10-25-2009, 12:34 AM
I have a serious problem with these commercials. Not only are they misrepresenting terms, thus teaching the general public to call things by the wrong names and making the job of techs like myself more difficult; but they're also misrepresenting their own products as well.
Both a Windows and Mac OS run on PCs. PC simply means Personal Computer. Yes, prior to the Intel Macs the Macintosh PC used a different hardware architecture that was not compatible with that of IBM Compatible PCs, which is what Windows runs on.
In misrepresenting a Windows PC as just a PC they also ignore the fact that with IBM compatible PCs you have several choices for your OS. Windows, Linux, UNIX, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OS/2 (Now defunct and outdated), and others that are fairly minor and/or restricted in usage.
Of course, for many years Linux was also ported over to the PowerPC (Macintosh) architecture, as were UNIX, FreeBSD, and NetBSD. So even on Macintosh hardware you had a choice of OS.
These commercials also ignore the pros/cons/specialties of each of the 2 OS represented and the hardware behind them.
IBM Compatible PCs also have always enjoyed a huge advantage in hardware choice. Of course, now that they've ported the Mac OS to the Intel architecture, that advantage is gone.
Most of the OS I have mentioned in this post are pretty much equal in terms of business and productivity software. Mac has in the past been a leader in terms of graphical design and video editing due to the support of Adobe and similar softwares. After all Photoshop was originally for the Mac. That lead has been somewhat diminished in the past 5 years between hardware advances, and new software. Of course Photoshop has long been ported to Windows, however it hasn't until the CS releases been as powerful as the Mac version. The latest version of Photoshop for Linux is actually the Windows version of Photoshop CS2, which you can run on Linux via Codeweavers Crossover Pro 8. Which means you can run it on UNIX, FreeBSD, and NetBSD as well.
For many years Windows dominated in games, and for the most part it still does. Though this is slowly changing. Many games since 1998 have been released with both Windows and Mac versions, but it is still a small percentage. Games support for Linux/UNIX OSes has not until recently been a high priority. But between Codeweavers Crossover Games and Transgaming's Cedega a very large number of popular Windows games can be played on Linux including WoW, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Battlefield 2142, Need For Speed: Carbon, and Madden NFL '07. You can see the Crossover 8 (Games and Pro) Compatibility List Here. Crossover is also for Mac OS to let you use Windows software on the Mac. You can see the Cedega 6 support page and compatibility lists here.
I don't know if this diatribe has been informative and/or helpful to anyone here, but I felt the need to rant like a madman after seeing a couple of the latest "I'm a PC"/Windows 7 commercials.
As everyone is probably well aware by now, I'm a Linux on IBM Compatible PC hardware kinda guy. The reasons for this are many and varied; but mostly revolve around stability, performance, reliability (uptime, my server ran for almost 3 years with only a single reboot - that caused by a power failure... lets see Windows do that! Oh wait, it can't
Windows Server even needs to be rebooted with at most 6 months between), and power. Theres things Linux/UNIX can do that Windows and Mac are not capable of. Which is why 90% all hackers choose Linux. And I'd be more than happy once I get back on my feet financially and get my business cable net back on to provide remote access desktops for anyone here wishing to play around with or learn Linux. I have 3 servers sitting in my friend Carol's spare bedroom doing nothing except collecting dust, and they'll all three (hopefully, one has some severe hardware problem I've not even tried to diagnose yet, and another needs a new network card) be running on my account when I get to that point. I only actually need 1 for myself, plus one for backup that is an exact duplicate, and that leaves on thats redundant 
So that redundant machine could easily be filled with Test, Play, and Learn accounts for anyone who wishes it.
Both a Windows and Mac OS run on PCs. PC simply means Personal Computer. Yes, prior to the Intel Macs the Macintosh PC used a different hardware architecture that was not compatible with that of IBM Compatible PCs, which is what Windows runs on.
In misrepresenting a Windows PC as just a PC they also ignore the fact that with IBM compatible PCs you have several choices for your OS. Windows, Linux, UNIX, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OS/2 (Now defunct and outdated), and others that are fairly minor and/or restricted in usage.
Of course, for many years Linux was also ported over to the PowerPC (Macintosh) architecture, as were UNIX, FreeBSD, and NetBSD. So even on Macintosh hardware you had a choice of OS.
These commercials also ignore the pros/cons/specialties of each of the 2 OS represented and the hardware behind them.
IBM Compatible PCs also have always enjoyed a huge advantage in hardware choice. Of course, now that they've ported the Mac OS to the Intel architecture, that advantage is gone.
Most of the OS I have mentioned in this post are pretty much equal in terms of business and productivity software. Mac has in the past been a leader in terms of graphical design and video editing due to the support of Adobe and similar softwares. After all Photoshop was originally for the Mac. That lead has been somewhat diminished in the past 5 years between hardware advances, and new software. Of course Photoshop has long been ported to Windows, however it hasn't until the CS releases been as powerful as the Mac version. The latest version of Photoshop for Linux is actually the Windows version of Photoshop CS2, which you can run on Linux via Codeweavers Crossover Pro 8. Which means you can run it on UNIX, FreeBSD, and NetBSD as well.
For many years Windows dominated in games, and for the most part it still does. Though this is slowly changing. Many games since 1998 have been released with both Windows and Mac versions, but it is still a small percentage. Games support for Linux/UNIX OSes has not until recently been a high priority. But between Codeweavers Crossover Games and Transgaming's Cedega a very large number of popular Windows games can be played on Linux including WoW, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Battlefield 2142, Need For Speed: Carbon, and Madden NFL '07. You can see the Crossover 8 (Games and Pro) Compatibility List Here. Crossover is also for Mac OS to let you use Windows software on the Mac. You can see the Cedega 6 support page and compatibility lists here.
I don't know if this diatribe has been informative and/or helpful to anyone here, but I felt the need to rant like a madman after seeing a couple of the latest "I'm a PC"/Windows 7 commercials.
As everyone is probably well aware by now, I'm a Linux on IBM Compatible PC hardware kinda guy. The reasons for this are many and varied; but mostly revolve around stability, performance, reliability (uptime, my server ran for almost 3 years with only a single reboot - that caused by a power failure... lets see Windows do that! Oh wait, it can't
Windows Server even needs to be rebooted with at most 6 months between), and power. Theres things Linux/UNIX can do that Windows and Mac are not capable of. Which is why 90% all hackers choose Linux. And I'd be more than happy once I get back on my feet financially and get my business cable net back on to provide remote access desktops for anyone here wishing to play around with or learn Linux. I have 3 servers sitting in my friend Carol's spare bedroom doing nothing except collecting dust, and they'll all three (hopefully, one has some severe hardware problem I've not even tried to diagnose yet, and another needs a new network card) be running on my account when I get to that point. I only actually need 1 for myself, plus one for backup that is an exact duplicate, and that leaves on thats redundant So that redundant machine could easily be filled with Test, Play, and Learn accounts for anyone who wishes it.
![[Image: Zy3rKpW.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Zy3rKpW.png)
I also enjoy reading (Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Modern and Near Future Fiction [Think Robert Ludlum, Michael Chriton..], and poetry. I write poetry and music lyrics as well. I enjoy art and music. I play a lot of CCGs (Collectable Card Games) like Magic, Legend of the Five Rings, but no, not Pokemon. And many other things as well. Also I'm passionate in bed, but thats a different kind of passion ::thumbs::
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