Switching Back to Desktop Linux
“A few years ago, I bought my first laptop, a 15-inch PowerBook. It was also my first Apple machine.I had used Linux on my desktop exclusively for several years, but at that point did not want to go through the pain of tracking down the precise revision of a very specific laptop brand to find one that would work with Linux. (I also refuse to pay the Windows tax, as I would and do not use Windows.)
Through work, I received the opportunity for a sizable discount on a new PowerBook. Mac OS X 10.2 had recently come out and my Mac-using friends claimed that it was much more powerful and usable than previous versions. (Many of my friends still pined for the performance of Classic, especially on older hardware.)
I knew that Linux/PPC was one of the better-maintained non-x86 ports. Apple’s hardware impressed me with its quality as well. It is certainly easier for free software developers to produce drivers for well-chosen, high-quality components. (Many other laptop manufacturers are less picky about changing components within a product line, which gives free software developers and users fits.)
I kept my Linux desktop, but moved most of my daily work to the laptop. I also repartitioned my hard drive and reinstalled Mac OS X to give myself space to use Linux/PPC. I tried to get used to Mac OS X for six months, but when a new version of XFree86 came out and supported my video card fully, I finally switched away from Mac OS X.
Why? There are plenty of reasons, most of them related to my primary goal.”
Alberto Milone\'s Blog 
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