How do I like them Apples?

It's almost two weeks now that I made a switch to OS X. It was a smooth ride... well, almost. All that hype about how it "just works" was basically true. Even Windows seem to be running smoothly in Parallels, apparently due to the fact there's not that much apps installed.

But as you may have guessed, there are issues. First of them was VPN (which I should have checked before purchase). There is CISCO VPN client for OS X all right, but getting it to work with Snow Leopard is another story. I managed to get it to connect to our corporate VPN – and that was "it". It did some little magic and dropped all the network routes and DNS servers there were. Means no Internet and no VPN data passing through. Means CISCO VPN client on Snow Leopard is useless for me. Anyway, very good starting page for all your CISCO woes is here (link opens in new window).

Now, not to be outdone by the piece of software, I looked for some alternate solution. There were a lot of recommendations about installing command-line tool via Fink. The tool is called vpnc and, according to many happy users, tends to magically solve VPN problems (if configured right, of course!). The best instructions I was able to find were here and here. Alas, for me it didn't work at all. Although vpnc installed smoothly and imported Cisco .pcf configuration flawlessly, the connection still was not working.

As the last resort I have tried to configure the Snow Leopard's built-in Cisco VPN client – again to no avail. It just refuses to connect at all...

Trying to ask our IT staff for help was useless – they don't do Macs, period. And I've been doing this computer stuff from the time half of out IT guys and gals were wetting their diapers, or at the very least trying to master the mysterious art of using the TV remote.

So for the time being, I have to resort to somewhat clunky but working solution of using Win XP within Parallels with Cisco VPN client installed, so just to place a simple phone call via our IAX switchboard I have to fire up the virtual machine (kept just for VoIP, CorelDraw X3 and Lexique Pro dictionary-making software). Well, it's better than having mobile bills grow to ridiculous amounts, eh? And if they DO fix this DNS issue in OS X 10.6.3 – well, there'll be at least one more happy Apple customer!

Another one bites the fruit...

For many years (sixteen, to be precise) I was interested in them Apples. Not the fruit. Apple computers. You know, these expensive gadgets they kept telling you were the best in the world.

After Apple have switched over to Intel processors, there was some hope for me at last. Prices were expected to come down, some compatibility issues (like using Windows - I have to do it from time to time) were ironed out automatically... So for some time I've played with OS X x86, which is OS X made to run on plain run-of-the-mill PC. That was fun for sure, but not something I can put on my laptop as a main system. So I decided that my next laptop will be an Apple. It was 2006... and it was Dell instead. The issue was money, as always...

Three years went by. My Dell ain't what it used to be so I'm looking for a new laptop once again. And I find this beauty - 13-inch unibody MacBook Pro. One quick grab later I'm being all frustrated by some stupid issues... and happy as a satyr in a whorehouse. Most of the stuff works, other works after some little effort and I look forward to doing some programming again (ObjectiveC is so beautiful!). Now if only there were some decent blogging clients... and Apple Mail was able to import my mail like it should, not just 400 messages out of 839... and VPN was working...

Anyway, it's a beauty. Good battery life, silent, lightweight, metallic shell... just what you need running around these here factories!