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Sick of Windows but can't afford a Mac? The cynic's guide to desktop Linux

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Re: Sick of Windows but can't afford a Mac? The cynic's guide to desktop Linux

#91

Post by pc86 »

wazoox wrote: post #69
paol wrote: post #17

> It is a truth universally acknowledged that all operating systems suck. This could be engraved in stone. I know the title isn't really serious, but not being able to afford a Mac is not a good reason to use Linux. Use what you want/need/feel comfortable in, otherwise the experience will be miserable.

Frankly, I have a Mac too and I don't like it much. I keep it for the ability to run some pieces of proprietary software like Cubase and Garmin Express and similar tools to keep my gear updated, but OTOH I really dislike the overall software experience. If only it wasn't so painful to dual-boot linux on it, it would probably live running Linux 99% of the time (but when I need to flash some gizmo or import some propri…

I spent a non-trivial amount of time trying to get Linux to boot on my [intel] Mac and when discussing with someone who had been dual booting for a long time, almost invariably when they realized I was trying to do so on a ~2 year old macbook pro, they would just go "ah, that's why" as if that explained all the issues I was having.

If I didn't already have a windows laptop for work, an M1 mac for work, an intel mac for personal use, and a dedicated gaming desktop, I might buy a system76 just to play around with various distros.

Re: Sick of Windows but can't afford a Mac? The cynic's guide to desktop Linux

#92

Post by pc86 »

hvs wrote: post #50
paol wrote: post #17

> It is a truth universally acknowledged that all operating systems suck. This could be engraved in stone. I know the title isn't really serious, but not being able to afford a Mac is not a good reason to use Linux. Use what you want/need/feel comfortable in, otherwise the experience will be miserable.

So, your suggestion if you can't afford a Mac is to... buy a Mac?

I think it was probably more that cost alone is not enough reason to choose Linux, and if you can't afford a Mac it's unlikely you actually need the Mac for any Mac-specific purpose.

Re: Sick of Windows but can't afford a Mac? The cynic's guide to desktop Linux

#93

Post by kube-system »

ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #43
thetinguy wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The MacBook Air has an SOC. It’s literally not possible to socket the ram. It’s all one big package.

>The MacBook Air has an SOC. It’s literally not possible to socket the ram Hardware engineer here: It is totally technically possible to have a SoC and socketed RAM. Please stop taking Apple's own proprietary implementation as being some universal technical limitations for the entire industry. It's not.

While it’s possible, wouldn’t it defeat some of the advantages of moving everything closer together?

Has anyone added socketed ram to any of the Qualcomm, Mediatek, Rockchip etc laptops out there?

Re: Sick of Windows but can't afford a Mac? The cynic's guide to desktop Linux

#94

Post by hollandheese »

bmitc wrote: post #83
bzzzt wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One mans lackluster features is another mans streamlined interface. MacOS at least goes out of your way most of the time. Windows interrupts you regularly for stuff that's not important to whatever you're doing. Combined with third-party applications that are noisy as heck to make sure you don't forget you bought/installed them (especially AV scanners, but it seems like every app wants a place in your system tray and…

> One mans lackluster features is another mans streamlined interface. MacOS at least goes out of your way most of the time. That is really just not true. I don't even think one could consider it an opinion. Irregardless of what Windows does, macOS constantly gets in your way. Try to rename iTunes, because that's the only way to keep it from opening every time you connect your non-Apple Bluetooth headphones (there's a…

iTunes doesn't even exist anymore on macOS.

> Try to rename iTunes, because that's the only way to keep it from opening every time you connect your non-Apple Bluetooth headphones (there's a convoluted procedure to do so)

Never happened once with any of my non-Apple Bluetooth headphones. What the ** are you talking about? Do you constantly hit the play button on the headphones when you connect them? That's the only time Apple Music or iTunes would launch without the user starting the app explicitly.

> due to poor resolution and text handling on macOS

Yeah. Apple has basically told everyone without a Retina display to go ** themselves. While Windows does handle those in-between resolutions much better.

>I don't know why Apple doesn't get the same hate as Windows, because my Macbook Pro constantly installs stuff all on its own

You can turn off auto-updates on the Mac. You do know that right?

> Macbook Pro with a discrete video card struggles to drive the monitor.

My guess is that you're using a 2016-2019 MBP. If so, try plugging in the dock/monitor to the right side Thunderbolt ports. For some ungodly reason MBPs tend to throttle if a dock is plugged in on the left side.

Re: Sick of Windows but can't afford a Mac? The cynic's guide to desktop Linux

#95

Post by hollandheese »

landmass wrote: post #15
Lapsa wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

not like my opinion matters much, but I feel that Apple's stuff was great in year 2010. not so much nowadays. I don't know what would be a reason to favor macOS over Linux

When it it runs, Linux is great, but when something breaks fixing it can be labor intensive. When something on Mac stops working a call to Mac support will usually fix it in a couple of hours. That said, I agree with your 2010 estimate of Mac software peaking in 2010. Mac laptop hardware is still better than Linux laptop hardware. As someone who's considering my first Linux laptop, I need to balance the inconvenience…

>Mac laptop hardware is still better than Linux laptop hardware. As someone who's considering my first Linux laptop, I need to balance the inconveniences of Linux hardware now with the likely fact I can probably use that laptop significantly longer than current Mac. Somebody has to pay for all those convenient Mac support folks.

The funny thing about that is that it's only with the Apple Silicon Macs that's true. The 2016-2020 Intel MacBooks were a garbage fire.

Re: Sick of Windows but can't afford a Mac? The cynic's guide to desktop Linux

#96

Post by hollandheese »

severak_cz wrote: post #67

They missed Elementary OS - Linux distro designed to look like open source/bootleg version of Mac.

A Bootleg of Mac OS X 10.6-10.9. Thank god, they're not bootlegging the 10.10-10.15 look and especially not the 11/12 look.

Re: Sick of Windows but can't afford a Mac? The cynic's guide to desktop Linux

#97

Post by ChuckNorris89 »

kube-system wrote: post #93
ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The MacBook Air has an SOC. It’s literally not possible to socket the ram Hardware engineer here: It is totally technically possible to have a SoC and socketed RAM. Please stop taking Apple's own proprietary implementation as being some universal technical limitations for the entire industry. It's not.

While it’s possible, wouldn’t it defeat some of the advantages of moving everything closer together? Has anyone added socketed ram to any of the Qualcomm, Mediatek, Rockchip etc laptops out there?

Ok, but now you're moving the goalposts and switching to whataboutism. The original comment was about whether it's impossible or not to have SoCs with socketed RAM. Just because the rest of the ARM vendors also choose not to (because that's how it is in phones and tablets and because it increases obsolescence and their profits) does not negate this fact.

Re: Sick of Windows but can't afford a Mac? The cynic's guide to desktop Linux

#98

Post by ChuckNorris89 »

bzzzt wrote: post #3
iLoveOncall wrote: post #2

I honestly cannot believe that a person that uses both Windows and Mac frequently in 2022 would choose Mac if they had to choose a single platform. Not even a developer. MacOS is a masterclass in bad design and lackluster features. I always considered buying a Mac but was always hesitant to change. Once I got one for work I swore to never ever spend a dime on a Mac. People that will disagree haven't used Windows in y…

One mans lackluster features is another mans streamlined interface. MacOS at least goes out of your way most of the time. Windows interrupts you regularly for stuff that's not important to whatever you're doing. Combined with third-party applications that are noisy as heck to make sure you don't forget you bought/installed them (especially AV scanners, but it seems like every app wants a place in your system tray and…

>Windows interrupts you regularly for stuff that's not important to whatever you're doing.

Really not my current experience and I use W10 daily at work and W11 at home. Not saying it's a good OS, just saying that your statement is plain wrong.

If certain (third party) apps are annoying then you can control notifications through the focus assist setting just like with any mobile OS.

Re: Sick of Windows but can't afford a Mac? The cynic's guide to desktop Linux

#99

Post by kube-system »

ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #97
kube-system wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While it’s possible, wouldn’t it defeat some of the advantages of moving everything closer together? Has anyone added socketed ram to any of the Qualcomm, Mediatek, Rockchip etc laptops out there?

Ok, but now you're moving the goalposts and switching to whataboutism. The original comment was about whether it's impossible or not to have SoCs with socketed RAM. Just because the rest of the ARM vendors also choose not to (because that's how it is in phones and tablets and because it increases obsolescence and their profits) does not negate this fact.

I was mostly just asking the question, as I'm not an expert in the nuances of DRAM timing/latency/etc nor chip design.

... but we also didn't define whether we were using "possible" in an academic or commercial sense.

Re: Sick of Windows but can't afford a Mac? The cynic's guide to desktop Linux

#100

Post by ChuckNorris89 »

kube-system wrote: post #99
ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, but now you're moving the goalposts and switching to whataboutism. The original comment was about whether it's impossible or not to have SoCs with socketed RAM. Just because the rest of the ARM vendors also choose not to (because that's how it is in phones and tablets and because it increases obsolescence and their profits) does not negate this fact.

I was mostly just asking the question, as I'm not an expert in the nuances of DRAM timing/latency/etc nor chip design. ... but we also didn't define whether we were using "possible" in an academic or commercial sense.

What do you mean by "commercial sense"? There are literally Intel and AMD based laptops sold right now with socketed high speed DDR5 sticks, so of course it's commercially possible.
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