Global Reset

First thought: I need some more memory in this damn thing! If you are thinking of getting a Mac Mini, don’t accept the minimum 256mb. My 1gb stick is sitting on my table now, waiting for me to build up the courage to crack this thing open. Believe you me, it’s a very daunting task. Just listen to the snaps and pops in this guy’s video of the ordeal.

I’m still not sure if I’m going to splurge on a MiniMate. Once I get the extra memory installed and I software overclock the ATI card, I’ll judge whether or not “disc seek times” are really bothering me. Now, would someone kindly explain to me why in the hell Mac users still think it’s a good idea for every application to share that same space across the top of the screen for every application’s menu bar? And why in the hell doesn’t it close the application when I close the last open window of that application? Does anyone have a utility that changes that behavior to work more like Windows (or every other GUI ever). I guess I’ll get used to it eventually. Just like I’m trying to get used to using “cmd” (or the Windows key on my MS keyboard) for all my favorite keyboard short cuts… i.e. it’s “cmd-c, cmd-v” to copy and paste, not “ctrl-c, ctrl-v”. Same for using the arrow keys to highlight words… Windows: shift-ctrl-arrow, Mac: cmd-shift-arrow. I challenge you to do that while keeping the unused fingers on your left hand close to the home row keys. It ain’t easy…

On a happier note, I’m loving the idea of these application “packages.” In fact, they are such an obvious Good Idea(tm) that I am now pissed off that this is the first I’ve seen of them. So, rather than creating these giant folders in your “Program Files” folder, with subfolders for all of the various pieces of your application, your entire app is bundled into a single file. It’s like a living tar file. So, as you download plugins or what not, they are added to the appropriate folder inside your app bundle. Want to install the app? Download the bundle and drop it into your Applications folder (or anywhere you like really). Want to uninstall the app? Delete the bundle. To me, this is bad ass! Now, if you’re already a Mac user, that’s old hat and I probably sound pretty juvenile bringing it up. If you’re a Windows user, doesn’t that piss you off that this is the first we’ve heard of it!?!?

And, hot damn, Dashboard. Where have you been all my computing life? You make everything so easy. Every piece of data I regularly need to reference is available at the flick of a mouse.. And it’s all thanks to your beautiful widgets.

Spotlight hasn’t really wowed me yet. The saved search folders are cool. I’ve been using the saved search folders to organize my email in Outlook for years. It will be nice to have the same concept applied to the file system, and not just my email. Other than the saved search folders, it’s very similar to Microsoft’s offering (now out of beta). I think I still prefer Copernic to both of those solutions, though it has been crashing on me a lot lately.

More to come, as I actually move some of my files over too it (docs, photos, movies).. That’s when the really fun stuff starts!