Humble Opinion

[FickleFlame]

98, XP, 2000, NT, Linux, and the OpenSource community, what do they all have in common? They just don't compare to my OSX Mac thingy.

 

The one thing you have to remember is that computers were created by humans, and the software running them is created by humans. Though the hardware is solid, it will always and forever have problems because of its human creators. Theres no perfect OS because there is no perfect programmer. Though advancements in Science and Technology give us greater power and control, the system is flawed in a way that no human can debug. The greatest truth is that 1 + 1 = 2 is constant, but the blood running through your vains in not. You can color within the lines of the system that has been designed by others, but until you design your own reality and the constants within, you will always be subject to "Bad Command or File Name".

 

I'm not a fan of Microsoft in any way, but I do have to give them credit for designing a system that allows others to create whatever they want within their system. The same goes for Apple and their OSX; you can do what you want when you want just as long as your syntax is correct. Linux is also the same way.

 

I have the greatest amount of respect and always will for UNIX. It being one of the oldest and stablest of all platforms; UNIX provides an unlimited amount of creativity within it's confines. Though the breadboards of old have morphed into sophisticated chips and architectures they still remain byproducts of the hardware that gave birth to UNIX. Because the UNIX integrates seamlessly with any hardware or system created today, it provides a conduit into a world where anything is possible. We see this with OS's such as Linux and OSX because even though they are seperate enviroments, their UNIX cores still shine through.

 

Whats next in new generation operating systems anyones guess. On we go...

 

The purpose of my thoughts are to convey an idea of simplicity to users who are blaming their problems on Microsoft and other vendors. I remember watching a made to TV movie about Microsoft and Apple's origions. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs both had very different ideas about computers, but they had one thing in common, home computing. They wanted to bring computers out of corporations and into homes, but there was no hardware available or software that was economical enough for home users to buy. So instead of bitching about it, they created what they needed, bought, and ripped off the rest; demonize them if you will, but thats life. Now many people, mostly home users complain about the software given, but it's irrational and stupid to blame your problems on a system that has been created to fit someone else's specifications. I write software that fits my needs, and sometimes it fits the needs of others. Microsoft and Apple and the OpenSource community work to design software that fits the needs of all, and that is a problem, not in so much that it is bad, but because everyone has their own needs and if Windows doesn't fit your needs, find something else. If Linux or OSX don't fit your needs then you need to do what so many others have been forced to do, and thats to go and build your own enviroment where what you need done can be accomplished.

 

The only limit to your potential is the limits you impose on yourself. Don't blame others for your short comings.

 

A note on my spelling: I don't have OpenOffice installed so please forgive my spelling errors.

 

FickleFlame

[Eggman]

Heh. Well written FickleFlame. You should probably delete your job title; wouldn't want to be arrested, now would you? And it's too bad your message is targeted at the wrong audience; if this were posted at Average Joe's Tech Support, you might actually change something. Oh, and by the way, your spelling is completely correct!

[Urbz]

i agree!!!

Switch to the platform which satisfies your needs and wants and accept the errors because there will never be an error free OS!

SO EVERYONE SWITCH TO MAC!!!

;-)

 

but seriously, good point, and i think you should be a journalist.

[-.-]

Great post! Particularly the part about Unix.

[FickleFlame]

Thanks you guys.

[DarkCarnival]

Actually your post hits right on the spot of what makes me tired of computers.

 

I want the gaming capacity of windows -but not all the spyware, virusses and random lock-ups

 

I want the simplicity, speed and stability of Linux - But I'd rather not be doing no gaming and Photoshop'ing

 

I want the graphical sexyness of OSX - I'd rather not have the wierd kernel and the currently poor software support (From the perspective of an INTEL mac, not a PowerPC)

 

So it would seem that there's no one OS to suit my needs. I've gone to great lengths to get some way with the two of them. I've tried my best to emulate the OSX-feel with linux (Didn't get a good docker-app so it kinda failed). I've tried to use programs such as Cedega, Crossover Office and Wine to satisfy my needs for gaming and Photoshop.

 

I've also tried installing a heap of GNU-utillities (along with bash and all standard tools) on windows to get a more Unix-like feel. Replacing the GUI in the process with blackbox (or something like that).

 

Why oh WHY is there not an OS for me ? :S

 

Good post though Although the first line is HIGHLY subjective if you ask me

[R. Bear Helms]

World of Warcraft was my game of choice, so the switch was relatively easy to OS X for me... Since OS X can read files off a USB drive formatted with FAT32, all my music, picttures, documents copied over just fine, and I was missing little if anything from XP.

 

I was actually shocked how I can get away without an active virus scanner and spyware protector on OS X. I recently re-installed XP and got a windows theme download that makes the UI look more like Aqua (OS X), and it came with no less than 8 spyware programs attached!

 

There are several more or less benign "skinning" programs for XP, but the ones I tried slowed booting considerably, and one even ate up so much memory on an 1gb RAM system that I couldn't even install a printer driver!

 

I don't even go looking for OS X prettifiers, because the UI looks wonderful to me as-is.

 

So I want the gaming choices (including fast hardware) XP gives me, but I want the GUI beauty and relatively low vulnerability to malware OS X provides.

 

Unfortunately, I think this means I will have to look seriously at Vista.

[Metrogirl]

A very informative post - thank you! It could easily belong in several other subforums too, but I'll leave it where it is. It is always good to read well thought-out opinion. Thanks again.

 

PS I edited the one tiny typo, otherwise the spelling was perfect - no need to apologise. Actually spelling isn't a problem in this forum; it's the meaning that counts. I do occasionally correct small typos and slips of spelling in otherwise excellent posts.

[Gooly]

thank u, hope every one will realise this

[FickleFlame]

Thanks for your input everyone.

 

R. Bear Helms: I've found that WindowsBlinds has the best support and compatibility and leads the way in Windows Skinning. They also have a large database of OSX themes that keep people wondering how my HP laptop runs OSX

 

DarkCarnival: There is an OS out there for you; and you can find it at www.ubuntu.com

 

Metrogirl: Finally, a moderator who moderates! I appreciate the help, because god help me, I need it.

[spacerunner75]

Very nice article FickleFlame!

 

I agree and disagree. If I get adverted to buy something, lets say Windows or an Apple cause the company advertising says they work great and are the best thing that could happen to me, I think I can complain if something doesnt work. I paid for it. I do so with my car too when it breaks because of a factory problem. In my opinion, its all about beeing a commercial product or not.

 

If I use Linux for example (and I do on my server), I dont complain and I dont feel like I even could. I admire the great effort of all the open source programmers who develop great products for free. If something doesnt work - too bad, it was my choice to work on open source. I will spend my own time fixing it. I didnt pay for a product.

 

Let me post my (very) personal Apple story here (if its intersting for anyone at all): I´m a music producer. I work in a recording studio. 1993, years ago, the studio started out using ProTools on a Mac. First choice, everyone loved it (to be honest I was not there yet cause I´m too young LOL). The system worked with 90MHz. Amazing. Later, in 2000 (when I was working at the studio already), we had to make a decision about getting new Audio workstations. At this time, MACs where way to expensive and not performant enough compared to PCs (At this point I must state that my compliments go to Apple and Digidesign for building a system that we could use for 7 years! Imagine that today...)

 

So we switched to Windows and a PC, running Emagic Logic (which is state of the art for our purposes). Three years later Apple bought the Emagic company in order to make all Logic users switch to Apples. We really got pissed off. I mean we dont talk about $399,- office computers here but rather some $K investments and a company´s basic work units. Now, we need to switch back to Apple, crossgrade all Software and Plugins, buy new Hardware and new DAWs. From Apple beeing a "Pro´s"-company, I would have expected them to think a little further and do less agressive marketing. I would not even complain if they had announced then take over and support the Emagic software for another 5 years, which would be a normal "life"-circle of hardware today. But Logic developement for PCs stopped from one day to the other. Thats why my personal realtionship to Apple is quite broken.