Anyone using Mac?
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Hello, all. I'm new to the forum and the industry ... I'm studying database, SQL and SQL server basics.
I need to purchase new computers (both desktop and notebook) and was wondering if anyone has experience, good or bad, with Macs. I know that Apple just released the newest OS, Leopard, which is supposed to actually run Windows itself. But I wanted opinions from folks here before I go forward.
Thank you in advance,
JA
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I bought and installed XP Home Edition on my Wife's new MacBook using VMWare Fusion, and have been delighted with the ability of the XP partition to function exactly as a Win machine. If you needed to install SQL Server in the XP partition I expect it would work. Further, since OSX runs on Unix, you have access to a huge resource of open source software, even beyond what comes included in Leopard. I have not yet tried doing any cross-partition things (e.g. like working via ODBC between MS Access and SQL Lite, but that would be a great learning adventure for you!)
I would not hesitate to recommend a Mac.
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I have a MacBook Pro and an iMac. I would very much recommend them. Build quality is excellent, you can use Bootcamp, VMWare Fusion, or Parallels to run windows software, etc. Any of the three (or a combination of Bootcamp and one of the virtualization products) will work.
More and more I find myself using OSX instead of Windows on them. Then again, I'm in grad school (MBA-Finance), so I am not really using them to play with SQL Server very much.
Check out Jerry Pournelle's (the Sci-Fi Author) website http://www.chaosmanorreviews.com. He is switching over from Windows to Macs and has some interesting insights.
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Thanks so much for your replies.
I'm going to look into VMWare Fusion and make more inquiries into Boot Camp.
How much RAM/disk space did you put on your machines?
I'm going to check out Mr. Pournelle's site as well. Thanks again!
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I bought my machines and upgraded to 4GB of ram myself. Apple RAM is very expensive, so I want with 3rd party ram. System runs great with 4GB.
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I use Macs at home, (it's nice to keep home and work seperate ;)) and even with the very limited MacBook Air, VMWare Fusion works great on those few occasions where remote access or home working is necessary.
I would recommend a Mac every time.
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[font="Tahoma"]I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. -Douglas Adams[/font] -
For any of the three approaches (Boot Camp, Fusion, Parallels) you need to a copy of XP to install. Boot Camp is free and comes with OSX, but requires a reboot to change operating systems. With either Fusion or Parallels, Boot Camp (while supported) is not required, and those options allow you to run both OS's at the same time.
On another topic, I recently looked at the CPM (Byte) site, and didn't see any of Pournelle's columns since a few years ago. I'm glad he is still in business (and astounded that he is switching to a Mac!) I'm looking forward to visiting http://www.chaosmanorreviews.com.
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I went Mac in April '07 and have no regrets. My current laptop is a 15" MacBook Pro with Parallels. I upgraded the ram to 4 gig from Crucial.Com, we use them at work for all aftermarket memory purchases.
My laptop has SQL 2000, 2005, and 2008. All happily coexist. It was a lot of fun at PASS, I was working with the Microsoft First Aid people, remoted in to my system at work discussing the server in question, and after we were done the guy I was working with realized I was using a Mac. It was VERY funny. I saw 4-6 people using Macs at PASS, seemed to be a fairly even distribution of Fusion and Parallels with Bootcamp being in the minority.
If you don't absolutely have to have Office, might I suggest NeoOffice? It's a port of Open Office more tuned for the Mac, I've been very happy with it and haven't missed MS Office in the least (except for Access).
(oh, and according to a friend, World of Warcraft runs much better under OS-X than Windows on the same hardware)
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[font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font] -
Mildly off-topic warning: It's "Dr. Pournelle", and I've heard he's touchy about that. One of my all-time favorite sci-fi authors. A friend who met him at a Con got in trouble for calling him "Mr". Of course, that friend gets in trouble for lots of things on a regular basis, so it could be exaggerated, but you never know.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
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A mac is a great option, if you can afford them. cost is the only option that seems to limit them. But apart from that, I can recommend them, knowing a lot of people who use them on a daily basis.
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GSquared (1/29/2009)
Mildly off-topic warning: It's "Dr. Pournelle", and I've heard he's touchy about that. One of my all-time favorite sci-fi authors. A friend who met him at a Con got in trouble for calling him "Mr". Of course, that friend gets in trouble for lots of things on a regular basis, so it could be exaggerated, but you never know.My wife is a PhD and she generally lets it go, but if someone starts annoying her, she starts stressing the point.
When the Mythbusters came to her observatory, they asked her if they should call her by her title, she said yes and every time on camera it's "Doctor McMillan." She was amused.
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[font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font] -
I use to be the biggest anti-mac guy. Now I love mac especially with VMware Fusion.
Because of a mac, I got into a new hobby of photography. One thing I love about mac is the build quality and how elegant they look. They don't have as many cables as some PC's. One thing I don't love is the price $$$$
You can install SQL Server /Windows 2003 on VMWare fusion too, I did to study for certs and etc.
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I recently started working with Sun's Virtual Box software and had no problems installing Windows 7 RC. Seems to work fine, I have no benchmarks to say how it compares to Parallels or VMWare.
But it does have one huge advantage over the other two: it's free.
I have Parallels 4 currently, but I'm not too keen on some aspects of their business. But to each their own.
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[font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font]
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