Why do people get wanky about their choice of computer/operating system/console/etc?

[Kid_Eternity]

Why do “my console is better than your pc” wars start? Or why do the "PC is superior to the Mac" arguments happen? What are people really defending??

Well?

 

[Dubversion]

because these people don't have boy/girlfriends or social lives to be competitive about and they all agree that Tom Baker is the best Dr Who - what else is there for them?

 

[skunkboy69]

my favourite is "If you use windows you havent a clue,Linux is FAR better.Utter bollox"

 

[editor]

Why do “my console is better than your pc” wars start? Or why do the "PC is superior to the Mac" arguments happen? What are people really defending??

Nothing's changed. I wrote this ten years ago:

P C R O O O L Z ! ! !

From alt.religion to alt.sex.bestiality to alt.flowers.pressing you can guarantee there is one thread that will rear its head with monotonous regularity and turn any peaceful forum into all-out conflict. This is the thread that seems blessed with the twin powers of indestructibility and immortality. Yes, meet the omnipotent, 'My Computer is Better That Yours' thread. This monumental thread cascades perpetually around the system, dredging up a flotilla of ancient facts, miserable in-depth diagnoses and computer performance comparisons of infinitesimally small interest in its wake.

Despite there not being a single piece of information in the thread that hasn't been discussed elsewhere ad nauseum, this bloated monster of an argument soon dominates the newsgroup, destroying friendships and relationships before quietly slipping off to haunt another newsgroup, its devilish work done.

The really sad thing is that I'll readily admit to being a veteran of several of these truly pointless arguments. I know it's pathetic, but it's just one of those things that you find yourself being drawn into, no matter how hard you try to resist.

I mean, the last thing you need after sinking several thousand pounds into your shiny new system is to have some smart arse from across the pond telling you that you've just bought a bag o' shite.

http://www.urban75.com/Mag/internet.html

 

[jæd]

Why do “my console is better than your pc” wars start? Or why do the "PC is superior to the Mac" arguments happen? What are people really defending??

Out of interest, can any one really defend Windows...? Does anyone really use a Windows PC through informed choice...?

Personally, I couldn't give a stuff. Just if you use Windows and you get a virus/malware/it doesn't work right/it explodes its your choice and I won't be helping you. (Except I will becaus I tend to be helpful and nice)

And the same x 1000 if you try and use Windows as a server...

 

[Signal 11]

because these people don't have boy/girlfriends or social lives to be competitive about and they all agree that Tom Baker is the best Dr Who - what else is there for them?

And the best Dr Who was Jon Pertwee.

 

[editor]

Does anyone really use a Windows PC through informed choice...?

Yes, thanks.

Any chance of you growing out of your 'my computer better's than yours' phase anytime soon?

 

[gentlegreen]

Out of interest, can any one really defend Windows...? Does anyone really use a Windows PC through informed choice...?

Personally, I couldn't give a stuff. Just if you use Windows and you get a virus/malware/it doesn't work right/it explodes its your choice and I won't be helping you. (Except I will becaus I tend to be helpful and nice)

And the same x 1000 if you try and use Windows as a server...

Yep. I use XP Pro on this PC - not a single problem since I built it 3 years ago - it does exactly what it says on the can.
I also use IE6, Real Player etc. and only virus check new programs.
Windoze gets better and better with each new version - I very rarely crash my PC these days. These days life is much too short to fart about with DIY minority operating systems like Linux - wonderful though it probably is ...

My history with computers goes back to BBC Basic / CPM days
I learned basic computer architecture and Z80 code by soldering stuff to my ZX81 in the late 80s ...
I started "surfing the net" in the early '90s with command line FTP on a UNIX mainframe. ...

.... actually the only bit of software I have any problems with is itunes and Quicktime - clanky buggy things on a PC - which is why I bought a Creative MP3 player and not an "i-something"

 

[Iam]

I've got two Windows PCs, and I'm heavily involved with 2003 Server and Active Directory at work, too.

I've also got Linux and Solaris machines and a Powerbook.

Not sure what that's supposed to mean. Better is a highly subjective thing.

 

[jæd]

Yes, thanks.

Any chance of you growing out of your 'my computer better's than yours' phase anytime soon?

Only when Microsoft stop writing operating systems wth holes you can drive an espcially large lorry through from the planet Large. And then made larger, and converted into a strech limo for a herd of elephants.

 

[editor]

Only when Microsoft stop writing operating systems wth holes you drive an espcially large lorry through from the planet Large.

Yeah, thanks, really fascinating. Why should you care what OS I run anyway?

I know my computing needs better than you, so if I tell you XP is my informed preference for my needs how about you show a little respect for that decision?

 

[jæd]

Yep. I use XP Pro on this PC - not a single problem since I built it 3 years ago - it does exactly what it says on the can.
I also use IE6, Real Player etc. and only virus check new programs.
Windoze gets better and better with each new version - I very rarely crash my PC these days.

...

I learned basic computer architecture and Z80 code by soldering stuff to my ZX81 in the late 80s ...

Great comparision...

 

[snadge]

Out of interest, can any one really defend Windows...? Does anyone really use a Windows PC through informed choice...?

Personally, I couldn't give a stuff. Just if you use Windows and you get a virus/malware/it doesn't work right/it explodes its your choice and I won't be helping you. (Except I will becaus I tend to be helpful and nice)

And the same x 1000 if you try and use Windows as a server...

as you know from my powerbook thread, I took a powerbook back and exchanged it for a windows laptop.

not because I prefer windows, in fact I think windows stinks.

but with a little effort you can make it reliable, helps if you have a little experience.

use windows XP lite, rip all IE functionality out of it, don't use windows media player or outlook express.

never install progs that you don't need

partition your drive and have a multiboot enviroment, one for your work and the other for the internet, ghost both partitions when they are functional.

any probs just ghost 'em back to when they were perfect.


a computer is a tool, I really wanted a mac laptop and only got one cos' I was saving 500 quid, unfortunatley it had been abused as a demonstrator.

there is one thing I do think windows pcs are better at though and that is computing power per buck.

I have a hybrid version of reaktor ( installs on both operating systems).

on the powerbook a greedy ensemble was running the cpu @ 67% on my new pc based laptop it runs @ 28% cpu.

thats over half the overheads, at 2/3rds the price.

if apple manage to get there OS running on all intel hardware, I would swop in a flash.

OS X being BSD based appeals to me much more than windows but I think the hardware comparisons are a little missing the point, apple have a lot of catching up to do, especially if they do port OSX across, their hardware will be struggling against others on a cost basis.

BTW another problem was cross platform software, fucking steinberg wanted 300 quid to change my cubase licence to mac.

 

[jæd]

Yeah, thanks, really fascinating. Why should you care what OS I run anyway?

I know my computing needs better than you, so if I tell you XP is my informed preference for my needs how about you show a little respect for that decision?

Um... As mentioned, I don't care what people use, as long I'm not expected to support it. I wil point out the technical short comings of any o/s in the hope that people will make an informed choice.

 

[editor]

Um... As mentioned, I don't care what people use, as long I'm not expected to support it. I wil point out the technical short comings of any o/s in the hope that people will make an informed choice.

Who's asking you to support my system?



And my choice was completely 'informed' - in fact it was far more informed than anything you could come up with me because no one knows what my needs are more than me.

 

[gentlegreen]

XP vs. ZX81

Great comparision...

I think it illustrates why I don't have the patience for radical change. I'm getting pretty ancient now - I've got bigger fish to fry even than flashing bioses - let alone changing to a different OS.
Stuff is so good straight out of the box these days and this naff old 1.33 GHz athlon is happily streaming music and calculating global warming while I type this. I'm currently finding it impossible to justify upgrading any time soon.
Probably this september I'll get my work PCs upgraded and I may then find my current PC a bit sluggish in comparison ...

.

 

[sleaterkinney]

Yes, thanks.

Any chance of you growing out of your 'my computer better's than yours' phase anytime soon?

I've done a wee little image for occasions such as these...

 

[snadge]

I've done a wee little image for occasions such as these...

would love to run linux, especially BSD, could you point me to the BSD cubase page please, how about photoshop on linux?

BTW if that is the haircuts favoured by linux users I'll stick to windows.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I use windows because I can easily plan a route using memory map, watch it in 3D, plug in my gps and put the co-ordinates on and sync my mobile phone/i pod easily. This is hard to do with linux, however I do want to play with it more. If it could get some more gps software running that would be a big help!

Although I hated earlier versions of windows and remember the days of trying to get 620kb of memory and still have your sound card and cd drive working, run xp on two machines and it has not fallen over in 2 years of running on my laptop.

 

[Sunray]

would love to run linux, especially BSD, could you point me to the BSD cubase page please, how about photoshop on linux.

Well, while not photoshop, GIMP2 isn't half bad.

 

[SmellyBridge]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RrlW_fgWMR8

 

[editor]

That is VERY funny!

 

[snadge]

That is VERY funny!

agreed, the dissapearing program shut down thing affected me several times on the powerbook that I had for a few days and I thought it was due to overheating.


How niave I was, it seems it's normal behaviour for a mac.

 

[fractionMan]

But my OS/Computer/console is better than yours.

because these people don't have boy/girlfriends or social lives to be competitive about and they all agree that Tom Baker is the best Dr Who - what else is there for them?

For the record dub, not all computer nerds are social lepers who like dr who. However, DJs are people who can't play a proper instrument - FACT.

 

[SmellyBridge]

I realy didnt want to add fuel to the fire in this thread but I could'nt resist posting that.

 

[tom k&e]

Out of interest, can any one really defend Windows...? Does anyone really use a Windows PC through informed choice...?

People who want to play games? Professionals who use software that isn't available for Linux/Mac, and where the only open source alternatives (open offce lol) are shite?

Please don't mention WINE. I don't want my games running at a 10-50% performance penalty, if they in fact run at all.

 

[fractionMan]

Windows is great if you need to work with other windows/ms using folks and/or play games.

Linux is great if you want to do develop anything not microsoft related. Which is exactly what I do and exactly why I use linux.

And that's about it.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Out of interest, can any one really defend Windows...? Does anyone really use a Windows PC through informed choice...?

Christ even on a thread like this there’s always one!

 

[jæd]

Windows is great if you need to work with other windows/ms using folks and/or play games.

Linux is great if you want to do develop anything not microsoft related. Which is exactly what I do and exactly why I use linux.

And that's about it.

Desktop: OS X or a locked down version of Xp...
Server: Linux or a Unix. Mac OS X has known issues on multi-threading...
Games: Playstation or Xbox. I've never had a Playstation crash or get viruses...

 

[jæd]

on the powerbook a greedy ensemble was running the cpu @ 67% on my new pc based laptop it runs @ 28% cpu.

So a brand new 3.2 Ghz PC was faster than a year old, proably 1.5 Ghz G4...? Oh, no say it isn't so...!