Mac vs. Windows vs. Linux (sorta)

OMG!!! ¬.¬¬¬ Why is it so damn long. @@
I'm too lazy to read that long. okies byes .

|Skinner wrote:

First of all some facts.
Windows has millions of viruses.
Mac has a ridiculously low amount.
Currently Linux has none.

Many people automatically jump to the conclusion that this is because of the amount of users each has.
This is ridiculously false.
Linux is on 469 of the top 500 supercomputers.
Not only this, but most servers run Linux BECAUSE it's virus free.
Simply for that reason Linux has been the MAIN target for viruses in the fast few years.
Still none.
I'll bet that you want to know why right?
Administrative lock.
Native to Linux is the functionality that no user of the computer is allowed modify ANYTHING outside of the home folder. (The home folder is where you're personal files go, and where unsupported applications [programs] get installed to run from.) This makes the computer insanely secure. And unless you are logged in as the root (Administrative) user, than you would be asked for the administrative password every time you tried to modify something that you shouldn't. Windows has of late, attempted to replicate this feature and failed. Now, you get a LOT of viruses, AND it bugs you for a password every ten minutes.
Graphically Mac wins out of the box, however right click on the desktop in a Linux, hit 'Change Desktop Background', switch to the tab 'Visual Effects' and hit 'Extra' or 'Custom' and you'll find yourself with a hole new array of effects that Mac is just starting to bring to life.
My brother likes to say that Linux is just the free Mac, and he's right in some ways, but in others it's so much more.
Ease of use?
I've heard the start menu mentioned earlier and that it was easy to use. Here's what the Linux 'Start' bar looks like.
Right off the bat it's broken up into three buttons. Applications (Programs), Places (on the hard drive, or any other storage device), and Settings (I don't think that this needs to be explained).
Applications is further broken up into: Accessories, Games (that's right, and there's hundreds of free games in the repositories.), Graphics (Any graphic editing software), Internet (Any program that uses the Internet as a key feature), Office, Sound an Video, and Add/Remove. Most of these go without saying but under add remove, it brings up a window that lets you easily and quickly browse through thousands of programs that can be downloaded and installed in bulk just by selecting the ones you want and hitting install.
Places is where your stuff goes. Mp3 players and external hard drives and network places get placed there. Now System. This is my favourite. It is broken up into two VERY different categories. Preferences: which is where you go to change anything that you're allowed to change. Like Screen resolution, desktop effects, screensaver, network connections, appearance, blutooth, keyboard shortcuts, preferred applications, sound, yadda yadda yadda, the list goes on. Settings is also broken up into Administration: where you go to for any settings that you shouldn't be able to change. Like users, hardware drivers, system testing, software sources, passwords, package managers, stuff that you don't really ever need to change, and especially the stuff that you hope a program wont change.
Games?
Oh yeah.
Like I've said, not only is there hundreds to thousands of packaged software in the repositories (Add/Remove or Synaptic Package Manager) that are just games, but lets say you just bought a new game and want to play it on linux.
Here's your options.
Wine. Wine is a windows compatibility layer similar to bootcamp execpt there's no confangled restarting required. It will run most .exe programs.
VirtualBox. It's been said before. Run a complete OS (for free) inside your computer. You can put it on another desktop (left or right) or have it run in integrated mode, having a windows taskbar at the bottom connected to all things windows, and a linux bar at the top. This can be very usefull.
Or if you want to stay away from these..
PlayOnLinux. It's a program that lets you run and configure your games that came on disk with retarded ease.
And hows this for not using much of your computer. You can run Linux AND install programs without a hard drive. The Live feature of most Linux instillation disks let you run Linux on the computer and boot up from the disk without ever touching your hard drive.
And get this, no matter how many programs that you have on Linux, you computer won't and I repeat WILL NOT be slowed down, bogged down, cramped, sluggish, or anything else windows users call an 'expierienced' windows operating system.
Not only is it faster, but without the need for anti-viruses and firewalls, the internet is faster too.

Now it's Windows bashing time.
"What good are windows in a world without walls?"
How long does it take to install Windows?
Do you know how?
The point here is that the instillation proccess is whack.
And you pay for that crap!
Windows 7 costs upwards of four hundred bucks.
And believe me, Windows 7 is Vista with a slightly more bugfree environment, and we all know how crappy Vista was. What kind of upgrade takes 5 years to come out with.
Lets just say that since windows XP, windows has needed much more proccessing power than it should need.
IMHO though, if you have the money, do yourself a favour and buy a Mac.
You may not have the freedom of doing whatever you want, and it may not be as pretty as Linux, and it may not be easy to fully customize, but it's sure as hell easier to use.

Oh and on a side note, if you've ever tried to install windows without your hardware's software disks, you're SOL. Windows itself supports very little software by default. Linux supports over 90% of it without installing anything. Out of the box freedom.

And who the hell wouldn't want to run an operating system called: Ubuntu Satanic Edition.

Show your friends that and they'll even believe that the computer is demonic. Too demonic to run buggy software like viruses anyways. ;D

There are many arguments on why each is better, so you should probably google it. But keep in mind that there is a society of people in our world that still believe that the Earth is round, and a group that believes that magical beings are everywhere and nowhere at once, allways, that know everything (Christians Lawl), and people that believe that Canadians live in igloos, and people that believe evolution doesn't exsist.. Just don't believe everything that you read.

Just because someone isn't lying to you when they say something doesn't mean it's the truth.

can i say, they can make a virus for anything hah!! so stfu linux XD!!!

Thanks for pointing that out Uber, but it's not entirely true for Linux.
Whereas yes they CAN make the virus.
There's no way that it can get onto your computer unless you were to compile it and run it yourself, being sure to give it root privileges.
And believe me, you can't accidentally ./ a virus.

omgawsh!!!!! :O!! that was the fattest essay on here ever!!!!

omgawsh I tired reading T_T (epic fail)

|Skinner wrote:

... Oh and on a side note, if you've ever tried to install windows without your hardware's software disks, you're SOL. Windows itself supports very little software by default. Linux supports over 90% of it without installing anything. Out of the box freedom.

Haha, I just ran into that... I run win7 on virtualbox and wanted to install my (network) printer (HP LaserJet 4000TN). A really common printer! NO driver in win7! I went to download the driver ... guess what... there is ONE driver for Linux and like 24 different for Win*.

In Ubuntu u just click "printer - find printer on network" and voila! ur printer is installed and ready! ONE click!

In windows u have to create a TCP-printer port, get drivers, install them bla bla...

(well, maybe Im a bit biased too :S)

wow after reading that (skinners post) well, that was good. Do you mind if i use some of it in my report? lol

Here's my story.
I wanted to play some games, but having running linux I didn't want to go through the trouble of installing wine and blah blah blah.
So I got windows.
I pirated a copy online. (Which is LEGAL in Canada)
I found a company code to steal to get it running.
I put the disk in and started the install process.
It was an appalling process.
The whole thing looks like it's still from 95.
Anyways, after 3 hours it was ready to reboot for the 2nd time into the actual OS.
I immediately started on some quick workarounds for windows genuine advantage.
That took another couple hours.
I opened up an IE to start googling some games to pirate.
Oops.
Windows cannot connect to the internet.
Fail.
Luckily I managed to have a second ethernet card lying around considering my motherboards wasn't supported, neither was my regular ethernet card OR my wireless card.
There. Online.
Found a game.
Downloaded the game.
Installed the game.
No problems.
Tried to run the game.
Computer locked up.
And this was an old game!
Sim Copter actually.
Anyways.
After investigating this, I realized that my video card wasn't supported.
Fail.
Searching online with the request 'windows' && 'software' results in thousands of ads saying stuff like: 'free anti-virus!' 'virus protection' 'etc. etc.'.
Fail.
Got the video driver.
Played the game alright.
But the computer was pretty slow for normal.
I found out that it was only using one of the processors and for some twisted reason the OS managed to use 2 gigs of ram!
And idling too!
Fail.
After a week of searching for and installing drivers that the bios normally picks up on, ie. my keyboard was having a bit of trouble.., I managed to get it running to my liking. I still couldn't figure out how to costomize certain things and by the time I had most of it to my liking I'd contracted a virus.
Yup. Two weeks of wasted time and energy just to play sim copter.
I've come to realize since then that the only reason that windows has drivers for the hardware is because the companies that make the hardware make the drivers for microsoft so the company doesn't even have to lift a finger changing the operating system to be able to utilize these things.
AND THEY SELL THIS PEICE OF CRAP FOR MONEY?!?
Parden my french.
But seriously.
Fuck Windows.
I refuse to buy anything from microsoft.
And I'm a little sceptical of Mac, however, I can't really say anything bad about it aside from the constant need to reset and all the crashing and locking up, and the COST!
I feel like an old man sometimes, but programs are just knowledge, and in the information society, knowledge should be free, not horded.
If you've read thus far I apologies, because you'll never get that five minutes back, but maybe you've learned something from my rants, maybe not.

FYI, optic, I don't mind if you use it in your report. Don't quote my name though, find some scientist to quote, you'll get better marks.

W.O.O.W

=D