New Media Development

Today Apple hosted their long awaited event announcing updates to their Mac Book and Mac Book Pro notebooks. A friend of mine asked me if I was going to be pissed if they massively upped the ante on the performance and storage of the machine. I don’t think so but lets break down the updates and see.

1. One thing I am happy about is that I got a system with the OLD keyboard on it. Having used the chicklet keyboard on the Mac Book and the Air I have to say it would quickly become the bane of my existence if I had it on my Pro.
   I do not like it here or there
   I do not like it anywhere
   I do not like the chicklet keyboard
   I do not like it, Steve I Am
    
2. An advanced graphics card was expected and is only really put to the test while gaming or doing high end graphics. I don’t do either of these on a consistent basis so no huge loss there.
    
3. Getting rid of the button on the track pad is something I HATE. The first thing I did on my old notebook was turn off the touch pad clicking feature so this is a huge win for the older model.
    
4. By putting all connections on the side, they have actually reduced the number of devices you can connect. In the new version you lose 1 usb port, the firewire 400 port, and the DVI connector in lieu of the mini display port (Apple proprietary and will require an additional purchase for non-Apple displays).
    
5. Being able to quickly swap the drive like you could with the MacBooks is a nice new touch.
    
6. The new MBP can now have double the hard drive space, double the RAM, and 4X the graphics capacity of my current MBP. However, it is a good $700 more than what I paid for my MBP. Also, my model is a 17 inch display while the new models will only be 15.4 inch or 13 inch.
   UPDATE: In the QA session it was mentioned the 17″ model is being refreshed as well but no details on specs or price were given under the new design. At the Apple store the current 17″ model is still for sale but is unchanged in terms of specs, design, and the $2800 price tag. Roughly a $1000 more than what I paid for a refurbished model.

Bottom Line: I am far happier now than I was before the announcements. The new additions either don’t apply to me or I wouldn’t want them.

Photo Provided by Wicho via Flickr

Well it has been a couple of months now since I have switched from using a PC Notebook to a 17″ Mac Book Pro and things are still going well. As I mentioned before I used to be a die hard Mac fanatic about 10 years ago but switched to PCs due to the lack of decent software on the Macs at the time. My recent switch back had to do with my desire to pick the right tool for the new media and technology development I currently do. As promised, here are my top of the head observations over the past two months.

• When I bought the Mac I knew I was going to be running certain PC software and games. I started to go down the path of using Parallels but found that transferring my XP license off my existing notebook would basically make it impossible for me to sell it as a low end PC. After a month I broke down and bought CrossOver instead. CrossOver is the OSX port of WINE which does not require that you have a full version of XP/Vista to run your software. You will need a Mac with an Intel chip to run the software properly. All of my PC games run flawlessly under it and most of my PC software runs as well. Unless you absolutely need XP on your machine for some obscure reason like your network doesn’t play well with Macs, I would opt for CrossOver first for any windows software emulation.
• I am just amazed by how much free software is out there to help make a transition between PC and Mac easy. I did break down and buy some tools I use all the time like the Adobe Suites. However, things like NeoOffice, FireFox, AppFresh, QuickSilver, and TweetDeck have become invaluable tools. Even the free Apple software like Safari, Mail, and GarageBand have revolutionized how I use the notebook.
• One thing I forgot about Macs and missed was that things just work. I plug a microphone in, it recognizes it and records from it. I plug a camera in, it finds it and lets me control it from the software. I want to record a video, iSight comes on with the mic and just records without a loss. On the PC side you can make things work but it takes time and is never 100%.
• My co-workers often complained about how they HAD to be PC based for all of the development they do. After a bit of searching I found that the Mac could do all of the things my PC could do for development and more. It was just a matter of taking the time to seek out a solution for a specific problem. For example, I thought I would be totally at a loss for remote desktop connections to PCs until I found that Microsoft wrote a RDC client for OSX. It’s not widely publicized but if you look for it, you can find it. Major problem solved.
• Web development is like night and day. On the PC I got into the habit of developing code and pushing it to a testing server. On the Mac, everything was not only included but pre-installed. Apache, PHP, Virtual Hosting. All on my box and ready to roll. The only thing I needed to add was MySQL and that was very easy. Granted I will need to break some old development habits but given the fact I can now test and code anywhere without having to be dependant on a connection is just amazing.
• Slowly over this time I have noticed something very significant for me. I haven’t turned on my notebook in the past 2 months at all except to transfer a file or two. I am significantly using my desktop PC less and less. The Mac has actually help me do things like rebuild my 9000 song music collection, clean out software I don’t use, and make it easier for me to backup my work and life.

Do I regret the purchase? Absolutely not! Apple has come a long way to address software, hardware, and just confidence concerns. Under Steve Jobs this company has finally moved forward enough to really be the company they always should have been. I understand why so many people are converting now. This is one seriously sexy and powerful piece of kit. Apple also puts so much information online and makes it so easy to just find things like software and solutions that I can’t imagine going back to the “pay for everything” world of PCs. And it looks like things are only going to get better with the Apple announcements tomorrow.

I do need to break some old habits like calling it a Mac when I am talking about OSX. I also know I am grossly underusing the machine’s true power. But that will come with more time. I am just incredibly happy with this rather expensive purchase and can see getting a lot of use out of this machine for a very long time.

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One of the great things I have mentioned before about working out of the home is the commute. However, this creates some interesting travel issues which is not limited to the home worker.

For example, when I moved to Boston from Virginia I took advantage of the extensive public transit system for my commute to work. I would leave my house, walk to the end of the block and get on a commuter train which linked to the subway which I took to my job. This was easy, convenient, less of a headache than driving, took about the same amount of time for traveling, and cheaper than parking in a major city. The down side was when I went to start my car for the first time I needed it after commuting this way. The battery had died because of non use for about 3 weeks. I hadn’t even realized I was not using my car at all during the time because it was so easy to slip into this alternate way to get to work, grab groceries on the way home, and generally not needing to go long distances.

Home commuters have this same issue. Lack of car use means you sometimes need to remind yourself to drive the car a little bit just so can be driven. Also, if you are planning to drive to the office once a month or more, you need to be sure you car is set up for the much longer than normal commute it may need to take. Or try to find alternate means by which to get to the office which may save on car use all together.

Touching on that, I just want to remind people that there really is 3 ways to travel in the US. Auto, Plane, and Train. Auto and plane are by far the cheapest or fastest depending on where you are going or when you need to get there. Train tends to be more expensive but it has certain advantages for the telecommuter. Every seat on an Amtrak train has a 120V outlet and most trains are now offering WiFi service. So if the trip is 4 hours compared to a 2 hour car ride, you may find the 4 hour train ride more productive because you can work the whole time you are traveling.

In Burlington, we are blessed/cursed by an extensive bike path which links the northern and southern parts of the extended city with downtown. It get highly used in the Spring through Fall months. This provides another alternate means to commute which is more common outside of the United States. The curse comes when people don’t use it. Bike lanes are no substitute for private roads so it boggles my mind when I see someone who is clearly going to work on the road when they have a private road with less traffic.

The commute is changing in this country which is a welcomed event. What it changes into will hopefully reduce car use, greenhouse gasses, and provide a better world we can all share.

I guess this week of blogging turned into the topic of change. How could you not touch on that topic when the leaves are changing, the wind is getting crisp, and the northern hemisphere is preparing for dormancy. In the southern hemisphere the winds are getting warmer and summer is right around the corner with all of it’s bathing suit splendor. This change is something I missed last year because of the location of my office.

You see, space is of a premium in our house and due to a lack of funds, the best place to build an office was in the basement. This is all fine and good because it keeps me focused on work and the office is well separated from the house. However, there are no windows and no natural light.

Some of you would, as I have, shout great! However, I miss being able to look up from my computer screen to see the leaves falling. Or to feel a wind on my shoulder from the open window. We take nature for granted living in this digital world. We try to recreate it in games, simulate it, and manipulate it into new worlds. But in the end, nature has the last laugh on us. We shun the outside world for the digital but without the natural balance, we are just as far out of touch with life as anyone who excesses on something.

Take a minute, get up from your computer, take a walk outside. Clear your head. Don’t take nature for granted for she has ways of reminding you when you least expect it.

With upwards of 5 million people working “from” or “out of” their homes for a majority of the work day, a major shift in the workplace has been happening over the past 4 years. Companies are starting to recognize the cost and personal benefits from having a diverse group of hires in diverse locations. In August 2007, CBS Marketwatch reported that home and remote based workers have a higher level of satisfaction with their jobs. They report is it primarily due to the convenience of working from home. As a home worker I can say there is good with the bad.

The Good: Since I started working out of the house, I have started to live a “greener” lifestyle. I used to put a good 10,000 miles on my car every year just in commuting miles to the office. My 45 minutes each way commute also added stress and tension to my life. Now I have a 5 minute walk to the office and put 0 miles on the car. That means less emissions in the air, less stress, and the ability to relax before starting a stressful day. I am also massively extending the life of my vehicle which means spending less each year for normal maintenance. Savings in the pocket as well as the earth.

Another nice side effect from working from home is the ability to get a lot of things done. During breaks I can throw a load of laundry in the machine which relieves pressure of chores off the house. I can have lunch in a proper kitchen with food I buy for the house anyways. No more need for instant lunches or sandwiches. I end up eating better and living better.

The Bad: There are two major downsides to consider if you are working from home AND you do not own the company. Communication and what I call ’separation of work and home’. Communication is probably the biggest hurdle you need to cross. In order for home based employees to feel like they are involved, they need a much higher level of communication than in office employees. As a manager, expect to spend twice as much time e-mailing and talking with your home based workers in order to keep their confidence high. When they are not involved in a major project, let them know why because they don’t have the resources to see why. This is much easier said than done. Communication is a two way street so as a home worker you have to be willing to pick up the phone and ask your manager hard questions about how well the situation is going. Keeping management involved in what you are doing will help with communication. If they see what you are doing then it is easier to justify your home based existence. The main thing you are trying to avoid by having good communication is the feeling of being disconnected from the main office and the main office feeling like you are a rouge employee.

Separation of Work and Home is a simple concept that most people either look over or will have problems implementing. The idea is that if you can keep your work space separate from your home space, you should do so. Now this doesn’t mean that you have build an office as an addition to your home to do work. What it means is that you should not be able to easily pop into your home office to “just do one quick thing”. Your home office space should have some way to get you into the mindset of working and not be a direct connection to your home. For example, my office is a long way from the main house. This helps me to not just pop-in and do a quick task. Secondly, I have separate machines for home and work connected through a KVM switch. This allows me to not mingle work tasks with home tasks. At bare minimum every home office should have this. It is the most ideal way to keep your home computing from spilling over into your work computing.

The major benefits from working from home is convenience and cost saving. But that does not exclude you from going into the office for a little ‘face time’. Every home worker should plan on going to the office and touching base at least once a month. The interpersonal communication in an office is something you can not replicate at home and should not be excluded. A good sit down with your boss and reminding of everyone that you are part of the team is always a good idea. It also breaks the monotony of being alone in an office every day which is needed for the home based worker.