[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrBenway /img/forum/go_quote.gif I do keep a Ubuntu live disk handy for certain uses. It's a great disaster recovery tool, in my opinion. With a thumb drive mounted, I can use Ubuntu to go online and download any files I may need for recovery. This totally saved my bacon about six months ago.

I've used this live disc many times to help friends and family who have fubar'd their systems. 9/10 I was able to save their system without a reformat. Hopefully MS will provide a live disc in the future or with "7"

 

[BigFNDeal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanth /img/forum/go_quote.gif Whoa there. I think you are getting a tad bit too defensive in this thread. 1) thankfully not all children are drones to video games. Heck, thankfully not all adults are either. Perhaps his children enjoy other things besides video games. Save for very specialized apps and up to the minute game support, Linux and OS X demolish any MS OS period. This is for security, stability and ease of use. So, if games are not an issue, kudos to his family who can enjoy stability, and PLENTY of free games not to mention a handful of decent linux ports. Of course, it is possible to VM some games but whatever. 2) Linux, depending on the distro is much easier to install than Windows. For XP, one needs to install, then one needs to download a ton of updates (like SP2 for instance) then they have to install anti-viral suites, anti-malware suites and a firewall just to be safe going online. But wait! for the most part, the only way to get SP2 for most folks is to....yep! Go online. With Ubuntu, one places the disc in the driver, choose default partition sizes, press a few "enter" keys and done. Safe and ready to use. With OS X this is even easier but unfair to compare since it always comes with MAC hardware and it mated perfectly for it. Anyone installing OS X on non-Apple hardware is outside the norm and therefore outside the scope of this argument. As for the Apple screwing their customers with regards to modifying/upgrading...you are seriously misinformed. Sure, the "Mini" may be a closed system, but when you proselytize on and on about your home brew box and your gaming OS you have to understand that 99% of people in this world don't go inside their system and if they need to "upgrade" they take it into a service centre where the techs do the work. Can a Mini be upgraded through Apple? Regarding ram...sure. Same with their notebooks. However, if you want Apples to Apples (heh, pun intended) then you really need to focus on the MacPro you know..their desktop/workstation PC? The one with the big tower, easily opened, easily upgraded, HD...gfx card...ram...now CPU...yep, all that easy easy. Folks are decently chiming in regarding what they are using and why and so far it has remained civil, but if you continue to antagonize folks, this thread will derail and will get locked. Differing opinions are important, you might not agree but let's stay away from ad hominems.

Some of what you say is true, but alot of it I disagree with. I am currently using Ubuntu, XP, Vista 32 and 2000Pro as I said earlier, and by far the most difficult to get working is Ubuntu. In Windows you install things, they work. In Ubuntu apps that are not in the app manager are harder than pulling teeth to install. (Try to get Thunderbird 2.0 working on Feisty Fawn for instance!) Also the drivers are another nightmare. I have to use some ridiculously old nvidia driver because the card in my old laptop isn't supported in anything past 96 somthing, so I had to install the drivers in some alternate way which I can never remember what its called. In XP or 2000, I wouldn't have had to install drivers likely, it would have just worked.

Again, I continue to say that everyone is unique with their own experiences and likes and dislikes. To each their own. What works for you is cool, I don't down anyone for using anything, as long as we all respect each other's choices it's all good!

 

[gugi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maarek99 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I disagree. Mouse support is bad. They have mouse acceleration enabled always and turning it off is... a bit difficult, if not impossible. Hate it.

You are right

I use IBM model M keyboard made in 1994 and logitech 610 mouse with third party drivers.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFNDeal /img/forum/go_quote.gif Some of what you say is true, but alot of it I disagree with. I am currently using Ubuntu, XP, Vista 32 and 2000Pro as I said earlier, and by far the most difficult to get working is Ubuntu. In Windows you install things, they work. In Ubuntu apps that are not in the app manager are harder than pulling teeth to install. (Try to get Thunderbird 2.0 working on Feisty Fawn for instance!) Also the drivers are another nightmare. I have to use some ridiculously old nvidia driver because the card in my old laptop isn't supported in anything past 96 somthing, so I had to install the drivers in some alternate way which I can never remember what its called. In XP or 2000, I wouldn't have had to install drivers likely, it would have just worked.

This is distinct from what Gatticus posted though. He mentioned installing the OS specifically. 3rd party apps are something entirely different. However, I agree with you regarding 3rd party apps for this...in many ways, although Ubuntu is the best at it it would seem, driver support is still shakey for non-standard stuff and this is directly due to manufacturers not producing drivers for Linux.

Quote:

Again, I continue to say that everyone is unique with their own experiences and likes and dislikes. To each their own. What works for you is cool, I don't down anyone for using anything, as long as we all respect each other's choices it's all good!

I agree to a point. If we place using one's computer on a moral high ground, then FOSS or at least OSS is the only way to fly to ensure that we are not getting screwed by some corporation. If I can see the code I know what they are doing. If I can't I'm at their mercy.

 

[LowPhreak]

Zanth is right about installing XP/Win. Is nothing but a giant PITA every time you need to wipe a HD and re-install, and guess what! It's Winders so you will be re-formatting sooner or later b/c something always goes **** up. Probably many more times than you'd like or ever expected!

Which is why I say Vista is a (not very funny) joke. You would think that after all this time and billions of $$ made that M$ would have evolved to an OS that's twice as good as everything out there. But no, you still have a bloated, buggy piece of crap that forces you into yet more/constant component upgrades and an endless learning/frustration curve.

I'll give them one thing: almost anything M$ makes is good for the PC vendors - kind of job security for them. Keep using Win and keep "needing" upgrades.

It's no wonder that Macs hold their resale value much better than Winboxen.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LowPhreak /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's no wonder that Macs hold their resale value much better than Winboxen.

This is a solid reason to buy Mac. I've purchased 2 Apple computers. The first was a used Powerbook Titanium that a generous Head-fier let me have for steal and last summer I donated that one to my wife and picked up a Macbook Pro.

when I looked on Ebay to see what the going rate of the Powerbook was, I was amazed that having owned this for 3 years, it was still worth what I had paid for it.

Now, of the dozen or so PC's I've purchased all have been donated to friends in need. If I would have tried to sell them I would have received next to nothing for them. I don't know if Apple's desktop/workstations retain their value as well as their laptops do, but WOW, knowing I can sell my laptop for 70% of what I paid for it, if not more is pretty enticing. It makes upgrading seem a bit more sane (when I like to upgrade ever 12-18 months ideally)

 

[LowPhreak]

Oh yes, most Mac towers/desktops/iMacs fetch good prices still, while equivalent Winboxen are innerweb/word processing slaves, or landfill.

 

[Zanth]

If it was not for the fact that I like building my own desktop/workstation I would definitely look into getting a MacPro, but for the time being at least, I'll continue to save a bit and use Ubuntu for home use.

 

[epaludo]

Vista here. I'm happy for now ...

 

[nelamvr6]

I'm running Linix Mint 3.0 (Cassandra) and I LOVE it!

If I could get some support for linux drivers for my sound card from E-Mu then I would totally erase Windows from my hard drive!

 

[thebob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanth /img/forum/go_quote.gif If it was not for the fact that I like building my own desktop/workstation I would definitely look into getting a MacPro, but for the time being at least, I'll continue to save a bit and use Ubuntu for home use.

In a couple of years time MacPros are gonna be the used computer of choice, as the cost of CoreQuad chips come down, up graded MacPros will be the best value option.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebob /img/forum/go_quote.gif In a couple of years time MacPros are gonna be the used computer of choice, as the cost of CoreQuad chips come down, up graded MacPros will be the best value option.

Good advice! I'm eying a new workstation but it's more lusting vs. actual need. Sure extra cycles are always welcome but my present dual core is fast enough to get the job done nearly instantly for most things. However, as I get more and more into video editing (digital footage of my kids etc) I wouldn't mind the extra cores. Even now I find my AMD cpu is less capable at photo editing than the Intel dual core of my Macbook Pro.

 

[sghound]

was using vista but now upgraded to xp pro.

 

[CarbonTi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LowPhreak /img/forum/go_quote.gif Which is why I say Vista is a (not very funny) joke. You would think that after all this time and billions of $$ made that M$ would have evolved to an OS that's twice as good as everything out there. But no, you still have a bloated, buggy piece of crap that forces you into yet more/constant component upgrades and an endless learning/frustration curve.

Ain't it da truth.

This is the standard MSFT business practice. It has existed in this manner , i.e. of each new generation OS driving a new hardware upgrade cycle, for as long as MSFT has been putting out Windows-branded OSes. So you gotta upgrade to high horsepower hardware to run a bloated Vista which gives pretty much the same performance as before?!?! I don't get it. The only way they get away with this crap is they know their users own inertia and comfort with "the devil they know".

OK, on a positive note: As the kids computers still run MSFT XP, Linux for them would be too much work for me - kids want mainstream computing with all the games, flash, bells and whistles. I have taken to Ghosting the OS partition after doing a clean install. Find an earlier copy of Norton Ghost or PowerQuest Drive Image and back it up. XP is pretty stable but in MSFT-world contagion is always just one click away.

I like the comment about FOSS or OSS as moral high ground - indeed the mere idea that MSFT uses computers owned and paid for by their customers as an adjunct channel for their business model is repugnant. Staying clear of this alone is reason enough for me to use Linux.

 

[Gatsu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatticus /img/forum/go_quote.gif And what if one prefers to use the superior coax digital? Using ASIO in windows to bypass Kmixer is not rocket science either.

If you wanted to use coax, then you would either want to go with a tower type mac pro that you can install a PCI card into, or maybe go with a USB/Firewire -> S/PDIF interface. There are lots of optical ones around so I assume you can find a coax one somewhere.

You do realise that Coax S/PDIF and Toslink S/PDIF are exactly the same standard, just different transmission media?
Coax is only better than optical if you have long distances to go or tight turns. If you are worried about ground loops or interference then optical is the better one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPDIF

As for ASIO Vs Core Audio, one of the advantages of Core Audio is that it is default. No setup required, no odd drivers or obscure configuration panels.
If you are thoroughly sick and tired of having to mess around with your computer for 30 minutes just to do something that should take 5 minutes or less, then a Mac is more for you.