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Computer Dilemma

February 15, 2006 | 5:24 p.m. CST

At The College of Architecture, Planning and Design where I work I'm up for a new computer in July. Great, right? Well, maybe not so great... It has actually caused me some anxiety about what kind of computer I should get. I have the budget to buy one of the new iMac's with the 20-inch display and the 2GHz Intel Core Duo, or a new Dell or a custom built PC made by the K-State CNS service center.

I'm sure a lot of my readers are probably saying, "What is the dilemma just get the iMac." Well part of my dilemma is that whatever I get it will probably have to last me four years because I probably won't be up for a new computer until then. So whatever I get I want to make sure that it's something I'm going to be happy with.

The second part of the dilemma has to do with work flow. The decision on what computer to buy should be made on which computer is going to create the best and easiest work flow for doing my job. If the decision was solely based on what computer is going to look the prettiest sitting on my desk then the iMac would win by a land slide. However, I think the decision has to be made more on the merits of what works best for my work flow and what kind of output I can get out of the computer.

Currently at work I'm using Windows XP pro on a Dell Dimension 4800. I mostly work in Dreamweaver 8, using it as my code editor. I really like Dreamweaver's site manager and its ability to edit files directly on the server using SFTP / SCP. I have a PowerBook that I like and use but so far I haven't found an editor that I like that has a site manager built in that allows you to edit files directly on the server using SFTP / SCP. I like Textmate a lot but it doesn't have a site manager built in. You can use Transmit with Textmate to edit the files but you loose the ability to open files in tabs. Plus, to me it just seems awkward using two programs and it isn't as simplistic.

I've installed Ubuntu and like the OS a lot but haven't found any text editors that I like as much as Dreamweaver 8 for windows or Textmate for the Mac. Plus, you can't run Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Fireworks or Adobe InDesign natively which is a huge down side and pretty much a deal breaker for choosing Linux as a desktop for me.

I also use TortoiseSVN for making updates to my Subversion repository. I haven't looked into any Subversion clients for the Mac yet and would be happy to know if you have any suggestions.

So after all that here are my question for all you Mac or Linux Desktop users that are back-end web programmers and web designers.

  • What is your work flow on your Mac or Linux Desktop?
  • Why should I switch to the Mac or should I switch?
  • What tips or suggestions can you give me to help me with my decision?
  • How do you test your websites for Internet Explorer 6.0 for windows if use a Mac or Linux?
  • What Subversion client do you use?

I think in order for me to be convinced to switch, I would need to know about a program that allows you to edit your files directly on the server using SFTP / SCP and a nice subversion client equivalent to TortoiseSVN. I hope that you come up with some good solutions because I'm becoming increasingly tired of Microsoft, so believe me I want to switch!

Related tags: Apple, Mac, PC

Comments

Jeff Croft
1.   At 12:37 a.m. CST on Feb. 16, 2006, Jeff Croft wrote:

Well, I don't know what you should get (PC vs. Mac is always a personal choice), but gimme a few days and I'll give you a full review of the new 20" iMac. I'm supposed to get mine Friday.

FWIW, tabs-outside-of-a-project is supposed to be "coming soon" to TextMate. Plus, it has Django syntax-coloring. Which rules. :)

Brent O'Connor
2.   At 8:29 a.m. CST on Feb. 16, 2006, Brent O'Connor wrote:

Jeff,

I suppose you are right that in the end it does come down to personal choice but that's why I'm asking the questions that I'm asking, so that I can hopefully make a better informed decision. Do you have any answers from the specific questions I asked above?

Jeff Croft
3.   At 10:03 a.m. CST on Feb. 16, 2006, Jeff Croft wrote:

"...so far I haven't found an editor that I like that has a site manager built in that allows you to edit files directly on the server using SFTP / SCP."

The best Text Editor for Mac that has built-in SFTP, I think, is BBEdit. I used it as my editor until very recently, when i switched to TextMate. BBEdit has pretty much any feature you could ask for -- including tabs (although BBEdit's tab implemention is actually more of a drop-down menu -- but it's multiple file in one window, a la tabs). skEdit was looking pretty good, but it seems to be dead (hasn't been an update in a very long time).

I also was a bit conflicted about using two programs (one for FTP and one for text editing), but once I really gave it a short, I found I actually prefer it. With Transmist's "Edit Externally" feature, you hardly ever know Transmit is there -- it uploads your file automatically when you save it, in the background.

It sounds like you're not concerned about local backup (since you want to edit directly on the sever), but if you're curious I can explain a complex (but very useful once you get it set up) setup Wilson and I have been using here at World Online that allows us to use tabs/projects in TextMate, use Tranmist to upload/download transparently, and keep a local backup of all files.

Dreamweaver is a pretty decent text editor (at least for HTML, CSS, and JS -- I think it starts to fali when you get into other laguages its not as familiar with), but it's so bloated and performs so miserably, especially on Mac. Loading a WYSIWYG editor just to use the text editing mode is a bit like buying a Hummer for one 12 year old. And by Hummer, I mean the car (sickos).

"Plus, you can't run Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Fireworks or Adobe InDesign natively which is a huge down side and pretty much a deal breaker for choosing Linux as a desktop for me."

Yep. It's hard for me to understand why anyone would choose Linux over mac OS X on the desktop. Mac OS X gives you all the Unix of Linux, but retains compatibility with all your GUI apps that aren't available on Linux.

"How do you test your websites for Internet Explorer 6.0 for windows if use a Mac or Linux?"

Personally, I use a PC, since I have both. I think it would be reaonsable for you to ask for both, too, given your job (it's pretty much a necessity for you to text on both platforms, isn't it?). See if you can fit a cheapo $600 Dell laptop into your budget or something.

If you can't have both, then there's always Virtual PC. However, it's a little bit up-in-the-air right now on the Intel Macs. Microsoft has committed to making it for Intel Macs, and we know it's be much, much faster when they do -- we just don't know how long it will be before it comes out. There's also WINE and the various other projects trying to get Windows apps running well on OS X/Intel. Again, I think it's safe to assume these will be good options in the long term, but they're not quite there yet. Finally, there's VNC'ing to another PC, which is an option I use here at the office some.

"What Subversion client do you use?"

I don't do a lot of subversion'ing, so when I need to I usually just use the original command line version. However, TextMate has a built-in subversion client that seems pretty darn good. I havent' really looked into other svn clients, just because I've never needed them.

Brent O'Connor
4.   At 11:24 a.m. CST on Feb. 16, 2006, Brent O'Connor wrote:

Jeff,

Thanks for taking the time to make your comments. I guess the thing I don't like about having two computers is the space they take up. And if I have two computers a PC and a Mac then I would probably need to hook up a KVM. The problem that I had the last time I used a KVM was that there was some screen bleeding from the other computer. And I've heard from others that they run into the same problem with KVMs.

Jeff Croft
5.   At 12:01 p.m. CST on Feb. 16, 2006, Jeff Croft wrote:

I don't have any problems like that with the very inexpensive KVM I have (http://www.iogear.com/main.php?loc=product&Item=GCS632U). And, the space required to set them up is why I suggested a lappy. :)

Jeff Croft
6.   At 9:19 p.m. CST on Feb. 16, 2006, Jeff Croft wrote:

BTW, I justnoticed that Quicksilver has an svn module. This is probably ultra-sweet, but I haven't had the occasion to try it myself, yet.

John Nunemaker
7.   At 4:29 p.m. CST on Feb. 17, 2006, John Nunemaker wrote:

I use dreamweaver 8 for coldfusion development. For everything else I use textmate and transmit. I use my local machine for development (thus making a textmate save the same as transfering the file) and then transmit for moving files to production once everything works locally.

I recently switched to a mac and will never go back. Programs and features like quicksilver, virtue, expose, dashboard are the main reason. On top of that, everything just works. My mac has only been shut off for one night (forgot my charger at work) and it has only had an equivalent of the blue screen once.

Tip: get a mac

browser testing: I use a cheap laptop for testing in IE or browsercam. browsercam has a remote login feature that is pretty cool. basically you vnc over the web using some crazy java app.

i don't remember what i use for subversion. i installed some client and i do everything from the command line.

hope that helps!

Brent O'Connor
8.   At 10:06 p.m. CST on Feb. 17, 2006, Brent O'Connor wrote:

That does help... I'm leaning towards getting a Mac at work.

Jordan
9.   At 10:16 a.m. CST on Feb. 18, 2006, Jordan wrote:

I think you should go with Dell. Dell's are better, at least I think so.

Jordan

Jeff Croft
10.   At 12:58 a.m. CST on Feb. 20, 2006, Jeff Croft wrote:

http://www.skti.org/skEdit.php

Your prayers have been answered, Brent. skEdit is back from the dead, and now includes built-in subversion support (to go along with it's existing built-in site editor).

I haven't tried it, but the previous version were quite good. If it wasn't for TextMate's Django syntax coloring (which I need, but you probably don't), I'd be giving this a shot.

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