[wuug-list] [wuug-forum] strangeseraph: Re: Introductions

[Xavier Spriet]

Hey Matt,

I'm not personally a Mac user, but I work with some people that swear by 
it. For most people, it seems that the OSX desktop paradigm as well as 
the polish of the user interface for every Mac app out there is simply 
beyond what could possibly be achieved with windows, and what would take 
a phenomenal amount of hacking around a linux box to accomplish.

In terms of interoperability, I disagree with your statement... It's 
very difficult to find a popular app that doesn't offer a mac port, or a 
popular device that doesn't have a Mac driver.
Even Microsoft Office is supported on Mac, and with Parallel, you can 
run any Windows app in its own light-weight VM, so you actually get the 
best of both worlds.

I'm also told the hardware/software combination offers excellent 
performance. I've seen windows apps run on a Mac and they were running 
just as fast as on a native Windows install.

Also since you like to "get under the hood" of your OS, you should know 
that OSX is BSD-based, with a full terminal available, and using fink 
you can also install several Linux apps, although some graphical apps 
require that you launch an X server on top of your OS, which, 
performance-wise isn't such a great idea.

Either way, you have an OS that can run Mac, Windows and Linux apps 
pretty seamlessly, in a desktop paradigm that is supposedly second to 
none, so if you have the money to spend on it, why not?

Since I don't have any money to spend on hardware/software upgrades, I'm 
personally extremely happy with my linux installs, so I won't be using a 
Mac for a little while.


Xav

Matthew Johnston wrote:
> I have a question for the group.  This might come-off as Mac-bashing 
> but it is not.  I am just curious.
>
> I know that the applications for video and audio production are superb 
> and second to none on the Mac platform, so I am not talking about that 
> segment of the population.
>
> Why would anybody want to buy a Mac? Or even moreso a Mac laptop?
>
> The parts are not easily upgradeable. 
> They seem designed more as a fashion statement then a tool. 
> You have a price-premium over generic PC parts.
> There are fewer apps available for Mac then Windows.
> In an office environment the Mac does not integrate as well/easy as 
> Windows in an Active-directory network.
> Why would you pay-more to get less?
> I have heard that it is easier for somebody who has never used a 
> computer before to "get-things-done" on a Mac but I don't believe 
> that; I have had a hard time just trying to find the power-button on 
> some Macs.
>
> I am very-much a "Use the right tool for the job!" kind of guy, and 
> aside from the above-mentioned audio-video portion, I cannot think of 
> any good uses for a Mac.  I use Linux as my workstation, Linux & BSD's 
> on my firewalls, Linux and Windows on my servers (depending on their 
> role), so as you can see I am not married to one OS.
>
> I just don't get it.  Part of my problem is that part of me wants to 
> buy a Macbook Pro, and I cannot shake feeling.
> I like to 'get under the hood' of my Operating systems.  I use 
> Fluxbox, I like to hack away at little linux apps/programs, I like to 
> get my hands dirty.  I think that is why I dislike Macs in the first 
> place.  They make it so hard to even get at the good stuff.
>
> Please educate me.
>