On Sat, Jun 04, 2011 at 05:10:01AM +0200, Stroller wrote: > > Part of my post that you chose not to quote was "I'd be the first to admit > that Macs have flaws." > > All desktops / UIs / operating-systems are a compromise. I don't believe any > of them are perfect. > > Last time I used Linux on the desktop (in ernest) I had some dreadful > problems with KDE crashing or failing to open under certain circumstances, > which I found frustrating and impossible to overcome. That was several years > ago, and no-one on the mailing list or Usenet group I tried was able to help; > I don't think I knew at the time to try the KDE mailing list. >
That's not a problem with Linux, it's a problem with kde. That's once of the reasons I strongly dislike kde4 BTW -- with kde3 most windows users were impressed and easily switched. As you found (and as we see daily on this list), kde4 has yet to achieve that level of carefree stability. People whose first experience with *nix involves kde4 are bound to come away relieved they have windows to go back to! > Currently the biggest thing holding me back from giving Linux another good > chance to prove itself to me is basically that Mac OS X is "good enough" for > me. Low standards, or perhaps you just value "other things"? Does Apple Mail give you the option of wrapping text at a sensible number of characters? Perhaps it's just your settings... > > One concern about using Linux on the desktop is that I don't think the apps > will be as good or as polished as the ones I use currently Never understood the obsession with "polish". Either it works properly or it doesn't. The "polishing" Apple delivers always seems to end in me looking at a blnding box of light with the only recourse being to dim *everything*, invert colors on *everything*, or wear shades. Incredibly annoying, and not my idea of "polished" at all (then again, I genuinely don't see why anyone would buy 100 watt light bulbs other than for industrial use). Apparently Apple doesn't give a rat's behind about accessibility issues. "Imperfect physical specimens need not apply" is what Jobs would probably say if he were honest. Disability is *so* uncool... Another is that (I believe) gestures are not supported in present window managers - presently I can pinch outwards with two fingers to zoom in on an image, or I can swipe with 4 fingers to show an overview of my virtual desktops and open windows. Spreading all 5 fingers shows me the desktop. So I don't like mice, and I was getting pissed off with cleaning my trackball on a daily basis (the ball kinda gets all clogged and slow) … it's hard to find a device with as many buttons as I can make trackpad gestures. You have a keyboard, why the need to "pinch" something? :) > > Nevertheless, there are some things I agree are absolutely shit about OS X. > Yes, like FINDER (actually makes windows explorer look almost reasonable), utter crap security, xnu, and Jobs' stupid obsession with microkernels. The Mac Defender fiasco is the beginning of the end. A similar thing happened with the original Mac OS, and within two years there were hundred of malware instances just like windows. Apple is more interested in design than in engineering, it's been their downfall before. You say OS X is "good enough" I say you've got some mighty low standards. -- caveat utilitor ♫ ❤ ♫ ❤ ♫ ❤ ♫ ❤
