Installing linux on a laptop, especially an Apple laptop, can be a frustrating experience. While the initial setup still isn't trivial, a pure EFI-boot copy of Arch Linux is by far the most straightforward install I've done. No mucking around with BIOS/MBR, experimental Xorg drivers, unstable binary-blob Wifi drivers, or complex suspend/resume scripts is required!
Babushka may be described as a tool for 'sysadmin', but its usefulness doesn't stop at managing servers. I use Babushka to manage the software and configuration of my laptop, and so should you.
Many people buy commercial consumer NAS enclosures to store their files. I wanted something with a bit more flexibilty, but on a similar budget. I put together a FreeNAS 8-based NAS for about $600 (AUD) plus hard drives and thought I'd share the details!