PCs and Macs

[jrgp]

Not everyone is a true gamer. To be completely honest, video games are a complete waste of time and don't benefit anyone at all, except for their designers who get rich off of the popular ones. In my opinion, people who buy those high-end ultra performance gaming "rigs" for $1000+ are just morons wasting their life and money away.

Then all of your interests and hobbies are a waste of time as well.

Not necessarily. My hobbies earn me a crapload of experience in computer science and software development, which are the careers I plan on going into. The people I was reffereing to are those who just buy a bunch of games and play them all day long, not modding/mapping them or interacting with their surrounding communities.

[iDante]

To be completely honest, video games are a complete waste of time and don't benefit anyone at all, except for their designers who get rich off of the popular ones. In my opinion, people who buy those high-end ultra performance gaming "rigs" for $1000+ are just morons wasting their life and money away.

I'm sorry, where are we again? I'm going to ignore this statement because everything else you said is true.

Here's a scale of computer-ease-of-use-ness:
At the bottom we have OS X. My school system has used them for a loooong time. In fact I'm writing this on a macbook (running ubuntu...still a nice computer though) Good for people who are just getting started with computers, or are using them simply for school. They are easy to use, reliable, and very intuitive.

In the middle is Windows. A little more difficult to use, but still pretty intuitive. Good for gamers and people who know how to work computers better than the mac people. Major downside to Windows is the virii that infest them.

At the top is Linux. Normal computer-users shouldn't use it unless you REALLY like computers (like me!;)). Developers absolutely need experience in linux stuff.

And thar is my unbiased look at computers.

[Brock]

Not everyone is a true gamer. To be completely honest, video games are a complete waste of time and don't benefit anyone at all, except for their designers who get rich off of the popular ones. In my opinion, people who buy those high-end ultra performance gaming "rigs" for $1000+ are just morons wasting their life and money away.

Then all of your interests and hobbies are a waste of time as well.

Not necessarily. My hobbies earn me a crapload of experience in computer science and software development, which are the careers I plan on going into. The people I was reffereing to are those who just buy a bunch of games and play them all day long, not modding/mapping them or interacting with their surrounding communities.

Doesn't matter.  If people like do to something, they can like it.  People have a right to like something no matter how much you may dislike it.

So if you're gonna judge people and say it's a waste, then the same could be said about you...


Anyways...

I think iDante has got it down pat...  Although I disagree about the virus thing.

And what makes Linux so special anyways?  I've never understood it

[iDante]

And what makes Linux so special anyways?  I've never understood it

Much better to develop software on. Also much better to run servers on.
Though lately a lot of distros (especially ubuntu) have been adding stuff to make computers easier to use.

[Blue-ninja]

Mapping isn't a complete waste of time? Sorry, I'm being a hypocrite here, but whaaaaaaa?

If it really isn't a complete waste of time, I'd like to get paid!

That post of yours kinda sounded pretty biased, instead of from experience, whereas people with XP are most likely people who have wasted their lives and jobs making a expensive gaming rig capable of playing Crysis. My school is packed with those Mac/Linux computers and they just received a new box of Macbooks, but I don't like any of them for some reason. Graphics-wise and system-wise. The OS is pretty strange. I'm not completely familiar with XP by this time (haven't mastered the art of using DOS!), but the OS's on these computers are completely unfamiliar. I'm pretty sure that by the third year I've went to that school, they'd have grown on me, but no...

[a-4-year-old]

Windows will always be the most popular, versatile, compatible and supported operating system available. Cast aside your pretentious grudges you meaninglessly hold against Microsoft simply for being successful.

You can't say that. No company ever has the market share forever. Just wait until Microsoft goes bankrupt, not going to happen any time soon the government splits them up for being a monopoly, only going to happen when the idiots at Apple ruin their company (again) or their current users switch to other operating systems. Not going to linux, thats for sure Since a few years ago, their slowly losing their marketshare at a steady rate.no they haven't, until our recent recession they were doing quite well.

Linux kind of sucks, its pretty useless when you compare it to a windows PC.

It has some programs to do your basic office work, but as a gaming computer its even more unreliable than macs are and linux distros have awful interfaces. Command prompt sucks, if it was any good nobody would use a GUI and microsoft.

If you use a mac you're missing out on playing games, unless you dual boot, in which case you wasted your money buying a mac in the first place.

Not everyone is a true gamer. To be completely honest, video games are a complete waste of time and don't benefit anyone at all, except for their designers who get rich off of the popular ones. In my opinion, people who buy those high-end ultra performance gaming "rigs" for $1000+ are just morons wasting their life and money away. you don't have to be a hardcore freak that spills all their money into computers to appreciate videogames, which you simply can't play very well on linux, even running wine. On no other operating system can you launch a game with near absolute certainty it will run.

And about Linux having awful interfaces, they certainly used to but don't anymore. With each Ubuntu (and other distros) release they get better and better. And when it comes to special effects, neither Macs or Vista can come anywhere close to doing what Beryl/Compiz can do. About the command line, using it instead of going through dozens of menus to perform a certain low-level task or change a system setting is much easier and more efficient and with newer desktop versions of Linux, more and more gui front ends to command line apps are showing up eliminating the need for most people to use the CLI at all. from what I see all they have done is try to copy Windows and fail. Command prompt wouldn't be more productive if linux distros had a capable interface to begin with. Right out of the box even the shinnyest distros are useless to the average user, because the average user cannot use a command prompt without looking up the exact keystrokes to use. Linux is useless for the average person and silly for anyone to even bother with.

As for my Macs, they're great. They completely blow Windows out of the water and can do everything Windows can (with the exception of most games) betterNot really, windows runs the same programs and more, meaning way more alternatives to shitty programs (like itunes) and programs that do more specialized things. They are a billion times more visually appealing and don't require a a multitude of the extra programs Windows requires (Antivirus apps, firewalls, drive defragmenters, etc) Navigating confusing menus and awful interfaces negate whatever stylish beauty you find attractive in a ludicrously overpriced computer, which just a few paragraphs ago you said it was a waste of money to buy a computer that costs over $1000. As a matter of fact, what Windows has evolved into is not what Microsoft's original goals for it were. This kind of backwards logic is silly, rifles were never meant to have scopes on them either. From the beginning, Windows was never designed for internet and multi-user environments Windows was made when the internet was a science experiment (MS's just glued them into it half-assed over the years) and the NTFS filesystem as a worthless, inefficient, unreliable piece of crap compared to Mac's HFS+ and Linux's ext3. The filesystems Macs and Linux use never need to be defragmented because they were designed to avoid fragmentation from the start. Oh god, fragmenting is so horrible! I was busy watching Monte python's flying circus I didn't even noticed I had already taken care of that. Jeeps have used essentially the same engine for the almost 20 years now, yes it is indeed outdated but that does not detract much from its overall functionality and compatibility

See bold.

[jettlarue]

I love it how people that have most likely never gained enough experience to fully utilize an os are talking about how shitty they are. Linux is by far the best kernel, although software choice is what most people think of and for gui it may be lacking behind for a couple things. Although beryl is quite sweet. I'm very sad on this computer it has to be either window$ or mac because I am missing a specific linux driver for my wireless.

[ds dude]

I can't believe there was such an argument as this.  Macs will be macs, and PC's will be PC's.  Each computer has basically everything, Macs do what PC's do, and PC's do what Mac's do.  The only difference I see is the OS, and there's nothing really different about it...

I personally use Windows/Linux.  Just because Linux is too fecking cool, and there's so many possibilities.

[Smegma]

from what I see all they have done is try to copy Windows and fail. Command prompt wouldn't be more productive if linux distros had a capable interface to begin with. Right out of the box even the shinnyest distros are useless to the average user, because the average user cannot use a command prompt without looking up the exact keystrokes to use. Linux is useless for the average person and silly for anyone to even bother with.

I'm going to assume an average computer user is an average person. Setting up ubuntu, any average user can do. You dont HAVE to use the command line if you dont wish and are just using it for basic computing needs. Plus, an average computer user should be able to search google for simple instructions telling you how to use a simple command if they ever need too.

This kind of backwards logic is silly, rifles were never meant to have scopes on them either.

Designing a unit to fit a need of a system that already works, isn't what they did. Its like putting the scope into the butt of the rifle. This kind of backwards logic is silly.

Oh god, fragmenting is so horrible! I was busy watching Monte python's flying circus I didn't even noticed I had already taken care of that. Jeeps have used essentially the same engine for the almost 20 years now, yes it is indeed outdated but that does not detract much from its overall functionality and compatibility

Not playing games isn't that horrible, so are all the cons of linux.

Navigating confusing menus and awful interfaces negate whatever stylish beauty you find attractive in a ludicrously overpriced computer, which just a few paragraphs ago you said it was a waste of money to buy a computer that costs over $1000.

The menus are NOT confusing. They are merely different from windows. If you get linux and think you'll have a start button and a C:\, it doesn't take long to realize you don't. It also doesn't take long to understand the menus.

[JupiterShadow]

I mean, Anyone who uses a mac is either a racist or a teacher. My social studies teacher had one of those macbooks that costs more than her car. I asked her why she got one, she replied "It matches my ipod." Like a week later she dropped it on her way to the teachers resource room. Lol wut.

I didn't like linux, I had trouble installing my video and sound drivers on ubuntu. So I asked on the ubuntu forums. They said to me" Oh first you create a root password then disable xserver. open up a teriminal and type, C:\hfiwahfgiahfisgsiefisefesgsehfieswifwsafwa and click enter, you should be able to see a blue screen labeled administrative root. Then type fkdshfgkdggslgeslfhsbdsf and click enter. After that restart your computer. You should be able to install your drivers now. *Restarts computer* "Windows could not find chkl.dll"

I also had many troubles with vista ultimate. I kept getting BSODs or my screen suddenly shows really weird colours. I figured my old video drivers had problems running on vista so I downloaded the latest version and it still had problems. For some reason I had poorer game performance on vista than on xp (Crysis on vista had a mere 15fps loss.)

Above all, I perfer using SkyOS. 

[Zero72]

Linux is by far the best kernel, although software choice is what most people think of...

This friend of mine who bought a Mac more recently, before that, went to Linux for a little while. Here's what we'd like to know: You might have the most stable operating system existent, and that's all good and well, but what is the point if there's nothing to run on it?

[iDante]

This friend of mine who bought a Mac more recently, before that, went to Linux for a little while. Here's what we'd like to know: You might have the most stable operating system existent, and that's all good and well, but what is the point if there's nothing to run on it?

Welcome to the Ubuntu repositories. Pick your favorite distro (go with hardy if unsure). All of the everything in here is accessible via a command from terminal (apt-get), synaptics package manager, or by downloading from here. I've been using Linux almost all year now and haven't run into a single thing that I couldn't find a substitute for (I'll admit I haven't been doing much more than schoolwork though).

[jrgp]

Linux is by far the best kernel, although software choice is what most people think of...

This friend of mine who bought a Mac more recently, before that, went to Linux for a little while. Here's what we'd like to know: You might have the most stable operating system existent, and that's all good and well, but what is the point if there's nothing to run on it?

There are literally tens of thousands of free apps that are better than their windows equivalents, and a lot don't and have features you can only use on Linux, avaible in the APT repositories. And if that's not good enough for you, checkout http://freshmeat.net/. There you'll find the source code (can be easily downloaded and compiled into the actual usable program) to thousands of more free apps.

[PANZERCATWAGON]

i like the fact that i havent paid for anything on ubuntu

operating system
software
updates

apparently you can get free repairs too

life is good

[Slashnoob]

i care so little about linux etc, i know nothing about them. so i've got a question - say i just bought a game fresh out of the store, what are the chances that i won't be able to run it, if it didn't already come with a linux version?

[Chakra]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ixQE496Pcn8

PC vs Mac debate from the early 90's.... some things don't really change.

[a-4-year-old]

from what I see all they have done is try to copy Windows and fail. Command prompt wouldn't be more productive if linux distros had a capable interface to begin with. Right out of the box even the shinnyest distros are useless to the average user, because the average user cannot use a command prompt without looking up the exact keystrokes to use. Linux is useless for the average person and silly for anyone to even bother with.

I'm going to assume an average computer user is an average person. Setting up ubuntu, any average user can do. You dont HAVE to use the command line if you dont wish and are just using it for basic computing needs. Plus, an average computer user should be able to search google for simple instructions telling you how to use a simple command if they ever need too.

They're going to need VLC to play DVD's, even though they probably don't know what VLC is. They're going to need WINE to use the programs they liked to use before linux (like tax programs) and they're going to need to fix drivers or get drivers for printers, scanners, webcams, wireless cards ect. They are going to have to use the command prompt, and going to google and looking it up does work, but its not as efficient as using the GUI to do it intuitively.

Expanding the abilities of an operating system? Thats crazy!

[chutem]

Ubuntu is already off on the wrong foot with me.

My friend gave me the cd so I could see what it was like. It looked like poo. Everything was scaled horribly, and I couldn't even shut down ubuntu without pressing the button on my cpu, just because I have a 1440*900 monitor and all the buttons were off the screen. And to fix everything I would have to go into some menu which is somewhere by the power buttons. Gay. Vista knows how to fit poo to my screen, why can't linux? I probably would use it if it worked.

[jrgp]

from what I see all they have done is try to copy Windows and fail. Command prompt wouldn't be more productive if linux distros had a capable interface to begin with. Right out of the box even the shinnyest distros are useless to the average user, because the average user cannot use a command prompt without looking up the exact keystrokes to use. Linux is useless for the average person and silly for anyone to even bother with.

I'm going to assume an average computer user is an average person. Setting up ubuntu, any average user can do. You dont HAVE to use the command line if you dont wish and are just using it for basic computing needs. Plus, an average computer user should be able to search google for simple instructions telling you how to use a simple command if they ever need too.

They're going to need VLC to play DVD's, even though they probably don't know what VLC is. They're going to need WINE to use the programs they liked to use before linux (like tax programs) and they're going to need to fix drivers or get drivers for printers, scanners, webcams, wireless cards ect. They are going to have to use the command prompt, and going to google and looking it up does work, but its not as efficient as using the GUI to do it intuitively.

You're all wrong. Most of the hardware you mentioned works fine with linux out of the box. When I got my new logitech webcam, I plugged it in. It was detected and worked perfectly without ANY configuration whatsoever. The same goes for modern wireless cards, printers, and scanners. Why don't you actually try using a modern version of Ubuntu and stop quoting the past. All you're doing is deliberately making Linux look bad when it clearly isn't.

Ubuntu is already off on the wrong foot with me.

My friend gave me the cd so I could see what it was like. It looked like poo. Everything was scaled horribly, and I couldn't even shut down ubuntu without pressing the button on my cpu, just because I have a 1440*900 monitor and all the buttons were off the screen. And to fix everything I would have to go into some menu which is somewhere by the power buttons. Gay. Vista knows how to fit poo to my screen, why can't linux? I probably would use it if it worked.

It's your monitor/video card. For me it works right off the Live CD perfectly on the vast majority of the computers I've tried/installed it on.

[a-4-year-old]

from what I see all they have done is try to copy Windows and fail. Command prompt wouldn't be more productive if linux distros had a capable interface to begin with. Right out of the box even the shinnyest distros are useless to the average user, because the average user cannot use a command prompt without looking up the exact keystrokes to use. Linux is useless for the average person and silly for anyone to even bother with.

I'm going to assume an average computer user is an average person. Setting up ubuntu, any average user can do. You dont HAVE to use the command line if you dont wish and are just using it for basic computing needs. Plus, an average computer user should be able to search google for simple instructions telling you how to use a simple command if they ever need too.

They're going to need VLC to play DVD's, even though they probably don't know what VLC is. They're going to need WINE to use the programs they liked to use before linux (like tax programs) and they're going to need to fix drivers or get drivers for printers, scanners, webcams, wireless cards ect. They are going to have to use the command prompt, and going to google and looking it up does work, but its not as efficient as using the GUI to do it intuitively.

You're all wrong. Most of the hardware you mentioned works fine with linux out of the box. When I got my new logitech webcam, I plugged it in. It was detected and worked perfectly without ANY configuration whatsoever. The same goes for modern wireless cards, printers, and scanners. Why don't you actually try using a modern version of Ubuntu and stop quoting the past. All you're doing is deliberately making Linux look bad when it clearly isn't.

If things have changed since a month ago I'm sorry. None of mine worked out of the box, none were detected and theres no help on the forum. The printer was detected but didn't use all its features.

Linux is proof that open source failed.