Tag: tech

My Mac Adventures, Part 1

I have been marketing SwordSearcher Bible Software for around ten years now. Throughout that time, there has been a common theme of email I receive on a regular basis: “will this work on my Mac?” — with variations such as “why isn’t there a Mac version?” or “do you hate Mac users?” (yes, seriously!). My response has always been the same: programming for a Mac is different from programming on Windows, and, I have never owned a Mac.

Well, sometimes I am a little slow to realize something. (Just sometimes.) In this case, what has taken me such a long time to realize is that there are people out there who want to buy my software for their Mac! Since this has finally dawned on me, I have decided to begin the adventure of programming for a Mac.

The new Mac Mini provided me with the perfect starting point. It is a nice, small “Mac in a box” that works with my existing monitor, keyboard, and mouse. A simple USB switch is all that I needed to be able to press a button and go between my Mac and my Windows PC.

I’ve been using this for some time now, and I have to admit that I am impressed by what Apple is offering now. Apple’s operating system, Mac OS X, is an extremely robust environment. Yes, it has it’s “lickable” interface (I say that because the well-rendered buttons and other objects of the GUI are so shiny and nice and shaped like hard candy — it makes you want to lick them). But underneath that shiny hood is an extremely powerful, bullet-proof Unix operating system. With OS X, Apple has turned the Mac from just a fancy user interface unsuited for power users, into a power user’s dream. All you have to do is open up a terminal window, and you have a fully functioning Unix command line with all the power and configurability that you could ever want.

Apple is doing something now that they should have done a long time ago: giving developers good development tools. And I mean giving. Everything I need to write software for Mac OS X is included free of charge. Apple has finally realized that they will never grow their market share without getting people to write software for their platform! The bottom line is that my Mac cost me just as much as my last Delphi upgrade — and the Mac comes with everything I need to program.

I have spent the last month or so getting up to speed with Mac development, using Cocoa/Objective-C. And I have found that while Apple’s tools (XCode and Interface Builder) are not quite equal to Delphi on Windows, they are sufficient and suited for the task of quickly building a working application.

So anyway, this is my first log entry in my Mac Adventures. I have committed to developing SwordSearcher for the Mac and I will try to keep this log up to date on my progress, and will probably post technical musings on XCode and rant about things I don’t like on the Mac from time to time :-) . SwordSearcher Mac will be designed from the ground-up to be a Mac program — it will not be a mere “port” of the Windows version. If all goes as planned, I should have SwordSearcher for Mac available at the end of 2005 or the beginning of 2006. If you are a Mac user interested in beta testing, drop me an email and I will let you know once a test version is available.

This does not mean that I am abandoning the Windows version of SwordSearcher. They will be developed simultaneously and I will be releasing updates to the Windows version indefinitely.

Learning new things is fun.

My quest for the perfect keyboard.

It was high-time I got a new keyboard. My old Compaq keyboard served me well, but it was aging and I need a USB keyboard anyway.

I went to CompUSA so that I could try out some keyboards. And what did I find? I don’t like any of them!

There are two major problems with most of the ‘high-end’ keyboards available today: 1. They are wireless. I don’t want a wireless keyboard. I use my keyboard in front of my monitor. The cord does not get in my way. I don’t want a keyboard that needs batteries! 2. Microsoft, Logitech, and some other companies have decided to do away with the F-keys — they have reassigned these keys and made the “traditional” F-keys a secondary function. So, that basically blew all of the “good” keyboards I could find at CompUSA out of the running.

I decided to get a “cheap” Viewsonic keyboard. It felt okay to type on and didn’t have a billion extra useless buttons (though it did have some). But this keyboard had some keys in the wrong place! Note to keyboard designers: the key goes ABOVE the Enter key, not next to the shift key! After using this keyboard I got extremely frustrated that I would easily hit the now misplaced key when I went for the right-shift, and accidentally his the Enter key when I went for the !

So finally I decided to just look online at some reviews. I settled on the Saitek “Gamer’s” Keyboard, and I like this keyboard! It does have some useless features: a blue backlight that shines from under the keys (it can be dimmed or switched off), and a “command pad” that is separate from the keyboard that can presumably be programmed for various functions or game keys — I haven’t bothered to plug this in. However, this keyboard has a wonderful feel to it — not too mushy, and it tolerates my rather “imprecise” targeting when I type. See, I never really learned how to type the right way, and I frequently hit the bottom or side edge of a key instead of right in the middle. Many keyboards do not like this kind of typing, but the Saitek doesn’t seem to mind, and I get great response from my keypresses no matter where on the key I apply the pressure. Also, this keyboard has the key where it belongs, has the normal F-keys, and does NOT have a million useless “media” buttons all over it!

Honestly, I think this is the best keyboard I have ever owned! I could care less that it is marketed as a “gamer’s keyboard” — it just happens to be the best designed keyboard I have tried. And it looks good too — a silver and black design that matches my Microsoft Intellimouse and my LCD monitor. If you’re looking for a decent new keyboard, give the Saitek Gamer’s Keyboard a try.

Continuous Ink System review updated

I have updated my review of a Continuous Ink System for my Epson printer: “Well, it’s been a little over two months and several hundred printed discs since I installed the CIS. And it’s working great, and none of my bottles are even half used up…” Nothing special added, but I’ve received quite a bit of email because of this review asking how I like it after extended use.

My Continuous Ink System: A Review

I’ve neglected my blog this month. However, today I have an interesting new review to post: my review of a Continuous Ink System for my Epson R200 printer. Are you sick of ink cartridges that are priced as if they contain liquid gold? I am. So a Continuous Ink System may be the solution for you — read my review to see how it worked for me.

On a related note, I really like this Epson R200. I use it primarily for printing directly on inkjet printable CD-ROMs and DVDs. No more cheesy printer labels and stompers; no more sharpie pens!