linux, windows or mac ?

[kiwigeo]

The Mac user on the other hand is usually someone who has researched the right tool for the job (see previous post) and is usually reasonably knowlegable about computers. So being a different category of computer user, Mac users usually don't let their computers get into the mess that less knowledgable users do.

Termite,

I think you'll generally find that Mac users know less about the inner workings of their computers than Windows users....mainly because they dont have to spend as much time as Windows users tweaking with same.

Cheers Martin

[kiwigeo]

Not to mention the change to Intel dual core processors to help with speed that was always seen as a "problem" with Mac

A few words of warning..

The new dual core processor Macs are great but I wouldnt rush out and buy one straight away. Alot of the Mac native software hasnt been ported across to the new processor yet and wont run at optimum speed until it is. One or two native Mac software packages wont run on the new machine ful stop. If youre running any Windows software on your Mac then youll have problems as Virtual PC wont run on the new Macs. As far as I know there are no plans to update Virtual PC in the near future.

Im staying with my 5 year old G4 Powerbook untill the new Macs get bedded in.

Cheers Martin

[la Huerta]

yeh i know the inside out of my windows based laptop as the bloody thing (windows that it) has caused many hrs lost time and sware words i never new existed...but i'm at one with it now...

macs sound great, i did'nt even know they where different from the other half till i started this post...and this is a woodworking forum , go figure...

[NewWoody]

There's no real need to draw the borders between one platform or the other.
Yes, we are all different and have different ideas and interest but our common interest primarily is in the woodworking craft as this forum suggest.

Let's say you choose what you believe suits you.

I'm in the IT industry... for too long.

I use a PC everyday (from early days of windows, OS2, Windows 85, 98, NT, now XP), within its limitations, it works fine. I use it mostly as a glorified typewriter really. At work, when it comes to stability issues, it boils down to how BIG and dilligent is our PC/Windows Support crew.

My real craft in IT is on the Mainframe systems, predominantly IBM altho' the ICL mainframe was my old and favourite system. That's a different world altogether and the new mainframes today are something else! When it comes to stability of industrial strength. There's no comparison in this cintext.

At home, I have an old Powermac G4 @ the blinding speed of 400 MHZ. I have had this for more than 8 years now and it continues to serve me well. I only use this for my own productivity work and I don't play games.

In fact, that's what I'm using now to post this.

Horses for course and to each their own, as long as you can do what you want with your machine, isn't that the point?

[PuppyPaw]

AHH I've got it.
If your dumb get macs, if your smart get windows!!!!
I knew, that in time, I would eventually get it all!!!

Just joshin!

Macs and PC's are the same, pure and simple, they will both do everything you want, (well, almost) they are both good ONLY when you know what your doing.

One problem with windows is it has tried to be a system for the masses and so has been dumbed down because the unintelligent masses don't want complicated (people some difficulty setting there VCR clocks for crying out loud) however when you really want too, and you put just a little thought into it Windows XP can be significantly more powerful then MAC and Linux, purely because of its pure abbility to do anything and EVERYTHING!

On another note, the stability problems lots of people experiance are usually not something relating to Windows its self, but poorly writen software, badly writen drivers for poor hardware, incompatible hardware (have just rushed something to market) an unkowing user thinking they can just keep using it and never doing anything to keep it clean and tidy.

Now if I can do this and keep it stable then even a 90 year old incontent fool can do it!

But ya know what, go with Linux, because it will force you too learn everything D

Oh I realise I am coming across very abrupt, I don't mean it, just tired of this hole Mac/Windows/Linux they are all good, just choose one

[markharrison]

I said I wouldn't respond to this (there is just too much dogma involved in this topic), but as usual I have changed my mind.

I too have 20+ years as a software engineer and general computer boffin. I have in that time worked as a senior support engineer at IBM and (for my sins in a former life, no doubt) Microsoft. So there are my basic "prejudices" laid out for everyone to see.

In my time at Microsoft, one of my tasks was to debug the static dumps that a blue screen creates when it occurs. For those who don't what that is, a static dump is a file that contains all the contents of memory when the blue screen occurred. From that a (good) software engineer is able to determine the cause of the problem. I would also discuss my own cases with other senior engineers as well as get an insight on what they were working on.

I cannot recall one single case where the problem was not related to either an imminent or actual hardware failure or a third party device driver passing bad parameters to the operating system (some of the earlier Intel network card drivers were appalling). When you consider the infinite possible variations of installed hardware, it is a demonstration of the solidity of the underlying design that it doesn't happen more frequently.

I know the Apple users will sneer at that anyway but it is a simple fact. Apple has the great luxury of a well thought out and limited (in the sense that there are few variations) set of hardware operating environments.

Anyway, when buying any major widget, the first question is what am I trying to accomplish? The second is how much complexity am I able to accept? The third is how much am I willing to spend?

I wont buy a Macintosh because it doesn't suit my needs. The software I want to use doesn't run on the Macintosh (SQL Server and Visual Studio .Net).

[echnidna]

I wont buy a Macintosh because it doesn't suit my needs. The software I want to use doesn't run on the Macintosh (SQL Server and Visual Studio .Net).

Availability of software is the major reason why the non windows o/s just cannot get a big slice of the ms market.

There is just so much windows based software available who really wants to bother with the other systems even if they are somewhat better than windows

[NewWoody]

Let me just repeat what I'd wanted to say...

As long as you're getting the most from your machine, who gives and cares?

Any hardline view either camp wants to take at this is just a waste of space on this forum's server.

Let's hop over to some woodwork topics now.

[la Huerta]

oops....this thread was a bad idea, luckily where all not in a room together...


ok, i'm ending this now before it gets out of hand...thanks for everyones input and addvice it is much appriecated, and now i know a little more about the O/S out there to help in my decision..






la H



crickey!!