Mac vs. PC vs. Linux. Every OS for themselves!!
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M$5 Answers
As a Mac user, I love my OS and I take every opportunity to share my love with my friends. However, I'm not naive enough to think that it is perfect. If you wanted to, I'm sure you could find 1,000 reasons why PC is better and I could come up with a list of a 1,000 reasons why Mac is better. Who cares! No one wins that argument.
Linux is not user friendly enough, yet, for the average consumer. It might be perfect for a hardcore geek and way better than the other two OS's, but it's not for me.
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M$2.) Linux is sexy. Just do a youtube search for compiz.
3.) Many Linux distributions are super easy to use. There are even windows and mac clones if you so desired to use them.
4.) Linux is secure. You don't have to worry about viruses, spyware, trogans, etc. They just don't exist in linux.
5.) Linux is stable. You can run it for 6 months without a reboot. I've done it. AND you can update the system without rebooting.
6.) Linux advances at a faster rate than windows. You get new features very quickly, and you get them for free.
7.) Most linux programs are open source. (contrary to popular belief not all of them are) This means that if something is broken, bug fixes go out very very quickly.
8.) The core of the operating system is seperate from the programs. Why is that important? First security. Programs don't effect the OS, so if something is malignant, it won't do any damage. Second, if a program has a huge bug, it won't mess up your computer or bog down your whole system. You kill the program and just go back to doing your thing. (how many times have you updated or installed something in windows only to have your whole system get messed up? Doesn't happen in linux)
9.) Linux does not have all that DRM and software authentification b******t. No messing with CD keys or being limited to installing something on only one computer. You can use your files and software in any way you like. AND share them legally.
10.) Linux is fast. Its super memory efficient. You can install it on old computers and have them run like new. The OS doesn't take up huge amounts of cpu, ram or hard drive space.
11.) Linux runs on EVERYTHING. This isn't an exageration.
12.) You can install and use windows programs in linux. This includes DOS programs and the most modern computer games.
11.) In Windows, there is built in back-door entry so US government can see your data whenever they like. The NSA has the key which is built into every copy of Windows. http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/5/5263/1.html
12.) There is tons of FREE online documentation and support for linux. If you have a problem learning how to do things, you'll be able to find information or someone (there are linux users groups in most places) to help you relatively easily. And without having to call india.
13.) Linux configurations are stored in plain text files. Not in some hidden registry. This means that along with the graphical program configuration tools, you can also edit the text files for even more options and functionality. (If you can understand HTML or CSS, you can figure out a linux config file.)
14.) Linux is translated into hundreds of different languages and also have support for the blind and deaf. And it offers this functionality for free.
15.) The networking in linux is faster. This means faster internet browsing and faster connections between other computers.
16.) When there is a new version of a linux OS, you don't have to do a reinstall. You can update everything to the new system, and still keep all your programs and files intact.
17.) Drivers. You don't have to keep all your old hard ware Driver CD's. Linux detects and installs drivers on your system automagically.
18.) Linux is easier to install than windows. (of course most people never have to install windows themselves, since it comes preinstalled and configured on most computers) But the in case that you've ever had to install windows and configure it...its way harder than doing so with linux.
19.) Linux is usable without the GUI. If the graphics system in windows fails, there's not a whole lot you can do to fix it...except re-install. If the graphical system in linux fails, you still have the command line, or you can connect to the computer remotely and fix it with a GUI. (I've never had to do this in linux though, since I've never had a critical failure of anything)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Windows_and_Linux
http://cityblogger.com/archives/2007/01/24/101-reasons-why-linux-is-better-than-windows
And a few reasons why you shouldn't just switch to a mac:
1.) Its not free.
2.) Apple's software only works on a select few systems. Their operating systems can not be installed on older computers or any computers except mac made ones.
3.) Mac has just as much DMR and authentification b******t as windows. You have to use certain file types, certain programs ect. There's no choice in what you do with the files and programs you own.
4.) Backwards compatibility. Mac fails horribly at this. Even in Windows you can run pretty old programs without much trouble. And linux has even more old program support.
long time linux user
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M$
Fallout 3 running on linux:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbm8j4D1wTUA port for the game is also underway.
Mac Computers are BSD and Mach based, (Mach is not Unix at all and does not perform as well as Unix, though it does do other things better. It's a micro kernel architecture, if you want to know more, read up on the mach kernel. Also BSD is very different from classical Unix OS's) and the reason I had a separate mac section in my list was to differentiate it from Linux. (Linux is not based off Unix code at all, it was made to act like Unix, but was coded from the ground up with its own special/different features, so Linux and macs are not part of the same family, though some of the main functions act similarly)
My 2 year old little sister can install ubuntu in less than 15 minutes. Its dead simple to install and use. There are some distributions that are hard to use, but just as you wouldn't expect a noob to compile a program for use in OSX by themselves, the same would go for the more advanced Linux distributions.
I've used windows and mac's, and found them to lack the features I want in an OS. They do have their uses. Windows can be installed on pretty much any computer, and work (maybe not well, but it will work) and its almost impossible to break the software so badly you can't boot your system. Most software is optimized to work with windows, and if there is specialized software you need to use, then windows is what you would go with. Mac computers are slow, bloated and expensive, but they are nice looking and easy to use.
Linux is my favorite. Its free, you can customize it as much or little as you like, its completely open-source, which means people can look at the code and optimize their software for the OS. Third party software vendors cannot do this with mac or windows OS's.
Linux is more secure than either windows or mac computers and it runs faster than anything else you could install on your computer, or phone, or toaster...
If you want to upgrade your Mac, you have to shell out cash, if you
I kind of got pwned on the Fallout point :)
First of all, #11 is complete bunk, and second, go out and buy Fallout 3 and try to run that on your precious little linux box!?!?! (p.s. i actualy dualboot so i cant get into games when doing homework :) )
Mach is a unix kernel, just like Linux is a unix kernel. BSD *is* one of the traditional Unixes. Linux (the OS) is a young whipper-snapper of an OS. I've been using BSD since 1986.
Mac computers are slow and bloated? What? I don't think we're supposed to be making up facts in this challenge ...
Expensive, I'll give you; but in the same way a BMW is "expensive" compared to a Yugo.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens with the next versions of Mac OS X and Windows 7 ... both of which are getting much leaner and faster. Linux continues to get easier to use. Convergence?
You do realize that Mac is also a variant of Unix?
1) Linux is only free if you count your time as not valuable.
2) This is a personal choice.
3) False. But Mac's are easy to use. And I would *not* give my Mom Linux. So it is not "Super Easy"
4) Mostly True, and mostly true for a Mac
5) True, Mac's are stables but some updates require reboots.
6) True, and true for a Mac
7) True, and again most of what I run on a Mac is also opensource
8) True for both Mac and Linux
9) True
10) True only for some installs, you can create a bloated Linux very easily
11) Mostly True
12) True for all three systems :-)
11) So the rumors say ...
12) I've never called India for any of Mac/Windows/Linux, it's all online and free now.
13) True for Mac as well
14) True for Mac/Windows/Linux
15) Mac's networking is also Unix based. Winblows networking, well, blows.
16) Mac's as well. Often with Windows.
17) False, I've had to dig up drivers for odd hardware and I've helped WRITE a driver for hardware without a matching driver. Mac's support themselves just fine.
18) Yes, both Linux and Windows are difficult to install.
19) True, but Mac's also have a command line.
Everyone loves money. I work in the banking industry. We have your money. We use PCs for almost everything.
The hundreds of thousands of people we employ to manage your finances and investments do their work on Windows PCs.
Our email is managed by Microsoft Exchange.
Our Blackberry Enterprise Server runs on Windows.
We store your data on SQL Server clusters running on PC servers with Windows.
We run the applications you use to manage your finances on .NET or ASP applications on a Windows server farm.
The software your broker is using is written as a web app or a fat client that runs off of a .NET or ASP back-end.
Our dev people are using Visual Studio on PCs to build all of the software you and your FA's are using.
The software change management systems run on Windows.
Our software deployment systems run on Windows.
The amount of software available for the PC eclipses all other operating systems.
The existence of Windows PCs have created an entire industry, employing tens of millions of developers and technologists.
The .NET framework has allowed more people to become developers than ever before.
Microsoft distributes tons of free learning materials to those who wish to master their technologies.
The vast fortunes of Microsoft are responsible for funding the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest charity organization in the world.
The hardware options available for PCs are far superior and compatible.
Microsoft has a huge and powerful commercial support network.
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M$
I think it's fantastic that you're photo is Charles Kane! But now I'm thinking you're pulling out leg here ...
1/3 of all servers are windows based, the other 2/3 are unix/linux based. Windows servers are very insecure and much slower. It scares me a little that a bank is using windows as their server OS.
I don't mind that people use windows on their desktops, windows has some good aspects, but servers with important information should be more secure...
Windows is the best operating system because it gives you control over your computer without sacrificing usability. If Apple doesn't want you to have control over something, you don't get control over it. You can't build your own Mac with the hardware you choose, you can't replace the Mac OS shell with one you like better, and there are relatively few programs that run on the Mac OS operating system. Windows gives you control over almost everything. If I want to do something to my computer, Windows rarely tells me that it can't be done. On the other end of the spectrum, Linux is hard to use. Sure you can get on the web and check your e-mail without a problem (sometimes), but dig deep into the operating system, and you are surrounded by unfamiliar configuration files and things that take hours to get working right. I installed Linux once. Couldn't get it to recognize my dial-up modem. Also couldn't access my FAT32 hard drive. Also, while many programs will run in Linux under WINE, there are also many that don't.
As far as viruses go, the only reason Windows has as many viruses as Linux is because it actually has marketshare. If you were a criminal, would you develope a virus that only infects 10% of computers, or one that infects about 85% of them. If either Mac or Linux had...say...40% of the market share, there would be viruses all over made especially for them. Finally, many viruses today run under Adobe Flash, allowing them to run under any operating system as long as the user has Flash installed.
So, as you can see, Windows is clearly the best choice for an operating system at the time.
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M$
@meskarune
While Linux may have additional security measures, if everybody used Linux, cybercriminals would find a way to bypass them. Also, as someone who hasn't used Linux a ton, I believe logging in as a root user is similar to the Windows Administrator account. If you really want to stay secure on a Windows computer, you use a limited user account because the virus also won't be allowed to run. But some hackers have found ways to bypass this.
While it may be true that most virus's are made for windows machines, it not accurate to say this is the reason why Linux is more secure. If Linux was used by 100% of people, it would still not be vulnerable to online virus attacks. Why?
1. The linux kernel and outside processes are separate. this means that if you do get a virus, it can't do much damage since it has no access to the kernel.
2. As long as you don't stay logged in as root, the virus won't be able to do anything, as it would need root permissions to do damage.
3. Most vulnerable file systems in linux such as /var (this holds logs, and file caches) and /tmp (this holds temporary files) are marked "non-executable" which means nothing can be executed from them. which means the virus can't do anything. (I have these directories along with /usr and /home in their own partitions which adds double security)
I'm only using a PC until the next version of OS X connects to Exchange then bye-bye to XP in Parallels.
I only use Linux because it's cheaper (and runs on EC2) and I only use Linux when price counts.
My desktop is NOT a price counts system, it's a productivity counts system. So it's a Mac.
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M$
Well I'm not being that picky, especially since PC was never used to differentiate between Linux and Windows machines. A computer with Linux has always been a PC. And since Mac has switched over to Intel processors now it seems silly to say its not a PC, since it can run windows right along with any other PC.
I think windows is the word you are looking for not PC. PC refers to a type of computer, not an OS. I realize I'm being a little picky, but still...
Yes. Yes, you are being picky. That battle was over long ago, time to surrender and join the rest of the world now. I have :-)
