Der Bioinformatiker

I just got my reward for finishing bioinformatics: a brand new, shiny MacBook Pro 15.4″!

I’m really satisfied with it. The only drawback I have noticed so far is that it gets quite warm, but that is usual with modern laptops, I think. I spent the last days installing stuff, setting up Windows XP in a parallels-VM (yeah, I figure I will have to work with Windows stuff), setting up Windows XP using Apple boot camp (for those programs that don’t run in a VM) and installing more stuff.

I also upgraded my RAM myself, because the Mac Ram is ridiculously overpriced. I read in a review that Apple used “world’s tiniest screws” for the cover. I really have to confirm this. Fortunately I also own “world’s tiniest screwdriver” .

I also updated my blog, but I seem to have lost the pictures I had uploaded. Sorry for that…

I’m really looking forward to the time when I finish my dimploma thesis and my studies in Hagenberg. Here’s what I’m gonna do once I’m done:

• Buy my second Mac. It’s going to be a MacBook Pro, because I like the performance of the new MacIntels and I also want a new laptop. The only thing I’m fearing is this
• Go on a nice trip with Elke. I don’t know where, but it will definetly include diving…

Yeah, that’s it for now. Not much planned after that, except that I would like to get some work near Linz or Hagenberg… we’ll see…

I finished installing and configuring Flyakite OS X and now I like the look of it. I added Yahoo! Widgets (formerly Konfabulator) and TopDesk (Task switching like in OS X or in Longhorn) and now you can’t distinguish my laptop from a PowerBook at first glance. I will post some screenshots if anyone is interested…

Some other news just flew in: If you use WordPress (like I do) you probably want to upgrade to the new 2.0.2 version (security fixes…).

On Saturday I will go to Hannover to visit the Cebit. I’ll try to make some nice photos. Looking at the price I would have to pay to get there, I decided against it. Perhaps in 2 Years, I will get paid to go there who knows…

The promised bugfix-update of the Windows to OSX Mod FlyakiteOSX – Modify . Simplify . Aquafy has now been released. Finally I can try it again! Report will follow once I got everything installed…

If you dislike the “default” windows desktop like I do (and simultaneously like the OS X desktop or even own a mac and want to have the same look and feel): FlyakiteOSX – Modify . Simplify . Aquafy [The Official Site] version 3.0 was released. Version 3.1 is announced for next week, so I’ll wait for the bugfix/update. I usually would try it, but the mentioned bug (something about an error with the bootscreen) sounds like a more severe problem. And since my laptop is really important for me and my emotional and mental well being (Maybe has something to do with skyping Elke), I won’t risk that by installing that buggy version.

I had the version 2 installed but had to remove it, because it interfered with the installer/control program for the UMTS card. So if you own such a thing, you may be extra careful. But the uninstaller is very thorough, if there are problems you simply revert to an earlier stage (you all have that nice WinXP feature running, don’t ya? – well, you should, it saved me from totally reinstalling the system many times).

I also had some interesting talks at work today, concerning my diploma; we are still not fully decided, if I will work on the “safe” or the “interesting” thing. Since the “safe” one is … well … safe, I have some time (approx. until end of January) to research about the “interesting” one. I really hope that I can get this to work. More details when I get the clearance from my group.