Windows Vista VS MAC OS?

Speedy185 · #1 09-14-2007, 02:54 PM

Hi

Im new here and need some help. Hopefully the gurus can help me understand better, i am a little slow when it comes to computers

.

Anyway, i'm currently using Windows Vista after upgrading from Windows XP Pro. I'm really sick and tired of Vista already as i can't stand the bugs and programs constantly freezing. Many times i've read people mentioning the MAC & Linux operating systems being better than Microsoft's OS.

I would like to switch my OS to perferably the MAC OS, i dont want to go back to Windows XP. Anyway, can some of you guys please help me by answering a few questions?

Whats are the Pros & Cons of the MAC OS?
Whats it like compared to Microsoft's OS's?
Can i keep my files when switching OS's like i did with Vista?
Are all programs compatible with the MAC OS's?
Will i still have to run MS Office for basic applications?
Can i still use my wireless network in my house with a MAC OS?
Are there any hardware issues with the MAC OS like there is with Vista?

I'm really sorry if i've dragged on a little here and some questions sound stupid.

Thank you in advance.

Generator · #2 09-14-2007, 04:03 PM

theres no pro,s and cons to mac..its runs exc and you dont need virus apps etc..windows apps wont work in mac os,, also your pc wont be able to install mac os ,,there built different also bios is different than pc. your best bet is go back to win xp or try linux or ubuntu. you can run mac osx on pc as a emulator but its very buggy they say at the moment,,you just have the same problems as vista.

Speedy185 · #3 09-14-2007, 08:37 PM

Whats Ubuntu?
Can i run the usual applications when using the linux OS?
Also, does it work just like the Wins OS, or is it run from DOS or something?

Generator · #4 09-15-2007, 03:39 AM

ubuntu is like linux..also its free to download.and you dont need to buy it. but you cant use win apps in it ..it does have some apps built in like,,a word processor spreadsheet,,presentation app. usally alot of users use it as a dual boot with windows. heres the link so you can check it out http://www.ubuntu.com/ also if you go on youtube,,, and just put ubuntu in search and you can see it in action..ubuntu aero in mind blowing better than vista ,,heres link to watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYsxaMyFV2Y

Generator · #5 09-15-2007, 04:26 AM

also if forgot to say..ubuntu you can boot of the cd..without installing it, just to see whats its like.

Speedy185 · #6 09-15-2007, 10:10 AM

exellent cheers

Speedy185 · #7 09-15-2007, 10:17 AM

is there any operating system out there which will allow me to use MS products?

Speedy185 · #8 09-15-2007, 10:27 AM

Whats a dual boot with Windows? Does that mean that i can have both operating systems on my computer? If so, how is that done?

fritzi93 · #9 09-15-2007, 10:55 AM

Just to add to the above...

Strictly speaking, no, you can't run Windows apps on Linux distros. But you CAN run them with WINE. WINE does not stand for "WINdows Emulator", but rather "Wine Is Not an Emulator". It's a compatibility layer "allowing many unmodified Windows programs to run on x86-based Unixes..." Note the word "many", not all programs will run without problems.

http://www.winehq.org/

If you're not a gamer, there are actually Linux equivalents for just about anything you would want to do under Windows. The latest Ubuntu is not difficult to set up and use, although there are some geeky spots here and there.

fritzi93 · #10 09-15-2007, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedy185

Whats a dual boot with Windows? Does that mean that i can have both operating systems on my computer? If so, how is that done?

Yes, you can. Look here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/search.php?searchid=27189512

And here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...ight=dual+boot

Speedy185 · #11 09-15-2007, 02:46 PM

Genius Americans, thank you lol

fritzi93 · #12 09-15-2007, 09:36 PM

Eh, the search result crapped out for my first link. Just go to the Ubuntu forums and search "dual-boot".

http://ubuntuforums.org/

Here's the deal: Linux has a well-deserved reputation for geekiness, that is, not mainstream. The average user has had difficulty with setup and use. Add to that the fact that there are a great number of distributions (distros) or flavors of Linux, which leads to confusion. Ubuntu is meant to address some of the ease-of-use issues, and make switching over less painful for Windows users. To a great degree, the developers have succeeded.

Download the latest Ubuntu, burn it to disc, set your BIOS to boot from your optical drive, and try it.

I personally would not trust the setup disc to correctly partition my hard drive without backing everything up just in case. I simply put in an extra hard drive into my comp, formatted and made two partitions. I used the free utility provided by the hard drive manufacturer (in this case, Western Digital). Then I cloned my OS drive (XP) to the first partition, making certain I selected the option to make it bootable. Switch the cloned drive to boot drive. Then it's a cinch to install Ubuntu on the second partition. Voila! Dual boot.

The folks at the Ubuntu forums are interested in helping people switch to Ubuntu, there is a weath of information there.

I checked out Vista the other day on a friend's comp. Bleh, it's annoying that it seems so many settings are buried, like you need 5 or 6 clicks to get to a setting, whereas in XP it's 2 or 3. And other things turn me off about it, DRM for instance, but anyway...

Good luck.

[EDIT] BTW, the Beryl desktop beats hell out of Aero. Overall, Ubuntu has a MUCH smaller footprint than Vista. Which means you don't need the latest hardware to run it.

Speedy185 · #13 09-16-2007, 06:16 PM

I was thinking of using an external hard drive for the Ubuntu, which will become my D drive. Will i still have to partition the external hard drive?

I checked out the forum and it seems very technical to me, too much gibberish for me to understand.

fritzi93 · #14 09-16-2007, 06:47 PM

That's okay, go to the beginners' area, we all have to start somewhere. As to installing on an external drive, sure. This page outlines most of the whys and wherefors of using an external Linux boot drive:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/li...-fireboot.html

If you have USB 2.0, ignore the parts about Firewire. Good luck.

[EDIT] Summary: Turn the external drive on, then boot from the CD. If Ubuntu recognises the drive, you're in business. Installation will be self-explanatory.

Disk_Contented · #15 09-24-2007, 02:20 PM

Hmmm. Let's get one thing straight. Absolutely anything is an improvement on Vista. The OS isn't even finished yet. I suggest it is a public beta.

If you want absolute compatability, stick with XP. It's the best M$ has to offer. Linux has wine, but a virtual machine is a vastly better idea. You get to run both OS at the same time. No good for games or intensive apps really though.

Linux isn't for the faint hearted, no matter what people say. You will find the transition from windows difficult, to put it mildly.

I'm experimenting with mac OS at the moment. So from a Mac noob point of view...
I will switch to this OS if my experience shows it a viable alternative to XP.

First off, Macs now run on PC hardware.
OS X will run on fairly modern PC hardware, as long as SSE2 instructions at least, are supported by the CPU. SSE3 is better.
Again, not for the faint hearted. The probability of failure is high, and you need a "special" version of the OS to make it work.

The best thing to do is reinstall XP. It's not that bad. Install "VMware workstation" and install linux on that. You get to experiment to your hearts content without destroying your system and you can try as many different versions of linux as you wish. Should you find a version you like, you can even dual boot it with XP for those times you have to run a windows app.