Windows is buggy and slow lets buy a Mac

[koshman]

@ fishy fiz: I can't agree that modern Linux distros take up as much HDD space as Windows. Most of them still have CD distributions and even these include basic software that Win doesn't (apart from IE...). When you install a whole DVD distro of Ubuntu, e.g., it may take  a big chunk of of your drive, but as far as basic software goes you're practically set - office package, a decent browser, media player etc. are all included. For Windows you need, what, 10GBs and THEN you start adding the software.

[fishy_fiz]

As I stated my Windows install is roughly (slightly under) 300meg. A far cry from 10gig.

[Daedalus]

Does that 300MB include an Office suite and the various other full-size packages that the Linux distro includes? Not that HD space should be a problem with 1TB drives around €70 off the shelf now...

[fishy_fiz]

Nah, it's just the base install. Windows, WMP, IE, etc. For equivalent feature set its not a huge difference. Yes, there are very streamlined Linux distros out there, but any OS can be streamlined if a person is inclined, including Windows. Win9x has been cut back to less than 10 meg (considerably less when using Win95) by some people (and no, not saying it's the only system that can be made this small).
Not important, but 1TB drives can be bought for less than that. Just checked my local computer shop and they have 1TB drives from $89 AUD (49 GBP).

[mdv2000]

A lot of interesting views here... so I'll throw in my 2 cents worth...

If you run Windows or Linux, build your next PC.  I can build a PC for $1000 buying the parts from newegg.com and blow away a $2500 HP workstation in overall performance.  Prebuilt HP, DELL, etc are crap for a power user who know how to actually build and tweak a system.  Check out anandtech.com and sites like that to learn about hardware, etc.

Mac too expensive, your really pay about a 50% markup - and they are usually behind the curve on what you can buy/build for half as much plus vid cards/drivers a gen behind and Xcode/Objective-C just sucks.. "Let's take C++ and make it even more anal!"

Java dev and Mono cool on Mac, but actually easier on Windows or Linux!

Yeah, Amiga was a bright and shining light in the history of early personal computing, but we are in a Windoz world... but Linux is coming on strong and even where I work - typically a Microsoft Love Fest - we are looking at linux for file,ftp, and web servers.  The cost of MS is going up - when we renew our Enterprise Agreement with MS in 2012 (you do 3 years deals typically) - we are expecting up to $30K per month more under new pricing plans...

Also, Redhat reported they are having they had their best year ever in 2009 - they just offer overall lower cost of ownership and open source tools like MySQL, Apache Webserver, Tomcat App Server, etc just rock...

Eclipse with an inexpensive MyEclipse subscription gives Visual Studio a run for its money in Development IDE.  Now if I can talk my company into Java instead of C# we could cut our license/tools budget by 90%!

So if you hate windows, just learn linux and stop using ms... or at least put an XP install in VirtualBox on your linux box for those must run windows apps and just enjoy linux.

[koshman]

@ fishy fiz: I'm not talking about Ubuntu 2001, I'm comparing Linux distros today with the up to date version of Win, ie. W7. I'm sure there were full blown distros in 2001 under 300MB (well, there still are - Puppy, DSL...) so using XP as a point for comparison isn't really fair.

[zylesea]

All OSes suck kind of. Hence I use MorphOS. It sucks, too. But at least I can blame the developers personally ;-).

[fishy_fiz]

XP + SP3 is relatively recent. The majority of the entire OS is replaced by this point.

[koshman]

Ok

[smerf]

Hi,

@fanscale

"If someone can explain to me why Windows needs all those gigabytes of hard drive space I might calm down."

To put it quite bluntly, the reason Windows needs all that HD space is because todays college trained programmers are not taught to conserve or compress their programming skills, they have all the room they need to overbloat their program. Another reason today is graphics during the Amiga introduction 320X200, 320X400, 640X200 and 640X400 at 32 colors or 64 colors half bright, and HAM modes didn't really take up that much room as compared to todays 1920 X 1200 million of color screens.

Running a modern day computer today takes massive memory, hard drive space and graphics cards to play todays modern day games, when I go back on my old trusty Amiga and look at their games, they are blocky, when I play the Amiga's music it still sounds good, but I know compared to todays computers with sound I am listening to a 4 player band on the Amiga, compared to a orchestra on my PC.

Therefore todays computers have larger programs, larger sound, much larger graphics and poorer programmers then computers of yesteryear. All except for the MAC, their users get all excited about bouncing icons on a bar. Yes indeed a very boring operating system. Does MAC have any games for its users to use. I can't seem to recall seeing MAC games in gamestop, I know they have playstation, Xbox, WII and PC games, and of course games for Windows, but I don't recall ever seeing MAC games.

Oh thats right why should anyone make games for MAC, this would require thinking to play today's games, and everyone knows that MAC users can't think, their machines are turn on, use, then turn off, a completely controlled environment. This way their users won't make any mistakes or crash the MAC.

And

ever since Windows 7, "This is smerf and I am a PC"

And

ever since Amiga "This is smerf and I am a Amiga"

smerf

[smerf]

A console is another piece of Windows bloat to add to your PC.:roflmao:

I can see the worth of a console in multiplayer arcade games, but for more complex FPS it feels like your handicapped.

It only reaffirms what I think, Windows has driven gamers off of the PC.

Hi,

@Fanscale,

Sorry, but you are wrong.

Almost every PC power user I know plays games, and according to MaximumPC (sure hope I can say this) when they were asked if PC gamming was dying, they stated "Just wait there are tons of new high powered graphic and sound games comming out for the PC this year, the consoles will look cheap compared to the new high powered stuff comming out for the PC".

I have so many games on my PC I don't know which to play first.

Yes during VISTA's time gamming was terrible, most games wouldn't even play on the PC.

Windows 7 has changed that.

To all you Amiga users spouting off at PC's.

1. Buy yourself a modern day PC computer, believe it or not they are cheaper to buy then you think.

2. Get rid of your old slow 400 meghertz machines (I know that you think they should be fast because they are millions of times faster then you miggy) but that is not true anymore.

3. Buy a dual core (at the least) to a quad core machine, you will be amazed at the multi tasking these monsters could do.

4. Get Linux and Windows 7, I use Ubuntu, and would recommend this to most new computer users and MAC and Amiga users. It is easy to install and easier to use.

5. With Windows 7 get install the 32 bit first, the 64 bit is a bit more complex to run. Buy one of the new modern day games for the PC install and play. You will be amazed on how much better todays PC games are.

6. Install Amiga Forever, on these new machines and watch the Amiga OS fly.

For you MAC users, bite into the Apple and look for the worms.

smerf

[motorollin]

... everyone knows that MAC users can't think, their machines are turn on, use, then turn off,

You're dead right I don't think about anything other than turning on, using and turning off my MacBook. Why should I have to think about anything else? When I'm using my Mac for writing my dissertation, researching something for use in clinic, viewing and annotating handouts during a lecture or seminar, or any number of other taxing tasks, I don't want to have to think about what my computer is doing or why. I want my OS to leave me alone while I'm working, and OS X does that.

--
moto

[Hell Labs]

Oh thats right why should anyone make games for MAC, this would require thinking to play today's games, and everyone knows that MAC users can't think, their machines are turn on, use, then turn off, a completely controlled environment. This way their users won't make any mistakes or crash the MAC.

*****

[fishy_fiz]

@smerf
Window7 changes nothing compared to Vista for gaming. Contrary to popular belief there's not a huge difference between the 2. Windows7 isnt far removed from a fine tuned Vista. The kernel is just a point revision above Vistas, and the "userland" isnt hugely different either, but tidied up a little with less unnecessary processes resident. In fact a lot of benchmarks suggest that Windows7 is in fact fractionally slower than Vista for gaming. As for "how much better todays games are".... compared to what ? Isnt the quality of a game all in the eye of the beholder ? I generally prefer older style games, the majority of new games, while audiovisually attractive dont hold my interest for more than a few hours. There are some exceptions and some new games I very much enjoy (cant wait to play Alan Wake), but quality of a game is dictated by the game, not the era, graphics, system its running on, etc.

[koshman]

@ fishy fiz: just what I was going to write. W7 is basically slimmed down Vista and everyone's raving about it like it was W3.1 -> W95 move... Wake up, Vista is not evil incarnate and W7 is not the greatest thing since sliced bread...

[motrucker]

This argument will never be resolved. It's been going on for years.
The truth is, every system out has strong points and weak points. It all depends on what you want to do with the computer.
For a game machine, Windows still seems to be on top - mainly due to the number of games being released for it. Too many games are not available for the Mac, and linux is in the same boat (or worse).
For basic computing (word processing, data management, web browsing, etc.) anything will work.
For a secure system, Linux is most likely the best.
Of course there a few of us nuts who still actually use their Amigas too