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[G01]

Ubuntu (www.ubuntu.com) is probably the most user-friendly. Full graphical installer with very good hardware support. Go for it MB, come over to the dark side

I also want to learn Linux and was told to start with Ubuntu. I think I am going to invest in VMWare fusion and get an Ubuntu Virtual Machine running on my Mac.

 

[Hootenanny]

I also want to learn Linux and was told to start with Ubuntu. I think I am going to invest in VMWare fusion and get an Ubuntu Virtual Machine running on my Mac.

I'm the other way round, I run Linux with Win XP inside a Virtual Machine. Ubuntu is excellent, I've never had any major problems with it. We're due for a new version at the end of the month (8.04) so you might want to hang off until then.

 

[G01]

I'm the other way round, I run Linux with Win XP inside a Virtual Machine. Ubuntu is excellent, I've never had any major problems with it. We're due for a new version at the end of the month (8.04) so you might want to hang off until then.

Cool! I'll wait a bit then.

 

[Moonbear]

Perhaps ironically, MS Office for Mac works better than Office for Windows, in my opinion. There are tiny subtle differences between them; perhaps I'm more used to the Mac version at home, rather than the Windows version at work.

The main problems I have with Office on a Mac is that the version I have isn't fully compatible with the Macs with Intel processors, so runs painfully slow and crashes more often. There's a newer version out, but I haven't upgraded yet (every time I upgrade, EndNote doesn't work without an upgrade too, so I have to be prepared to upgrade both, and I'm not).

I'm running the newest version of Office on my PC, and it will drive one bonkers! There was a steep learning curve trying to find everything since they COMPLETELY rearranged the content and appearance of the toolbars/menus (I still struggle to guess where some things are, even after almost a year of using it), but the bigger problem are things that just don't work or don't stick or have weird defaults. There's a bug in the mailing labels formatting...you can adjust the distance between labels until you're blue in the face, and it still formats them with no space between...I get around it by adding that dimension to the height of the label and printing a test page to make sure my text fits within the actual label size, but it's an added hassle for even standard size mailing labels. The other thing that drives me nuts on it is that there is a default setting that automatically adds a 10 point space between lines of text, making it look nearly double spaced even if you're single spacing. I've tried changing the default to 0 point spaces (I don't even know why someone would use that feature in addition to the line spacing which also would let you fix a set point size for spacing rather than just single, double, etc.), but it keeps changing it right back (I think it only changes the default for the current document, not for all documents, which isn't much of a default setting at all).

The older version had its issues too, but I don't remember them.

So, while the Mac version I have runs slow, it actually does everything I need it to do and I haven't encountered any bugs like that in really commonly used features yet.

But, that's not really a Mac vs PC issue as a Microsoft software quality issue.

 

[G01]

Here is something I never understood. Why are Windows machines called "PCs?"

I mean, Macs are still personal computers, so why does the term PC only apply to windows computers?

 

[Poop-Loops]

It's because a Windows or Linux computer you can personalize with pretty much any parts you want. This goes for software, too.

With Macs you are stuck with whatever Steve Jobs wants to give you.

 

[cepheid]

It's because a Windows or Linux computer you can personalize with pretty much any parts you want. This goes for software, too.

With Macs you are stuck with whatever Steve Jobs wants to give you.

Hahaha...you're really devoted to egging us Mac users on aren't you? If you know anything about the history of computing at all, then you know that the term "personal computer" arose towards the end of the era that computers were just for government/scientists and were huge and small computers that the individual consumer could *buy* for to use at home (i.e. for *personal* use) were only just starting to be made available. It was a new concept. It had nothing to do with how customizable the systems were (they really weren't at all, in fact). So yeah, some of the first "PCs" were actually Macs, and the fact that the term PC is now used to describe any personal computer that is NOT a Mac is just one of those quirks of collquial usage. Of course, you know this and are just trying to get a rise out of any Mac fans who are around. If you've checked out the latest line of Macs, then you know that whatever "Steve Jobs" wants to give you is generally a pretty solid, well put-together hardware package that would meet the needs of most users.

I find it funny that the debate of "PC" vs. Mac is so polarized...people have deep-seated superstitions about either one based on their limited past experiences with them that are not based on any objective, rational comparison of the capabilities of the two today. The simple fact of the matter (leaving aside issues regarding *stability/reliability* of the OS and virus susceptibility) is that most of the functionality of mac is apparent in PCs and vice versa. Whatever you get is a matter of personal preference and what is most compatible with the way you work and what you use your computer for. Neither one is "evil." Up until August, I was a Windows user (and I'm 23). I don't HATE PCs now just because I've bought a Mac. I was just getting a bit tired of the Windows experience (it *is* unreliable and has all those security issues), and didn't want to update to Vista either.

Back to the OP...I switched to mac in August (bought a MacBook), and I'll never go back. Enjoy your new toy! They're pretty awesome, I think anybody would be forced to admit. So is Mac OS X. I also use Boot Camp, since some of my engineering courses require me to use Windows only technical software. Having that option is great. Incidentally, I installed XP, NOT Vista, and the second thing I did after doing that was install McAfee!

I agree with comments about the MacBook Air. Apple's contention that consumers will not need an optical drive due to the "wireless revolution" is premature IMO. (Installing software by proxy from a desktop machine using their proprietary software to transmit the disc image wirelessly to the MacBook Air is tedious. And their contention that since they have introduced iTunes movie rentals, the average consumer will never need another CD or DVD again is just plain ridiculous.)

As far as the Office software side topic, I used to use NeoOffice as well (which is great), until I managed to obtain a (not entirely legal) version of Office 2008 for Mac. As some people have said, it's almost better than the Windows version. But the latest incarnation of Office IS irritating, just because it's so different and so graphics intensive. You have to learn everything again. And yes, it does crash from time to time.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Hahaha...you're really devoted to egging us Mac users on aren't you? If you know anything about the history of computing at all,

Yeah, I know where the term came from. I was just pushing your buttons.

But you have to admit that Steve Jobs deciding what you can and cannot install or put into your Mac is ludicrous. Make no mistake, Microsoft would have done the same thing if they could, but since at this point they can't possibly do it, it is de facto more "free" to use Windows.

Linux, of course, is the best choice for that, but as someone who plays a lot of games, Linux isn't quite there for me yet.

 

[Moonbear]

But you have to admit that Steve Jobs deciding what you can and cannot install or put into your Mac is ludicrous. Make no mistake, Microsoft would have done the same thing if they could, but since at this point they can't possibly do it, it is de facto more "free" to use Windows.

How does Steve Jobs limit what you can put on your Mac any more than Microsoft limits what goes on other PCs? All are limited by what's available for your operating system, and that's driven by market forces. Microsoft does more to limit what you can put on your Mac than the Apple developers do...Microsoft is the one making decisions to leave features out of their software when they release it for Macs (though, personally, I prefer those versions without all the unnecessary extras).

 

[Poop-Loops]

Not what I meant. You can buy a load of games for PC. You can buy a fraction of those for Mac. After a few months or years.

Is it because companies don't want to make their software compatible for Macs, in order to save money? Then they must not be that great.

Basically everything for a Mac is Apple proprietary software/hardware.

 

[Moonbear]

Not what I meant. You can buy a load of games for PC. You can buy a fraction of those for Mac. After a few months or years.

Is it because companies don't want to make their software compatible for Macs, in order to save money? Then they must not be that great.

Basically everything for a Mac is Apple proprietary software/hardware.

You're leaping to a lot of conclusions. Most of those companies don't make Mac compatible versions because there isn't a lot of demand for it. Though, the number of people buying Macs is increasing, so there might start to be more demand for it. That doesn't mean anything about the quality of a Mac, it just means companies choose who they want to target for their market. When the kids who want to play games are buying Windows computers, that's who the game companies will develop their software for.

You seem misinformed about the software available for Macs. Most of what I use day to day on my Mac is either Microsoft or Adobe, not Apple software. Safari and Mail are the primary exceptions.

 

[scorpa]

I love my mac and will probably never go back to PC. Every PC laptop I have had hasn't lasted a few months, I've had my mac nearly a year with no problems. The only thing I miss about my PC is the powertabs software I used to use with it, I can get similar programs for the mac but they aren't as good and they only have free 30 day trials, so I am forever redownloading them.

 

[G01]

Basically everything for a Mac is Apple proprietary software/hardware.

This is not a true statement.

 

[Werg22]

Personally, I don't see any good reason to get a Mac unless it's to run high-end graphics applications. I have a full Ubuntu installation on my laptop with wine to run windows applications and it meets all my needs.

 

[Google_Spider]

Congrats G01!

I would like to get a Mac, but too costly for me...right now I have an XP/Linux Mint/Ubuntu triple boot.

 

[Moonbear]

Personally, I don't see any good reason to get a Mac unless it's to run high-end graphics applications. I have a full Ubuntu installation on my laptop with wine to run windows applications and it meets all my needs.

I think in terms of "need," your assessment is accurate. Of course, people have reasons that go beyond that in terms of personal preference and taste. Running Linux on a PC is somewhat intimidating to your average user though.

 

[Poop-Loops]

That's true. Even though some of the distro's like Red Hat or Ubuntu are a lot more user-friendly than what you typically think when you hear "Linux", they still take some tweaking that an average user might get scared off by or just not want to deal with.

 

[Google_Spider]

yeah, some people still don't know that Linux has a GUI and awesome graphics. We don't have to use the terminal on a daily basis now.

 

[ice109]

everyone knows that macosx is unix based right? and though I'm running xubuntu right now i'd take macosx over an os i have no idea how to trouble shoot cause everything is somewhere in src.

 

[Werg22]

Ubuntu locks the root account by default, I don't see how a beginner who can't use the terminal could possibly screw up. And there's always the live cd.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Installing software is completely different for Linux, though.

 

[Hootenanny]

Installing software is completely different for Linux, though.

Ubuntu is quite different from other Linux OS, in that it has the Synaptic Package Manager which is a GUI for installing packages from many online repositories. You can install and uninstall packages, all from a GUI interface very similar to Windows' Add/Remove Programmes. However, if you do want something highly specialised or a development release, your going to have to get your hands dirty at the console.

Ubuntu also manages software updates for you, so that all packages that are installed through the Synaptic package manager remain up-to-date, akin to Windows Update.