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From OS X to Ubuntu

nicolas.perriault.net

311–320 of 403 posts

Re: From OS X to Ubuntu

#311
post #228
post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I strongly disagree with the sentiment that the solution is "another closed-source unix/linux-based operating system that throws away X.org and its attempted modern replacements, that can directly compete with OS X" We don't need more closed, we need more open. What we need is massive rewards for open hardware via customer money. As long as wireless cards and graphics cards are closed by default and drivers are BLOBe…

No, GNU/Linux needs less fragmentation. It needs a full OS stack, from the kernel to the UI toolkit, that is guaranteed to be the same, across all distributions. Where are the Mac OS X frameworks on GNU/Linux? Nowhere, because each distribution might be using a total different way to play sounds, music, doing SIMD, process images, accessing databases, UI toolkit ....

> that is guaranteed to be the same, across all distributions.

Then there wouldn't be "distributions", plural.

> Where are the Mac OS X frameworks on GNU/Linux?

Where are the macOS servers? Where is macOS running on a raspberry pi? Where is macOS running on your home router? On your watch? On your supercomputer? GNU/Linux does just fine.

macOS suits one use case, and one only (though it's very visible); don't make it sound like everything else sucks.

Re: From OS X to Ubuntu

#312
Sure, functionality-wise Ubuntu and also other Linux operating systems can definitely match the palette that OS X offers. The problems with Ubuntu are starting if you are getting into the area of peripherals:

Drivers for some things are missing or are not performing as comparable Hardware does under OS X, it gets even worse when you're struggling with HiDPI: Have you ever tried to have one non-HiDPI and one HiDPI screen as when using your QHD laptop screen together with a FullHD secondary monitor? Total pain in the ass under Ubuntu and in contrast very easy on OS X.

Re: From OS X to Ubuntu

#313
post #14

Not related to the blog post but why are the websites form lenovo + dell (and acer) so god damn awful? lenovo.com redirects me to https://www.lenovo.com/se/en/ since i'm currently in Sweden. I then get nice server error as greeting: 403 - Forbidden: Access is denied. If I try to access lenovo.de I get often no response... also for subsequent pages... On dells website it takes an awful lot of time to filter their lapt…

The other manufacturers also haven't figured out how to organize their models. As far as I can tell, Dell has just a handful of models (XPS, Precision etc.), but if you go and look at the XPS 15, for example, it's a grid of dozens of SKUs with various specs instead of just a single page with customization options. It's not even a matrix -- with models varying by CPU and RAM and disk and such, you'd expect that at lea…

This is so frustrating! It's not like it can't be done; System76 manages to present a really nice base-model + customisation experience, so why can't Dell?

Re: From OS X to Ubuntu

#315
For work (java + web developer) Linux is what I would prefer. Unfortunately we're a Windows shop.

For play (gaming + photography) it's a no go. Stuck with Windows for a while longer I suppose.

Re: From OS X to Ubuntu

#316
post #38
post #14

Not related to the blog post but why are the websites form lenovo + dell (and acer) so god damn awful? lenovo.com redirects me to https://www.lenovo.com/se/en/ since i'm currently in Sweden. I then get nice server error as greeting: 403 - Forbidden: Access is denied. If I try to access lenovo.de I get often no response... also for subsequent pages... On dells website it takes an awful lot of time to filter their lapt…

This, this, a thousand times this. One thing that Apple has done very well is put together a website that: A.) Tells you what they are selling, and B.) Can sell it to you. Why is it so hard for other vendors to figure out that this is a pretty good way to sell computers? My girlfriend bought an Asus Zenbook the other day; it's a really nice machine and made me wonder whether there might be a Zenbook for me. So I ende…

> One thing that Apple has done very well is put together a website that:

  A.) Tells you what they are selling, and
  B.) Can sell it to you.

  C.) Be able to configure a US keyboard when you're not in the US.
I'm in the UK, but I've used a US keyboard layout all along from the days that I bought an obsolete Sun3/50 to use as an X terminal. My last ThinkPad was bought in the US by a friend who came from there and sold it on to me. But if I wanted to buy a new laptop with a US keyboard from Lenovo or Dell today, their web sites don't provide the option. Apple do.

(I'm sure it might be possible to order one over the phone, but why should I have to?)

Re: From OS X to Ubuntu

#317
post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that desktop on linux is ready, with the main trade-off being: you have to spend more time setting things up, but you can customise your software/hardware to any level you want. ( and just like Y software, there's X hardware that might not work with linux. those damn printers... ) Btw, I also started with Ubuntu but I'm finding Arch a much better and up to date distro.

> and just like Y software, there's X hardware that might not work with linux. those damn printers... The two biggest issues I've ever had with linux are printer support and modem support. Time solved both issues before developers did, no one uses dial up and I no longer print anything at home.

Even printers (and scanners) are fine as long as you pick the hardware based on Linux driver availability.

I love how using an ageing Canon USB-scanner just works without any configuration on any new install of Ubuntu, because the driver is supported by the SANE project. No vendor-specific software needed; just open up Simple Scan and… scan.

Re: From OS X to Ubuntu

#318
I have an Ubuntu desktop and a Macbook air laptop. On the Desktop computer I have a TypeMatrix Bépo keyboard which is great for French people writing French text and coding.

What I'm missing on my Ubuntu computer is Word and Excel. LibreOffice is very far from the quality of Word. So I use my Mac when I have to write word documents but the Mac interface is a pain.

I had a windows laptop but although the hardware was good it was very slooooow at start up. It needed 30minutes to be ready to be usable (reboot or wake up) and without any roaming and with virus checking disabled. That's useless.

The only serious problem in my field with Ubuntu is that many people use Word as document format and this is annoying.

Re: From OS X to Ubuntu

#319

For those of you looking for a nice little Linux laptop check out System76's Lemur. https://system76.com/laptops/lemur I have the older Skylake version and it runs just fine as long as you use Mesa 13 (I use Manjaro so it is not an issue). System76 does little things such as commit driver fixes to the kernel and flash a custom bios and firmware to make the hardware run better with Linux. If you want to good hardware…

I just wish they (or a comparable competitor) opened up shop in Europe. Ordering from the US is doable, but the hit-or-miss import tax sucks, and for warranty the distance and economic zone mismatch mean delays and high shipping costs.

That said, they make great laptops. I love my four year old Gazelle.

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