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Re: Mac Cursor [message #51232 is a reply to message #51225]

Sat, 04 November 2006 07:58

David Fanning
Messages: 11724
Registered: August 2001

Senior Member

Jeff Hester writes:

> In the world I live in -- Astronomy -- there is currently a dramatic
> move away from PCs and Linux boxes to the Mac platform. I'm sure that
> is the case more broadly as well. A compilation of Mac-related
> questions/answers/discussion would probably be well-read. I'm not the
> right person to maintain the list, but if I knew someone was keeping
> track, I'd certainly contribute anything that I ran across.

Having spent five weeks in Hawaii last year in the
company of astronomers, I witnessed this dramatic
enthusiasm for Macs, and also noted the almost
universal inverse correlation of this enthusiasm
with UNIX knowledge.

I think we can attribute much of this to the brilliant
Mac/PC advertisements we see on TV. I can't say why
astronomers are especially susceptible to this kind of
advertising, but it would be an interesting thesis topic
for someone. I would put Paul van Delst's name forward
as someone who can provide insight into why a researcher
loves a machine that crashes 10 times a day. I will
say, however, that the spinning desktop thing is WAY cool. :-)

All this just to say that I think MOST of what astronomers
need to know about Macs can probably be found in a good
UNIX book. I highly recommend UNIX by Deborah S. Ray and
Eric J. Ray. This is one of the excellent Visual Quickstart
Guide books, which I have always found to be THE most
helpful in learning a new technical subject. They are
pitched a step above UNIX for Dummies, and a step below
UNIX in a Nutshell, and so perfect for much of what I've
wanted to know about UNIX.

I try to keep abreast of the Mac problems IDL programmers
run into, but not having a Mac myself (although my wife's
computer IS making strange noises these days, so who knows)
it is difficult for me to write from a particularly
knowledgeable point of view. Dr. Bowman seems the logical
one to me to take this job on, but I presume he has a
real job, too. :-)

Cheers,

David

--
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting, Inc.
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
Sepore ma de ni thui. ("Perhaps thou speakest truth.")

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[Message index]

		Re: Mac Cursor By: Kenneth P. Bowman on Wed, 08 November 2006 18:44
		Re: Mac Cursor By: JD Smith on Wed, 08 November 2006 17:01
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Paul Van Delst[1] on Wed, 08 November 2006 16:28
		Re: Mac Cursor By: David Fanning on Wed, 08 November 2006 16:11
		Re: Mac Cursor By: JD Smith on Wed, 08 November 2006 15:57
		Re: Mac Cursor By: JD Smith on Wed, 08 November 2006 15:51
		Re: Mac Cursor By: JD Smith on Wed, 08 November 2006 15:46
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Christopher Thom on Wed, 08 November 2006 15:42
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Paul Van Delst[1] on Wed, 08 November 2006 15:27
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Christopher Thom on Wed, 08 November 2006 15:12
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Paul Van Delst[1] on Wed, 08 November 2006 12:58
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Christopher Thom on Wed, 08 November 2006 12:06
		Re: Mac Cursor By: K. Bowman on Tue, 07 November 2006 11:35
		Re: Mac Cursor By: JD Smith on Tue, 07 November 2006 13:27
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Paul Van Delst[1] on Tue, 07 November 2006 11:32
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Paul Van Delst[1] on Tue, 07 November 2006 11:21
		Re: Mac Cursor By: David Fanning on Mon, 06 November 2006 21:16
		Re: Mac Cursor By: K. Bowman on Mon, 06 November 2006 11:09
		Re: Mac Cursor By: K. Bowman on Mon, 06 November 2006 10:44
		Re: Mac Cursor By: David Fanning on Mon, 06 November 2006 10:31
		Re: Mac Cursor By: JD Smith on Mon, 06 November 2006 09:58
		Re: Mac Cursor By: news.verizon.net on Sun, 05 November 2006 12:39
		Re: Mac Cursor By: David Fanning on Sat, 04 November 2006 07:58
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Jeff Hester on Fri, 03 November 2006 21:56
		Re: Mac Cursor By: David Fanning on Fri, 03 November 2006 17:14
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Edd Edmondson on Thu, 09 November 2006 03:08
		Re: Mac Cursor By: James Kuyper on Thu, 09 November 2006 03:37
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Kenneth P. Bowman on Wed, 08 November 2006 18:46
		Re: Mac Cursor By: Christopher Thom on Thu, 09 November 2006 11:47

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