Mac vs. PC vs. Linux

[Psyko]

Discuss.

[Der Feind]

PC, suck it MAC

[MEZZANINE]

Mac is meant to be superior to PCs in home use, maybe it is but the price is way higher, you have to pay all at once and upgrading seems to mean replacing the whole thing. You need money for this.

PCs are cheap and any idiot can chop/change/upgrade bits, you can start with a base model and slowly build it up buying bits as and when you can afford to. For most people this will always be first or only choice.

Linux is also meant to be superior to PC or MAC but only if you have the knowledge to get the most out of it. Seems to be used mostly for business platforms, or by programmers and extreme geeks.

[Kit-Fox]

*Misnomer Alert*

PC = Personal Computer & has nothing to do with the software or operating system run upon it, it simply refers to a specific type of computer hardware, most notably the IBM/AT.

Mac = Macintosh, again a referral to hardware, NOT software! It is or perhaps more accurately was a different type of hardware base to that of PCs based upon that IBM/AT design.

Linux is a referral to a specific type of operating system NOT hardware, that can with the correct amount of knowledge & skill be run on any sort of computer device across the world. Of course Linux is availabe in a myriad of flavours, so simply saying Linux really isnt enough anymore.

So perhaps a clarification is in order, are we talking about software or hardware?

If we are talking about Hardware then the comparison would more accurately be

Cisc Architecture Vs Risc Architecture

However if you Mean Operating system software then it would be

Microsoft Vs MacOS Vs All flavours currently available of Linux

Can the OP please clarify

[Baxter]

if its about Operating Systems, then surely linux has already won
with so many distros (all of which are 100% FREE) linux suits everyone and anyone
plus, with the infinite value-for-money, nothing can compare

[renegadze]

if its about Operating Systems, then surely linux has already won
with so many distros (all of which are 100% FREE) linux suits everyone and anyone
plus, with the infinite value-for-money, nothing can compare

I think as already said, Linux, while being potentially very powerful, does take some knowledge\skill to get anything out of it.

I personally find the MacOS very useful when it comes to design, and would imagine a lot of design companies would use them.

Windows - although a lot of us have annoyances with it, has become such a common sight, it means more or less anyone can sit at a Windows OS and be surfing the internet\creating docs etc with very little help

(Although I work in IT, and even that very little help can sometimes means many support calls lol)

[Baxter]

im running a distro of linux right now (kubuntu)
dual booting with vista (eww vista)
most software that i have will run on linux anyway, so i rarely need windows
its much less resource-intensive too (which is good on an aging laptop)

[KnowLedge]

just use whatever you want to use.
everything has different function.

Linux is good for ultra geek kids who are into computers and who have tons of time to custamize the OS.

MAC is perfect for those that are into to entertainment (music, movies, Sound) and especially perfect for those that are into the industry.

PC is for those of you that use their computer every day, you can do any of the above things just not as well. But who cares for everyday users? THUS only the smartest use PC. everything is done for you so you dont waste extra time with anything. THUS if you are smart--> dont waste time with mac or linux and buy a PC.

I am smart.

[Londo Mollari]

just use whatever you want to use.
everything has different function.

Linux is good for ultra geek kids who are into computers and who have tons of time to custamize the OS.

MAC is perfect for those that are into to entertainment (music, movies, Sound) and especially perfect for those that are into the industry.

PC is for those of you that use their computer every day, you can do any of the above things just not as well. But who cares for everyday users? THUS only the smartest use PC. everything is done for you so you dont waste extra time with anything. THUS if you are smart--> dont waste time with mac or linux and buy a PC.

I am smart.

yup, all 3 operating systems have their own pro's and con's, and tbh cannot be easily compared

you want security, use linux...but you have to know what your doing

you want to use multimedia, use MacOS

you want an OS which you can use to play games on...windows hands down

[Psyko]

The OP will now clarify.

Given the three options posted, I thought it was obvious I was talking about Operating Systems as that is the only thing that links the three together. However, you are correct in that all of it is one giant misnomer.

But since people have also brought up the hardware, how about we discuss that as well?

Personally, I feel each OS has its own pros and cons. You can get more detailed by arguing SnowLeopard vs. Leopard vs. Tiger if you want; it's a debate thread related to the three choices of OS and it is allowed to evolve with the topic. Or you can debate whether or not Vista has any good qualities.

I left this topic open because everyone has their own opinions about everything, and I have not come across a single person who can argue OS without bringing hardware into it, or comparing one OS from a specific company with another one.

As a person who fixes computers for a living, I have seen the good and the bad of all sides (mostly just Windows and Mac since most users are too scared to attempt a form of Linux). I love the fact that Macs are not attacked by viruses anywhere near as badly as a Windows OS; I have spent far too many hours trying to dig a virus out of a computer, and sadly even more hours wiping the hard drive and re-imaging it because there is no other way. I prefer to swap out parts in a Mac desktop than any of the usual PC desktops on the market (HP/Toshiba/Dell/Acer/Gateway/Sony/etc) because it is so much cleaner and faster to get things in and out. Laptops all depend on make/model on how easy it is to swap out hardware. HP is probably the easiest of all the PCs I have dealt with. Mac tends to require you unscrew everything to get to the one part you are after. It's all about preference, and sometimes that changes for me depending on my mood for the day.

I hate Vista. You couldn't pay me to install that on any machine I run. I am tired of Windows releasing **Filtered** OS just so they can compete in the market; if they want to compete, they should perfect the product. 7 is much better, but I have yet to switch from XP to 7 simply because I see no need. It will happen in the next 2 years, though. But it doesn't matter what Windows OS I use, I will always have to deal with **Filtered** Internet Explorer being on my system and that tends to irk the hell out of me.

I love SnowLeopard. I dual boot my MacBook Pro (which I bought so I could learn Mac OS for my job) with SnowLeopard and XP. It's clean, user friendly, and allows for customization. Windows 7 now allows you to do some of the same.

Linux I have very little experience with. I have only vague recall of any of it. So I have little opinion on the pros and cons of such Operating Systems.

I dislike the prejudice between people who use a Mac vs. those who run PCs, or the people who rant and rave about Linux over every other kind of OS on the market. You like what you like. Mac users will buy Mac and Windows users will buy Windows, and people who think they are skilled enough, or just tired of all the BS, will use Linux. I use a Mac now - my first ever - and I will probably buy an HP laptop somewhere in the next 5 years and keep this Mac and simply upgrade as needed.

It does make me laugh though when people see the apple on my laptop and then see I'm on XP. Sometimes I get the look that screams "TRAITOR", and other times I get the impressed nod of the head.

Anyway. I just wanted to get everyone to debate/discuss the pros and cons of the Operating Systems. But now I went and created a tangent.

[KnowLedge]

Im staritng to hate drivers.. my old video card had a bad driver and it kept giving me blue screens.. i recently got a new video card (casue of starcraft 2) and now no more blue screens.. I hate driver errors. Thats the only thing i dont like about pc, windows specifically.

OP: u can use mac OS on PC, just so u know. And u can use Linux OS on PC as well. and PC has its own little OS which are made by microsoft.. just so u know..

[Ashu]

I vote for Linux just because you need some brain to use it.

[Rottenking]

well now that you can have windows installed on mac's i find it likely i would possibly buy a mac and duel boot it with both mac and windows, maybe even a linux distro if im so inclined

the problem with linux and mac is they are not common place and have huge market share, most places use windows because its the "norm"

[HgE]

well,
I wonder who will buy now a cluster /Super Computer using MAC platform. Since the shape It's not design for Clustering.

Since the new trend it's to hook up ordinary PCs into clusters to make cut-price supercomputers.


I wonder when I'll have at home a Stack with 8-16 Processor.

[IceBreaker]

I have used lots of different operating systems and been forced to use Windows operating system because of High School, Collage and i think after Collage job will require it to.

- Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows Vista and now Windows 7:

• Mostly used system
• Extended free and commercial software
• Extended game collection (Good ones)
• Extended hardware choice and easy to replace
• Force usage because of schools and job
• Most attacking operating system (viruses, OS hacks and data steal)
• OS not free but has some good free software
• Low knowladge needet

- Linux Pingo, Linux Ubunto, Linux Kubunto:

• Mostly free but some advance linux systems are not ( RedHat )
• Free software
• Not a lot of games
• This system is not as much attacked by hackers or viruses (Mostly servers which use linux for firewalls )
• High knowladge needet or you can crash system when experiment

- Never used MAC :

• I sow some good software for my type of job
• I readed a lot and its good for grapichs, web development, ...
• Stable OS system and has low attacks from viruses or hackers
• Its not free and price is high, but you must understand computer it self
  has high quality hardware, base ... its better made then any PC or laptop.
• Basic hardware ( RAM, Disk ... ) is easy to replace
• I don't know if OS licence is free when you buy a computer

I have been allways forced to use Windows system, because of its software. I used lots of Linux system but i allways missed something (Software which i needed).

I am thinking about MAC PC long time and when time comes i will have it but just for my job. And i will still have other PC with windows OS just for fun