Should I: Install Windows 7 -- Buy a MAC -- Rant some more -- Set mine on fire?

Crimson · « **Reply #40 on:** 9 Nov 2009, 01:52 am »

Windows 7 is the best thing to have happened to Windows.

And this from a Mac user.

John151 · « **Reply #41 on:** 9 Nov 2009, 01:57 am »

I am facing a similar decision. Wife's Dell laptop running Vista works fine, but my IBM running XP is giving me fits connecting via WiFi. All was fine until I recently turned on WPA encryption (wifi was unprotected for a while). I constantly have to "repair" my connection.

I replaced my PC Desk Top a year ago with a MAC Mini, but find it horribly slow, and am not all that crazy about it. Fewer problems than the PC, but not really wowed either.

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #42 on:** 9 Nov 2009, 02:05 am »

Quote from: John151 on 9 Nov 2009, 01:57 am

I am facing a similar decision. Wife's Dell laptop running Vista works fine, but my IBM running XP is giving me fits connecting via WiFi. All was fine until I recently turned on WPA encryption (wifi was unprotected for a while). I constantly have to "repair" my connection.

I replaced my PC Desk Top a year ago with a MAC Mini, but find it horribly slow, and am not all that crazy about it. Fewer problems than the PC, but not really wowed either.

That the MacMini is slower makes me wonder what is at issue in the set up. It might be the computer or it can also be something else, like a network issue? When I swapped my MacMini G4 with a Dell back in 2005, it was either the same or even speedier that the Dell XP I had.

The only thing that will wow you with swiftness or speed is something very high end in the hardware spec. My gaming PC with Vista is the fastest thing I have experienced but it is an energy hog as well as being expensive.

John151 · « **Reply #43 on:** 9 Nov 2009, 02:51 am »

The MAC Mini is slow launching applications, and switching between applications. It does quit well with the internet (much better than any PC I have ever used). Most likely just a slow HD in the Mini.

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #44 on:** 9 Nov 2009, 03:32 am »

Quote from: John151 on 9 Nov 2009, 02:51 am

The MAC Mini is slow launching applications, and switching between applications. It does quit well with the internet (much better than any PC I have ever used). Most likely just a slow HD in the Mini.

What is the spec of the Mini you have?

Mine is the original and even though it was specified that it was compatible with Leopard, my 1 gb ram and the 80 GB HDD just did not work. In contrast my Powerbook which is similarly specified it runs much much better with the older Tiger system than the Leopard. In my moms first generation Intel chip version, the Core Solo 1.66 MHZ, Leopard is as snappy as it can be but hers is loaded with 2 GB Ram.

nyc_paramedic · « **Reply #45 on:** 9 Nov 2009, 01:26 pm »

Quote from: Bob in St. Louis on 5 Nov 2009, 11:53 pm

mshan - I had Firefox for a few months. One of the biggest problems with it, was that it wouldn't display pictures. Not only that, but it wouldn't even display the little red 'x'. At least with the 'x', I knew I needed to refresh the screen to see what was there. Firefox didn't acknowledge the existence of an image at all. Imagine seeing a forum post and not knowing there was a picture embedded in the post. In addition to that, I also had the same problems I listed above. Google Chrome sucked too. Just different kinda suckage.

Under Preferences, then Content, there is a checkbox for "Load images automatically" and and options for "Exceptions" . Is that check box clicked?

nyc_paramedic · « **Reply #46 on:** 9 Nov 2009, 01:34 pm »

Bob,

Another option is to try a Ubuntu Linux Live CD. You would download and burn and Ubuntu image (if that's beyond your expertise, then PM and I'll send you a disc --gratis).

You would boot into this CD "live" meaning, Ubunuty Linux can run the whole operating system in RAM without touching your Windows installation. You can see if you're still having connectivity problems while using Linux.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #47 on:** 11 Nov 2009, 04:18 am »

Hey there NYC.
Regarding your first comment; I've uninstalled FF, so I'm not sure if the box was checked or not.
Regarding your second comment; That mere prospect of that scares the Hell out of me. You sure it'll run on 1.0Gb of RAM?

I've still not "wiped" either drive. The wife has kept me busy (and off the computers/internet/forums) so I've not had a chance to mess with anything.

Bob

lcrim · « **Reply #48 on:** 11 Nov 2009, 04:47 am »

As I posted several pages back, you can install Ubuntu as a dual boot or even run it from a boot disk. It requires 384 mb RAM minimum in Release 9.10, the latest. (updates every 6 months)
My daughters' old laptop has 1 GHz processor and 512 mb RAM and it runs fine. She mainly uses it for email messaging and web browsing.
I'm not sure how you or your wife will react to a new operating system. Its a slick GUI interface not menu driven so you should be alright but its different from MS and as I've found in making IT changes when I was working, many people don't deal well with change.
I can send you a CD as well.

nyc_paramedic · « **Reply #49 on:** 11 Nov 2009, 05:04 am »

Quote from: Bob in St. Louis on 11 Nov 2009, 04:18 am

Hey there NYC.
Regarding your first comment; I've uninstalled FF, so I'm not sure if the box was checked or not.
Regarding your second comment; That mere prospect of that scares the Hell out of me. You sure it'll run on 1.0Gb of RAM?

Why does it scare the hell out of you? You get to test drive Linux without ever touching your hard disk! Isn't that amazing? Just be aware that it will run a bit slower since the rotational speed of a CD-ROM/DVD drive is much slower than 5400/7200 rmp disk.

If you're worried about not having enough RAM you can also try Xubuntu [ http://www.xubuntu.org/ ] which is Ubunntu Linux but with the XFCE desktop instead of GNOME. XFCE can be much less resource hungry than GNOME. You still get all the free software goodies, and you can run this live as well.

Give it a try. You have nothing to lose.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #50 on:** 11 Nov 2009, 05:10 am »

Sorry Larry. I most likely dismissed your earlier post as "too radical" for me.

Not sure why I took the bait that NYC dangled in front of me, maybe it was a moment of weakness. But you're VERY correct, most people are very afraid of change. Despite how frustrated we are with MS and it's bugs, it'll take a helluva lot for most of us to just that fence to another OS, or another machine altogether (like a MAC).

I not only rely on the machine I'm currently typing on for email, PMs, "life" in general, but also the active software that controls my music runs through it. Yea...you could say I've got all my eggs in one basket....And you'd be very correct. But the thought of switching OS's seems worse than erasing the entire HDD and reinstalling Windows. I know that sounds stupid, but there are too many unknowns (for me) dealing with a new OS. There are questions that I don't even know to ask.

Bob

EDIT: Damn NYC.
I feel like I'm back in high school and some dude is handing me a joint saying, "Just try it....come on, it won't hurt.....".

Putting a Linux CD in my drive would be like holding that lit joint up to my lips. Um....I'm not sure what to say.

lcrim · « **Reply #51 on:** 11 Nov 2009, 05:23 am »

Bob:
I understand how you feel. It was suggested to me that there is a hell of a lot of people who need help w/ their computers, I've been trying to spin a business opportunityout of that need.
As far as Ubuntu is concerned, you could install it as a dual boot or an active CD and then you can go back to MS Windows when you get antsy.

nyc_paramedic · « **Reply #52 on:** 11 Nov 2009, 05:31 am »

Quote from: Bob in St. Louis on 11 Nov 2009, 05:10 am

I not only rely on the machine I'm currently typing on for email, PMs, "life" in general, but also the active software that controls my music runs through it. Yea...you could say I've got all my eggs in one basket....And you'd be very correct. But the thought of switching OS's seems worse than erasing the entire HDD and reinstalling Windows. I know that sounds stupid, but there are too many unknowns (for me) dealing with a new OS. There are questions that I don't even know to ask.

EDIT: Damn NYC.
I feel like I'm back in high school and some dude is handing me a joint saying, "Just try it....come on, it won't hurt.....".
Putting a Linux CD in my drive would be like holding that lit joint up to my lips. Um....I'm not sure what to say.

Bob,

If anything, Microsoft is the "dude" handing you a joint. Linux is the way to salvation, philosophically and morally.

If you want a softer first step then please read (and watch the video) the philosophy behind the GNU movement. Link: http://www.gnu.org/ This more about "free" software. This is about "freedom". Freedom to use your software how you want. That means high quality software that is developed by many for all.

I'm also a computer audiophile and my active software is all Linux. It sounds glorious, is rock solid stable, and infinitely customizable. I helped this gentleman get my custom setup up and running: http://cheap-silent-usb-linux-music-server.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-03-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B01%3A00&updated-max=2009-04-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B02%3A00&max-results=4

You can't do that with Microsoft products. They will dictate to you how and when you will use the software that you own. They will dictate to you when and *if* they will fix their bugs and poorly designed software. They will keep forcing you to pay for new software when they see fit.

Try the Linux live CD. Life is too short.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #53 on:** 11 Nov 2009, 06:10 am »

Come on Bob....try it.

Got to meet nyc_paramedic (Nick) at the last Rave...
.....he knows what he's talking about....

genjamon · « **Reply #54 on:** 12 Nov 2009, 09:52 pm »

I would recommend trying out Ubuntu just to get a feel for it - either dual boot or "live". I did so a couple years ago on an old desktop a friend just gave me. I found it really helped the sound of my system streaming flac files, but that was only after I spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out how to load the right driver for my DAC. This situation has been the hardest for me to deal with in moving to Linux.

I grew up with Windows, and honestly I've always kind of felt fine about it. Never really warmed to MACs at all, as I felt like there was too much going on without my say-so. Yet, I was never comfortable working in command prompts. The problem with Linux for someone like me is that you really HAVE to be comfortable with command prompts.

Sure, it's ready to go for the basics, but if you have any peripherals you want to connect (like audio equipment or other stuff), you often find that there are little glitches or problems. Then you have to search the Ubuntu user and expert forums for the right code solution. Then you have to input that into a command prompt.

This is great because it's free and completely flexible and customizable. However, it's anything but easy for someone like me! It has been simultaneously frustrating and illuminating giving it a try. As a result, I use Ubuntu linux as my OS for my audio playback laptop and as a limited HTPC for Hulu. However, I wouldn't want to use linux as my primary box for work, or even for play. I like having a windows machine as a fall-back.

Dual-boot? Sure, probably the right solution. I'll probably do this when I finally get around to upgrading my slowish Asus EEE laptop soon with something more powerful. Windows 7 will be good for internet video compatibility (for example, Netflix only supports online streaming for Mac or Windows, no linux!) and peripherals compatibility, Ubuntu will keep me with a quality and streamlined audio output for my serious listening, superior to Windows for USB output in my experience.

My two cents,
Ben

bpape · « **Reply #55 on:** 12 Nov 2009, 10:15 pm »

BUT, the problem is that Bob wants to stream to his SB (Ubuntu) while being in Windows working, emailing, etc. Can't dual boot at the same time AFAIK. It's one or the other at a time.

He needs one platform that will work well for everything at the same time.

Bryan

srb · « **Reply #56 on:** 12 Nov 2009, 10:19 pm »

Quote from: bpape on 12 Nov 2009, 10:15 pm

BUT, the problem is that Bob wants to stream to his SB (Ubuntu) while being in Windows working, emailing, etc. Can't dual boot at the same time AFAIK. It's one or the other at a time.

He needs one platform that will work well for everything at the same time.

Install Sun VirtualBox and install one of the OS under that.

Steve

JeffB · « **Reply #57 on:** 12 Nov 2009, 10:30 pm »

I would also recommend Ubuntu for troubleshooting your internet connection.
I run Ubuntu on a machine with 256Mb just fine.
Simply place an Ubuntu disk in the CD-ROM and restart the computer.
It will ask you a few simple questions for which you can most likely just pick the default.
In a couple of minutes Ubuntu will be running from your CD-ROM drive and from RAM.
Nothing will be placed on your harddrive.
There will be a menu at the top of the screen that will easily allow you to find FireFox.
Just run Firefox and spend some time browsing the internet.
Running from CD-ROM is quite a bit slower than from the harddrive, but this will be no problem for just testing Firefox and your connection.

To get an Ubuntu disk you download a .iso image from the Ubuntu website.
You then need to use CD-ROM burning software to burn an .iso image.

Philistine · « **Reply #58 on:** 12 Nov 2009, 11:30 pm »

Bob, to come full circle on our decision:
We had the session in our local Apple store on Monday and walked away with MacBook Pro's - an Apple store is a dangerous place as it's full of cool stuff on active display and use.
I had already made the decision to switch to a Mac but wanted my Chinese business partner to find out if it was the right decision for him. He gets tech support as part of the deal and is able to go to the local Apple store in the US or the Apple store in Beijing when he's in China. They transferred all the data from his XP laptop to his Mac and did all the setup for him, being technically challenged this was a great option for him. So far he loves his Mac.

We have used Dell XP laptops for the last 4 years and the decision to switch to Macs was based on expected productivity benefits and frustration with Windows systems. The upfront cost though is significantly higher than buying an equivalent Windows machine. We just need to wait and see if we have a robust hardware and software package.

The Ubuntu proposal looks a great idea, I would probably go down this path first. If you do go into an Apple store the likelihood is that you'll walk out with the new Mac, it's a very feature rich and cool machine with a price to match!

Phil

Philistine · « **Reply #59 on:** 18 Nov 2009, 10:12 pm »

Bob,

Even though I've gone down the Mac path for running our business I still have a bunch of Windows computers to take care of, we have 2 running XP and 2 running Vista. On the basis that Windows 7 is a stripped down and simplified version of Vista it got me thinking, and I found a vendor that sold me a 4 license version. The GUI is much better than XP and Vista, super fast and it even boots up before I switch the on button

As I live north of the Mason-Dixon line I could only get a pirate version

Here's a screen shot: