I've got a late 2006 macbook; setting it up was a bit long, after a couple of updates it ran like utter shit until I formatted it and put lion on, but I expect that to also run slow after a few updates. CD-ROM drive was broken when I got it, got a replacement costing 50 quid which makes a lot of noise. To get linux and windows XP on... Well, I just wouldn't ever do it again, XP wouldn't work unless you set it up exactly how it wanted, can't remember how now but I vaguely remember it was; install rEFIt, partition drive using gparted, boot up ubuntu and use gptsync (back in the day only a binary was available and it only ran on a specific version of ubuntu) [both from CD as USB booting isn't supported] then install windows XP to the LAST partition, reboot, install linux to the middle partition, reboot and boot ubuntu up again and gptsync again - now all 3 should finally boot. The start-up sound (startupsound.prefpane isn't supported on lion) is the most annoying thing ever. BUT... It's OK I guess, does what I need it to do, much easier to sync ipod on mac than using windows or hacks in linux, it's reliable in that it doesn't seem to BSOD though I've had applications crash including dock. And if dock crashes whilst copying and pasting, or 'cuting and pasting' if you've ever managed to find the cut command, good luck getting your data back because it deletes it all for you. Still can't quite believe it does that. And I have to say, the ipod touch is pretty neat, I originally got it for network security testing and found out the aircrack-ng video was fake but I like the 2g, mine is still running 2.2.1 and is jailbroken etc. battery lasts about 5 days or so, but the big joke for me is the new 4/5th gens, got a white one with IOS5 and the battery lasts, a single day? That's with only music player running and dashboard, wifi off, and not doing much, and it's got a bigger capacity battery? So errr overall, I think they're swines in reguards to prices they charge, and that they've done a recall of 'magsafe' PSUs in the USA but no-where else, but some of their devices operate pretty well, and you have to say the 'app store' (if you love or hate it) has made it's way into android, mac itself and even windows 8, so they are innovating in some ways...
I've only owned two Apple computers to date and they are the IIgs and a bondi blue iMac. Right now I only use PC's with multiple versions of Windows and Linux and don't feel an urge to go back to Apple. Their pricing and cult-like following disgusts me to no end and their OS rubs me the wrong way. Even if I liked OSX, I can get an approximated GUI with Linux.
Apple did once make beautiful hardware-- the beige G3 tower, haven't been much of a fan of anything since. Sure Mac OS got better apps after OS X, but it threw out a lot of "old world" charm in the process. Four of my Mac zealot friends all switched around the second gen G4. Oh how I hated when people say "logic board", I see that still persists. <UNIX rant> I don't think going UNIX was necessarily the right move. Everyone seems to think anything Unix = better, faster, stronger as if it's the end-all operating system. It isn't. Many the wiser call it "just good enough". "If it ain't broke don't fix it" should be the slogan. I hate how everything is about reuse, not reinventing the wheel, taking as many minor shortcuts and using as many dependencies as possible in order to look extra productive. I hate how bloated major distros are. I hate how elitist and self righteous Unix users have become without REALLY understanding their system, because it's impossible. I think Unix impedes creativity. I hate reading manuals. I hate how complacent Unix users really are. I think Unix users think in the box. I hate how customization is not only a right, but a requirement. I hate how Unix is finding it's way into the business sector. I hate how much Unix users like beer. I hate the homogenization of data and all of the competing industry standards. I hate how there are industry standards over inane things. I don't understand why people haven't moved onto Plan 9 which is even more "correct". I don't see the light, I can't understand what is better than Windows apart from the price. I think if you have to settle for an OS, settle for the lowest common denominator.
Wow its a good thing this thread is filed under rants and raves , because it could explode into an argument at any second.
Maybe, or maybe not. Cause some of us are perhaps hot headed people. But we do have common sense, in comparison to others.
Friggin hate that thing, i was raised in a environment full of PC, always sourrounded by people who know what they're doing, while child all the time heard about AS/400 and even touch one of them and seen how was the mainteinance via web with Hyperterminal, BUT! never heard such a thing like "logic board" what is it? (i know what it is) a PCB full of logic gates? maybe was it in the time of the Apple II, is like calling NES to a Wii, anyway, just that.
You really talking about UNIX or Linux? I ask just because some people interchange the two. (^_^); For UNIX I'd agree with you. For Linux, I'd say they've made some pretty big strides to become user friendly. Or at least giving you a user friendly mode, with the option for power users to go nuts. Speaking of UNIX, I think most of them are starting to die out. Solaris, AIX, HPUX... I dunno how many people use them anymore. But I will admit, the type of Linux distro you run will definitely effect your mileage you get with some of the valid point you bring up.
Unix derivatives, friendly Linux distros, not much of a difference to me. "Lipstick on a pig" I guess lol. I know things have become easier over the years with package managers for example, but it's still the same stagnant environment. Linux has been built up to over 6 million lines of code so I think a rewrite and paradigm shifts are never going to happen. Instead, I'm guessing the future of Linux/all innovation will be in Android OS/hybrid kernels where the sole purpose is to run a VM. Or I guess like OS X where Apple needed a codebase and yet another thing for its users to feel superior about. I think it's about time for a new entirely original OS that gives people what they need, and nothing they don't, like Unix 30+ years ago, but relevant today. With the ever decreasing emphasis on system software this may never happen, and it's kind of sad.
Calpis: we all know that Linux was inspired by Unix (Minix aka. Mini Unix to be exact). But a lot has changed over the years in user friendliness when it comes to some Linux derivatives, and one of the very helpful and great Linux distributions is Linux Mint. I have used Linux Mint 11, and on a mates computer, and I have never been so happy about a Linux distro like that one. In comparison to bloated piece of shit Windows is, and has been. Even this version of Windows 7 I have for my Toshiba laptop is bloated. yeah I know there are programs that can make it less bloated(and yes I have removed quite a lot of shitty programs that was from Toshiba). I do not see it is time for a new OS. If you have followed the Linux world, for the last two years like I have quite intensely, you would see. There is a myriad of small and big Linux distributions that covers your every need. Even if you do not like one particular distro with a particular window manager. Then it is still easy to find a window manager/user interface you will enjoy. And use that in connection with your chosen distro, in comparison to Windows. Cause if I was forced to use the newest Ubuntu . Then I would say "okay, but you better install MATE, or LXDE in this fucker, cause I will sadly not accept Unity". And Unity has divided more people, than united them. And yes, there are still crazy amounts of extremely small Linux distros. Hell there are even other OSés out there, that are not based on either Unix or Linux for that matter. Calpis: if it had not been for alphagamer, I would still have used a crappy, and ridiculously slow Windows XP mini pc, but thanks to him using Eeebuntu, which was on his EEEpc that was with him. I would not have thought of installing Linux on the minipc I have . But big thanks to him, then I have a mini pc, that is moderately fast, efficient and fucking works. Cause I said "fuck it" to Windows XP on that mini pc, and took the jump into Linux land, and I do not regret it. And I am proud of calling alphagamer a friend, whom I would love to meet again. Cause he is an awesome guy, but Calpis, you are a great guy too. But wait a minute, I doubt any of us who jumps up and down about Linux , are Linux fanatics. We just like Linux, it is not like we are throwing mud ate each other, rather I think some of us are actually complimenting (NON circle jerking) each other. When we talk about Linux. I also believe we (some of us) see open source as in some ways the way of future. Even though the powers that be, wants the future to be as bleak as possible sadly, and fights the open source communities with ludicrous bullshit patent lawsuits and what not. And or for that matter The protect IP act.
Does anyone have experience with BSD? Always been interested but never bothered with it. Ofcourse Open Source is the way forward, more and more people are alienated by the ridiculous prices and the open source alternatives are getting better and better and more user friendly. GIMP is often looked down at within the graphics industry but I think it's a very powerful piece of kit and has lots of potential and that the pro's are simply threatened by the fact newbies can learn and experiment with cheap/free software when they paid to learn and for the software
Yes, I've noticed people tend to look down on GIMP, if for nothing else the fact that it isn't Photoshop. I do understand that some functionality may not be completely "Professional" grade, but I still find it's vastly superior to most other offering in that space. Not to mention that it's totally free. I'd say a good portion of people I know who use Photoshop are not professionals and end up using some hacked copy rather than fork over for the license. I always keep telling them that you don't need to steal and that Gimp is free, but they feel learning something "different" is evil or whatever. Beats me anyways.
IMHO the GIMP is a good choice for photo editing, but I feel this is material for a dedicated thread.
I understand that lots of people are happy with Linux because it's good enough for their purposes, but it doesn't satisfy mine. I still use some proprietary software (mostly free as in free beer) and I don't enjoy the Linux alternatives when they exist. I also have hardware without Linux drivers or control software so switching isn't an option unless I want to dual boot which I don't. That said, is there any reason other than performance/price that anyone here thinks Linux is better? I'd argue that my XP performance is pretty good since I use the highest performance profile and have removed/disabled unnecessary components/services. If it's just a matter of price/open source, there is more and higher quality free (freedom and beer) software for Windows than Linux, you just don't get the kernel source. When was the last time you modified the Linux kernel? Also I like open source software sometimes from an educational point (basically technical documentation would suffice instead), but I don't believe all software should be open source. I don't believe it's the way of the future any more than it has been since the dawn of software. People need to make a living and grant money isn't an option for most projects. Plus I don't like app forks, I'm weary of code/algorithm theft, I don't like working on other people's code and if I did I wouldn't be able to deal with the licensing. "you can customize this app!" -- but will you? "you can improve the app for everyone!" -- but will your contribution be merged? do the maintainers really care? "it's free as in freedom!" -- does it really hurt your rights to not know/have something?
Just use the OS that is best for the task at hand. Linux is not the be all end all operating system, neither is Mac OS nor Windows. Or any other operating system for that matter. If you are chosing, say, Linux over Windows for one task where Windows would be better suited, but you are a Linux hard liner and want to use Linux just for the hell of it, fine. What I want to say is you can have the best of both worlds, and chose the easiest option, without unnecessarily complicating things.
I couldn't get on with gimp, there's no 'free transform tool' like PS has, either that or it's pretty hard to find. The script-fu is pretty cool though. Linux rewrite <-- I don't think it will happen, apparently the US military used a custom version kernel with thousands of lines of custom code and basically rewrote it. But, GNU herd is coming along nicely, and when that's complete - who will be switching to it? I'd love to try it. Plan 9, haha, I've tried that a few times, gotta say it's a pretty funny OS but definately not something I'd ever use mainstream. BSD used to be THE choice back in the day for security, hotmail was fully based on freeBSD servers before MS bought it out, but then the allegations of backdoors in the TCP/IP stack by FBI came around and stuck. I've used it but not all that much. Being honest as much as I don't really like windows - my server runs windows and I just found out you can actually enforce program signing or it won't execute them - right out the box when I thought expensive software was required for that. I've been toying with gentoo-hardened on my old server but the default selinux templates don't work and it's an utter pain in the *** backside if I'm honest, plus add to it that the elf signing kernel mod doesn't work at all in 2.6/3.x kernels, so it'd be dumb to move in my mind due to lack of basic but hardened kernel security . Anyway I'm ranting...
Has anyone tried ReactOS? It's not exactly stable yet, but it's a pretty interesting idea. That is, to make a free Windows binary compatible OS that works with all existing Windows XP and lower software. Should that actually get a decent release, it would really take out MS sales.
