Linux has better hardware support than OS X • Hacker News Board

Re: Linux has better hardware support than OS X

#201

Post by parasubvert » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 2:12 PM UTC

virtualritz wrote: post #194

jfarmer wrote: post #68

This is silly. Although I'm sure it's gotten much better since I regularly used Linux on the desktop, you always had to do some amount of due diligence about what hardware worked well with it and what hardware didn't. For example, because I use OS X, I can go to any store, purchase my choice of Lexmark printer, and be on my merry way with a minimal amount of checking. The fact that I have to know that there's a "refe…

Printing? In 2013? This is the least relevant part of hardware support for me since about a decade, on any OS. And that goes for pretty much anyone of my friends too, no one owns printers any more these days. A decade, more or less, is how long I haven't, personally, needed a printer and hence not owned one. So while I can't counter your claims, I couldn't care less. And all the places I worked @ in the last decade,…

Printers are still essential for nearly everyone I know: recipes (for those without an iPad), tickets to concerts/theatres/movies, flight boarding passes (these will fade as smartphones become more applicable), legal documents that require signatures, and photos!

Re: Linux has better hardware support than OS X

#202

Post by vacri » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 2:40 PM UTC

kryten wrote: post #177

vacri wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Word and Excel have NEVER crashed on me and I've been using them since the '97 versions My anecdata has seen a bunch of crashes, at least in Word (I was never a heavy Excel user) and mostly in the earlier versions. If we steer away from application crash to merely screwing up the document, then you can probably double it. I, too, have been running win7 since 2009 without requiring a reboot, but despite having a 64GB…

Screwing up the documents is usually a human issue. That crap on your disk is probably system restore, swap file and hibernation file. You can delete the system restore checkpoints easily. The rest you have to live with. Windows 8: install start8. Problem solved.

The crap on my disk may be restore points. There's no hibernation file - that's off (it's only necessary if you hibernate; you don't have to live with it)

How does start8 stop pdfs from fullscreening or older software from failing to install? Isn't it just a start menu replacement? I didn't have a problem with that. I had a problem with opening a pdf from the desktop, then win8 forcing me into fullscreen view - I couldn't fix the installation problem side-by-side with the tech notes.

Re: Linux has better hardware support than OS X

#203

Post by steveklabnik » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 2:45 PM UTC

Raticide wrote: post #150

steveklabnik wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If a Dell was purchased with Ubuntu pre-installed, I'm sure that a `sudo apt-get dist-upgrade` wouldn't bork during installation either.

If you have to use the command line then you've already failed.

There is a GUI equivalent.

Re: Linux has better hardware support than OS X

#204

Post by leoedin » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 2:55 PM UTC

jfarmer wrote: post #68

This is silly. Although I'm sure it's gotten much better since I regularly used Linux on the desktop, you always had to do some amount of due diligence about what hardware worked well with it and what hardware didn't. For example, because I use OS X, I can go to any store, purchase my choice of Lexmark printer, and be on my merry way with a minimal amount of checking. The fact that I have to know that there's a "refe…

It's not particularly bizarre to be a printer snob. If I were to buy a printer today, even without considering drivers I'd probably narrow it down to 2 or 3 options.

Either way, I've never had any issues with any printers I've thrown at Linux. There are issues with more obscure devices, but equally in the world of SoCs and generic mass storage/input devices that we live in I have far fewer expansion cards and peripherals than ever before, and those that I have use pretty standard protocols for communication.

Re: Linux has better hardware support than OS X

#205

Post by Derbasti » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 4:22 PM UTC

m0skit0 wrote: post #188

Derbasti wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would use Linux mostly for ideological reasons. For most of my work, I need a terminal, a text editor and a web browser. Ocassionally some light vector graphics work and a simple sound editor. I can do all this on any Unix-like system. It mostly even works on Windows. The only technical reason I have to use Linux over OSX is performance. OSX can be a memory hog and it is very much limited by hard drive performance.…

You use Linux for ideological reasons yet you buy Apple hardware? Doesn't make much sense to me.

I would like to use Linux for ideological reasons. I only realized the value of doing so in the last few years. After buying my last Macbook.

Besides, what's the ideological difference between Dell, Apple, Lenovo and Asus as hardware manufacturers? You know, not in terms of price, but freedom.

Re: Linux has better hardware support than OS X

#206

Post by muyuu » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 4:39 PM UTC

gamache wrote: post #197

muyuu wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

System 76 are offering new configurations and frankly they seem fantastic. I haven't ordered yet because I'm in the UK and I have to find out about VAT and tariffs (last time I ordered straight from the US I was charged them and a fine on top, and extortionate "processing charges"). Otherwise I'd be ordering straight away even with a 20% VAT on top.

Data point: I bought a System 76 Ubuntu netbook 2-3 years ago and it was garbage. Bad power management, finicky trackpad, sticky keys on the tiny keyboard. I hated using it (so I didn't).

Sad to hear. Latest models look very good, though. I will wait a bit until they have stock and there are some reviews out.

Re: Linux has better hardware support than OS X

#207

Post by guilhermetk » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 4:56 PM UTC

I had a Dell Vostro 1500 (made in Brazil) and I ran at least 4 different releases of Ubuntu. The only issue I had was with my graphic card, I never managed to setup an external display and I spent hours trying to find the solution. Other than that everything ran smoothly.

Re: Linux has better hardware support than OS X

#208

Post by steveklabnik » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 5:01 PM UTC

pjmlp wrote: post #165

virtualwhys wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) go online for project management and responding to emails check 2) call my clients using their preferred VoIP service Skype, GoogleTalk maybe? Go2Meeting crashed like a bi-atch on OSX for me. 3) run text editors, IDEs, and various virtual machines, interpreters, compilers, and servers complete nonsense if you're insinuating that OSX has better support for the above than Linux (you guys just got a non-archaic JDK f…

Where can you use a legal OS X VM?

I vaguely remember something about Mountain Lion's TOSes stating that an OS X VM is acceptable on Apple hardware.

Re: Linux has better hardware support than OS X

#209

Post by rosser » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 5:07 PM UTC

Derbasti wrote: post #205

m0skit0 wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You use Linux for ideological reasons yet you buy Apple hardware? Doesn't make much sense to me.

I would like to use Linux for ideological reasons. I only realized the value of doing so in the last few years. After buying my last Macbook. Besides, what's the ideological difference between Dell, Apple, Lenovo and Asus as hardware manufacturers? You know, not in terms of price , but freedom .

ICBW, but Lenovo doesn't tend to sue everyone in sight for using rounded corners...

Re: Linux has better hardware support than OS X

#210

Post by edude03 » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 6:07 PM UTC

I think the ultimate crux of the argument Linux people make is that linux is "good enough". Yes there are solutions for everything you may want to do on Linux however when you tell me I should virtualize windows to run photoshop or watch netflix you should realize that Linux doesn't have a good solution for most things.

It's the same with hardware, not long after the Surface Pro was released someone installed ubuntu and said that linux ran perfectly on it. The touchscreen, Pen, Sound, Wifi, and Bluetooth didn't work but it was "good enough" for what he wanted to do (hold down a stack of papers?). Yes this is one random persons anecdote but I feel like the majority of the Linux community has this attitude and that's what ultimately puts Mac (and even Windows in some cases) ahead of Linux in hardware support.