I have been keeping busy with work from my class and preparing for the big move to Alabama for my internship. However, I did have spare time for one thing. I have upgraded my computer to Mac OS X. It is the most beautiful operating system I have ever seen. Windows doesn't have anything on this. Well, windows never had anything on Mac to begin with, but that's another story. Anyway, it runs very smoothly with plenty of little features that would make you giggle like a schoolgirl. Hey, It could happen.
The first cool thing is the dock. It's a mix between the control strip they had in Mac OS8-9 and the Application Menu they had since System 7. It pops up so smoothly when the mouse is brought to the bottom of the screen. Plus, if an application needs my immediate attention, the little icon jumps up to catch my eye. Also, the icons near the mouse magnify for easier identification.
The Finder (or Desktop if you prefer) has been refined and improved. Windows in the background can be closed, resized, or minimized without being brought to the front. Minimizing a window sends it to the dock. It zips down there like it's being sucked up by a vaccumn cleaner. My original Mac OS 9 still exists on the computer as the classic environment so I can still use my old programs. It comes with some simple screensavers that run very smoothly.
As you can tell, I really like Mac OS X. Since I installed it, I've been replacing my software with OS X versions so I don't have to run so many applications in the classic environment. During that process, I came across something called SETI@home which allows my computer to download work packets for SETI, do some hefty calculations on them, and then send back the results. So far, my computer has spent over 8 hours on the first packet and is only about 26% finished with it. Well, my computer will keep plugging away at the work packet, and I'll keep plugging away at college, so stay safe.
Written 4/5/2002 by Chris Taylor