Re: ot - laptop for dba

I have to throw my vote in on the Mac side. I moved to a Mac Book about 2 1/2 years ago. Now my desk workstation is a Mac mini server and my next Mac Book is on order. I use a Windows VM, but only for corporate email. The other benefits of Mac more than make up for having to switch to the VM for email and honestly, I look at that bit of separation as a benefit. From a Mac terminal window, I'm on OSX or whatever Snow Leopard is labeled, and it acts exactly like my servers, which means interfacing with the real servers feels seamless.

When I want to test a new release of Oracle, I'd choose Linux on an old server, in a VM or on boot camp before I'd put it on Windows or Mac, or any other OS actually. So maybe don't choose the laptop based just on testing Oracle and instead try both interfaces and see which one you prefer to work with. Your comfort and ability to work in the environment should be the deciding factors. If you are very used to Windows, Mac will be an adjustment. Think about how you interact with your databases now, the tools you use and how that would or wouldn't change based on your laptop OS. Then decide. The biggest adjustment for me was the change in the keyboard, and at this point, even though I have a Windows VM, there's nothing Oracle related that happens in there.

One important consideration can be the kind of work you do. If you consult, Windows may be a requirement to connect to some client sites. Another consideration is that Mac updates are far less intrusive and frequent than Windows updates, and they don't force you to stop what you're working on for a reboot. It really depends on how you work and what you need to do.

cheers ... Robyn

On Mon, May 31, 2010 at 7:42 PM, Daniel Fink <daniel.fink_at_optimaldba.com>wrote:

> I'm on my second Thinkpad running Windows (XP) and Ubuntu. I keep the
> Windows install because
>
> 1) Websites that only work with Internet Explorer. I can't stand those
> sites...but I don't always have a choice.
> 2) Windows software that does not run or run well under Linux or Wine
> 3) Oracle installs on each O/S, so I can test functionality under different
> versions.
>
> It only takes a few minutes to reboot to a different O/S.
>
> Regards,
> Daniel Fink
>
>
> David wrote:
>
> I'd say wipe your windows install and put Linux on it instead. You will be
> able to run Oracle in a proper Unix-like machine that comes with a nice,
> fast and easy-to-use interface.
>
> My 2 pennies.
>
> David
>
>
>
> On 31 May 2010 22:07, Pedro Alvarez Espinoza <raindoctor_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Whatever laptop you buy, wipe out the factory windows install. Thats one
>> way to get rid of crapware that HP, Dell, Lenovo, etc put on your laptop
>> and make money off it. Before wiping out, backup drivers using drivermax and
>> download the relevant iso from the following link and burn it to a dvd.
>>
>>
>> http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/11/10/windows-7-iso-x86-and-x64-official-direct-download-links-ultimate-professional-and-home-premium/
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, May 31, 2010 at 10:01 AM, Claudia Zeiler <girlgeek_at_live.com>wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Time for a new laptop. Shall I switch to a Mac? I have seen DBA's using
>>> Macs, but I wonder, do any have a toy database on the Mac? How? There is
>>> no Oracle certified for Mac that I know of.
>>>
>>> Thanks for any tips.
>>>
>>> -Claudia
>>>
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>>
>>
>
>

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