For the past year or so I've been looking for a good way to abandon Windows for an Operating System that, y'know, actually works. Because of that I've been looking heavily into the Mac frontier, because of all operating systems, it looks like the one that you have to work on the least in order to get it to run correctly. It just works.
The problem is that Macs are damnably expensive. If I were to get a Mac, it would have to be the MacBook Pro, the cheapest of which is $2,000. However, I could get a regular laptop with similar tech specs for under $1,500, onto which I could install a different OS.
What OS, though? I've always shied away from any Linux stuff because all of it seems like a pain to put together. I don't wanna hafta compile kernels and use command prompts and all that crap. I don't even know what a kernel is, really (I have some vague notions). I just want my OS (like Mac OS) to simply work. And I don't want to have to learn a new programming language for it. I don't want to have to work to get my OS to work.
So recently I stumbled upon Ubuntu. This seems to be pretty close to being the best of both worlds. It has the inherent stability of a Linux platform with the ease-of-use of the Mac OS. Plus it has incredible community support, so if I ever need to figure out how to do something on it I can ask somebody and probably get a pretty good answer. It looks like I could use Ubuntu without knowing anything about Linux, too!
So I am seriously, seriously torn. Mac OSX still is the OS that seems to just work the best. I'd still have to fight with Ubuntu now and again (getting some programs to run seems tricky). Going Ubuntu would be cheaper (which is appealing considering we're getting a new deck put in right now), but in the long run would it make me happier?
I burned a boot CD of Ubuntu and ran it for a while on this computer (this computer is a little too old and slow to handle it well), and it does look cool. But not quite as cool as a Mac.
Any advice would be helpful! Seriously! When I ditch Windows this May, in what direction should I run?
This is Chris dot com
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Ubuntu? I Buntu!
posted by Christopher at 9:22 AM 
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[top]
2 Comments:
Personally I'd recommend trying a live CD for both Ubuntu and Kubuntu, and maybe Xubuntu before shelling out cold hard cash for a new Mac. Each of the Ubuntu variants have a unique flavor due to the choice of default desktop (which you can install all into a single machine if you want). And hey - even if you do roll out the green for a new Mac, you can still run Ubuntu on it! :)
By 
MontanaMax, at
3/5/07 11:56 AM
I would recommend that you go with Linux. I have been running Ubuntu for 2 years and have never looked back. I agree that the community is one of the strongest points of Ubuntu. As well as being able to make it fit your needs.
I would like to point out that Linux has come along way. You no longer need to be the 31137 Haxor to make it work. I personally have never compiled a new Kernel or learned any programming languages. You can, and their fun, but you don't need to.
Their are a lot of things you can do to make your Ubuntu desktop more appealing. I changed the menu structure to this:
http://ubuntuforums.org/gallery/data/2/Screenshot_98589.jpg
and added some 3dfx via Beryl:
http://www.tectonic.co.za/graphics/sled10_cube.jpg
These aren't my actual screenshots but give you an example. My recommendation is that you stick it out and give Ubuntu a chance. I would be happy to answer any questions that you have.
If you are interested you get get my email address from Geoff.
-WilliamT
By 
William, at
3/6/07 8:00 AM
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