The Other Switchers: Linux Users Coming to OS X

LowEndMac.com ^ | December 19, 2005 | Kostas Theofilis

[af_vet_rr]

The interesting question is whether Apple will pass Microsoft.

Vista will partially determine that. Because of past security problelms with Windows, and because of Microsoft's boasts about the security model in Vista, if MS can't get it right with Vista, the industry will tear them a new one.

Microsoft's biggest concern is the rise of web applications. With and more and more people using web applications that are platform independent, Microsoft has good reason to worry - if Grandma and Grandpa just want to check their mail, surf the web, read the news, and swap pictures with the relatives, they won't need or care about the OS - all of that can be taken care of through web-based software (AJAX-based, etc.), which helps Apple out.

As far as the original topic of the thread - I'm not surprised - I see plenty of people using Linux-based servers for their back-end, while they are moving to OS X on the front-end. Linux is great for servers - Free Republic is living proof of that, it's great because you can strip it down to only run what it needs to run (enhancing its stability), and it runs on just about any piece of hardware you want to throw at it.

[HAL9000]

I would expect dual boot Mac/Windows machines in five years. After all, the OS is cheap, about the price of a few games.

According to the rumors, we could see Macs that can dual boot Mac OS X or Windows in about three weeks.

[Terpfen]

I would expect dual boot Mac/Windows machines in five years.

Apple isn't preventing anyone from dual-booting Windows on a Mac. They aren't going to provide whatever drivers are needed, but a third party or OSS driver authors might see an opportunity.

[glorgau]

Just how scp on Mac OS X is different (let alone better) from the Linux one is a mystery to me.

The difference is that file names are not case sensitive on MacOS. That 'makes' (pun intended) for some interesting quirks. Other than that, it's a joy. I use it to develop LAMP sites just fine.

[js1138]

I would expect Windows to have a few problems with Mac motherboards until drivers are written.

[goldstategop]

Its simpler. Installing software is as easy as dragging an image file to the Applications folder and if you want to remove it later, you just remove the icon and any resident folders to the trash - poof - its all gone. There's no registry that leaves bits and pieces behind... which makes it tough for malware writers to compromise the system. And even when you it as root, when you are asked to install new software, the application has to ask you to OK it with your master password. The interface is quite intuitive and while it takes a little getting to, you'll never feel quite the same about Windows again.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[goldstategop]

If its a USB keyboard, no special device drivers are necessary. It will handle both Windows and Mac OSX. I have a new Logitech Internet Navigator keyboard and being USB, it works the same on two different operating systems. The legacy software drivers are for older PS2 sockets. A Mac won't recognize a PS2 keyboard just as a Windows PC won't acknowledge an ADB keyboard. Finally, while not perfect, the hardware is now cross-platform compatible for the most part.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[tortoise]

MacOS X on the workstation, Linux on the server. Neither belongs anywhere else, but both excel in these roles.

[tortoise]

off topic but what does BSD and OSX have in common? i've heard OSX is BSD but not sure if that is true.

OSX has a FreeBSD user environment, which basically means that the UNIX-ish part of OSX looks like FreeBSD though the kernel and UI system are unique and not BSD based.

[goldstategop]

Yep. And its open source software combined with proprietary development. That's where Apple's unique compared to Linux. The underlying code source is free and is available to any one who wants to write applications for it but the overall operating system is definitely a commercial product. If it wasn't, Apple won't exist for no one would put much effort into developing something that didn't return them a profit.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")