Geek thread: Linux, Windows, Intel etc. (And no doubt, OSX).

[Steveb]

Now, even MS admit Vista is a total flop (there words, almost, not mine) so they're rushing out 7 (god help the early adopters on that one!) but many OEM's are saying hold on, 7 is a lot more expensive than Vista and, to paraphrase someone from Dell "In tough economic times, I think it's naive to believe that you can increase your prices on average and then still see a strong swell than if you held prices flat or even lowered them. I can tell you that the licensing tiers at retail are more expensive than they were for Vista.".

Unbuntu is now at version 9.04 and is very good even for non-geeks, and best of all free. More importantly it's starting to be talked about in the same breath as OSX and Vista/7 and is starting to be spec'd as standard on a few entry level machines from the big players.

Throw into the mix Intels whopping fine for bribery and the fact that Dell and others have no real loyalty to anyone other than their shareholders, is MS on the ropes? Are they going to be able to fight off the threat from a free OS that is becoming mainstream? Is OSX still the best option anyway? And ho is going to get the last word on this thread?

[ST Colin]

Steve, in laymens terms, what will a different OS do for me? I'm running XP Media Center edition, play the odd game, do a lot of photoshop work, and surf the web.

[mprules]

Linux is great , infact becoming one of my Favourite Os. (still behing osx but only because i can get at the terminal in Osx)

but its still not for the everyday user it has to be said


Colin:


If what you have at the minute works well for you , a new Os will be a right pain in the ass

[ST Colin]

So basically, if I started a new build, considering a different OS would be a good thing?

[mprules]

Yea, getting to grips with a new Os is never easy really each have there own little issues and faults that take time to get used too.

That said i do think MS have to watch out for the linux freee ideas.


Not sure how intel come into this

[beechill_banty]

Does anyone use VMWare much?

[jonnyboy]

I have a project in work that is going towords VM that I have to get to grips with. Hopefully it will be staright forward.

[beechill_banty]

it seems pretty handy to do work with, we've played with various linuxes, Mac, Solaris and Windows images - all works nicely. Its a handy way of keeping VPN client-related networking disruption off your core OS.

[jonnyboy]

What is it like with Active Directory? Making sure the PC's get their SSID's etc

[keyserni]

Now, even MS admit Vista is a total flop (there words, almost, not mine) so they're rushing out 7 (god help the early adopters on that one!) but many OEM's are saying hold on, 7 is a lot more expensive than Vista and, to paraphrase someone from Dell "In tough economic times, I think it's naive to believe that you can increase your prices on average and then still see a strong swell than if you held prices flat or even lowered them. I can tell you that the licensing tiers at retail are more expensive than they were for Vista.".

Unbuntu is now at version 9.04 and is very good even for non-geeks, and best of all free. More importantly it's starting to be talked about in the same breath as OSX and Vista/7 and is starting to be spec'd as standard on a few entry level machines from the big players.

Throw into the mix Intels whopping fine for bribery and the fact that Dell and others have no real loyalty to anyone other than their shareholders, is MS on the ropes? Are they going to be able to fight off the threat from a free OS that is becoming mainstream? Is OSX still the best option anyway? And ho is going to get the last word on this thread?

God almighty Steve did you even read this through? If you can call OSX an operating system then surely it's the most expensive of all, starts at only £499

[beechill_banty]

What is it like with Active Directory? Making sure the PC's get their SSID's etc
Ah, not sure about that JB, we don't touch Active Directory in here at all.

[Steveb]

God almighty Steve did you even read this through? If you can call OSX an operating system then surely it's the most expensive of all, starts at only £499

Course I read it, I wrote it!

£499.99? Really? You was robbed! (http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MC094Z/A?fnode=MTY1NDAzOA&mco=MzgxMTQxMA)

[keyserni]

Yea I'll just buy Leopard and stick it on my Dell will I.........em it doesn't seem to work Steve.

I can't use VM messes up all my Autodesk License files.

[Steveb]

Yea I'll just buy Leopard and stick it on my Dell will I.........em it doesn't seem to work Steve

And that's the fault of the OS?

[keyserni]

Yep. That's one of the reasons I don't count it as an OS. It's part of the Mac package I hear so much about which is why it works so well. Apple will always be against putting OSX on other machines because then it might actually have to admit that shock horror it isn't an untouchable behemoth that just works.

[ciaran-77]

Good point, you could put linux on your toaster.

[keyserni]

Good point, you could put linux on your toaster.

Or a wrist watch.

[Jonnyc]

Well the fact that Windows really can run 99% of the world's software natively means it has a stronghold.

I have tried Ubuntu, and yes while it is a nice os with some fancy graphics and works perfectly for surfing etc, once you start to run your fav Windows program or game you are into using Wine to create a Windows emulator and to be honest it only work well for a few programs. Yes of course there are freeware alternatives for loads of programs, but they basically aren't as good, leaving you in the position of going back to Windows.

OSX of course suffers in the same sense. I have a macbook pro and to play my favourite game "Day of Defeat" I need to use parallels or vmware, which do work better, but still are a hindrance.

Of course in either case you can dual boot with windows, but then again what is the point?

Every OS has it's audience and of course there are thousands of Linux users and OSX users who find their OS of choice all they ever dreamed of.

But for the majority of the world Windows still ticks all the boxes, because in reality, despite all the bad press, Windows does the job most of the time and that is good enough for most people

[chucky]

I'd say it would be fair to say that the vast majority of computer users (PC or MAC or whatever), want to be able to surf the internet, view the photos from their camera, possibly light video editing and a few other things.

They dont care how it does this, as long as it works reliably and the things they are after can be accessed easily.

[Steveb]

Agreed Chucky (and Danial, don't take the OSX reference too seriously, this is really about Linux and Windows, I just threw OSX in there for a laugh)) but they may start to care when the cost of the OS has serious ramifications on the price.

I like netbooks, got a eeepc soon to try a Dell Mini9. Now both of these are available with Windows or Linux. On the face of it the Linux machines are only a bit cheaper than XP, but if you look closesly, often the spec on the XP is lower, to off set the higher cost of the os. And thi is for XP, which as I understand it MS more or less give away for manus to put on netbook such is their fear of users discovering linux.

Now 7 is going up in price, reading around quite a lot. In these days of oems trying to keep prices as low as possible on new machines they won't have the margin to suck this extra cost up, so the machines will go up in price, again by quite a bit according to the likes of Dell etc.

Once this happens people might care what the OS is, if a linux based machine is considerably cheaper.

I agree that OSX can't be considered along with the others, it's why I never really included it (other than the glip comment, to get reaction ;-) ) BUT Linux could soon pose a threat to MS.

And yes, i have work to do but I'm bored and can't be bothered to do it.

[snowfun101]

I'd say it would be fair to say that the vast majority of computer users (PC or MAC or whatever), want to be able to surf the internet, view the photos from their camera, possibly light video editing and a few other things.

They dont care how it does this, as long as it works reliably and the things they are after can be accessed easily.

And to that point, it has to be said, that, in my opinion a mac is far far superior to any Windows machine!
Over the years I've used Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP Home, XP Professional and Vista.
I mainly use my machine for surfing the net (porn) and digital pictures (some slightly pornographic of an amateur nature), and I have to say, hand on heart, after getting a mac 18 months ago, I will never, ever go back to anything with Windows!

Its been said before, but its true, it just works!

[Steveb]

And to that point, it has to be said, that, in my opinion a mac is far far superior to any Windows machine!
Over the years I've used Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP Home, XP Professional and Vista.
I mainly use my machine for surfing the net (porn) and digital pictures (some slightly pornographic of an amateur nature), and I have to say, hand on heart, after getting a mac 18 months ago, I will never, ever go back to anything with Windows!

Its been said before, but its true, it just works!

There's porn on the net? ::yikes::

[ColB]

I had been running Windows 7 beta on my work machine for months and apart from the odd driver issue it was great, vast improvement over Vista in terms of performance etc, stuck the RC on last week ~ f**kin sh*te ~ to be perfectly honest, why oh why do MS get this consistently wrong, performance is much less that the beta version....I give up....give me OSx anyday of the week....

[chucky]

And to that point, it has to be said, that, in my opinion a mac is far far superior to any Windows machine!


Whether or not that is true:

If a differant (cheaper) machine can do the job equally as well (or as near as makes no differance) - People will go for the cheaper option.

As much as people may hate windows/osx (whatever)... They will all do the things i mentioned earlier more than happily.

Whatever is on special offer at pcworld, tesco, amazon (insert pc shop of choice) - This is the os that people will buy.

[keyserni]

In reality the only reason that OSX is so well represented isn't because it has a large Market share it's because macs appeal to mostly young computer savvy males you just also happen to be the most out spoken people on the Internet. Now as I type this on my iPhone waiting to go back home to my mbp with external display apple keyboard and mighty mouse to back up files to my time capsule while I drink an iced chocolate latte and contemplate writing my book if I was given the choice between osx and windows and could only pick one then as much as it pains me to say it.... It would be windows. Ignore the grammar fecking iPhone!

[jimjam]

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff175/DustDevil75/Motivational%20Posters/Meh.jpg

To the power of whatever....X 10000.