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For the past few years Apple has seen an increase in its laptop business due majorly to the dismal failure of Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system. Umpteen number of reports have been published telling people why they should consider switching to the Mac OS now that Vista has failed, but not a single one has surfaced that spells out the merits of switching over to a variety of Linux.
Linux on the server side is pretty well established with Red Hat Enterprise Linux being the dominant flavour there. It is on the desktop that there is an ongoing war mainly between three parties – Microsoft, Apple and the host of Linux vendors. The availability of a large number of Linux distributions may initially confuse a user but a harder look quickly separates the wheat from the chaff and Ubuntu/Kubuntu emerges as the best.
Traditionally Linux adoption on the desktop has been plagued by the notion that it was difficult to handle. Its really a misconception. Ubuntu has changed the face of Linux ever since its launch. The current versions are sturdy, have very good UIs and are intuitive. Program management no longer needs knowledge of the various packaging systems but is driven by an elegant UI. Productivity applications on Linux have come a long way and the crown jewel in this category has got to be Open Office. Not only do you get a great word processor, a brilliant spreadsheet program, a fantastic presentation tool and a good desktop database but you also get compatibility for Microsoft Office documents. In the majority of cases, MS Office documents can be opened in Open Office without any changes. For e-mailing, there is Evolution that offers connectivity to Microsoft Exchange and also Mozilla Thunderbird. Calendar applications are galore. There are a host of commercial and open source tools for multimedia authoring,image manipulation and desktop publishing. Applications like Scribus, Blender 3D and GIMP are the best-of-breed and have the capacity to rival their commercial counterparts. For web browsing, Mozilla Firefox comes pre-installed.
If you are a developer programming in open technologies like Java/JEE or C/C++, adopting to Linux is really easy. All major JEE vendors support Linux as a platform for their offerings. Eclipse, NetBeans and IntelliJ are some of the best IDEs around that have Linux versions. For C/C++ there is KDevelop, Anjuta and many more
IDEs offering best-of-breed features. Microsoft .net developers might have it a bit more difficult. Although Mono allows you to run .net applications on Linux, tooling support till now is not the greatest. In any case, if some one is going to use Microsoft technology for development, its much more likely that she/he would stick to Windows. So thats not really a great problem.
Ubuntu has a large number of hardware drivers in it making it very close to being the best distro for plug-n-play. In fact in a few areas it surpasses the great Apple Mac OS. Here’s an example. The Linksys WUSB54GC USB Wireless Adapter worked out of the box on Ubuntu 8.04 whereas in Mac OS it did not.
Security wise both Mac OS and Ubuntu are equally good though some would argue that Ubuntu is probably better. There are GUI tools available to tweak the security settings in a system.
In the look and feel department, Linux has improved in leaps and bounds. In Gnome and KDE you have two of the best windowing systems. With the KDE 4.1.1 environment, users get a light, responsive, and aesthetically appealing desktop that can rival even the Mac OS. Also with Compiz it is possible to extract effects from a Linux desktop that were hitherto unavailable on any other system. I doubt it exists in the Mac.
So why are people not going over to Ubuntu? Beats me. If you are looking for commercial technical support, Ubuntu does offer that. If you are looking at extreme personalization options Ubuntu offers that, probably even more than the Mac OS. If you are looking for easy upgrades to future versions, Ubuntu offers that. If you are looking for ease of use, Ubuntu offers that. If you are looking for robustness and security, Ubuntu is the best. Ubuntu can be installed on all types of hardware and even on older hardware. Mac OS does not offer this flexibility.
The more I use Ubuntu, the more I fail to understand the lure of the Mac OS. Is it the snob value or stupidity that make people consider a Mac over Windows and not Ubuntu?
Technology is Fascinating 
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ubuntucat said:
So why are people not going over to Ubuntu? Beats me.
It doesn’t beat me. It’s quite obvious why they don’t. Here are some reasons:
1. The majority of Mac users have never heard of Ubuntu or consumer-desktop-laptop Linux. If they’ve heard the word Linux it may have been in reference to a server.
2. If you live in certain major world cities, you can walk into a brick-and-mortar Apple store and try out the Apple computers there, decide which one you like, and then buy it. If there’s no Apple store near you, you can usually find a Mac owner you know who’d let you try her Mac.
If you live… anywhere, you can’t really do the same for Ubuntu unless you happen to know some obscure mom-and-pop computer repair shop that has Ubuntu fans in it who take built-from-scratch computers and install Ubuntu on it or who take Windows preinstalled computers and install Ubuntu on it.
The online preinstalled Ubuntu options can be extremely limiting and may not even be available at all, depending on what country you live in.
3. Given how many people have iPods or iPhones and have bought music off the iTunes music store, switching to Ubuntu may not be so easy. Netflix has just announced they’ll be offering the Watch Now feature to Mac Netflix customers by the end of the year. No word at all about when Linux will get that.
4. Based on what I’ve experienced and read, the Linux preinstalled options are not often well-configured (suspend doesn’t work, proper repositories aren’t enabled or easily enabled, the entire hard drive isn’t on the main partition, etc.).
In other words, the way the computer market is, Mac OS X is ready for consumers and Ubuntu and other Linux distros aren’t presented properly to consumers yet… or presented at all.
NickF said:
In one word: Marketing.
Look how much visibility Ubuntu has on Dell.com, almost nothing. You need to surround Linux advertisement as the “next big thing”, so people will notice it and probably buy it. As of now the vast majority don’t even know there is something else besides Windows and Macs…
qwerty said:
I totally agree with this brillant article.
OSX is only a method to lock people with locked hw and sowftware, locked store, locked media, locked players, locked business and… Locked mind.
Tico said:
Well, my Xubuntu Hardy Heron desktop just broke last night after a software update particularly the Window manager. I don’t have time to fix it. I ‘m glad I dual-boot and use Mac OS X as back-up. I love Linux but Mac OS X is a lot more stable than any other Linux distro around. Worth the money, I guess. It’s time for Linux developers to catch up and work a lot harder.
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Spike said:
You do not see advertising for Linux in any form. Compare that to what you see for MAC OS. People only see two choices (sometimes) and most often (more often than you think), do not even know that anything exists outside of Windows (Bill has everyone hypnotized).
BlogOhJoe said:
I am using both operating systems but I still feel more comfortable using osx because there exist better (eyecandy) apps. 😉
somedude said:
“Is it the snob value or stupidity that make people consider a Mac over Windows and not Ubuntu?”
Wow. That’s sure to win a lot of converts to your cause. Pot, meet kettle.
pacoloco said:
Full-disclosure: I just got rid of my Macbook in favor of a Lenovo laptop running Ubuntu.
How about the fact that OSX just *works*. For OSX, the hardware is a known quantity, which provides an excellent compatibility.
Linux — like Windows — must account for many different kinds of hardware. This leads to little “issues” when running Linux…more so than with Windows IMHO.
On a typical Linux box, features may not work correctly (or require tweaking). Oh, you upgraded your kernel? Well get ready to experience some breakage.
IMHO, Linux is good for 2 types of users:
1. New users that will just use the basic features (e.g., mail, Internet, etc) and not mess with the base install.
2. Advanced users that are capable of fixing whatever they screw up by messing with the base install.
Baron said:
Mac works out the box.
Linux runs on any architecture given enough time to figure out what needs to be compiled.
You can download both for free, oh maybe one not so legal way, but if you’re going to play DVD’s on a Linux machine you’re gonna violate some terms of use if you really want to continue to do things that you normally do, ie… Watch DVDs. Oh and what about make DVDs?
Well Mac’s got a suite of software that has dedicated support of paid developers, who are much more inclined to write great groundbreaking software instead of the huge community of diehard fans and developers who live off government pension in their mother’s basement, sometimes lucky enough to code something that nobody else has, and submit it to a code repository that everyone in the world could access.
So you’d use a Mac if you buy your MP3s.
You’d use linux if you’re a pirate.
I am a PC user, who just aquired an iBook G4 PPC, which won’t run any media production, sound production software, so it’s basically a Unix GUI.
TY and goodnight.
otoy said:
installing ubuntu on any latop that has 512 MB of ram and a decent processing speed is a gold mine. 2 or 3 years of development from the Ubuntu team and mac look out.
mike cole said:
Full- disclosure, mac just to much..
pacoloco said:
@Baron:
In my experience, Linux users are *less* inclined to pirate software, because it’s all *free*.
Mac users on the other hand — especially those starving college students that Apple loves to market to — tend to pirate *more* software because they can’t — or don’t want to — afford to buy it. Ask any IT guy, and he’ll tell you that Mac users easily cost the company more money than the Linux or Windows users.
As far as MP3s, WTF does that have to do with anything? iTunes runs on Windows too, does that mean that Windows users don’t pirate MP3?
pacoloco said:
@otoy:
Not really…Gnome and KDE are pigs. XP runs way faster on older hardware than any current version of Ubuntu. Granted, Linux *can* run really well on old/anemic hardware, but then you’re talking about rolling your own, or using some minimalist distribution…certainly not Ubuntu/Kubuntu…maybe XUbuntu.
WILDWILDEAST said:
I’m with Baron on this one. Of course I’ve been a Mac man for 18 years. This summer I ran a computer class next to another classroom that had a Linux teacher. The creativity of my students over the Linux kids was like Luke Slywalker vs. the Flinstones. Why?
Intuitive OS and apps + ideas.
Carlos Castillo said:
As much as I’d love to and I strongly support Open Source communities, there’s not a chance for me to move from Mac OS to Linux until Adobe release their Creative Suite for Linux. I know there’s a bunch of Open Source apps such as Gimp that will do most of what Photoshop and other apps can do, but in a professional level is pretty unrealistic to depend on this open source alternatives, due to file exchanging with other professionals and clients and specific features only available in Adobe CS.
Unfortunately I don’t see Adobe making such move anytime soon, so for professional graphic designers, photographers, multimedia authors, video editors and musicians it’s pretty unlikely moving to the Linux side anytime soon…
And I don’t think emulation it’s a realistic option either.
Thanks.
anon said:
Applitists I call them. They identify with the Apple brand as being superior, thereby they themselves are superior. I see hard-core Mac users as generally being more psychologically deficient then Linux and even *gasp* Windows users because of this. Identification with a corporation is a big problem methinks.
Andre said:
Well, I have been using linux since mid 90s. Comannd line or shell environment does not scare me. I used to compile my own gnome/kde environments. I always wanted to switch to linux as my primary desktop OS. I have even tried ubuntu since it first came out. Even though it was the best desktop linux distro or the best one linux has to currently offer, it’s still not what most desktop users look for. Linux for desktop sucks. Always has and always will. The fact that open source application have the capacity to rival commercial products might be true but it is also a big joke at the same time. Mac OS offers the best of both worlds. Security, performance, stability and excellent apps. And on top of all it has only one and easy desktop environment to deal with. Simplicity that cannot be rivaled. Also remains full featured UNIX under the hood. With today’s virtualization (VMware Fusion or Parallels) slowly but surely becomes the Desktop OS of choice. Linux changes too much, too quickly, too often. Always has and always will. Ubuntu is a step forward but not the best alternative. Linux always offered too many choices, too many environments, too many programs that work, but as a whole, desktop linux never reaches stable, feature-freeze state. Regular user does not want to deal with that. The existence of multiple X window managers, desktop environments, and libraries that offer the same or similar features brings too much confusion and wastes users’ time. Linux has a special place in computing world, and is destined to move forward, but never reach what commercial systems or applications have to offer. Preloaded Mac with iLife and one of the office suites such as iWork or MS Office still beats any desktop system out there. I’m good with computers (that’s how I earn my living) and gave linux 10 years to impress me and win me over on the Desktop. Mac has won the battle. Free became relative to the cost of a commercial product.
DEMON said:
I have used windows for many years up till XP came out. After that I switched to Mac. In between I tried Linux many times. Currently I use Ubuntu on my Asus EeePC.
The reasons why I never would switch completely to Ubuntu or another distro, is because:
– it is a hassle to get it working at its fullest capability. Many things has to be adjusted in the terminal or system files. On my EeePC it takes me 4 hours of tweaking to get it working the way I want to.
– MacOS is allot easier in use. For example: Installing applications, setting up a network….
– Ubuntu or any other distro feels like an OS that lost it’s logic at some points. For example you can install new apps in Ubuntu on atleast 3 different ways.
These are just a few points that I find a reason why I prefer MacOS above Linux. If I had to choose between Windows or Linux, it would be Linux.
red said:
give me logic pro for ubuntu and count me in…
MONODA said:
In my opinion, OpenSUSE is a lot better than ubuntu. The one thing that is not as good in opensuse is the package management which is quite slow if you are used to apt. Opensuse comes preinstalled on some thinkpads from lenovo and it gives the user a choice between more DEs and WMs than ubuntu when installing. Opensuse has 100% compatibility with MS office. The package management is a LOT easier to use for a new user than apt is. Also, opensuse has a bunch of useful features in YAST.
Barton said:
“Traditionally Linux adoption on the desktop has been plagued by the notion that it was difficult to handle. Its really a misconception.”
Is it? Linux on the desktop is a useless pile of crap. Why, you say? Why go through it myself when a guy has already gathered all the facts? Take a look:
http://linuxhaters.blogspot.com/
johnq said:
The reason is very simple. When you get OSX, the first thing you see when you’ve got a new pc, is a playful intro, an inviting desktop and a warm environment. if you’re a newbie, you feel hugged.
In linux, after you first install you get nothing but a cold desktop making you feel like you’re dumb. you’re feel left in a cold ally.
People don’t like change, they don’t like new things. They tend to like new things if they’re cool and playful. Linux isn’t that yet!.
hugh said:
Nice way to end an article. Imply anyone who doesn’t agree with you is either a “snob” or “an idiot”.
I am neither. I use Windows, Mac, OpenBSD, Linux and at work many customized Linux and non Linux OSes that run on appliances. Like Juniper SA.
As others have said, a ready to go experience and marketing are some barriers.
The other thing is, even as an IT professional, sometimes RPMs don’t work, and sometimes people offering software want you to compile source and you don’t have all the pre-reqs or dependencies. Sometimes I can get to that work, sometimes not. How on earth are non IT literate users supposed to make software work.
Or how about fiddling with XFree86.conf or Xorg to wrestle a graphics card to work. Boring.
OSX also looks way snazzier than Ubuntu. Even Mark Shuttleworth realises this.
I am only a recent switcher to Mac, but I wonder why I left it so long. I don’t hate Windows, I think Windows 2003 server, MS SQL, Exchange, Sharepoint (now anyway) all really rock my socks. I just can’t get as excited about Ubuntu. I mean, ok I can get my email, and browse. Whoopee. I’d even use Vista before I use Ubunta for desktop 🙂 It’s got nothing going for it for me. Other than its free. But I can afford to pay, so I don’t care.
Tokyo Pete said:
People buy Macs for the same reason people spend more for a BMW. If it were just a fridge, it wouldn’t matter which brand it was. But because it is a part of their inner being, and part of the reason they think well of themselves, the whole Mac experience is important.
Judge me by the brand of fridge I have, not my OS!
Amana Fan-boy.
Ross said:
I appreciate the idea behind the article, but you’re really going about it all wrong. You can’t pick one piece of hardware (Linksys WUSB54GC USB Wireless Adapter) and make it sound like Linux has all the drivers and OS X doesn’t. Because you and I both know that getting hardware to work in OS X is far, far more easy than any Linux, Ubuntu included.
Don’t call KDE or Gnome lightweight. Aesthetically appealing, absolutely. WindowMaker or XFce are light desktop managers, KDE and Gnome are not (KDE in particular).
Rajiv Bajaj said:
I have used Ubuntu for a year but ultimately settled on Mandriva. I loved the Ubuntu experience but 8.0.4 had Firefox crashing my X server often.
Now back on topic. If Ubuntu shipped with support to play mp3’s, divxs out of the box without adding extra repositories and they fixed that hideous brown theme then people would consider it as an alternative to Mac OSX.
People want to play their media, if it doesn’t do that out of the box, then no way non techies are going to shift to it.
Donald said:
I went to an Ubuntu conference a few months ago, and one of the community speakers gave an interesting speech on “the future of Ubuntu and mainstream linux distros”. The most interesting point that he made was something to the effect of: “In order for Ubuntu to seriously compete with Mac and Windows, we need to focus strongly on usability, and maybe a little less on choice. In essence, we need to out-Apple Apple.”
It was interesting because, while I think that most Linux users would agree that choice and customization is of our strongpoints, we can recognize that a majority of users wont use all the features available to them. In fact, one of the strongest suits for Ubuntu is that it is immensely more usable than many other distros.
I believe that this is one of the greatest things about community software. Several people in this comment board have given real reasonable excuses why they’d prefer to use another operating system over Ubuntu. Instead of shrugging them off, we can take them as suggestions from potential real-world clients.
Community software doesn’t need a marketing research team, we can get all of our direction from users. We don’t need analysts to tell us what computer user’s want, they’re telling us themselves.
Vegedurden said:
Hi,
I just switched to OS X after 5 years of exclusive linux use (debian then gentoo and ubuntu lately). While I still use ubuntu for development, I must say that I am really happy with OS X.
Why ? Simple: proper integration and the fact that everything works, works well together and achieves a constant look and feel across the whole platform.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love linux, especially as a developer, but for day to day stuff like listening to music, reading emails, browsing the web… OS X any day.
If you want a single example, take the flash plugin. I didn’t even notice it under OS X, whereas it constantly made itself heard (and not in a good way) under linux.
So I sincerely hope that linux will achieve mainstream acceptance, but for that it will need a bit more consistency and polishing. Yes Compiz brings it to the next level, but it still needs to achieve reliability (on the desktop, as of servers, it doesn’t get any better).
Cheers,
Vegedurden
Anonymous said:
one word. software.
johnm said:
I use OSX, Windows XP and Ubuntu – I agree with your comments on Ubuntu.
The glaring problem I have is that my iMac is a much more robust machine than any windows PC I have used before – My current IBM thinkpad (with a dual XP/Ubuntu boot) is close to knackered.
Does the author seriously think that I will partition my mac with OSX/Ubuntu? Why?
OSX in my opinion is better for me, and I wouldn’t be suprised that it has something to do with Music software (Garageband, Logic etc) and Photoshop (yes, I know and use The Gimp but it is a freeware programme and doesn’t hold a candle to CS)
Finally, how many Mac users have the usual problems that plague Windows users?
Very few.
grigio said:
Some “Mac apps” on linux
thomas said:
why mac os:
– software with taste
– best UI/UX
– streamlined / standardized
– no driver quirks
– integrated environment
– and yes, sometime commercial software _is_ the better choice
dave said:
The biggest advantage Apple has and has always had they “make the whole widget” part of Apple’s pedantic control over their system & hardware is for the overall user experience. (and yes its still far from perfect imho) but Windows and Linux don’t go as far in this regard, of course they do work, but its the details that OSX generally gets right for the middle of the road mass market users who want to do more than just email/web/office, but not fiddle about in the command line.
Yes OSX is fairly locked up, but as an average user tweaking parts of OSX and updating I’ve had far fewer issues than with Windows, Ubuntu or OpenSUSE. Us middle of the road users don’t have time, knowledge or patience generally to fix little technical problems.
On another point people have mentioned: “wait a couple of years you’ll see Ubuntu will be way more advanced” -Surely you don’t think Apple’s R&D department is sitting idly by? You only have to look on engadget any day of the week to see a new multitouch user interface patent from Apple etc.
In two years I believe Apple will still be ahead of Linux, but I also hope Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, KDE & Gnome will have come a long way too.
Tim said:
I find this line a little telling about your perspective on the issue:
“If you are a developer programming in open technologies like Java/JEE or C/C++, adopting to Linux is really easy.”
My Mom isn’t a C++ developer, my Dad doesn’t have any idea what JEE is. There are a great many people who simply don’t appreciate the possible technical benefits. I just don’t see my parents caring about this stuff.
There are a lot of people who just want to buy a computer and start using it. They don’t want to install an OS from scratch (they would be clueless), they don’t want to learn a new OS, and they don’t want to learn what a package manager is!
Not everyone out there is a geek.
Patman said:
One simple reason: Ubuntu is so god damn ugly!
Why is it brown and red and those colors? Why not just rip the os x look as default or hire a few good artists. And all UI elements, buttons and stuff are so amazinly ugly too.
I know, I know how you’ll all go “It’s not about look and I like the brown” but that’s not what the rest of the world, including me, thinks.
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Pablo said:
I recently installed Ubuntu on my MBP C2D. I followed the awesome guide on the Ubuntu wiki.
I lasted about 2 weeks, and now my installation is broken.
The compiz window manager no longer renders the window chrome; Every time I log in I have to restart compiz twice.
After installing a software update, my wireless stopped working. I reinstalled the deb package, rebooted; still broken.
I like the Awn dock app – but I can’t get it to show on login; I assume its related to the compiz issue mentioned above.
The CPU/graphic fans crank up all the time;
The battery only lasts about 1 hour;
The ambient light adjustment often turns my screen brightness to 0;
The keyboard lights are on permanently.
I have to wait around 30 seconds for Grub to kick in when I turn computer on.
The wireless applet and general network configuration tools are useless; No way to manage preferred access points;
The sound control is buggered; On login I’m greeted with an extremely loud ubuntu login sound. The keyboard volume controls don’t control the same output as the volume applet. I have about 5 soundcards according to the volume preferences. I have no idea which one is the real one.
The awn dock app doesn’t indicate if an app is already running. When clicking on the pidgin icon, it tries to relaunch the app… and the pidgin window doesn’t become active.
Dragging maximized windows to another workspace results in a crazy wobbly window (compiz I guess)
Now, your typical Linux geek will take a look at this list and come up with an excuse, solution or blame the user for each of the problems I’ve identified. But as a normal user – I don’t give a flying f*ck — I was just trying to set up the OS in a way that I liked: A nice UI, my favorite apps (or their Ubunutu equivalents) — a reliable and robust computing environment.
Instead I get a flaming heap of shite that no longer lists my wifi card because I installed a software update; No way to close, move, minimize or maximize windows because compiz has crapped out; My wife yelling at me everytime I login because the startup sound is so damn loud…. and generally another unsatisfied Linux/Ubuntu/Gnome experience.
Guess I’ll try it again in another 12 months.
Ryan said:
Ubuntu is a great number 2. If i were to ever need another computer that was cheaper, and not used for design. Ubuntu is my choice & Ubuntu is what i have friends who cant run OSX switch to.
But sorry, OSX is far superior for the average user. And real apps are typically a lot better than opensource apps. Nothing touches the Adobe CS family, or the fact that to be a professional, you HAVE to use these. (Adobe is a monopoly in the market)
Do I feel superior to a typical Windows User, yeah a little. But not to a Linux user. Both mac and linux are big steps away from the major OS, and that’s the only part that gives superiority, the fact that we can all think, and pick a better alternative to the mainstream.
marko said:
It’s all in the details: clipboard support, power management, drag-and-drop functionality, assistance for seeing and hearing disabilities. No single environment is perfect, the Linux distros are catching up, getting better in many of those details, but in my experience OS X is still leading.
I work as a Linux admin/developer (Slackware/Gentoo/SuSE) where I’m surrounded with W2K, WinXP and Solaris. At home I use a Mac mini, during commute a 7 years old, trusty 600MHz iBook. On each machine (work, travel and home) I mostly use SeaMonkey and serveral xterms full of bash/vim/ruby/mysql/apache stuff. Often I’m using open-source apps; several tidbits there: Try cutting and pasting between Gimp/Inkscape/OpenOffice. Won’t work. Try drag’n’dropping between Linux apps of your choice: not quite. Try to configure Compiz for a ctrl+scrollwheel fullscreen zoom a la OS X: resizing windows will get really slow (most annoying: xterms with Compiz). Try to trust the power mgmt of a laptop while keeping all documents open; no problem so far with OS X including 10.3.9 (ibook) and 10.4.11 (Mac mini). You might be able to get decent power management if you follow the advice at lesswatts.org, but it’s a lot of work.
Most of it may be anecdotal evidence, but I think I’ve got a fairly good grasp of most OSses and digital environments. Vista is surprising in parts, with built-in OCR and speech recognition; other parts of Vista seem to outweigh that in their suckiness. Haven’t tried *BSD and OpenSolaris in depth yet, but a SunOS developer at Xerox told me that in his view, Solaris is for servers, and he’s using Linux at home because of convenience.
Now that I’m getting more and more annoyed at Apple for neglecting their computer platform while pushing iPod/iTunes/iPhone (the latter one quite a disappointment for me), my next mobile device will probably run Linux, despite its irks mentioned. I’ll adapt, I may even write patches for whatever will annoy me most — something I cannot do with Mac/Win closed source. But first, that trusty iBook has to cease working, and it just won’t break — yet.
Bob said:
“The more I use Ubuntu, the more I fail to understand the lure of the Mac OS. Is it the snob value or stupidity that make people consider a Mac over Windows and not Ubuntu?”
1) Firstly with a mac everything just works. No trying to find half dodgy drivers for your wifi card or graphics. I know you can have a scenario where everything works as is often the case with my hardware.
2) Fonts. I have been using Linux best part of a decade now, the fonts have always looked rubbish and still do. Become more standardised but still rubbish in comparison to a mac or even Windows.
3) OSX Leopard GUI is just SOOOOOO much more nicer and productive to work in. Yes you will tell me how you can change anything you like in Gnome and (OSX copy cat) KDE4. If I go to a restaurant I expect the food to be ready on a plate, cooked to perfection and provide that gastronomical experience. I don’t want to be redoing the seasoning to solve chefs inabilities or cook a meal myself.
4) Everything flows. Apple HCI guidelines really work., Everything is so well integrated. Linux is massively off here.
5) Applications. Mac has some great cant live without applications. Mac developers unlike Linux/Win seem to understand what makes a good interface. Applications like Coda, Transmit, Toast, iWork and the Omni group are just so good. Linux cant compete. Again you can accomplish the task but not as productively, or well presented on Linux.
I still use Linux but not for my desktop. Right now it belongs in a server or for some specialised tasks. As a platform for development Linux is great. But I wont be switching over to Linux/Ubuntu any time soon. It fails for what I want in my desk machine, yet I am well versed with how it works. It’s not because I am a snob or stupid. But because Linux needs a massive overhaul for the consumer market, and Mark Shuttleworth (I think) gets it. See his comments on being more Apple like.
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minimatti said:
If you’re making the switch to Ubuntu, take a look here for some useful tips & tricks to make the transition from your Windows environment easier:
http://www.mattiasgeniar.be/linux/making-the-switch-to-linux-keep-in-mind-10-ubuntu-tips/
latincrow81 said:
it’s that apple logo man…. it’s like hardware CRACK….that and the turtlenecks
dbmuse said:
for me… linux is the poor stepchild. All it ever gets is hand me downs. Pc’s and Macs with linux installed. So the clothes don’t fit quite right. It works. Is totally pure of heart and soul. But never reaches that natural fit of a child with its own clothes. This is not the fault of Linux. Dell is still just adding clothes to a windoze computer. Linux on Apple doesn’t interface with the hardware with the finese of Mac on Apple hardware. When the day comes that a smart company designs hardware that fits Linux as well as Mac on Apple… that will be the day Linux breaks through. I’ll retire my Macbook Pro. No corners should be cut. No cost spared. Price it as it cost. I will buy it.
jan said:
i’d probably use ubuntu over osx, if i was using my computer to read/write emails, browse web, watch movies, listen music, write a letter every now and then. i don’t, and the main reason for sticking to osx (and windows) is on word: adobe! but even apart from that, i like the “just works” philosophy of apple. i don’t mind tweaking my computer setup, in fact i do this quite often. however, whenever i get on a apple computer (i used to have a powerbook, now i got a mac pro at work), there’s not much i’d want to change. install quicksilver and maybe some other tools. the rest just works. yesterday i upgraded my ubuntu, after having moved to a new flat. man, even setting up a new wlan takes a while – on the mac, it just worked.
nemeseri said:
there is no photoshop, illustrator and fireworks natively. when you work with sombody you just can’t say that you need the webdesign in a gimp format…
Yeah gimp has some psd support, but it’s far from useable.
I’ve used ubuntu for more than a year for work, but now i’m very happy with leopard. Honestly i can’t understand, why people run linux on their mac. It’s a solid, good os. It’s far from perfect, but the best os i’ve ever had.
nemeseri said:
best desktop os.. for a webserver i always use a debian or ubuntu server 😉
ricky said:
I have 2 nieces (high school girls) who always ask me to fix their Windows XP computers. I’m tired of having to fix that damn XP over and over again so I decided to hand each one of them 2 laptops, a PC loaded with Ubuntu Hardy (all setup, including the fancy Compiz Fusion) and Apple MacBook and told them to choose one within a month. I run my own computer store so lending them 4 laptops for a while is no big deal.
After a month, both returned me the Ubuntu and kept the MacBook. When I asked them why, here are the answers:
1. OSX user interface is much more beautiful
2. Where is iTunes?
3. Adium is more fun than Pidgin
4. Apple is cool 🙂
Now from my point of view as a businessman, I love Linux and I love XP even more because the more people use Linux or XP, the more money I make from fixing them 😛
bobby said:
When it comes to the plug and play features of Ubuntu, i had an enormous amounts of trouble with an epson all in one printer. Either it was a printer or scanner installed, not both, meaning looking up code online for hours and then having to change the code every time i needed to use the other function. I had ubuntu for about 6 months on my old laptop. and now i just bought a new imac and i love it.
LambZero said:
Macs are good for Design.
WIndows For games (mac hardware multiple OSs)
(Linux free basic version)
I do like ubuntu it just having 1 click installers right out of the box is really nice. and for networking OSX is decent for because it has terminal and vim. I use all 3 OSs and i am NOT Biased Mac ease of use.
The average user doesn’t understand commands. Nor do they wish to learn. And you do have to setup programs with command still (or at least an autoinstaller)
Free Xbox 360 System said:
Good article. Thanks for the information.
Scott Redmond said:
Hardware incompatibilities are the main thing. I have tried to implement Ubuntu at one of my small offices with four computers and on two of the four I have hit snags. these snags can be addressed but not simply. I found it easier to just go but compliant hardware than waste time trying different fixes with regard to drivers. If you system hardware is good to go then Ubuntu is great, especially in a Terminal Services environment. But most of my offices have a vast array of different systems and knowing which ones Ubuntu will install on without issue is a crap shoot. Ubuntu is not there yet but it is almost there.
Marc said:
Mac users love Apple because of the enjoyment they get out of the computing experience with their products. And in case you probably haven’t tried it, developing in OS X is a blast, I mean fun. XCode makes it easy to Connect the elements together, and watching your project come alive, well lets just say my programming experience in linux feels more like pulling teeth than enjoyment. Forgive me for thinking that clicking the build button is better. And yeah, the command line is still there if I get the urge to get specific.
I have been trying Ubuntu for one month now, and invested MANY, MANY hours and gotten it setup just the way I like it… and wish I had iTunes back, drag & drop install of programs (and removal), and oh yea, OS X is just beautiful and doesn’t freaking crash (I thought that was suppose to be the case with Ubuntu yet I’ve restarted it at mininum 3 times a day… wtf??). Well until I can afford to buy a new Powerbook I’ll enjoy my free Samsung laptop with Ubuntu & XP, I can get things done and am glad to experience google Chrome, what a treat!
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Zac said:
I actually prefer Ubuntu over Mac OSX. The stability, reliability, flexibility, the power, the quick release of security and regular updates and also the user interface I much prefer. I even like the way it boots up, that is, as soon as the desktop appears, the hard drive activity is finished. I like the fonts on Ubuntu as well with the Ubuntu restricted extras package taking care of that. For example, the New Times Roman font appeared in Open Office automatically.
But there are two main drawbacks- applications (including its updates, installation, deletion, sources etc) and hardware compatibility (including syncing software for various hardware). If these two are solved, or almost there, there will be little reason to use windows or OSX.
And one main advantage for Ubuntu: the users and the people behind Ubuntu, Debian, and the linux world promoting free and open source software to make it affordable for everyone.
geoff said:
Average computer running Mac OS X
Average computer running Linux
Travis said:
Main reason (but NOT the only) I’ve stuck with Windows, and have only looked at Mac OSX and Linux in the past is due to the library of software available (I heavily use Adobe Photoshop for example), and PC Gaming (Retro and New Titles all the same)
I am AWARE that there are work-arounds to getting games running on either OSes, but the thing I want is NATIVE support for major titles. I don’t mean emulation, or VMware, or dual-booting. I mean Download -> Install -> Play. NATIVE support. When either OS provides me that, then I’ll switch over 🙂
AC said:
Once I find a suitable online PIM for my Nokia smartphone I’m ditching my MacBook and getting an EEE PC laptop.
John Jones said:
No doubt about it, Unbuntu is the best thing going!
Jiff
http://www.online-privacy.se.tc
Christian said:
Until it is not a pain in the A** to do something as simple as install flash in Ubuntu there will not be a lot of converts.
I am writing this on an Acer Aspire One (Windows XP) right now. I tried to install several flavors of linux on it and there is always some issue. I am waiting for a new kernel so the wireless will work. I mean jeez, wireless? If they cannot get that to work what is the use?
Even this Aspire with windows has trouble, the internal mic stopped working because of software issues.
Ubuntu takes linux knowledge. I support end users, they are not that smart. Most do not even understand the concept of a hard drive.
I loved the Mac platform, and I advocated it for years, but I travel so I need something small, and Apple prodoucts have been getting a bit flakey.
Bo said:
I’ve tried using Ubuntu, I really have. I’ve installed on Parallels on my Macbook, I’ve tried making it the primary and only OS on my Macbook. The thing that always brings me back?
Everything I can do in Linux, I can do in OS X and I can do it with LESS of a hassle. I’ve used Linux in the past for extended periods of time, so it’s not a lack of knowledge. I’m a PC tech, so I deal with Windows machines all day. In the end, I come home and computer on my Mac because I don’t really feel like I need to mess with it.
Yes, some stuff could be better, such as interconnecting with a Windows 2003 machine and the sorts, but for the general consumer and home user, that isn’t a problem. With Linux, they have to LEARN the entire operating system. Every person who has used a Mac had done just that, they used it. It was intuitive for them. There was no worries of dependencies lacking; apt is nice and so is the package manager, but there are times when neither of those are viable options for getting a package. I can’t count how many times I’ve walked some of my friends through building a source when they were trying to learn Linux.
If you are going to make the Mac vs. Linux argument, the better option for flavor would have to be Mint. The package management is better, the preinstalled software is more useful to the user, and it’s build on the Ubuntu backend. You could still more than likely head over to the Ubuntu forums and get perfectly pertinent information.
Youtube master said:
go to http://www.youtube.com/pgenterprises or go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04luoY9Re20
realistic said:
ubuntu, is just another linux, love it or not.. which makes it a part of a fragmented playground.. i use os x not because it is shiny but because it provides a stable platform backed up by a single company, not 50 distros and theis cousins’ distros and distros on stick and all that (for me) crap..
Scott Redmond said:
Let me just add this. even though I have had problem with installing Ubuntu on various machines i must say that Ubuntu 8.04 works great on my new HP laptop. It boots wicked fast and everything has worked with out a hitch. But, I its just for mild home use; surfing, burning music, burning movies, etc. The only thing I have not been able to do that has bugged me is watch Netflix movies online.
Jemima Holbert said:
Nice marketing for Linux dude.Most of us use Linux because of its security.But you have mentioned that security in MAC OS is as good as Linux.So its obivious most of us will switch to MAC.Any way Linux is the best in security.If u use internet then Linux is the best OS!- Cignus Web – a Data Entry India Company
cr said:
As a video editor, the software available for Linux is there, but it’s piss poor in comparison. Gimp and Inkwell and Blender are about the best comparisons for multimedia software, but you still don’t have a decent parallel to Final Cut Pro, Shake, Reason, Painter, After Effects, Color, Motion, Livetype, and Flash.
Open source software is great, it’s a needed niche, but that’s the thing it’s a niche, and many people in the professional world DO NOT LIKE NICHE SOFTWARE. Yeah, a home machine or a word processing computer can run just dandy on Linux, but some of us have actual work to do, and we do it on the platform that does it best for us.
For digital arts the truth is that Mac still reigns supreme. Always has, and the way things are going, always will. So poo poo on you.
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Mike said:
Ubuntu isn’t nearly as intuitive as many of its users would like to believe. If you want to perform only the most basic tasks (and by basic I mean anything that involves something pre-installed on the distro), but doing anything slightly more complex almost always involves using the command line. The command line is fine for intermediate to advanced users, but it isn’t something most users want to deal with. That is the fundamental reason Linux isn’t as popular an OS as Linux users want it to be. As a fun test of how intuitive Ubuntu is, try mounting a wireless network drive without using the terminal, or, even better, without looking up extremely long tutorials on telling you how to do it. On both windows and mac, this is a very straightforward task. On a side note, who really cares what OS anyone uses? I’ve seen a lot of these posts on various websites over the last year or two, and most of them aren’t comparing the pros and cons of two operating systems, but championing one over another without any real merit to the argument.
questy said:
I have to reiterate something you clearly didn’t cover.
Applications.
Many of us out here have or have bought applications that aren’t even on the linux platform.
I am a UNIX Admin by trade, and understand and work with the UNIXes on a daily basis. My desktop at work is Ubuntu because my first thing I do when logging in every morning is to pop open a shell, go full screen, and then stay there all day.
When I get home, though, it’s a Mac all the way.
I have two applications that are for my hobby, and they only come available for Mac and PC. I’m *not* going to use Windows, and Linux doesn’t run the apps. I have no choices.
Binary compatibility and/or (as an earlier commenter said) just download -> Install -> play(use) is what will have to happen for widespread adoption of the Ubuntu platform.
You cannot deride others for your chosen platform’s inability or unwillingness to provide support for the applications we need as a user community. Until it has that ability, expect to me marginalized and for other systems to be the mainstream.
Remember: It is now, always has been, and always will be about the applications.
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forknowledge said:
The reason why I don’t use Ubuntu is because it doesn’t recognise my laptop’s wireless card. The Linux community’s explanations of how to fix this problem were torturously complicated and didn’t work, even after hours of frustrated tweaking on my part.
georgemoon said:
Not to repeat, but to re-enforce, there are several reasons. A mac generally really does ‘just work’. I have used and still use both Ubuntu and OpenSuse as well as other flavours. I have also set up systems using Linux on their existing hardware when they no longer would tolerate what they had to do to keep their Windows OS running. They are ‘happy’ once I am done installing Linux for them but it is clear they could never have done it themselves. One recent example was ensuring Korean worked for them (not I am not Korean so I had a challenge myself). They never would have done this themselves. Also you end up having to install drivers for multi-media support when something doesn’t work (like a video or a stream from a favourite radio station). That is not obvious to them. If they have a hotmail account, the microsoft site likes to give the user messages that they need to upgrade their browser (the don’t but it is confusing to them). There are a number of sites that do not render just right and they ask why. So all in all, they are happy but not able to get what they want without some help…
justwilliams said:
“So why are people not going over to Ubuntu?” Because most users are quite happy with what they have got already. Please explain in what way Vista is a “dismal failure”. It does everything needed on the three laptops in our family. Why should we change?
SamW said:
The author didn’t exercise the best judgment in his choice of closing statements but the attempted rebuttals by the Mac masses have mostly fallen into two categories:
a. Untrue
b. So overblown as to be nearly untrue
If you’re going to call somebody full of crap make sure you aren’t also spouting crap, thank you.
Juddy said:
Why OS X? Simple really; I prefer it. And yes, I’ve tried Ubuntu, in both its KDE and Gnome flavours. And Kubuntu. And Xubuntu. Those who suggest that OS X users have never heard of desktop Linux really just demonstrate their inclination for hubris and supercilious twaddle. Don’t underestimate Mac users; they include a high percentage of very clever and creative people. Mac users use Macs because they provide a transparent and efficient environment. They don’t get in the way of output, rather they enhance it (unlike Windows). I’d like to like Linux, I really would, but until it delivers the same ease of use and provides seamless alternatives to the programs I’ve come to depend on, I’ll stick with OS X.
BrianS said:
Linux, even Ubuntu, is for people who like working ON their computer rather than working WITH their computer.
I chose a Mac after years of being a hardcore Windows user because it was tightly integrated and “just worked.” Does it have issues, sure, but it “just works” a lot more than either of the other OS’s and requires minimal intervention on my part.
Now that I’m pushing 30 and have a real job and a life, I don’t have the time to cobble stuff together to make it work properly. I don’t have the five hours it used to take me to troubleshoot the reason my Creative MP3 player wasn’t syncing with Windows Media Player, or to hack it to get it to work properly with Linux. I bought an iPod because it syncs perfectly every time and I can snag it on my way out the door and not have to think about it. I have better things to do with my time.
Tino said:
I’ve tried Ubuntu twice now, and all its variants, kubuntu, mint, gos, etc. Nothing works nearly as good as OS X. Linux isn’t ready for prime-time desktop usage yet. I still use it for some things, but as my main desktop or my laptp, it’s just not ready yet.
Mike said:
“Also with Compiz it is possible to extract effects from a Linux desktop that were hitherto unavailable on any other system. I doubt it exists in the Mac.”
Wow, you really took the time to research for your article. Too bad you completely forgot that the Mac OS has had this since 10.3—it’s called Quartz Extreme and Core Image.
Hey, guess what? My wifi card actually works in my mac without hacking it.
Khürt said:
I use Windows, Linux, and OS X. In graduate school I used nothing but Unix and then started using Linux. My first real use of Windows was when I started working in “corporate America”. I continued using Linux at home ( I run Ubuntu now but cut my teeth on Slackware and Red Hat ) and at when I became a consultant focused on working on the LAMP stack. When I went back to corporate America, I had to use Windows again but still had Linux on the server side. I still don’t know how to use MS Office but launch PuTTy every morning at work. About two years ago I bought a Mac mini just to try. I now have a second Mac. I love it!
With the Mac I have my Unix and my GUI too. I can used MySQL, Perl, PHP, Apache, Ruby, Python, X, bash, iptables, SSH and all the other UNIX goodies. Most of the applications that are written for Linux are available for the Mac ( Firefox, OpenOffice, Adium/Gaim,Songbird etc ). Plus I get to use all the Mac goodness, iLife, iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto that make producing on the Mac trivial for anyone. My iCal is synced to my Google Calendar and my KRZR cell phone; Mail.app allows access to my Gmail via IMAP.
Given only a choice between Windows and Ubuntu … I might be tempted to choose Ubuntu. But … most of the Ubuntu packages that I have installed do not work without some tweaking.
My Mac gives me everything that I wanted in Linux and Windows. It just works!
Whatever said:
Ok, now show me how I can make my mainstream products run on Linux *without* error prone emulation! Just because I’m looking for an OS alternative to Windows does not mean I want to renounce to every other product I’m used to work with.
Maria said:
I have been windows user for long long time. Tried Mac OS and Ubuntu before, felt that they are great. But somehow, I still stick with windows, maybe because of windows is the only platform which can run tons of big production game.
Alex Seifert said:
I’ve used a Mac for a long time and I love it. I also have a PC and on that I do run Ubuntu instead of Windows. I would be more than happy to permanently switch to Ubuntu because the hardware options are much better, but the problem that I have is that there is a very specific programme I use daily that is only available for Mac OS X and Windows. I have tried running it in Ubuntu with Wine, but I don’t get the performance I need out of it. So, since I don’t like Windows, I use Mac OS.
JJ Fooks said:
This is why:
Adobe Creative Suite
3DS Max
Avid Express
Final Cut Pro
And no, the open source alternatives are nowhere near good enough.
modestypress said:
I am a moderately literate “end user.” I have been dangerous on DOS, UNIX, Macintosh, and in recent years, in Windows. My attitude is I will use any computer somebody pays me to use, and all computers are evil.
I will retire in a few months so no one will be paying me and choosing what I use. I plan to buy a small laptop and try it on Linux. If my experiment fails or irritates me to much, I will go back to Windows on a new desktop. If it works well enough, I will put it on a new desktop. I am a boring old fogy and not interested in most of the fancy hip software people here talk about.
John Billot said:
Hear, hear for Mikesays and Forknowledge – its just an OPERATING SYSTEM ie a means to an end – the end being allowing applications to work without getting in the way.
As an analogy – when I turn my cold tap on I expect water to come out immediately – I shouldn’t/couldn’t have to care less about the pipes and water companies behind it all. If I do then they have failed their purpose.
Windows works for me, I’ve tried Ubuntu (out of interest) but my wifi card won’t work and whilst I’ve seen and admired Macs they are more expensive (for my needs) than what I use now.
I understand the reason some people discuss these issues but I believe there will never be concensus because we all use computers for different reasons and therefore do not value the same features in the same way.
gfish said:
I use Vista right now. Can’t say that I’m a big fan. I’m not going to splurge for an Apple, but neither am I going to move to Ubuntu. Despite your gushing review, there are a number of things wrong with it.
1. It’s not a complete operating system and it requires a lot of work and massaging to get it right. An operating system like OS X or even Vista come with tens of thousands of drivers for countless devices so they can plug and play. The device makers don’t do the same with Ubuntu so if you buy a new printer or all in one for which there’s not a driver hack, your night will be spent installing drivers and testing rather than printing your documents. The same goes for popular applications. One driver that works with Ubuntu but not OS X is in no way indicative of Ubuntu being even close to Windows or Mac in driver support.
2. Ubuntu’s apps as all open source programs suffer from a number of design flaws. The software that runs on all version of Linux feels incomplete and because it was created by developers in their spare time rather than designers who research how a product should be made, it has nifty little features that a developer might find cool, but a user would care nothing about. Open Office is very underpowered for an MS Office user. It’s not beautiful or exceptional. It’s a so-so that makes us want to reach for the real thing and compare the two.
3. Linux was an answer to a question people didn’t ask. It’s an attempt to make your software run the exact way you want to, even digging into its source code to make it run better. It requires the patience and the interest level of a developer. I don’t want to do that. I just want to use my computer.
Evans said:
I love it when people talk about Ubuntu – because that’s where most of my developments are done. Ubuntu forever.
I love your site by the way!
Garren said:
“The more I use Ubuntu, the more I fail to understand the lure of the Mac OS. Is it the snob value or stupidity that make people consider a Mac over Windows and not Ubuntu”
You must be new.
No, it’s not snob value or stupidity that make people consider OS X over Linux, it’s simply that, more often than not, it just works. Ubuntu/Linux and OSX have their respective strengths and weaknesses. To make the claim that you must be a snob or stupid to choose one over the other demonstrates a lack of experience with both. (Honestly, why switch from one to the other? Hardware is cheap these days and getting cheaper. Run both.)
Give us an update when you pull down a utility, program or driver that isn’t available via apt-get…something that requires you to pull down kernel source and spend a day tracking down dependencies, etc, etc. I’ve used Ubuntu for the past couple of years and absolutely love it – I’m running Ibex now and it just keeps getting better…but when things go wrong, they tend to go terribly wrong and you can spend a hellava lot of time tracking down a resolution. When that happens it’s hard to describe the feeling of being able to swap over to a certified Unix system that gives me everything that Linux does.
John said:
Well, I use both all the time and I find that as I need to make deliverables, I am getting tired “bored” of all the little tweaks that linux is always needing (and having sys admin a lot, I can tell you there is much fewer things that I need to “fix” on Mac OSX). I love the mac because I have always been able to run my unix apps just as easy as mac apps and it X environment is fine. NMR pipe, NMR draw, Sparky, NAMD etc. all run great on either machine… Just as long as we expel the PC it is all good to me. Macs just work (and even for Unix apps, the guys who do the tweaks for the port always seem to have robust makefiles.
JWC
J-Po said:
Oy. You guys and your kool-aid. Here’s a couple reasons I use OSX over Linux (although I use all 3 OSes, primary being OSX):
1) No hassles.
Linux is -still- a huge headache to set up. I spent three days putting together Ubuntu on a Mac Pro. I went through five different distributions until I found -anything- that would work. It took me the better part of a day to get the wireless drivers correct, and I still don’t think the fans are configured correctly (and this is after recompiling the kernel twice). My sound still doesn’t work, although I haven’t bothered to hunt it down yet.
You may cry, “that’s because you use proprietary hardware”! I shouldn’t have to check a huge compatibility list when I am picking hardware. Mac Pros, with some exceptions, use well-documented, standard components. In an ideal world, yes, drivers would be open, but they’re not, and Linux needs to be able to deal with it better.
2) Software
OSX has Photoshop, Final Cut, PFTrack, zBrush, and After Effects. I will grant that Linux does sometimes win in the software realm, which is why I use it — currently, its implementations of Maya and Houdini are more mature and fully-formed than OSX or Windows. But it’s a pain.
3) iPod/iPhone
This should be obvious.
4) Support
I have had a MacBook Pro that has been through raw hell, and every piece has gotten replaced. I just don’t want to deal with the hassle of hardware or tech troubleshooting. It’s not that I’m incapable of doing it, but that it’s not worth my time. Linux has been nearly nonstop headaches, and OSX works with almost no problems.
Look, Linux has its strengths. And its usability has come a long way. But it is faaaarrrr from a complete solution. Yes, closed platforms suck. I see where you’re coming from. But Linux, even Ubuntu, is just not there yet.
Daniel Florien said:
People have been saying that “Linux is ready for the desktop” for 15 years. It never really has — not for average people. Ubuntu is a good version of linux, but it has nowhere near the beauty nor the apps of OS X. People who appreciate elegance would never consider moving to Ubuntu from a polished, solid — beautiful — OS.
Linux is great for people who like to play around and fix things. It’s also great for servers (I use linux on a number of servers). But I’d never, ever, consider using it for my everyday work.
scott said:
Audio/Video folks need OS X for the great software for their concentrations. And Apple makes nice looking machines. I think both OS X and Linux are great in their own strengths.
Terry said:
There is no “war on the desktop” between Linux and anyone else. Linux is a tiny percentage of desktop users. Is it snob appeal or stupidity that makes you think otherwise? What you have failed to figure out is that most people don’t care about anything but cost 1st and applications second. People want common applications that are easily found and installed and they will pay to get them. They also want customer support, an area that Apple spanks everyone else in support of their hardware and OS. No they don’t want to google and sift through Linux newsgroups they just want to get things done.
Terry said:
“qwerty Says:
October 17, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I totally agree with this brillant article.
OSX is only a method to lock people with locked hw and sowftware, locked store, locked media, locked players, locked business and… Locked mind.”
You are easily impressed then. you also know nothing about the Mac given your comments about locked everything. Fail.
Terry said:
Oh btw try to get an off the self 802.11n wireless device working on ubuntu. good luck with that. BTW Shuttleworth has said his goal is to make Ubuntu look and work as well as Mac OS X. he said it will take 2 years to make Ubuntu able to compete with OS X. He must be an idiot or a snob.
Ossie Jesson said:
AS we are now about 20 feet from the top of the page lets me just remember what this post is all about arh erh or yes
Switch to ubuntu not apple Mac
Is that good advice or not?
IMHO It depends what you want to happen next in your life
Here is my comment on what to do best in three circumstances
1) IF you want to keep paid employment in a current mainline type business Keep windows if you have to do paid work in a business office it is going to be on windows MS Office apps .So if you want to learn skills that people will pay you for in the job market working on the computers in their offices you had better keep a windows system at home to practice on… for the moment .Those that pay you are unlikely to spracen zi anythin but MS Office ( ok if your in a large company you might need to spracenzi Lotus but the pay will make it worth the learning curve or lets hope so . open office is not widely adopted any where yet in the business community Billy Gates still rules the world of the office desk top ,for the moment .Windows is ideal if you like problem solving , which is why many men stick with windows cos they get huge cudos &ego boost from having conquroed the ( stupid *)thing * now lets be fair windows is not stupid by any means its very ,very clever except in that it is inherently stupid because it gives too may people to many options [which is why so many people us it ] Human options . software ,options hardware options and it hardly surprising is tripped over by all the possibilities available .Life is just to complex for it to survive without the occasional trip up . Mac on the other hand has restricted options particularly in hardware, makes the operator and software conform to its ways and generally works (but it weak in the general office department because every thing in the wider business world is generally doing windows things , if you want a laugh (or cry take a windows MS Office Docs say a that have been produced on a MaC machine running windows OS and then re use them in Ms Office on a window PC or vice versa to MS office Mac Version
2) If you want to do creative work (get paid by people with money ) and have fun creatively get a MAC of some sort ( how do I know that ?cos my Adult Children told me these two things ( i) you never her any one say I love my windows PC , there are more likely to engage you in conversation as to how they spent the morning evening all night getting the **** thing to do what they wanted it to do . But people genuinely do say I love my MAC ( ii) If you value your time then calculate how many hours you spent trying to get windows to begin to do what you want X by your hourly rate and you will see just how much cheaper a MAC is
Further to the comments of my adult children in my own experience I have been in a room with some seriously able computer people from differing back grounds who had to make presentations and work via the internet on the hoof on some creative tasks . It is just a fact that the MAC men had the job underway and done whilst the PC men however clever where still well …
Tweaking there systems and getting ready.But hey that is what we PC Windows men like doing and probably what we do for a living !
3 IF your stony broke and want to email you friends /partner /granny to find out where to meet up in Rio or /and do computer things via a web browser ( and you can do an awful lot that way now pictures blog even office things plus power full web development stuff ) spend you scarce cash on the most powerful hardware you can afford ( maybe second hand ) and the fastest broad band and get a friend to load the machine up with free ubuntu ( I have just done that and I am not expert ) but stay in touch with the friend cos you might need him /her again . keep away from windows or Macs and you will have more cash for what you really want to do in Rio rather than PC World
This also applies if you love tweaking computers and or using the latest internet communications and are moving out into the brave new MS free world that is maybe around the corner where people do not perhaps need MS Office as an essential of their business lives or indeed perhaps an Office as such at all
for information this comment was
Witten (initially ) on wordpress locally hosted on MS windows XP operating system under apache xampp (open source ) on Safari Browser then moved to MS Office Word for a final spell checking before being pasted into this blog which I am reading via MS windows IE 7 I use any and every thing to GET IT DONE
kwh said:
I’ve got Ubuntu/GNOME on a desktop machine at work, and Solaris/KDR on the thin client next to it. They are both very good; installing Ubuntu was easily superior to installing any version of Windows, and the automatic updates feature is painless. And it LOOKS much much better than Windows ever has.
But when I wanted to turn my home movies into DVDs to send to the grandparents, I visited a few people to try things out and we bought a Mac. And while you don’t want to sound like you’ve drunk the Kool-Aid, I’m beyond merely impressed. Any camera with a USB cable that I’ve hooked up Just Worked Perfectly the very first time; pictures and movies get imported quickly and with no trouble. iPhoto and iMovie and iDVD enabled my oldest daughter and I to put together a half-hour DVD of movie clips and still pictures, with chapters and menus, in less than three hours on the very first try. Half of that was because we’d never done it before – we just guessed our way around. Then we saved a disk image, and burned it to several DVDs, and made Mother’s Day presents which were absolutely adored by the Grandmas.
I don’t take anything away from Ubuntu, which is an amazing piece of work. I fully expect it to improve, and for multimedia applications to improve as well. But when I went to replace my 5-year-old FreeBSD box whose hardware was getting flaky, I wanted not just to upgrade – I wanted to do new things I’d never done before. I tried out the alternatives, both the machines and the applications, and the Mac had a combination of simplicity and power that nothing else could match.
And all my old C programs still work, and I can even run lynx. What’s not to love?
Helen Hunt said:
Very nice review! I like the tone and style of your writing – only if I had such talent 🙂
Nice site by the way!
Badan Sergiu said:
Mac is for people that preffer to drag and drop, and do almost everything using just their mouse.
But that’s not the best solution. Humanity always went from simple to complex (from gestures to words, then to sentences, then learned to write, etc.) Apple is convincing people that doing everything with just the mouse is cool and smart.
Let me ask you: how do you type anything? By the use of the keyboard? Why? It has so much buttons, and… wouldn’t it be just easyer to use a virtual keyboard, like this one http://www.enetplanet.com/kb_en/ ?
Now about the sentence “everything just works”, ofcourse it will! OSX was intended for that special hardware that you bought with it, and won’t work on other platforms (I heard it is illegal to try). It isn’t a big deal to write drivers for just one or two types of computers, and definitely much easier to test. Try to change something in the configuration. As I heard, you can’t even plug a simple mouse in it (if I’m wrong, please correct me). Did someone try to deassemble the macbook air? To add some RAM, or some bigger hard disk? Would it just work?
But hey, in the world there are many other types of computers, graphical cards, sound cards and so on. Linux works on almost all existing platforms, but, requires sometimes some tweaking.
Minime283 said:
I was asking myself the same question, but after jumping into Ubuntu this summer, I kind of realize why.
Any Linux users that think that Ubuntu comes close to usability for the average user are kidding themselves. Linux is a great operating system for the power user, but for a regular user who never wants to touch command line, it can get pretty harsh trying to get a lot of things working, video/audio sometimes doesn’t work without tweaking, certain thumbdrives don’t mount without tweaking, etc. Sure, Mac can’t be installed on non-mac computers, but the advantage is the user doesn’t need to deal with tweaking various things trying to get them to work.
I love tweaking, so Linux is for me. But I can’t recommend it to a non-nerd easily.
blogatelle said:
There is a staggering number of business people who view open-source with naked suspicion. We recently had to make a product decision at our place of work, and were desperately arguing for a brilliant, open-source, free solution. In practice, it wouldn’t have been perfectly free (we’d have had to put in man-hours to make it work for us) but the solution was there.
Our CEO absolutely refused, because it was open-source. His exact reason.
Open-source as a concept still scares a lot of peple.
Margaret said:
“Snob value or stupidity”? You probably won’t convince anyone by calling us all a bunch of stupid snobs!
Margaret said:
“Snob value or stupidity”? You probably won’t convince anyone by calling us all a bunch of stupid snobs!
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w2ed said:
The responses have already argued and pointed at most of what I would say as far as why Linux is not being switched to and OS X is (Recap: Actually being able to test-drive it in-store, having everything work out of the box, having it pre-installed on the machine, or included with the machine.) The one thing I must argue is with the comparable software argument, in particularly with the likes of GIMP. GIMP’s biggest problem for me – so far -has been the lack of certain modes and tools that Photoshop has, particularly with Print-based stuff: No support for CMYK and LAB modes in any version I have tested thus far. Photoshop – GIMP’s commercial rival, and de-facto standard for most bitmap-image-based editing – got to be where it was because of what it could do and support. Same thig with InDesign and Quark over Scribus, which thus far has not worked on any machine I’ve tested, PC or Mac, after following all of the instructions listed. Now, granted, this is print-industry based stuff, but it’s a problem that can be seen in other industries as well, where professionals and students are forced to use commercially-available or limited software for what they have to do – an area that LINUX currently has no shot at, due to the limitted number of commercial and professional programs it has. It’s improving – with each version of GIMP I’ve seen better improvements and tie-ins to Photoshop, and it’s already good enough for the general consumer populace. It’s just not there yet for those who must choose between Mac and Windows.
casto said:
I disagree! Guess what?
After I’ve installed Ubuntu I had to type “find / mozilla -name -print|grep find”.. then “chmod -blá-blá-bla..” I am not blind… But I imagine those photoshop apple blonds trying to understand permition denied when a plug-in need to be installed…
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James said:
I saw the title of this blog on WordPress’s main page and came to read it. If I caould quickly gaive one reason why I haven’t tried Linux (though I DID burn an .ISO) is that I feel rather intimidated about trying out a “do-it-yourself” OS, where if I mess up on an application install or if my hardware isn’t comaptible then I’ll wind up with an issue that could potentially be hard to diagnose. I’ve known that Linux comes in many flavors to satisfy many different needs (even for organizations), but despite the appeal of Rezound, Gimp (also available for Windows) and WINE if the need arises for true Windows products, I’ve been rather apprehensive.
As soon as I purchase an external drive, i did want to try it out. I mean, I have nothing to lose except time – and it IS FREE.
LS said:
Gnome rocks. We use Ubuntu exclusively at our SOHO. Everything just works. HP printing, great OO word processing, PDF printing, photo editing, DVD/CD media, Music & Movies. Ubuntu has a package manager with (thousands) great software at the touch of my fingers. Neither Apple or Windows have that. Ubuntu has 3D compiz fusion that outperforms Apple any day of the week. No way we will ever buy a rip-off, lock in Apple or Microsoft product again. We have ultimate freedom with the most secure cloud OS. Have installed Ubuntu on 30 or so machines with great ease and no license!. Apple can’t do it and Vista is a DRM pig. Anytime I want the newest version I go straight to the mirrors. Typing this on the most secure OS on the planet Ubuntu Ibex. Linux runs the internet and I want it on my desktop. Anybody can use Ubuntu. It’s snobbery to think otherwise. Linux=performance, security, highest kernel technology and Gnome rocks.
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Angstmeister said:
I bought a netbook to give me quick access to the net when traveling. It has a small easily stored format, and was preloaded with Xandros Linux. It was a little over $300, and I found it so easy to configure I bought another one for my 10 year old son who is already into programming. The performance is much faster on the web than my much more powerful Dell notebooks running Windows. This is my first foray into Linux, and I’m already partitioning my extra harddrive on my desktop for Ubuntu.
The only thing I haven’t found that works better on Linux is my professional music programs so I will have to keep Windows a little longer for that. Otherwise I am amazed at what is out there already, and how easily it integrates into the Windows world. The most difficult thing about Linux is the choices available. I thought about the switch for a long time since I didn’t want to mess with which distro is right for me. Ubuntu seems like it’s great for my desktop, but the Xandros is fine for now on my netbook. I think there netbooks are the right niche product to introduce new users to Linux since the cost is low and more and more offerings are out there from Asus, Acer, HP, Dell and more. I have a long background in support, but these devices are setup to guide new users into the basics in minutes, and still have options for more involved setups later.
rotyyu said:
I really love Ubuntu and I don’t think I’ll ever switch to Mac OS X
Puchki said:
Great Article…
Good research…..Keep posting….
xoc said:
I love Ubuntu, but so far it is still plagued will niggling problems, some poor UI decisions and worst of all, hardware quirks and incompatibilities. There’s too much of an attitude of “X is not a problem because you can _just_ use Y workaround”. There are too many things where the obvious path leads to problems and trawling forums is the only way to find the right path.
Its understandable that software developed by volunteers would emphasise experimental and cool features at the expense of rock-solid day to day functionality and ensuring UI consistency. The plethora of hardware that Ubuntu must run on doesn’t help, but ultimately, its a motivation problem. I’m impressed with how polished Ubuntu has become, and even though its more solid than Vista, its still not solid enough to be considered ready for prime time, and doesn’t come close to the polish of OS X. I hope it gets there with its next release though.
Scott said:
Ok, Mac is definitely more polished than Ubuntu, it is prettier, feels smoother, and definitely runs better out of the box. I will concede that all in all Apple is the better choice if you have the resources to pay thousands of dollars for software. I can find better ways to spend my hard earned money. I use Ubuntu at home on all of my computers. Ubuntu just works for me, I don’t get nervous when I let one of my neighbors or girlfriends use my laptop to check their MySpace like I used to when I ran XP exclusively. With Ubuntu I get a guaranteed upgrade every six months, ensuring I have access to all the latest and greatest stuff . I have an unlimited array of free software at my disposal. Free as in speech AND free as in beer. I don’t understand why people would pay for software when there is great stuff out there for free that does most everything you find on the proprietary stuff. I play games on my PS3, conceding that gaming is really weak on Linux at present. Ubuntu works great as a media server for the PS3 (I play all my movies and TV shows on my HDTV using the PS3 streamed from my Ubuntu box). All in all I love Ubuntu. I now install it on all my friends and neighbors computers after they get sick of me charging them to fix their broken Windows computers. Haven’t heard one complaint yet. One downside is that the loss of the tax free income is a bummer. Freedom is great, but lets face it, free rides are even better.
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Erez said:
I will tell you why Mac OS is preferred over Ubuntu.
It’s not that I have something against Linux / Ubuntu, on the contrary, I love the idea and it is an amazing OS to my opinion.
But, I would prefer Mac over Ubuntu because Ubuntu doesn’t have the best applications in the world.
For example, when I wanna do graphics / web design, I want to use Photoshop / Dreamweaver, I just can’t use something else, I want to use THOSE software, Linux just doesn’t have them, and no, GIMP isn’t a good alternative, I hate GIMP.
Also, I’m a music producer, I just didn’t find Ubuntu pro enough for this situation (windows neither), only the Mac does it for me, with Logic Pro + Pro Tools.
Until the big developer guys like Adobe will develop their software for Linux, Linux just won’t be enough for the real advance users.
Also, the Mac OS interface is much more likely for me than the Linux / Windows interface.
But if it’s jut for a regular user that only wants internet and some nice applications for music / movies / media in general, Ubuntu is great.
Today at the age of the internet, for the average user it doesn’t matter what OS you have as long as you like it.
Scott said:
Erez, in your case, Apple makes sense, especially if you are making money using Adobe and your music programs and you don’t mind getting locked in to an expensive closed platform. Gimp works great for me, but I am not a graphic artist. Open Office, especially 3.0, is great, as are most of the open source apps out there. I really think that for 95% of the budget conscious computer users out there that Ubuntu makes more sense. But hey, let people throw their money away on software, helps the economy right?
blochhead said:
Biggest reason to go Mac- hardware and software made by the same company. Compatibility should be maximized and issues should be minimized. Unfortunately that’s not always the case, but they have an elegant overall system.
My Ubuntu system has hella problems with the wireless. In fact, Vista connects to my wlan without issues, but Ubuntu simply cannot get it right. I even have developer friends who have lots of linux exp. and we can’t get it right. I was saddened, because I really thought Ubuntu was going to work “like a mac”. Alas…
Scott said:
Blochhead, I’ve heard all kinds of horror stories regarding Ubuntu and WLan. I admit I had a few problems in the past, but not recently. I have a two year old ThinkPad and a three month old Acer, no problems since 7.10.
Matt said:
Sometimes I think it’s ridiculous how people get so opinionated about consumer products as if this is politics, sports or Pepsi vs. Coke.
I like Ubuntu I just couldn’t get my Netgear wireless adapter to work. I spent way too much time trying to figure it out.
Ubuntu has a bit of a learning curve because the average user is largely ignorant of the command line, but I think in time it will gain a greater market share.
Personally I like Windows and it runs just fine. In my experience I have had Macs freeze up on me too. Every operating system has problems. It’s just a matter of preference, what you need to use the computer for and whether you want to give Steve Jobs $1,200 for a large screen with 1 GB of RAM. I’m sick of the Apple people who act like they’re the British and treating everybody else like they’re second class citizens. Gimme a break. If it’s so great let’s see them license their software to PC machines.
Frederik Hertzum said:
Ehmm… No, Ubuntu did not reinvent the modern Linux distribution as you insinuate.
The easy installation methods was not pioneered by Ubuntu and no, they haven’t given us a single thing in the desktop area yet. Ubuntu just is _not_ what people make it up to be. It is _not_ the easiest to use (at least not for everyone) and it is definetly _not_ the easiest Linux to install — regardless of who you are. The package management system was also _not_ introduced or even accelerated by Ubuntu — it has been in Linux for years before Ubuntu and the new things that’s been comming lately (like graphical package management) has nothing to do with Ubuntu. Period.
While Ubuntu is a decent distribution it is defiently not any better than most of the major distributions, if as good. This, ofcourse, depends on your needs, but for the majoriry of users, I would recommend staying clear of Ubuntu based distributions and instead find something that’s actually compatible with Debian or Fedora.
Scott said:
Matt, you are right, it is a little ridiculous how people get with consumer products. That said, I will admit that I am a serious advocate of software like Ubuntu, only because it is in my own self interest. I don’t think it needs to become a majority OS, I would like to see GNU/Linux reach a tipping point of about 20% of the market, just to force companies like Adobe and their ilk to quit ignoring it. I really think that the world will be a better place as a result. Call me a idealist, call me a fanboi, call me a freeloader, call me what you will. I just want better software and I don’t want to spend an arm and a leg to get it, and I don’t want my future to be tied to any particular multi-billion dollar corporation trying to squeeze the last nickel out of my wallet.
Scott said:
Frederik, Ubuntu not compatible with Debian? Come on, Ubuntu is derived from Debian. I use GDebi on a regular basis and even pull some software directly from the Debian repositories. I like Ubuntu because it is easy to use, my Grandmother uses it for Pete’s sake. It may not be the best distro out there, but it is rock solid and a good transitional OS for people new to GNU/Linux.
Unknown said:
I’ve switched from a Dell Inspiron to a MacBook. And I have no intentions of going anywhere else… because, in my opinion, this is a great computer… unlike that PC that died on me and crashed my files permanently. Plus the changer outlet didn’t work. And as for Linux… they need some form of marketing. I’ve never even seen a computer that runs on it.
Scott said:
Good for you Unknown, hope you continue to enjoy your MacBook. Grudgingly admit that Mac has a better product for non price conscious consumers. Without Apple, we would all still be using CLI systems. Keep it up, competition is great, makes everyone better.
unknown said:
So why are people not going over to Ubuntu? Beats me.
Another reason… DirectX.
Scott said:
Don’t know if MS even knew what a goldmine DirectX was for them. The only game I play on Linux is Mahjongg, but I really like my PS3. I’ve installed Ubuntu on that too.
jg said:
3 Macs in 3 years…All dead.
Refurbished IBM Thinkpad running Ubuntu Linux…so far, 2 years and running strong.
grant czerepak said:
Eventually Linux will prevail.
Apple will see the wisdom in adopting it.
Astella said:
“If you are looking for easy upgrades to future versions, Ubuntu offers that.”
That’s not true.
DM said:
Your premise that Vista is a failed operating system is of course completely false. Applications continue to be developed for it, including far more games than will ever appear on a Mac or a Linux box.
mescalero101er said:
I tired using Linux several times. I really did. But I’m too busy for it. I use both an imac and a windows xp laptop (and even use Open Office sometimes). But for me, setting up a home network, printer, and having ease of use for writing and recording happens between the Mac and Windows. I don’t have to stare and think about tweaking it, I just sit down and do my work. I know plenty of slightly more tech savvy people who use linux and Mac or Windows, but not one who fully dedicates their computing power to linux for some of the above reasons. I think the principles behind open source are great, but for those of us who just need a computer,, it’s best to go with Windows or Mac.
SmartAssProducts.com said:
Thank you for having the balls to state it so bluntly! I totally agree. 🙂
sky_khan said:
I converted to use Ubuntu since about one year ago. I was using pirated copy of Windows at home and WGA notices started to annoy me.
1- I had to switch to an nvidia based graphic card , propriatery ati drivers was freezing. No, hardware manufacturers will not open their drivers code in foreseable future and I care having working graphic card more than open source drivers.
2- I had to plug an older sound card, onboard one (5+1) was not working with stereo speakers.
3- killall pulseaudio. Even I changed sound card to hear something, sound system of Ubuntu decides to not work sometimes.
4- killall apt. Sometimes updates not work, says “Unable to lock the download directory” when there is no reason.
5- Flash plugin is not working as I’m on 64bit.
6- Default theme was ugly and has huge font sizes, not everyone has 21+ inch monitors as gnome developers I guess.
etc.
I’m a software developer still I can barely tolerate Ubuntu, If price was not a concern to me, I was definitely using Mac now.
Broad desktop use of Linux ? It’s just a dream, and I’m not so sure whether Linux developers wants it to be used on Desktop, They only want tinker with a Lego-like OS at their hands. Other than well established open source software like Firefox, OpenOffice etc, most of open source desktop software crashes more than similar proprietary software. They are not designed with regular users in mind, and they dont care user friendliness, stability etc. Why do you care ?
Jaky said:
well, can you help me solve me display problems in UBUNTU? I tried to install ubuntu on my HCL laptop but the screen doesn’t show up if i try to boot the live cd and computer hangs up.
please help me out. thank you
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Jeremy Buff said:
You’ve failed to provide solid reasons to switch from OSX to Linux. The only thing you mentioned was that Linux can be installed on many different hardware systems why Mac OS X can only be installed on Macs.
What you fail to state is that linux does not support the number of programs that a mac does, or that Macs can support Vista/XP and linux as well. Macs as also faster than Linux machines are. Defraging is not necessary on osx, what-so-ever. I could go on and on and on. Linux just isn’t there.
SmartAssProducts.com said:
> I’m a software developer still I can barely tolerate Ubuntu
I hardly know what to say! Ubuntu is the EASIEST and most polished Linux distro I’ve ever seen–and I’ve seen tons of them since 1991. Every windoze user I’ve converted to it thanks me profusely for showing them a SUPERIOR way to kiss Micro$oft goodbye. I cannot imagine what you’re having such problems with–especially as a software developer–that you could make such a statement about a Linux distro that’s so easy to install and use.
> Defraging is not necessary on osx, what-so-ever. I could go on and on and on. Linux just isn’t there.
Hello? Defragging? Um…that’s a windoze thing. Has NOTHING to do with Linux, or any other UNIX-like OS…which includes Mac’s OS-X, by the way.
jdmhub said:
I cannot give away my Photoshop, Excel or Aftereffects but installing ubuntu in my spare disk might worth a shot.
Some of the thing i will be looking would be Eclipse, Tomcat/JBoss and mysql on Ubuntu. Who knows, vista might become a secondary.
parag said:
how to install ubuntu on pc
Sudhir K Singh said:
Ubuntu Linux may be the world’s most brilliant OS. Only mainstream computer users will NEVER use it since nobody will believe it better than Mac OS X.
There’s only one way out. Sell Ubuntu to Apple, and merge its so called superior features with Mac OS X, and release it as Mac OS 10.7 Ubuntu scheduling it after Snow Leopard. Now isn’t that a capital idea folks?
Nerds who cry over Linux never fail to amuse.
joesiwa said:
Stupidity for choosing functional software that doesn’t need a computer engineering degree? Please explain to me how to install software without a terminal input in linux. On the mac, all I got to do is drag the application, and boom, it’s installed. Don’t have to get a library or set my permissions, etc, etc. Spoken like a true elitist. Don’t bash os x users for using something that is easier and prettier. Sure using linux gives you leet status, but if it doesn’t work efficiently then what’s the point?
Suresh Peram said:
The reason more people are not switching to Ubuntu is not primarily because Mac OS is better (although in some respects, each is better than the other), but because of a lack is information and availability. I haven’t seen Ubuntu based laptops or desktops in the stores that I visit and most online vendors do not sell them either. If a major player such as Dell or HP starts promoting Ubuntu, we will see more adoption. Until then, Ubuntu will remain a small, niche player.
seo said:
great works, thanks
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hobophobik said:
I use three machines:
Home – XP, so I can play games
Work – Ubuntu, as I find working with Linux servers is easier if your on Linux.
Laptop – OSX, as it’s best of both words, power of unix, and great user experience.
Each OS has its merits in my opinion, although if I had no money limitations, and considering the introduction of boot camp, and windows visualisation on OSX, I would not hesitate to replace one or all my machines with Macs.
The author is just s**t stirrer.
paulsanduleac said:
I think that Mac OS X is the best, and I agree with some of the comments here.
I don’t think that OS x has locked the minds and the thinking, it realy does the opposite, it unlocks, it opens the eyes and shows the world that there is something better than Windows and Microsoft. It gives people a choice.
I don’t really know, but I know many people that have computers and notebooks, and I know only 1 person that had Linux. He had it for 1 month and then switched back to OS X.
So, until Ubuntu gets better and more popular, let’s stay on these 2. But Apple Macintosh is a lot better.
Anyway, thanks for the article. I found out some new things and that makes life interesting.
vishal said:
I use both OS X and Ubuntu and I think the user interface of OS X is way better
Evans said:
Oh my my my…It really surprises me when people think Microsoft windows is the only OS that would give them Photoshop amd Excel. Let me tell you – there are tones of software available on Linux platform, and you’re sure to find one that fits your need.
If anyone of you here is planning on getting vista once XP support is over, I urge you to please use any Linux distro instead. It’s time you freed yourself from the Microsoft bondage and see the light.
We will be happy to welcome you to the free world!
Wille said:
Being an ex fulltime Windows, Linux and now Mac users, I can put it down to two things why I chose Mac over Linux (I have more experience with Linux):
– Polish: “it just works”, it’s polished and consistent.
– More important for me: Ubuntu has had a load count/load cycle issue with certain laptop hard drives for over a year, that potentially fries hard drives prematurely. No satisfactory fix has yet been provided, 1.5 year on!
Andre said:
Its quite obvious actually.
No one wants to buy something called ‘Ubuntu.’
Prithviraj B Shankar said:
Dear Prosenjit,,
Anywhere in the developed world, one has to shell out extra money for an office suit and other software after investing in a laptop or desktop. It really hurts a working class man or a student. I was always fascinated by free OS and software. But not being a techie has its disadvantages. Someone like me has to step into a Currys or PC World to buy a decent computer. We have to depend on what the ‘knowledgeable’ salesman tells us. No doubt, a commercial shop has no interest in extolling the virtues of LINUX. Not only do they refuse to mention it, but also scare you into thinking that many software may not work with Linux and that it is difficult to find help in case something goes wrong. I think the only alternative is for the people behind free software and OSs to set up some sort of an online shop that sells computers loaded with their stuff and also offer support. Hope this will finally give the noble advocates of free SW a more solid platform from which to launch a more material attack on the domineering monopolies. Thanks.
david_e said:
I think that the only things that are keeping Linux a way behind OS-X in the desktop market share are:
1. It’s almost impossible to find a decent desktop/laptop with Linux pre-installed
2. The lack of a strong commercial campaign: OS-X is not that much easier to learn than Ubuntu (I own a MacBook so I know what I am talking about), but people are willing to learn OS-X because it makes you so cool if you use it, and hey it’s the OS that everyone is talking about…
I don’t think that the lack of proprietary software is really an issue here: probably less than 1% of the users really need (and can effort to buy!) Photoshop over GIMP or other proprietary software available on OS-X and not on Linux. It’s not that 1% that is keeping Linux from gaining something between 5% and 10% of the market share which I think it could be the natural market share of Linux on the desktop tomorrow (if the above issues are fixed).
Also I don’t think that Linux is inferior to OS-X in any way, and it’s a shame that every OS discussion on OS-X is monopolized by the Mac-fanboys: OS-X is great, but it’s not perfect and Linux is better in many things (not everything), for example:
1. It’s a way faster than OS-X and needs less resources.
2. It has a proper package manager: try downgrading from an update or uninstall non trivial software like R,python,TeXLive or many others which needs to be installed in the root filesystem on OS-X… it’s really impossible and you have to hunt for the files in the / folder and delete them “by hand”. Conversely this is really just two-clicks away on Ubuntu and Windows.
3. It does not came into your way of doing things, while OS-X wants you to follow a certain workflow.
4. It’s still the better 64bit OS around.
5. MPD is a way better than iTunes: it has better gapless support, it plays my MP3 and OGG collections out-of-the-box, it has not any DRM crap built inside and it doesn’t make me feel like a money cow for their music store.
6. The default (GNOME/KDE/XFCE) GUI is much more coherent than the one from OS-X where you have different styles for different applications. (By the way OS-X is still much more nice than the default Ubuntu).
And so on.
My point is that Linux has its strong points too and, if it’s really pushed by some hardware manufacturer, I think that it could win over OS-X/Windows many users.
By the way I have wiped out OS-X from my MacBook and I am using Linux as the only OS on it since a couple of months.
recu said:
Thats true
wh173y said:
i actually switched to ubuntu once, but now i’m back with vista, mainly because of driver issues. i can’t use my G11 keyboard to its full extent, my G9 mouse, my webcam or scanner or even my printer.
also there are no linux drivers whatsoever for modern more high end hardware (Asus Maximus Formula, 5.1 soundcards etc.)
the command line (which you HAVE to use to get any of the things mentioned above to have basic functionality) is a pain in the ass, especially because i simply want to USE my pc, not hagle with man pages and whatnot.
lack of professional software for ubuntu is also an issue, i can’t have Pro/Engineer on it, i can’t have Photoshop (and no, GIMP is NOT an alternative, no matter how much fanboys yapp about it), i can’t even play decent games i can’t sync my N95 with it, nor my iPod (allthough Floola worked as far as i remember).
so basically i would have to run ubuntu for the sake of running ubuntu.
for me that are main reasons i didn’t stick with it, allthough i would have liked to.
Evans said:
@wh173y : I understand your concern with driver issues – I used to feel the same until I actually realised that I could learn more by helping out with open source development, to help fix those issues. So, I have been working with others in the community to help address driver issues.
That said, I still would like you and others around here to exercise your right to use a free software and not to be chained to Micro$oft platform.
david_e said:
@wh173y: please explain me why a casual user should need Photoshop over GIMP… I understand that it has some pro. feature that are not available with GIMP, but apart from that I just don’t understand why a non professional user should spend more than 600$(*) for it….
Off course the casual user uses Photoshop just because he steals it… at the end comparing GIMP and Photoshop is like comparing a cheap Toyota with a stolen Ferrari: it’s pointless because we are not considering what keeps Ferrari from taking all the market share from Toyota, even if they make better cars: the price. If we take into account Photoshop price we see that for non professional users (or professional users who don’t need all the features of Photoshop) Gimp is a valuable alternative. People would realize it if Adobe should find a way to prevent people from duplicating their software.
—–
(*) The Elements7 edition is 139.99$, but if GIMP is not enough for you this surely isn’t either.
Chosun1 said:
I been using Ubuntu on a Toshiba Satellite A135 notebook for a little over a year now. Until I updated the BIOS, suspend was hit or miss. Since the BIOS update, that problem is gone. The video drivers provide the same resolution as the original OS, 1280×1024 The only thing I would like to see is sound drivers that provide more volume.
I recently installed Ubuntu Ultimate Edition. It installs more applications than I actually needed and has enough eye candy to suit just about any taste.
There is more than enough on-line documentation available to solve every annoyance I’ve run into (all 3 of them). You certainly can’t beat the price!
Jaky – for an older notebook, give Mint Linux a try.
custador said:
You’ve inspired me to try Linux. Never used it before, started out this morning. I’ve reviewed it and written a blog on it, which is at custador.wordpress.com if you want to read it.
Wally said:
I’ve had a lot of enjoyment reading everyones comments here. like most agree.
I’M a PC!!! BUT I’M LOADED WITH MEPIS LINUX. But if I REALLY WANT TO DO SOME COMPUTING,,,,,,,,USE a MAC!!! None of the above was meant as shouting, but as a response to the new Microsoft commercials. Everyone no matter who you are has their preferences. With Linux–I prefer Mepis, it is KDE, and Warren has done an excellent job, I’ve tried Ubuntu/kubuntu, Fedora, Mint, Debian, but Mepis is the best for me, Mint actually improves upon buntu. I would never use openSuse because of the Microsauce connection. I prefer apt-get over rpm for package management. I don’t run Windows on any of my Wintel machines, I have a HP Pavil that is about a year old and a Dell Laptop, both are Linux operated, But I have a Second Generation iMac DV Special Edition, that uses OS X Jaguar and still runs fantastic, I have two other iMacs that are new, and not to mention the ones I have given to relatives. Never any problems, not with drivers, not with software, not with networking, not with wireless or wired connections. Games are pretty much the only thing that can really be said. And the truth about Games is: if I want to play games,,,,would not I buy a Playstation or xbox or N 63 or whatever they are called anyway.
I like Linux, BUT GIVE ME A MAC ANYDAY!! Sorry
super_duh said:
I don’t really get people who aren’t using or even trying to use the new Linux variations. The GUI has come a long way and it is a lot more casual-consumer friendly. The arguement I will probably hear is that it is not consumer friendly since it is not readily available for consumers. The biggest thing that you don’t realize in your arguement is that this is an open source, free operating system. You can’t say that about Mac or Windows. Linux doesn’t NEED to spend on advertising, becuase they aren’t missing any “business” not advertising. I agree that this is a gem that could be cut for the whole world, but offering the service and overall an exceptional grade product at a cost of nothing is the true beauty. This is a clear message that the best things in life can cost next to nothing. Its completely made for the people, by the people. So quit your bitchin’, try it out, it’s not like you have to pay for it.
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samaelcero said:
I’m a hacker of software and hardware interfaces.
And I chose Mac OS X, then Solaris, then BSD, then GNU/Linux and then Windows.
I don’t care if some clueless blogger says a divided/balkanized operating system is the best one.
TJ Rutkowski said:
Good post and great conversation — thanks
Randy Kemp said:
I am a big Linux fan, and I enjoyed this article very much.
Michael said:
One thing I haven’t read is the quality of Mac hardware itself. When I go into my computer room at home, it is nice and quiet. When I turn on my Mac, it is nice and quiet. I think the silence alone is worth the extra expense.
I used Linux for three years before buying my Mac. I have Ubuntu on my laptop. On my laptop if Vista had not already identifed and set up my wifi, Ubuntu would be lost, and I would have to manually set up my wifi. I know how to do this, but the average user…?
I like Linux, it works well and beats the heck out of Windows imo. Unfortunately Linux in my experince generally works great for a while, then some simple upgrade comes along, and that is the end of the OS as I know it.
I do not mind this happening, but for most people it is too much. They barely know how to insert a cd and install a program, let alone burn an iso, create a separate home directory, and make backups.
SmartAssProducts.com said:
@joesiwa It’s comments from uninformed people like you that keep perpetuating the MYTH that Linux is still command-line oriented. You said:
> Please explain to me how to install software without a terminal input in linux.
If you had actually TRIED a modern Linux distro, such as Ubuntu, you’d know what an incorrect statement that is.
For example, Ubuntu’s package manager, Synaptic, lets even the LEAST computer literate people easily install any of thousands of programs with a couple of clicks. No command lines. No setting permissions. No finding additional components. Just click and go. Done! In moments, it’s installed and ready to use via its menu entry…which also gets added automatically by Synaptic.
If you MUST comment about Linux…could you try to do it with a little knowledge of what you’re talking about?
KA said:
I use a Mac. I do so because it has excellent software – both from Apple and third parties. Some of the most powerful apps – particularly Adobe’s – are much less well designed, but simply do not have proper equivalents on Linux. I use the GIMP,* but I find it much less powerful than Photoshop, but unfortunately I don’t have the money for Photoshop. It is good enough for most things, but it takes me 20 minutes to do what would take 5-10 minutes in Photoshop. I’m gonna see if I can download another free trial of Photoshop now CS4 is out.
*Therein lies the second reason for using a Mac. Most Linux software is open source, and most of that can be recompiled on a Mac. The more popular programs have downloadable Mac applications, and require nothing more than X11 (included) and the ability to get used to control shortcuts again.
KA said:
P.S. It’s not that I don’t like Linux. I like Ubuntu quite a lot. It had virtual desktops long before OS X. But Mac OS X is so much better in nearly every respect.
kingmartin said:
i found linux very difficult to use… even installing simple software was a chore.
SmartAssProducts.com said:
> i found linux very difficult to use… even installing simple software was a chore.
See my earlier post. If you’re still finding it difficult to install software on Linux–TODAY–I have no idea what distro you’re using (or tried using). It simply CANNOT get any easier than Ubuntu’s package manager. Seriously. There is NO windoze equivalent that makes installing software as quick, easy, and painless as Synaptic. And there’s no rebooting afterwards, either!
jimynu said:
i don’t know if somebody (or how many) has (have) pointed it out: the approach to a user surface of linux just isn’t as simple and innovative as the one apple offers. sure, there may be great programming interfaces and easy-to-use programs. but if i look at the simplicity apple has achieved, it’s just something else… linux to me is like the better windows, but there’s a long way to go to make the great technology underneath as easily accessible as it is on the mac. it just gives you the feeling that it makes it as easy as possible for you to get anything you want out of your computer. and this is what i love about my mac.
sky_khan said:
>> I’m a software developer still I can barely tolerate Ubuntu
> I hardly know what to say! Ubuntu is the EASIEST and most polished Linux distro I’ve ever seen–and I’ve seen tons of them since 1991.
It may be among Linux distros, Is it among all operating systems ? No! I also tried at least a few dozens of distros since 1995, and I’m using Ubuntu now. Am I totally happy with Ubuntu? No! I choose Linux basically because I dont want to be on Windows and have not enough money to buy a new machine for now, and I choose Ubuntu just for its bigger user/knowledge base than any other distro.
I’m a software developer as I said, not a regular user, I learned at least one dozen of programming languages, markup languages, protocols etc in last ten years. Do I want to use or remember all “find” command line options all the time because of Nautilus’s search functionality sucks ? No!
IMHO Gnome’s idea of user friendliness totally flawed. User friendlines is not a thing that could be achieved by trimming functionality and options. You should have functionality and easily accessible options but categorize/prioritize them carefully. (BTW, Is there anyone here who knows how can I see file size,modified date etc in Gnome’s file-open dialog ?). Every Linux fan blames Windows or commercial applications with being bloated. The problem is nearly all bloated! functionality is there because different set of users need it.
There is NO windoze equivalent of Synaptic because there really is no need for it. There is one windows OS from developer perspective, if you stick with NT 5.0 ABI (Application Binary Interface which is not dependable thing on Linux, because Linux developers motto is “Just Recompile” which leads “Adapt, Compile and Test on zillion distros”, I repeat,
This is a terrible waste of time! ) , and you can specialize some functionalities of application for newer versions of Windows on runtime. So preparing one “next-next !” installation program for all Windows versions is much easier than any Linux distro. You can observe this fact from there are many open source projects have windows installers but just source code for Linux.
Fault of Synaptic Package manager or all package managers on Linux is these are belong to one distro. Can I ask where can I find Sun Studio 12, Oracle Express or some of open source projects which releases just rpm packages on Synaptic ? or why available Eclipse version from Synaptic is 3.2 after 2 years ?
Yes, I can and I do solve my own problems on Ubuntu. But regular desktop users which needs anything above surfing can do ? No, I don’t think so.
david_e said:
@ sky_khan
Yes the lack of a standardized package manager or a bigger ABI for the Linux Standard Base are leading to the “Adapt, Compile and Test on zillion distros” motto. This has some big drawbacks, but also it has a big advantage IMHO: that every installed software come from the same distributor, so you have a central entity checking that everything works right with the other applications and you have a central repository for security updates of every single library in the system. Obviously this makes Linux more stable and secure.
By the way IMHO the best way to distribute OSS is by distributing the source code…
Cesar Noel said:
I think Ubuntu will dominate in the future because it continues to improve in every version it releases and they now have supports (hardware and software) and of course it’s still FREE to use.
jeremy said:
Right now OSX is far easier to install and works with multiple monitors.
This is not a theoretical response.. . I’m a professional software engineer who has setup both systems from scratch (MBP OSX 10.5.5 and Ubuntu 8.04).
The mac is by and far easier as 1) it comes configured out of the box
2) supports software and hardware from many vendors’
DUDES it is just better at this point!!!
Ubuntu will be there in about 3 years
Henry said:
Mac: Logic Express/Studio. Aperture. GarageBand. Photoshop. Absolutely ZERO setup for the user, other than typing in your name. Macs are for creative professionals who focus on their work, not their OS.
Linux (Ubuntu): Stable, easy to use OS for those who are sick of Windows or need more flexibility with the core features of a computer.
Why not argue against those who go for a Mac over Linux for even comparing the two in the first place? To class them together is just offensive.
Eruaran said:
“XP runs way faster on older hardware than any current version of Ubuntu”
Complete and utter rubbish.
factotum218 said:
I thought about it and went with neither about a year ago. I use a Mac for around 10-12 hours a day at work and am bored to death with OS 10.x.x. and the tradition of Apple selling an over priced hardware lock-in.
Linux is a fine OS in general, but for me to be able to do my job in a professional and timely manner on my home PC, I had to install a virtual XP system which to me completely defeated the purpose of running Linux in the first place. With all they system resources the combined software took up, I would have been better off buying a copy of Vista and dealing with it using up a little over a quarter of my ram (628 mb of 2 gb). If I remember correctly, my initial XP system only ran 256 mb of ram and thought doubling that was just a hardware vendor / Microsoft ploy to get people to spend. Nice to see nothing has changed at all in the past few decades on either side of the monitor.
Nothing I haven’t seen recycled a few dozen times in various blogs over the past few years, but your time and effort are appreciated.
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Jon Beebe said:
Interesting thoughts, but I tend to disagree. I posted a response to your post here:
http://www.ubuntuproductivity.com/journal/macintosh/10/2008/re-switch-to-ubuntu-linux-not-apple-mac-os/
DayEleven said:
“you have a central entity checking that everything works right with the other applications and you have a central repository for security updates of every single library in the system. Obviously this makes Linux more stable and secure.”
No, it makes Linux useless except for geeks and free software lovers. But they are incapable of getting this fact, so nothing the rest of the world says will change their mind. Thus, deserved 1% market share.
JohnK said:
It’s ‘horses for courses’. No one OS is better at everything than the others. I use a Mac Mini for recording my guitar using Garageband, Tracktion and Line 6 applications. All excellent, stable, quality applications with good sound and less CPU overhead than Windows. I use Linux for Mythtv recording, surfing, email, NAS filer, etc. Again, far safer, more stable than windows. I also use Windows XP exclusively for work, sysadmin, corporate websites, MS Office documents, Lotus Notes … well, not because it is better but because it is mandated by my employer. It IS perfectly usable though.
Andrea said:
There are a lot of reasons… and since we all think different I will explain just my reasons…
I grew up using Mac… since Mac OS 7 to 9 and I always found it very easy to use.
In the other hand… I started using Windows 2000 and then XP when I was like 14 years old… and I just used it at school and for school work only.
I discover Linux in 2006 when I was studying software engineering and I started with Ubuntu.
I like the best of each of the systems… for example…
1) The initial Microsoft idea of having a computer in every home and in every office or the fact that companies develop for Windows in their majority. Look at games for example.
2) The philosophy and principals of free and open source software. Sharing your knowledge with the community and developing software just for the like of it, and of helping others and not just for the money (when we talk about open source projects that are also free of price). For example, Java, Open Office, Ubuntu, Firefox, Eclipse, MySQL…
3) The ease of use, features, look and feel, great applications, and the whole package you get when you buy a Mac.
Right know I only use Windows for work, but developing on Java language on Eclipse platform, so it’s still open source software.
For my personal use, I have a Mac. I bought it with Leopard last December and in my opinion it is best to invest on a Mac that has a LOT of USEFUL applications that comes pre-installed (full version) than a Windows box that, if you want to stay legal, you will have to spend a looot of money buying software for it.
I still like Ubuntu and I have it in another partition on my Mac working as a beauty but I haven’t had enough time to configure it to it’s full performance.
I really think that in the last years the free/open source ideas and principals have conquered a lot of minds. Almost every app that I use on my Mac is an open source app if it is not an Apple one.
And for those who say that Apple is a closed box with closed mind and clsoed everthing, I remind you that Mac Os’s kernel is an Open source one called Darwin, that is BSD based.
So… like I said… I think it’s better to take the best of everything and remember that the open source idea is really growing up… otherwise you wouldn’t see great companies like Adobe, Apple, Sun, Mozilla, Google… releasing open source apps and componentes
zeke said:
agree with you Andrea. that’s why a lot of people dual or triple boot Linux with their main OS. i tried installing Ubuntu and Kubuntu on my rig. installation was smooth and took less than an hour compared to installing Windows. a little more tweaking though
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mv said:
“Linux have come a long way and the crown jewel in this category has got to be Open Office. Not only do you get (…) a fantastic presentation tool (…)”
To be honest – Impress means absolutely nothing when it stands next to PowerPoint, which is really more powerful tool.
jj said:
How many people in the OS/Linux world have any real knowledge (and apply it) in HCI, usability and interaction design?
Shiny buttons don’t make an UI “elegant” or “usable”.
That’s why Macs have always meant a great value and satisfaction for their users (besides the moronic fanboys which you find anywhere, anyway).
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bookhling said:
There’s one, and only one major reason. Application/device compatibility.
Of course, Ubuntu and other linux platforms have plenty enough free applications for doing what OS X does and more. But they are different applications from what the potential switcher audience would be using already. If they want to make the switch, there’s more learning curve involved compared to conventional Win/OS X platform. Arguing that people should switch to some flavor of linux based on its superiority as an OS is the same as arguing that the vast majority of the world is using MS Windows because it’s such a fantastic operating system.
Windows is widely used because most consumer level applications/appliances are compatible with it. OS X is beginning to grow through combination of growing list of compatibility and Apple’s decidedly hardware based approach (buy a Mac, and if it doesn’t work for you, run BootCamp. You still get to keep the pretty computer). Linux has neither, at least not right now.
If you show any middleschool kid in NYC Ubuntu and try to argue that it’s an inherently superior OS, they’ll scoff at you. In their mind Linux is considered as a cheap knockoff of Win and OS X, not the other way around.
George said:
Linux the best;)
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Jiri said:
Ubuntu works pretty good, it’s great, stable, . . . I love it.
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design said:
When the hell are people going to just realize that everyone is different. For some people, Windows works great for their needs. For some, OS X, for others, Linux. Just because YOU run Linux doesn’t make it the best OS, it makes it the best OS for YOU.
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Anx said:
No one knows about Ubuntu. Only the proud geeks and IT guys even know it exists. Regular people are very hesitant to get a linux computer and most don’t even know what a live cd is; much less burn the Ubuntu installer iso onto a cd. It’s horrible since the majority of people have no technological experience whatsoever; and are persuaded by Microshit’s Vista garbage simply because they have no idea what else to get!
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Hubert said:
You guys are a bunch of stupid fanboys, esp the author with his crown of shit. First of all, saying that Windows, MacOS and Linux are battling for the desktop market is like saying a ninja is having a hard time choosing between a katana, naginata and a toothpick. Linux desktop usershare is negligible, it’s not even worth mentioning. No one has really heard of it, and if they have, it’s shrouded in mystery as that obscure OS people from the Matrix use. I’ve been using Linux for 10+ years, I’ve hacked the kernel, written drivers, written both user and server applications for it, and I still think it’s a terrible operating system when it comes to setting up the most basic things people most often want, like printing (sure, sure, CUPS is an improvement, blah blah) and having a working video card, or even freaking sound that doesn’t lock up because not only are there 500 different sound servers for linux, but they all suck. For people who actually want to get shit done, it’s annoying and boring to have to sit there like some Gentoo ricer trying to tweak this or that config or having to scour, say, the Ubuntu forums for solutions (really, 90% of the questions that are actually relevant to getting a working system up and running go unresolved). Linux may be just dandy for server side applications, and it’s reasonable as a desktop OS, which I use myself, but to the user who cares more about doing X than kernel minor versions, or getting flash to talk to ALSA or tweaking his X configuration, it feels like passing a law in the European Union. In fact, for those comfortable rummaging around the garbage heap that is the OS, it is still incredibly annoying and a waste of time to have to go through the same boring routine just to get a new version working. Admittedly, Canonical has done a wonderful job making the Linux experience suck less, and part of the problem also lies with the unprofitably of supporting Linux with drivers, but there’s a long road ahead, and being a dumbass (“Beat’s me.”) about the myriad of crap that still makes it suck is so snotty and pretentious, it makes me want to punch you in the face. Does it honestly make you feel like a bigger man (or woman…honestly, I don’t know and don’t care, you sound like a whiny teenager who uses way too much hand lotion to me) to wave your 1337ness out in from of people? This post just seems awfully contrived, like you were trying to flaunt your pathetic existence in front of others. There really is no excuse for the kind of moronic crap that appears in this post.
john said:
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Brian said:
Think of it this way.
Linux is free to try. Burn a live CD and play around with it for a few hours here and there. You like it. Install it. You hate it, then go try another operating system.
The new ubuntu 9.04 is pretty awesome. I have loaded it up on a couple different computers and all the hardware works flawlessly with no problems whatsoever, so it’s worth the couple of hours to look into it.
Patina said:
I have just spent two weeks on a first-time Ubunta 9.04 install, I like Compiz on it but other than using it for internet usage, whenever I discover how to install a newer version of java on it….and this seems to go on and on.
I work on Mac using FCP, Logic and a bundle of other small apps to help my wokflow. Rarely do I have to tweak the system using terminal and I get work done. I have done nothing for two weeks except tweak, re-boot and re-start Ubuntu.
I would love to see a stable and usable Linux system out there but after the last two weeks I am no longer sure if I will even try Ardour and Cinerella as all I will be doing is solving computing problems and get no work done at all.
I will continue to use it possibly as some sort of office server, i.e. when I get wireless working on it….[sigh]
OS9 was way ahead of this in terms of workflow and usability.
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Sid said:
Wow, lot’s of crazy comments here.
My 60 years old mom and dad are using Ubuntu with no issues. They just need to use email, surfing the web, chat, watch youtube, watch DVD.
I myself a web developer, bought myself USD $200 2nd hand Dell laptop from auction site, bought extra RAM, installed Ubuntu 9.04, everything’s detected and working, the easiest OS installation ever.
No licensing to worry about, tons of free apps easily installable from nice synaptic GUI.
Sure there are nice things about OSX, but it is a locked in vendor just like Ms. Although some are genuinely awesome, most things about it are just hyped up.
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will said:
Snob value. I keep telling people that mac osx is *not* a “userfriendly” linux, along with all the benifits. Unless they are doing a lot of video editing, linux is the better choice. All I can guess is snob value.
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It almost seems too easy to point this out, but, well, Linux is free. Macs? Not so much–they’re even higher-priced than Windows machines, in fact.
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Karen Patrick said:
I have 2 Apple machines, neither of them has been upgraded to the latest version despite it being free, both have Linux dual-booting and I spend most of my time on the Linux side. I have no interest in the features being offered by OSX, it is now very creaky, it’s slower, it has an ancient filesystem, and is completely uncustomisable. It is by far the least interesting desktop OS on the market.
smoky quartz said:
They win countless applause because they wear leopard grain dresses and carry
leopard grain bags. Going back to China, sunglasses were in use here around 12thcentury.
Color television sets emit more EMF than do black and white sets, yet even the black and white TVs have been associated with 2.
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