Been working with Linux for a while now, but I got a chance to play around with an Mac iBook the other day. Seemed really nice. Sleek GUI, some slick animations (that didn't get in the way), and all those fun little *NIX tools behind the scenes (sed, grep, awk, etc.). Could this be the best of both worlds? Anyone own a Mac with OS X? Like it (coming from linux)?

Mac is nice--but does it really offer any advantage over Linux? The one real advantage might the availability of certain apps, but that is likely to change rapidly.

I agree. Perhaps I was drawn to it since I still don't feel at home in KDE or Fluxbox (haven't had the time to really tinker with either yet, I run all terminal-only servers.) How/why do you think application availability will change?

I find OS X a bit too slick and cutesy myself. Other issues (ie: no Ogg support out of the box, 'finder' sucks etc..) have kept me using Linux for the most part.
I use the machine (G5) for final cut only. All other times the machine runs Linux. This touches upon what pixellany mentions: DV editing isn't 'there' yet on Linux.

It's the best right now. Coming from Linux, saying that. Behind the scenes you'll find Unix commandline. Fink that enables you to run pretty much any BSD software imaginable. You can run X11. Even with all the eyecandy Aqua is pretty sleek on mediocre hardware. Xcode gives one of the best cross-platform, cross-architecture coding suites for free (all but Windows). Best of all, every version of OS X has been faster than previous.

I've actually never ever this far been disappointed with OS X. Except for the customization part of Aqua, but that's small since I try to get Aqua feel on linux desktops too.

I happen to love it as well. I bought my Macbook about a 10 months ago and haven't regretted it for a moment. Actually, when my mother told me she wanted a laptop and was thinking of getting a "Windows" one (she used FreeBSD on her desktop for a couple years), I insisted that she get a Macbook instead. I even fronted the cash for her because it was a little more expensive than the POS she was looking at. She instantly fell in love with it. And, when comparing it to her twin's computer (the Dell she was going to buy), she can't believe how cheap it was for how fantastic everything is.

Sorry... I'm rambling. Yes, it is the best of both worlds. There are a few things which are odd (user management and shells for example) but you get used to them and a google usually tells you what you need to know. Overall, it's fantastic. And most of my shell scripts moved right over with no changes or very small ones.

I've never seen or touched a Mac in real life, strangely enough i don't even have any desire to do that, there are many other weirdo things on my to do list but not this one, strange hmmm...

Same here. My stephdad got Macbook for my mom after noticing how little problems my mac has (zero this far). Mom is satisfied but more so me & my stephdad are more satisfied since mom isn't yelling for someone to fix the computer at least once a week or asking WTF is that once a day.

And my aunt got Ubuntu 6.06 installed by me on her PIII. Stragely enough, same bliss happened there. Easy to use, stable & secure. She used to be almost afraid to use computers thanks to viruses & hoax. Now she uses Synaptic just to try out programs! Seems odd, that computer amateurs actually find themselves more comfortable with alternate systems than with "easy-to-use and familiar" Windows. I can see tremendous market potential for OEM installed Linuxes even now.

Thank you all for your thoughts. I was really curious to see what the linux community thinks about OS X. It is definitely a nice interface, but I do agree that it can be too cutesy at times.

Actually using gnome and using kde and flux and icewm and xfce i gotta say that the most innovative and almost cant live without feature is rox-filer. I was curious and implemented part of the window manager panel on icewm and I find my self using rox more then icewm. It has a way to go but I think once you get more to using it and it evolves a little more it will be a must use tool and fast becoming my favorite WM.

There is just something about ROX that makes managing files and mounted drives much easier then having separate tools. Its hard to explain really but I see a huge untaped potential for a new way to do a window manager.

anyway ive used mac OSX as my ex has a mac book. Besides her numerous issues with the hardware and the power supply for it its a pretty sleek system. I like the size and the amount of battery life you get out of a small system. As for power vers cost tho i gotta say it looses terribly. Alot of the eazy to use stuff can come from a good Linux desktop setup. and the speed can be accomplished by creating your Linux from scratch basically customizing everything for the processor your on. and at over $1000 US compared to $550 US for a HP that has more ram and harddrive space out of the box with better video is why it looses. If mac OSX was not bound to proprietary hardware and was installable on any x86 based computer then I would agree and say its a good compromize but I would rather use a free distro on a cheeper PC then slap the money down on a mac.

Exvor, rox-filer sounds like Quicksilver: http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/

I never found it that necessary but loads of people with loads of data & applications swear to it's name.

for me any customly configured file command shouldnt appear in the menu or be handled with multiple clicks on multiple "child" dialogs ... actually i dont mind doing extra "chaotic" works after the first click ... probably that would be the truer doing nothing is doing everything ...



.

Hmm they don't seam to be that similar. rox is an attempt to make the file manager the window manager with no difference between the 2. of course I just skimmed though the site on quick tho.

My next computer purchase is going to be a Mac so I can increase my knowledge of them. I find them to be expensive and overrated for some reason.

/me looks at your profiles listed operating systems.

Uh oh?


@exvor: thanks for tip. fastest filemanager I've experienced for X (except for thumbnail rendering). gonna give it a try since Thunar seems instable after latest update.