Mac, PC or Linux? Your next operating system

I use Linux as my business workstation said on Saturday, 12 May 2007

I use Debian (Ubuntu is a version of Debian) as my base OS and run Windows legacy applications over it via VMware Server. Stable, reliable, secure. A good thing, since I do tech journalism for money these days and I can NOT afford machine downtime.

In fact, I'm running Windows 98SE as a guest over a Debian host. Remember when "a good setup" meant Windows only crashed every day or so? Try every 6 weeks or so.

ZoneAlarm on Windows hasn't gone off once since I started running it in emulation.

Yes, there is a learning curve on Linux, and I don't recommend it at this point to a Windows user who isn't experienced enough to know how to use a command line or edit the registry. Or better yet, you have access to an experienced Linux user.

Mace Moneta said on Saturday, 12 May 2007

It sounds like you made poor hardware choices is selecting a Linux platform. Do you select Windows-only hardware for your Mac testing - I don't think so.

Installation of popular Linux distributions on supported hardware takes about 10 minutes - less than an hour configured and customized.

I don't know if this article is biased or simply the result of inexperience on the part of the author. Either way, it's unbecoming for this site.

j_h_porter said on Saturday, 12 May 2007

I have been using Linux Fedora Core 6 for a couple of months and although a little complicated to get to grips with for an old dog like me (I cut my teeth on DOS ver.3) I have nothing but praise. Especially since it is extremely robust and never ever ever crashes......ever. If you e-mail, surf, type, spreadsheet, database whatever it is fast and solid. I still use Windows XP on a dual boot system as I have to run AutoCAD and some Land Survey modelling programs which dont work with Linux but absolutely EVERYTHING else is better on Linux. Try it Its FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alan Smith said on Saturday, 12 May 2007

Your review of Bootcamp on Macs is incorrect. An approptiately configured Mac (such as a MacBook Pro) is fully equipped to run Wndows games, since in essence, it is a Windows machine with XP or Vista installed. The key is having an appropriate vbidoe card. Any Windows PC would need a fast video card to handle the graphics nature of video games.

The Mac can run any OS installed on it (XP, Vista, Linux, Ubuntu). This is something other OSes on other machines cannot. Clearly, for the price of a high end machine, a computer such as a Mac Book Pro runs circles around any other computer.

charles said on Saturday, 12 May 2007

please send the best full easy recovery with nice gui or ui for Linux paid software or not , i want the best please
thank you

max said on Saturday, 12 May 2007

Good article, but two simple factual erros:

1) You say OSX Leopard is 'due to come out as this isseu of PC Advisor hits the doormat". But Leopard won't be relaesed until about October now, after Apple delayed it.

2) You say you "games on a Mac are a no-no"? Really? Well, that must mean I'm imagining things when I'm playing Call of Duty 2, or Max Payne, or Second Life, or Sims, or whatever on my Mac. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of games for the Mac, and they run very well indeed, if perhaps only at about 80% the performance of a high-end gaming PC. Yes, PC's still play games better, but only just, and only if you're a gaming purist. Gaming is NOT a problem on Macs.

Don said on Saturday, 12 May 2007

Your claim that "... XP became successful [because before XP]... Microsoft operating systems crashed, died and blue-screened weekly or even daily" is wrong. It became successful because MS used its monopoly to turn XP into a "tax" placed on computer makers such as Dell. If you bought a Dell or a computer at a major store you had to pay a tax for Windows whether you wanted it or not.

Similarly, the sales for Vista to end users have been a disaster for Microsoft. Will it achieve "73 million after four years?" Probably. But not because people buy it. Rather, because it is forced upon them by the MS monopoly when they buy a new computer.

Mac user said on Saturday, 12 May 2007

The reviewer(s) of this article are bordering silly when they talk about Macs and how things run, or do not, on them.

When we Mac users call this crowd "sheep" we aren't far from the truth.

I'd like to write something more intelligent, but others before me have already done, so I will take the road of being straight when confronted with ignorance bordering on stupidity.

A.Lizard said on Saturday, 12 May 2007

if you're dual-booting OSX/Windows on a Mac, unless you're using Windows for gaming only, look into VMware Server-beta for OSX at www.vmware.com . Install VMware Server on OSX and install Windows (whatever) and/or a Linux distro as a guest. Like Parallels, but free and a MUCH bigger range of guests... and you can run more than one at a time subject to CPU and memory limitations.

poor hardware choice? said on Saturday, 12 May 2007

Information on whether a current generation CPU / motherboard configuration will run Linux or not is frequently not out there. I wound up selecting a Biostar Geforce 6100 AM2 based on a Socket 939 version review and finding that the Fedora Core 6 nvidia video driver could not be installed despite getting how-to advice on both nvidia and FC6 forums.

Since it works fine in Knoppix, someone told me to change to Debian Etch. Booted to a vesa desktop and installed the nvidia driver immediately and without problems, and after a bit of research, got OpenGL working.

I probably qualify as a moderately experienced Linux user, I've been selling Linux how-to pieces for the last couple or so years.

It took me a week to get the video running on this motherboard. A n00b Linux user without help or knowing where to get it would have been totally fubared.

anon said on Sunday, 13 May 2007

>Mac, PC or Linux? Your next operating system

A PC operating system? Do you know at all what are you talking about?!

Lorans said on Sunday, 13 May 2007

I want windows vista operating system

henk said on Sunday, 13 May 2007

yes, Macs are not cheap...
Plse compare the price of a mac Mini (OSX and everything included) to a Dell with the same features.

Why forget about games. You're totally wrong; install XP or Vista on bootcamp and the mac is as fast, if not faster, at games as any pc of the same spec. advantage; you don't have live with Windows all the time...

Telkontar said on Sunday, 13 May 2007

I am using Linux for 2 years, now I use only it. I destroy XP on my computer. And, after it, I feel more better.
Linux rules!!!

cyber_rigger said on Sunday, 13 May 2007

Why are Linux boot managers listed as an XP feature?

Snafu said on Monday, 14 May 2007

Saying that running games on Mac is a no-no is a bit too harsh. The platform has seem many A-titles ported to it, and there is a long history of titles for Mac, obviously not as large as the PC's at all. On the other hand, the recent migration to Intel means a lot of old Mac games will have to run on emulation or even not at all. Recent ones have seen updates to Intel code.

Going Intel is advantageous for Macs gaming-wise: porting Windows titles to Mac becomes somewhat easier for developers. Most users don't want to reboot to play Windows versions, so it seems the market won't be that damaged by the availability of Windows for Mac hardware.

Also, virtualization software developers are experimenting with their apps using the onboard hardware to accelerate 3D graphics, the goal being to get Windows games and 3D apps to run at a reasonable speed.

Law said on Monday, 14 May 2007

I don't know what's more annoying, the artical that is clearly not well investigated, or the mac-fanboy who says "Mac can run every operating system, none of the others can".

Well actually, I will do this in a style I know you are familiar with. "Hi, I'm a PC, and I can run Linux, Mac osx, and Linux"....

I have a VMWare image of tiger that runs fine on my PC mostly, I also dual-boot Ubuntu on my Laptop (which has ALL the drivers without intervention by myself, including WIFI & 3d graphics card), AND I dual-boot my home PC with Suse 10.2 too...

Oh - and for the fun graphics people like these days on operating systems try looking at Beryl on Linux, it beats the pants of ANYTHING in the Windows/Mac world. Check some videos on the net for demo's, it just rules. Took 2 minutes to install on Suse, and about 5 minutes on Ubuntu... which if you include in the original installation time column for linux still beats installing Windows!! :)

Tony Bradley said on Monday, 14 May 2007

Seemed a reasonable review until the last sentence: "But if you need to get things done, get back to your PC." If you need things done without the O.S. crashing, or preventing you from doing what you want, then use Linux!
I'll assume what the author meant was if you need to click and press mindlessly to install the O.S. then use Windows. True, some Linux distributions do need some technical knowledge in order to install them, but it's not THAT hard. Honest!
Plus, Ubuntu and SuSE are becoming more and more click and press installable! Windows users are running out of excuses for not trying Linux.

Jack Long said on Monday, 14 May 2007

I ordered the Best Buy Mesh computer with
Vista Premium but when I received the Quote
it felll short of your preveiw only 4 USBs no
DVD ROM Drive. and only Silver one year onsite warranty no two year return to base.I
was told they do not do Return to Base anymore.after some Hadling I was given two years Onsite for the same price.I also upgraded to 500Gb hard disk £25.00 and a DVD ROM £12.00. which I decided was a good Deal. so I placed the order. But then I started looking for any new drivers for my Epson Printer and Cannon scanner.also I use
Lotus Smartsuite for Word Pro and MGI
Photosuite for my Photo's. not much Luck
so I Cancelled the order for the Computer
with Regret.jack.long@ntlworld.com

James Austin said on Monday, 14 May 2007

I've used Windows 2000, XP Home & Pro and Server 2003 and find that on self builds their not reliable.

I personally believe that Microsoft is heading for a major crash. You can not keep changing the skin and not the backbone. Anyone with engineering skills knows this principal.

So my next OS is going to be Linux Fedora Core 6 as I have built my own server.

James Austin said on Monday, 14 May 2007

I've used Windows 2000, XP Home & Pro and Server 2003 and find that on self builds their not reliable.

I personally believe that Microsoft is heading for a major crash. You can not keep changing the skin and not the backbone. Anyone with engineering skills knows this principal.

So my next OS is going to be Linux Fedora Core 6 as I have built my own server.

Richard said on Monday, 14 May 2007

Windows serves my needs at home and work. I agree about the monopoly of MS and having acquired an old "Tosh" Tecra from work with no OS, decided to try Linux. Tried several versions but only one booted from the CD - spent many hours watching the laptop trying to load. I eventualy loaded Kubuntu. There were a few problems, some of which I overcame, others were beyond me and the machine has nearly been working for the last two months.

There's a wealth of help on Linux forums out there but I am definitely in the Noob category - even the Noob forums assume the reader can just go straight to a piece of code in a programme and happily edit it. Despite being quite comfortable reinstalling Windows, the level of technical knowledge required is much higher for Linux and I have yet to find a site that comes down to my level.

Have to agree with the first comment, Linux is not for the inexperienced so I do not see it as any threat to MS market share of home users in the immediate fut