Help from computer wiz

[pscraig]

Linux can be good, but seems to be best for those at opposite ends of the spectrum of computer knowledge. I use and like Linux, and have also seen success with complete novices to computer technology. I gave my grandparents a Linux system to use just the internet, and its simplicity was appealing to them. Since they will never install software or add peripherals (without calling me at least) it works for them, and I love the reliability (zero issues in 18 months).

For most people however, migrating to Linux can be more pain than it is worth. If you're considering another platform and are willing to buy new software for it, take a look at the new Macs. If I had the money, I would have a new G4 Powerbook.

[Vyse]

Another great way to avoid popups when you surf is to use Mozilla instead of IE. Mozilla automatically blocks all pop-up ads, and has fewer security holes than IE. The email program that comes with it also has a decent spam filter included.

www.mozilla.org =)

[WillNotFly4Food]

Ditto on the Linux, far superior. I have a buddy that has been running it for 5 months straight on one of his boxes, never rebooted. If it would support more games I would run it too.

[pilot602]

Macs crash just as much as PCs (believe me ... nothng sucks morethan watching your G3 server go down with different section of the newspaper you're puttingtogether trapped on 10 seperate machines).

I'll tell 'ya an OS I whish that had caught on ... BeOS. That was one slick, tight little GUI OS. Take the best parts of Mac and PC throw 'em together with Linuix-style robustness and that was Be.

[tomek_vector]

OS 9.x - yes, crap for the most part. OS X - not anymore.

if he buys a new Apple box, that thing won't even boot into 9 anymore. so that's not an issue anymore.

[pscraig]

I remember Be, it had such potential and even convinced some software publishers to port to BeOS. Something just didn't happen though. Probably marketing-I never saw ads in the airport, in many magazines, or anywhere else other than the OS shelf at Best Buy.

I have heard of some horrific crashes from the Mac crowd, and the ensuing frustration as there don't seem to be as many imaging, recovery and installation tools as we have for the PC. Apple will eventually get into servers, but the hot-pluggable drive arrays make your described emergency a little less intense in PC land!

[Josh]

I haven't had any of my Macs crash in about 2 or 3 years. Only downtime, is if power goes off, and the UPS doesn't last that long. I have an old PC I got from work when laid off. I run dead simple win98 on it, and it does what I would ever need it to; run a few win only programs, like some Jepp stuff. It does require a restart at least once a day though if trying to use it for much of anything else. Found that in real use, that is pretty normal of M$ systems, but home users may not see that always until installing extra junk. That's the big advantage of anything unix based, be it BeOS, Linux, MacOSX, Solaris, etc., as they are built to be stable.

Be is gone, but the system still hangs around. Kinda like Amiga does. http://www.bebits.com/whatisbeos if anyone wants to still play around with it.

[Mr_Creepy]

You have an unusual Mac.

Mine crashed at least once a day.

I got tired of paying 3X as much for hw/sw just because it was for "the Mac."

I switched to PC in 1995 and have never regretted the much lower prices!

[pilot602]

I have a G4 that I use on a daily (8hrs a day ... I'm writing this and nearly all my posts on it) basis and it crashes at least two times a week. The "bomb" error .. or it simply locks up.

And when did Mac OS become a unix based system?

[tomek_vector]

hm,... no offense but the new OS is unix based. right now it's up to .... 10.2.5 ? something like that? 10.3 expected this fall. i'm running it on an iBook G3 - 466 and it never quits.

i use a G3 350 at work and at least couple of times a day - just dies. but there i'm runnning OS 9.2.2

[Josh]

602, if you have a g4, install osx. Simple easy fix for any problems you have. Or find a fix for whatever software you are running causing the crash. Would you run bad gas in a plane? Then why run bad software on a computer? The errors are coming from what program that you use now?

I still say, maintain the KISS principle if you want a Windows based system to be somewhat stable. Every time I have someone ask for help with their system, you wouldn't believe the crap installed on it. And that includes not installing everything that Microsoft provides, as their software is usually the buggy stuff no matter what platform it is on.