[UK-CONTEST] Macs, PCs& Linux

[Jonathan G0DVJ]

Hi again all,

This contribution is with my computer scientist hat on instead or as  
well as the mac addict hat !!! ...


On Nov 19, 2006, at 9:33 pm, Bob Henderson wrote:

> I have no idea whether the problem is in the USB standard or in the  
> way XP
> treats it. Even less idea whether Mac would be an improvement.

A bit of both I would say ...
The USB standard  does provide for different types of connection,  
able to source different levels of power, for one thing - so this is  
not an operating system issue about whether particular devices need a  
"powered port" or not.  However it is a matter for the O/S to deal  
with the situation when a port is unable to supply the required  
power, and crashing or not booting is not the best (nor in my opinion  
an acceptable) answer.

The Mac operating system OSX is generally much more robust than  
Windoze - and this is true in the sense that if I plug a power hungry  
device into one of the low power USB connectors provided on the  
keyboard, a dialogue box pops up to tell me to plug it in elsewhere!

The other thing to bear in mind and which I have always considered  
better about Apple is that because they make the hardware and the  
operating system and lots of the application software, you can expect  
and generally get excellent interplay between these layers.  It will  
always be harder to achieve this on the PC with Windows.  When the  
layers work better together, the user experience is better.

>> Windows is way, way short of perfect but it appears you've
>> either fallen victim to problems unseen by me or you're 'hot to  
>> trot' for
>> a very time consuming project ;-)

Just to clarify, in my previous mail to this thread, I mentioned  
CrossOver and VMware for completeness rather than because I was  
recommending those options for Clive's situation.  Boot Camp and  
Parallels solutions are pretty much lightweight solutions and IMHO  
would not result in the conversion of hobby from Radio to Computing !!

In fact one of the reasons I insist on Apple/OSX at home now is  
because at work I spend most of my time fighting with the so-called  
productivity apps on Corporate Windows boxes during the day and  
refuse to spend my time when I get home and at weekends doing the  
same.  I just want my computers to work so that I can get on with  
using them.

On Nov 19, 2006, at 12:21 am, Clive Whelan wrote:
>
> I do understand that pure emulation suffers from a serious
> speed overhead, and it is interesting that the Mac OS will
> shortly address this issue, by permitting the running of
> pure Windows on its hardware. However, I must say that does
> make me nervous, since surely the inadequacies of Windows
> are a part of the OS itself, and therefore would be
> replicated in all their "glory" under the Bootcamp system
> you describe. Of course, I'd be delighted if you could
> disabuse me of this point of view?

Well I won't be exposing my Boot Camp partition to the Internet for a  
start!
I agree though that even running just a few select Windows apps under  
Windoze on Apple hardware won't  improve the quality or robustness of  
those apps or that operating system but will prevent the latter from  
affecting the rest of your computing experience (when in OSX) !

> If however I am right, it seems that there is little short
> term alternative but to stick with Windows machines, or at
> least invest in a 2007 Mac, and enjoy its far superior OS
> for garden variety applications such as WP, Spreadsheet,
> Database, but still be able to run Windows( specifically
> contest logger) applications at the ( I agree small)
> inconvenience of rebooting.

Indeed - and with a Mac, booting to Windows for your contest logging  
may well be one of the few times you reboot at all!
But you don't need to wait for a 2007 Mac - the ones out now are  
ready.  I am only waiting because I am just buying a new house and  
not saving my pennies for computing kit at present!   Boot Camp works  
fine now - You will only save £90 if you were to later update to the  
newer OSX version in 2007 by waiting until the update is out and  
hence bundled with the Mac!

73,
Jonathan G0DVJ
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