[ish05]

I see many of OSX users in here. I have never used MACs or OSX so I don't know the Pros and Cons of the OS. I have used Windows XP, Windows Seven and have tried out a few Linux Distros(Ubuntu,Jolicloud,LinuxMint,xPUD).KDE,Gnome ,XFCE, Fluxbox. LinuxMint and Jolicloud being very easy for Windows Users and xPUD has the potential to be really great with a very small footprint. But, I must say I really enjoy WinSeven on my netbooks and Laptop as I can easily troubleshoot anything that may go wrong with my system. But this OSX craze has got me interested. So how about it people? What do like about OSX that you choose it over the other OSes.

[rrfranczak3]

I think thats a hard question to answer, personally I am with you I love my XP & Win 7, dont know what the craze is over OSX, but I guess its kinda like why some like Chevys (me) and others are diehard Ford fans...

[krhurrl]

I prefer OSX mainly because of the ease of operation. to install you drag the program to your applications folder or just launch the DMG, to uninstall you drag it to the trash. You never have to defrag, I dont think any user should ever have to defrag a machine. you dont have to bother with a registry, you dont have to worry about viruses, you have a much more secure machine and honestly I hate having to fdisk and reinstall. if you come across an issue that brings you to that avenue you archive and install. it moves all your info to the side, reinstalls the OS and then puts all your info back. Then theres time machine. it basically keeps a live snapshot of your machine and if your hard drive fails, you replace it and you can restore and make it look exactly like it did before the failure. My personal opinion is this: If you use OSX for a month I would bet you would never look back.

Finally, the fact that you can run boot camp or parallels to enable you to run both operating systems on one machine is just ingenious.

just my .02 YMMV

http://apcmag.com/15_reasons_macs_ar...an_windows.htm

[Kevind90521]

I find the OSX interface easier to work in, maneuver in & understand while still being polished, powerful & flexible. That's a potent combination. I ordered a Mini 10V last month. (My first netbook). XP was pre-installed & I had no problems with it except the system tray & many screens were hard to read. I did not really enjoy working on it. Besides, I ordered it to try OSX . Gotta tell ya...it is just easier to work on. Especially with the small screen size which I feared might be a problem. It isn't! 100% bug-free so far. The Mini 10V is a great netbook with OSX. I spend more time on it than my desktop Mac. Hope Apple doesn't cripple it in future updates. Now troubleshooting & fixing are two different things. Troubleshooting is real easy on OSX & minor bugs are easy to fix. Major bugs are beyond me. When that day comes, I'm installing Windows 7 Home. Love to try that out.

[holmes4]

It is not correct that with OS X you don't have to worry about security. Many security experts agree that OS X is, fundamentally, much less secure than a current Windows system due to Apple's lack of interest in technologies that make the OS more secure. The argument that malware writers don't target OS X so much is disappearing.

Fragmentation is not an OS issue - it's a file system issue. It is true that the HFS+ file system is resistant to fragmentation, but it is not immune. Windows 7 handles defragmentation in the background automatically (and if you have an SSD, you don't care about fragmentation.)

I think a lot of the choice depends on what you are used to. I find OS X infuriatingly obscure in places and don't find the installation process any easier than on Windows. But if I had been a long-time Mac user, I might say the same thing about Windows.

My personal preference is Windows, but that's all it is, a personal preference. I have installed OS X to become more familiar with it. I still miss VMS.

[rrfranczak3]

Originally Posted by holmes4

I still miss VMS.

Steve, you are showing your/our age..(lol)....

[MinerAl]

I think a lot of us bought the Minis specifically because it was an inexpensive and unique way to run our favorite operating system. If a different netbook had been a better fit for that operating system, I'd have one of them instead. The OS was the first choice, and the hardware just happened to match.

[bmcclure937]

Originally Posted by holmes4

It is not correct that with OS X you don't have to worry about security. Many security experts agree that OS X is, fundamentally, much less secure than a current Windows system due to Apple's lack of interest in technologies that make the OS more secure. The argument that malware writers don't target OS X so much is disappearing.

Fragmentation is not an OS issue - it's a file system issue. It is true that the HFS+ file system is resistant to fragmentation, but it is not immune. Windows 7 handles defragmentation in the background automatically (and if you have an SSD, you don't care about fragmentation.)

I think a lot of the choice depends on what you are used to. I find OS X infuriatingly obscure in places and don't find the installation process any easier than on Windows. But if I had been a long-time Mac user, I might say the same thing about Windows.

My personal preference is Windows, but that's all it is, a personal preference. I have installed OS X to become more familiar with it. I still miss VMS.

Although I am a huge Mac fan (having used them my entire life along with Windows PCs) I can totally relate to your opinion.

I think that you hit the nail on the head and what it boils down to is personal preference and which interface you are used to. I do not mind Windows, Mac or Ubuntu (although I have least experience with Linux, I am very open-minded).

As you stated, a lot of Mac fans need to be wary about the false sense of security of the OS. As you stated, there are still many holes, vulnerabilities and exploits in the OS... and the worst part is that there is barely any protection available to prevent attacks or clean up a mess after it occurs.

Although viruses and malware are limited on Macs, they are still vulnerable and able to be a target for worms. As Macs gain more popularity, so will viruses aimed at the OSX platform.

[holmes4]

Originally Posted by rrfranczak3

Steve, you are showing your/our age..(lol)....

Indeed - also, I used to be a developer for VMS when I worked for DEC, so it has a special place in my heart. But VMS is still around - I think the only DEC OS still in active development.

[krhurrl]

I guess I should have been more explicit in my post. No they arent immune but as you said there are fewer out there. However as you also said that is changing and will change faster as apple continues to gain momentum. Personal preference is key here, everyone likes what they like and thats just how it is. I have worked with PC my entire life and only over the last 5 years have I really made the switch to Mac. I am also biased because I work for apple. that in itself makes a difference in the way I feel.

Ultimately it came down to the fact that being the only income in a 5 person houshold I simply cant afford to buy a new mac. sure I have a couple older ones but they are all PPC and we all know that that wont run snow leopard. The dell mini enabled me to purchase a brand new machine that will stably run OS and makes me happy.

as I said its my .02 and your mileage may vary