OT - Getting a Mac

[fancypiper]

OSX is incredibly stable, although Microsoft applications still seem to be designed to crash. It just crashes the application, though, not the system.

I'm not sure it happens with OSX, but I remember visiting a print shop using Mackintosh, and while doing something the screen turned to "snow" and he had to re-boot.

I thought that was a system crash. Has that been cured?

[fancypiper]

As for Macs and viruses (virii?): That's a huge debate in the Mac world. I've never heard of any actual Mac viruses (for OS X, anyway) circulating around, but there are a few possible exploits which cause some people to keep anti-virus sw on their Macs. (Most of these exploits seem to be found and advertised by the companies trying to sell anti-virus sw for Macs...) Personally, I don't worry about it. I have a firewall, and I'm cautious about what I download (habit from years of PC use). The biggest worry is if you exchange a lot of files with PC folks. A file that has no effect on your Mac might completely trash a PC.

Cheers,
John

See VirusList.Com It looks like it's mostly Microsoft programs running on Mac that are affected.

Of course, you can send/forward infected e-mail to vulnurable Windows users to add to the bandwith.

[chas]

OSX is incredibly stable, although Microsoft applications still seem to be designed to crash. It just crashes the application, though, not the system.

I'm not sure it happens with OSX, but I remember visiting a print shop using Mackintosh, and while doing something the screen turned to "snow" and he had to re-boot.

I thought that was a system crash. Has that been cured?

Yep, OS X is a Unix-based system. It's got Unix whistles and bells (I hate Unix, so I don't use them), along with the Unix stability. I know quite a few Unix gurus who have converted to Macs.

[fancypiper]

I think I will stick to Linux and xcfe4 (which I understand is an OSX look-alike).

The price is just too hard to resist. It's free (as in speech and beer)!

A bunch of old equipment and Linux, it just keeps going....

I don't think I have had a system crash yet, only apps to crash or use up all the memory and I then I have to kill it.

Usually, there is a fix for it the next day or so.

On second thought, I like fluxbox too much to use xcfe4. Plain, simple and fast.

[Dekkard]

Well, ide say that for most people.. the ease of use with either a mac or wintel machine is about the same. Both usually come with preinstalled OS..so its no big deal.So.. it comes down to this i think? Do you want to put up with the unbelievable and incurable security problems of a windoze machine?? Personally.. not in a bazillion years. Thats why i run Slackware linux on my junkbox.. No antivirus to play with..a rudimentary iptables based firewall..and im good.. Plus it does great with my digicam. I think That in the long run.. if you cant be bothered to LEARN to use a computer( wich really is required with linux..which btw aint UNIX). Than you should go mac..um..if you can afford their exhorbitant prices. You get bsd under the hood and the mach kernel.. both proven OS technologies..and a cute and purdy interface, I love those jellybean looking buttons!

[Darwin]

OSX is incredibly stable, although Microsoft applications still seem to be designed to crash. It just crashes the application, though, not the system.

I'm not sure it happens with OSX, but I remember visiting a print shop using Mackintosh, and while doing something the screen turned to "snow" and he had to re-boot.

I thought that was a system crash. Has that been cured?

OSX has had a few instabilities, but starting with 10.3.3, it appears to be extremely stable. (We're now at 10.3.4, with 10.4 apparently in the wings.)

Even Internet Exploder doesn't seem to crash anymore.

Glad to know who has Macs here, so I can spam y'all when I release my new software in the near future.

[mamakash]

I love Mac OS and think it's superior to windows. Much easier to solve software problems and various software doesn't seem to conflict. The only thing I warn about is making sure to buy the three year warranty after the first year is up. Since my first PowerMac gave me few problems, I didn't buy the coverage and didn't purchase it for the Imac. Big mistake. I've had my monitor turn blue-green after about a year, ignored it, let the warrenty lapse and have been putting up with a blue screen since. I'm a huge procrastinator. Anyway, the Imac's in the shop, I wimpered when they took it away . . . but the good news is that it looks like a small repair(RGB cable) and I'm out a hundred dollars. But if I had kept the warrenty, Mac would have fixed it for free. I'm an idiot.

I wouldn't trade my mutant, translucent, grey bubble for anything.

[mrosenlof]

I think I will stick to Linux and xcfe4 (which I understand is an OSX look-alike).

The price is just too hard to resist. It's free (as in speech and beer)!

A bunch of old equipment and Linux, it just keeps going....

I don't think I have had a system crash yet, only apps to crash or use up all the memory and I then I have to kill it.

Usually, there is a fix for it the next day or so.

On second thought, I like fluxbox too much to use xcfe4. Plain, simple and fast.

I have been a Mac user since 1988. True there's not as much software for the thng, but there's been everything _I_ need. Last December, I made the jump to Linux with the xfce4 desktop just like fancypiper. I'm using PC hardware that's old enough that it was mostly free. 266 Mhz Pentium II and (the speed demon!) 366 Mhz Celeron!

I think most of the Mac/PC debate is now a religeous war, not a technical one. It is true that the virus writers support Microsoft better than any other platform!

I need Japanese capability on my computers. Apple had it first by many years, but it's also in some Linux distros and in XP.

The only software I've needed, but not found for Linux is Tax prep.

[Bloomfield]

I have been a Mac user since 1988. True there's not as much software for the thng, but there's been everything _I_ need.

I too have yet to meet someone who needed software and couldn't get it for the Mac. What people usually mean when they say "there is more software for the PC than for Mac" is computer games. And if I was going to play computer games, I would buy a PC or if I had to work on COBAL or FORTRAN, but short of that the only reasons for choosing a PC are a vague fear of the unknown or religious fervor, I agree.

BTW, Mac prices are not "exorbitant." I doubt they are higher than PC prices for what you get; the eMac for instance must be one of the best bang-for-the-buck deals out there.

[chas]

I have been a Mac user since 1988. True there's not as much software for the thng, but there's been everything _I_ need.

I too have yet to meet someone who needed software and couldn't get it for the Mac. What people usually mean when they say "there is more software for the PC than for Mac" is computer games. And if I was going to play computer games, I would buy a PC or if I had to work on COBAL or FORTRAN, but short of that the only reasons for choosing a PC are a vague fear of the unknown or religious fervor, I agree.

BTW, Mac prices are not "exorbitant." I doubt they are higher than PC prices for what you get; the eMac for instance must be one of the best bang-for-the-buck deals out there.

I dunno about COBOL, but there are decent Fortran compilers out there for the Mac. I haven't updated mine to OSX, but will probably have to in the near future. I also have a really good 3D CAD program for the Mac that reads and writes .dxf and .dwg files pretty well for cross-platform compatibility. Of course, Code Warrior can't be beat if you're into the whole C thing, and you can even compile Windows programs on the Mac using CW. A lot of PC games are developed on Macs using CW.

Also, a lot of PC programs will run just fine on a Mac running one of the emulators. The one thing I've found is that anything that uses Explorer will be painfully slow in emulation.

Regarding the prices, I also can't believe the propaganda out there. My brother-in-law got a new PC last fall. He went on and on about how he "really wanted a Mac," but it was going to cost more than twice as much, like $5k as opposed to $2200. I had just bought a laptop, so I was up on the latest prices, and I have no idea what could have brought the price of a Mac up to $5k -- I suspect he was adding on features that it already had, plus automatically went to the top of the line, which would be an awful lot more powerful than what he bought.

[jsluder]

See VirusList.Com It looks like it's mostly Microsoft programs running on Mac that are affected.

Yeah, well, the first thing I did when I got my iBook was trash every Microsoft program on it, even IE. (I refuse to mix my home and work lives by bringing work home, so I wasn't concerned about compatibility with my PC at work. Not everyone has that luxury.)

Cheers,
John

[mconners]

Since Apple's OS X (10), the Mac's operating system is essentially UNIX with a real nice user interface on top of it.

One could save themselves lots of money by using a Linux distribution and Intel hardware - if that will fit the requirements for what the user wants to do.

There are real good Windows emulators that run on Linux (Crossover Office) to make the transition easier or retain important apps.

All the best.

[fancypiper]

There are real good Windows emulators that run on Linux (Crossover Office) to make the transition easier or retain important apps.

Such as solitare?

[I.D.10-t]

I like Linux.

That being said Os X has most all of the applications that linux has because of the origin of OS X.

If you do not want to hack, install, give money to MS and have the money for superior hardware, OS X is great.

At work I use OS9 it does not compare.

Anything I say will be no where near your opinion after using it.

[fancypiper]

The OS that requirs more installing, money and fiddling with to work correctly is :Ta-da!: Microsoft Windows.

'93-'99 I tried 3 versions, all of which slow down and need to be reinstalled every so often (or it slows to an absolute crawl from spyware) and crashes several times a day.

Linux, I install, configure once and run. I just turn my modem, speaker (unless I want an overnight piping mind soak) and monitor off, leave the box on and by the time my coffee is ready, I am ready for morning news and bullitin boards.