Virtual OS X Server Screenshots
Apple now allow you to virtualize OS X Server instances. While your virtualization options are limited, it’s very easy to set up on your existing OS X Server.
This is an virtualized OS X Leopard Server guest running in Parallels Server on a host OS X Leopard Server. You can see that the guest system is treated similarly to other Windows and Linux VMs in the Parallels Management Console.
Note that a distinct serial number/license seems to be required. The serial number for the host machine will not validate (I thought Apple was going to allow one VM instance???), so to use the sweet service configuration tools available in Server Admin, it appears you’ll need a separate license for now.
Tags: apple, leopard, mac, osx, parallels, virtualization
. 09 Jul 08 | Computer | Comments (0)
Hacker Shopping Cart
My shopping cart..
- Energy drinks.
- Energy bars.
- Energy backups.
Guess what I do for a living. 
Tags: costco, food, hacker, openrain, shop, ups
Bargain Of The Month: Apple + Adobe + HP + Crucial
If you qualify for an educator/student discounts from the Apple store and want a new machine, check out this crazy deal which I just did at OpenRain…
- MacBook 2.4GHz White: $1300 - $100 .edu discount = $1200.
- iPod Touch 8GB: $300 - $300 MIR == $0.
- HP Photosmart C4480 All-In-One Scanner/Printer/Copier: $100 - $100 MIR = $0.
- Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium: $1600 - $1300 IR = $300. (OMGWTFBYOB!!!)
- Crucial 2 x 2GB SODIMM RAM: $100
Total: $1600 + taxes and express shipping ~= $1800. That’s one helluva bargain for a great midrange laptop (w/4GB RAM mind you) and the powerhouse of Adobe CS3 alone. The iPod and scanner just add to the sweetness! Rock on!
Tags: adobe, apple, bargain, crucial, cs3, deal, discount, hp, ipod, mac, macbook, openrain
. 25 Jun 08 | Computer | Comments (0)
Parallels Server Pricing: Redux
After a few grumpy emails between myself and our Account Manager, I’m happy to report that we have purchased the GA release and it’s working well. If you are using Parallels Server for internal development purposes and not for hosting, they will extend a more reasonable price per machine: $200 + $50/year maintenance. I think that’s a very reasonable price point for our usage, and am happy to pay it.
This likely has more to do with meeting end-of-Q2 sales quotas than attracting my dinky business, but regardless, a win is a win! Thanks!
Tags: deal, development, leopard, parallels, virtualization
. 25 Jun 08 | Computer | Comments (0)
Switching To Dvorak: Seven Months Later
Today marks exactly seven months from the day I switched to the Dvorak keyboard layout.
Key Observations
- 72, 81 and 77 words per minute, clocked with three different one-minute tests on TypingTest.com.
- In home-row-only tests I took several months ago, I was already consistently over 100 WPM. The many common home-row-only words (those spelled with A, O, E, U, I, D, H, T, N and S) are remarkably comfortable and fast to type.
- It’s all about muscle memory. I can type my thoughts just as well as the next guy without looking at the keyboard, but can’t recite you the upper or lower row keys by memory. Interesting, huh?
- The pain in my left-hand little finger tendon is gone! More of this is likely due, however, to also switching my Command and Caps Lock keys in software.
Other Conclusions
- I’m much, much better at hunt-and pecking in Dvorak–that is, staring at a QWERTY keyboard set to Dvorak in software and “sensing” where the right key are with my pointer finger alone. (Useful when typing a few words on someone else’s box.) This is hard because of #3 above, but learnable.
- I can now hunt-and-peck suitably on my iPhone (QWERTY only) keyboard.
- Typing QWERTY on a Dvorak keyboard is a lost cause. I have to stare at a secondary QWERTY keyboard to do so, because my muscles and mind have totally forgotten. (Again, see #3.)
- Typing on a laptop keyboard feels better on your finger tendons, but just as uncomfortable on your wrists.
- Sharing windows machines with others is awkward and frustrating. Let me know if you have a good system tray applet for quick-switching the whole system to Dvorak, because team-admining a windows machine requires a hellish amount of clicks to set the system-wide keyboard layout.
- Apple is absolutely horrid at designing with ergonomics in mind. (In their defense, they obviously aren’t trying.)
- I haven’t discovered the mental gymnastics that allows you to type in QWERTY when necessary. I can type my name and common passwords in QWERTY, but that’s about it, sorry. No hablo QWERTY.
- Stuff that now sucks because they are built for a QWERTY layout: emacs, vi, <your_favorite_editor>, Aperture, some Java apps. All games now require new key bindings off-the-bat too.