My iMac story and why I use Linux distros
Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:44 am
I received a call from my brother in law that he was having kernel panics with his circa 2007 24" iMac. He reformatted the drive reinstalled software etc.... He decided to come over to my place with his 24" iMac so that he could install Mountain Lion (OS 10.. Because I had a faster connection he thought it would be better installing Lion from my place. The download was about 4.7GB. It took about 3 hours but the main thing about this whole excercise that really struck me was this:
I had been a solid core Mac user since 1988. I also have a 24" iMac circa late 2006. In the time it took my brother in Law to download Lion, I was happily working on severaL of my older computers ranging in age from 2001 to 2010 using various linux distros. On my laptop I was running the latest UbuntuStudio. On my 2001 Dell Dekstop, Linus Mint 13 XFCE. You get the picture. The bottom line was that I was not and have never been tied up with downloading an OS on Linux. On Linux I have choices ans well as download mirrors. On the iMac, only one source to download the OS and that was from the Apple store.
Even though Linux may present a steeper learning curve (that's debateable), I wass able to function quite nicely. Even if all of my computers failed and I desperately needed an OS, I could always boot from a trusty Puppy Linux CD or something similar. For me, there is no comparison with Linux and Windows or Apple operating systems. I like many out there have bought into the "Mac" way or the "Windows" way for years but overall at least for me, the Linux way makes way more sense on many levels. My mother uses Linux and I guaranteel you she has no and I mean no computer related in depth knowledge regarding computers. She just wants something that is easy to use and works.
Linux distros can be challenging, or easy to use. That's what I love about all the distros out there. Pick and choose the one that works for you. I just thought I would post this ineresting iMac story because while my brother in law was wasting time as well as being quite frustrated with his iMac situation, I was being productive.
I still use my 24" iMac but it now has a backseat role and that is mainly to watch videos on. The other stuff I use computers for, like recording my radio shows, audio editing, I do on my older computers quite happily.
I had been a solid core Mac user since 1988. I also have a 24" iMac circa late 2006. In the time it took my brother in Law to download Lion, I was happily working on severaL of my older computers ranging in age from 2001 to 2010 using various linux distros. On my laptop I was running the latest UbuntuStudio. On my 2001 Dell Dekstop, Linus Mint 13 XFCE. You get the picture. The bottom line was that I was not and have never been tied up with downloading an OS on Linux. On Linux I have choices ans well as download mirrors. On the iMac, only one source to download the OS and that was from the Apple store.
Even though Linux may present a steeper learning curve (that's debateable), I wass able to function quite nicely. Even if all of my computers failed and I desperately needed an OS, I could always boot from a trusty Puppy Linux CD or something similar. For me, there is no comparison with Linux and Windows or Apple operating systems. I like many out there have bought into the "Mac" way or the "Windows" way for years but overall at least for me, the Linux way makes way more sense on many levels. My mother uses Linux and I guaranteel you she has no and I mean no computer related in depth knowledge regarding computers. She just wants something that is easy to use and works.
Linux distros can be challenging, or easy to use. That's what I love about all the distros out there. Pick and choose the one that works for you. I just thought I would post this ineresting iMac story because while my brother in law was wasting time as well as being quite frustrated with his iMac situation, I was being productive.
I still use my 24" iMac but it now has a backseat role and that is mainly to watch videos on. The other stuff I use computers for, like recording my radio shows, audio editing, I do on my older computers quite happily.