

October 3, 2006, 2:17 PM #

Did you snap those for

<deep, manly voice>Coasterimage.com</deep, manly voice>

?

Jeff

October 3, 2006, 2:53 PM #

Hahahaha. Awesome. People will never let you live that down.

Gonch

October 3, 2006, 3:57 PM #

I'm going to go back and pitch shift it even lower. Add some booming reverb and make it sound like the voice of God himself proclaiming website greatness. So F you all. ;)

I don't think I artificially lowered it in the first place. Just take a night, smoke a pack of cigarettes in a few hours and lower your voice - nice, deep and raspy.

I don't have exact numbers on how many I've taken for the site. It'd probably be fair to say "most" were, but I do seem to have an awful lot of photos of life in general too.

I just checked the crappy little Finepix I scored in January and I'm up to 832 on it. And I know less than 100 of those were taken of coasters/rides.

No idea on the totals on the newer Olympus (C740) or the old Olympus (D-360L) I had before that. Hard to believe it's been almost 7 years since my first digital camera.


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