# PC vs MAC Redux - This time with Linux!



## Wayne

You raised my curiosity, but apparently I need to post my own poll to get the sort of answers I'm curious about.

So PC or Mac OR Linux.

And just to keep it difficult: Ubuntu, OpenSUSE or other Linux distro?

I've got Ubuntu 9.04 on my laptop, but still have PC's in the Historical Center office--considering switching them over as well.


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## rpeters

how could you not put fedora as a linux distro?


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## Berean




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## Wayne

Robert:

I might be wrong, but it is my understanding that Ubuntu and OpenSUSE are the two most popular Linux distros currently. 

Rather than get overly detailed, I chose to lump all the other distros (Fedora, Mint, Mepis, etc) under "Other".


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## historyb

Using PCLinuxOS


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## Casey

I use Ubuntu at work. Previously I've used SUSE, Slackware, and Gentoo.


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## Theognome

Mac... isn't that the guy with the knife in the song? Does he stab Lucy's brother in this poll?

Theognome


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## Jake

Linux! I am on Ubuntu right now, but that's just because it came on this netbook and I haven't felt like trying to put something else on here. I voted other because I mainly use Mandriva and Debian. Oh, and I have a FreeBSD machine.


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## Whitefield

I don't know how to vote ... I have two computers running here .. one running Windows XP and the other Ubuntu 9.04.


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## Beth Ellen Nagle

I have Vista on my main computer and Windows 7 and Ubuntu on my laptop. Ubuntu is fun but I think I would prefer the new Windows 7 when it comes out. I plan to replace Vista with W7.

I have a very old iMac too that I got for my daughter just for fun and because I like to play the Mighty Mike (was the old Pistol Pete).


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## Curt

Jake said:


> Linux! I am on Ubuntu right now, but that's just because it came on this netbook and I haven't felt like trying to put something else on here. I voted other because I mainly use Mandriva and Debian. Oh, and I have a FreeBSD machine.



What do all those things mean?


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## Berean

Curt said:


> What do all those things mean?



And you a doctor!


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## HokieAirman

I've still got a few years before my PC wears out. It's a year old. I notice that PCs seem to slow down over time...I may try a Mac next time.


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## Wayne

Lance:

I sense you are greatly conflicted. Go with the force, Lance.

On the one hand I suppose people could vote as many times as they have computers. Or you could vote based on your stronger/strongest preference.

Perhaps the greater insight would have been gleaned from asking how many are moving to open source and away from 1. PCs ; 2. Macs. Certainly makes cents in an economic downturn, with all that free software out there.


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## Whitefield

Wayne said:


> Lance:
> 
> I sense you are greatly conflicted. Go with the force, Lance.





Actually the two computers are wed (civil ceremony performed by NX). So I'm running something like Windows Jaunty or Ubuntu XP.


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## jandrusk

*Be afraid Mr. Gates*


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## OPC'n

Mac! It's hard to get use to at first but it's best!


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## Timothy William

I voted for Ubuntu though I actually use Vista much more (they're both on my dual boot PC) but I voted for Windows in the previous poll.


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## LawrenceU

Mac at home where I have a choice and peace.
PC/Microsoft at work where I have not choice and constant turmoil keeping the network up, bugs out, conflicts down, and on and on. (How I got to be the default IT person is beyond me. It really cracks me up.)


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## tcalbrecht

Home setup:
- Server A: Vista
- Server B: XP Home
- Laptop (mine): Ubuntu 8.04
- Netbook (wife): XP Home

I have Virtualbox installed on my laptop so I can also run Vista, Windows 7, and Ubuntu 9.04. I also have Virtualbox installed on server A so I can run Ubuntu there.

If I had my choice I think I would put Ubuntu everywhere and run Windows apps where necessary in a VM.


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## KMK

I love my new 17" MacBook Pro. It can even be partitioned and Windows installed. (I can't afford Windows right now.) That way you can run all that cool Bible Software that D-Mac is always raving about.


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## Beth Ellen Nagle

tcalbrecht said:


> Home setup:
> - Server A: Vista
> - Server B: XP Home
> - Laptop (mine): Ubuntu 8.04
> - Netbook (wife): XP Home
> 
> I have Virtualbox installed on my laptop so I can also run Vista, Windows 7, and Ubuntu 9.04. I also have Virtualbox installed on server A so I can run Ubuntu there.
> 
> If I had my choice I think I would put Ubuntu everywhere and run Windows apps where necessary in a VM.




Is VirtualBox easy to use? I downloaded it for Ubuntu but still going through the user manual....


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## tcalbrecht

Beth Ellen Nagle said:


> Is VirtualBox easy to use? I downloaded it for Ubuntu but still going through the user manual....



Very easy to use if you are setting up a "standard" OS install, like XP or Vista. 

- Create a VM by picking the default OS type and identifying an area to hold your VM. 
- After the VM is created, use the Settings tab to customize. You will need to point the VM at a boot CD or ISO file to get things going. Make sure you configure as much memory as your system can afford to give to the VM. At least 1 GB for Windows. 
- Start the VM and let it do it's thing. 

There is a helper app that you will need to run once the VM is built that allows things like mouse sharing between the VM and your host OS.

Also, if your processor supports virtualization, make sure you enable that in the BIOS.


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## Skyler

Ubuntu 9.04 + Windows XP Media Center on VirtualBox OSE.

9.04 is smooth and flashy, and VirtualBox works very nicely. I *think* it should run Rosetta Stone too, which(in addition to SwordSearcher) is the main thing I'd use Windows for.

-----Added 6/23/2009 at 05:43:23 EST-----



LawrenceU said:


> Mac at home where I have a choice and peace.
> PC/Microsoft at work where I have not choice and constant turmoil keeping the network up, bugs out, conflicts down, and on and on. (How I got to be the default IT person is beyond me. It really cracks me up.)



That job tends to migrate towards the person with the optimal combination of inability to resist pleading coworkers and sufficient technical skills to figure out how to fix unplugged monitors.


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## tellville

I have been trying Linux (Ubuntu) on my desktop, I have a Mac (Leopard) which I boot camp into XP every now and then and I have XP on Parallels which I use all the time. 

So far, I have hated Linux. Definitely not user friendly. But I've only been using it for a few weeks. 

XP is great. Generally stable and runs most things. 

MacOSX (Leopard) is even better. Only downside is that it doesn't run all the software I like using. However, with Parallels this isn't really a problem. If I have an XP resource intensive program I can always boot camp. 

I've become very use to running two OS's at a time and Leopard allows me to do that quite flawlessly.


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## historyb

Try PCLinuxOS it is very easy to use, I am using it and my wife uses it and she had no tech knowledge 

PCLinuxOS - Home


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## Gord

I have, and still use them all. My Mac Mini is my workhorse, and the center of my home network. 

Linux (Ubuntu) is like a 2nd cousin to OSX and on an old box I use for testing all linux I get in the mood for. 

I have Windows7 Beta on my laptop (a 6yr old Sony Vaio), but it's cpu and ram don't really do the OS any justice, other then it works a lot smoother than Vista did on it. When the beta license expires, it will be time to turn that old lappy into a boat anchor. XP reminds me of work, so it will never again be on any of my home boxes.

Bottom line, MAC is my first choice. Trouble free, virus free, tweak free, and most of the time smarter than me.


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## JOwen

Ubuntu 9.04 on all four of our computers. Linux is the best.


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## Jen

I'm glad to see all the *NIX users up and about. It really makes me happy to see that (so far) there are more Linux users than Windows users around here.

My Hermione is a 15" MacBook Pro (2.4 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 120 GB HD); she's 2 years old now. She's running 10.5.7, and I dual-boot in XP (SP 3) -- at first for the Greek stuff required for RTS' Greek class, and now for the games that never got ported (like Morrowind, Oblivion, and KOTOR2). I got the XP disk from Master's, nearly for free (we had a tech fee every semester to pay). I named my primary partition Librarium and then couldn't resist naming my Boot Camp partition Restricted Section.

It's amazing. I thought Apple had pretty much hit the pinnacle of perfection as far as user experience in the OS goes with Tiger, but they really hit a new high with Leopard. I was raised on Macs -- I remember how cool it was to get Mac OS 8 with its shiny new UI and all -- and this one is, by far, my favourite of the lot.


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