Updated on December 10, 2021
Since it’ll impact this blog to some degree, I thought I might bring it up here…
As the subject line says (and as those of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook know), I’ve been strongly thinking about buying a Mac Mini, the entry level computer of Apple’s desktop lineup. While I’ve been a Linux user since 2005, and have put Linux Mint on the laptop purchased this summer, I was a Mac user for a decade before 2005. I moved to Linux in 2005 out of growing interest in the operating system, including its use of open standards, being a community effort, and that it was free (cost-wise). At the time, buying a new Mac would’ve been way too expensive. And then (as now) I’ve never been a Windows fan nor a Windows household, though I use Windows at work.
Lately, however, I’ve been thinking that having a “mainstream” desktop operating system around might be nice, as well as a desktop computer itself. While Linux has been useful these past seven years, it has had its downsides as well. Some of it can be blamed on companies ignoring Linux as a platform. One such example is the lack of an official Evernote client for Linux, despite its availability for virtually every other mobile/desktop platform (though the website version works, and is what I use). Other issues can be blamed on companies employing DRM, such as what’s used in various video services. Netflix’s use of Silverlight means it’s a no-go for Linux desktops, though the service is available for Android-based smartphones and tablets. There’s also Linux distros’ own issues, such as the recent changes made to Ubuntu, or that despite being 2012, I had to replace the kernel on my laptop’s Linux Mint install to get it to stop freezing randomly. (Brand-new hardware makes for sometimes iffy support for Linux distros…)
Having OS X around might also be useful for increasing my skills, as well as giving me access to a wider range of software and services to write/blog about. Although no computer operating system’s perfect, OS X’s ease of use and consistency would also be nice. There’s also its support for some of the open source software I already use, which would make switching easier/cheaper. And it looks vastly better than what I’ve seen of Windows 8…
As indicated above, this would mean the blog would see more posts about OS X software. While I’ve always blogged about Apple topics in the past, this would probably increase with an OS X desktop at home. However, it wouldn’t be the end of Linux on Anthony’s Notes—I’ll still have my Linux Mint-based laptop for trips and Linux usage, plus (like with Apple) I’ll still follow developments in the world of Linux.
As for why the Mac Mini, it’d be cheap (for Apple hardware), it’s user-serviceable (iFixit gave it a score of 8 out of 10), and the newest revamp of Apple’s entry-level desktop computer came out last week. Its current specs would be on par with those in my laptop, thanks to the Mini’s upgrade to Ivy Bridge.
Stay tuned for any further developments, as they say…
