The people I know in the computer trade have nothing good to say about Microsoft Windows Vista. Apparently, it is an unstable memory hog that isn't back compatible with many existing programs. It seems that it is a disasterous beta test inflicted upon the public that threatens to sink the company.
Why can't someone build computers pre-loaded with Linux, just the software you need (i.e. no teaser products), and perhaps a tutorial on how to use the software?
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteGet a Mac.
It runs Mac OS X which is built on top of Unix.
Macs come with only 2 software trials and both are easily removed.
No viruses.
No spyware.
Call me if you need some help and I will gladly provide it.
,dave
+1.303.744.9024
890 South Josephine
P.S. And, yes, I am an Apple fanboy.
Macs are also not cheap compared to Wintel machines, although their market share is increasing.
ReplyDeleteI've had Macs, my brother and parents have had Macs, and now that a lot of the compatibility issues has subsided, largely due to platform independent document formats encouraged by the Internet, I may do so again, when the time comes.
But, that doesn't answer either the "Why does Microsoft with such massive resources available make such crappy software?" question, or the "Why don't they make clean and/or Linux machines?" question.
I've heard the "Windows is held to a higher standard" theory, that argues that the virus/spyware issue is simply a question of the prevailance of Windows and that the instability is largely a product of the need to maintain such wide compatibility, since everyone uses it for everything, but I don't really believe it.
I've heard no good answers to the latter question.
Apple's tight control over the platform gives it an advantage over the varied hardware that Microsoft has to tame. However, that closed platform evokes the choice offered with Ford's Model T: "any color ... so long as its black." When compared with similarly equipped PCs, Macs generally aren't that much more expensive, if at all. It's just that Apple doesn't offer models that compare to $500 Dells.
ReplyDeleteMicrosoft has campaigned against the distribution of "naked" PCs, even since the anti-trust settlement. Dell has recently started shipping Ubuntu Linux on select models, and they've shipped Red Hat Enterprise Linux on business systems (e.g., Precision and PowerEdge) for some time. If you're interested in Linux, you can try it out using one of the many live-CD distributions. Ubuntu, in fact, will ship one to you, free of charge. A CD is slower than a proper installation, but it's simpler and safer than reformatting your hard drive.
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteMacs are the same price as WIndows machines.
See http://www.systemshootouts.org/index.html for proof.
And, if you buy a Mac, I will contribute $50 USD towards it.