Taming a Supercar

Phil LaPier

I recently switched to MacVim for front-end development. Coming from Panic Software’s Coda, I was feeling extremely limited by my text editors capabilities. Two weeks into Vim, this designer has discovered the following:

Textmate/Coda/etc. are like the automatic transmission Volkswagen Jetta of text editors. The VW Jetta has just enough horsepower for daily tasks, some flexibility, but most of all it’s easy enough for most drivers to jump into and drive away.

Vim is like the manual transmission Lamborghini Aventador—the pinnacle of supercars. You can’t just jump into the Aventador and drive away, you have to learn how to control the 700hp, 6.5 liter V12 engine—quite a powerful beast. Learn the intricacies of the clutch, get used to the touch sensitive carbon-ceramic brakes. The tight steering and low suspension are a hell of a change from a VW Jetta.

I’ve been lucky to have expert Vim users around to teach me tips, tricks, and share their general knowledge on its power.

Have you tamed a supercar?

Lamborghini Aventador