Just want to make sure that it’s clear, I <3 Linux (/selfslap, GNU/Linux). And also, Linux outmatches any flavor of Windoze you care to throw at it. It just happens that the driver support for Apple hardware (i.e. running Linux on Mac computers) is pretty flaky and requires hoop jumping to get things to work properly (as well as leaving things like extra monitors basically not supported).
If I had a non-mac computer I would run Linux as my main OS, (with Window$ as backup if something went wrong) and if Linux was smoother on my MacBook I would run it as my main OS (with Mac OSX as my backup). But as it stands, I’d rather have OSX as my backup than Winblowz, and I’d rather use OSX as my main OS than risk having to use Windows ever again. So you see, I love linux, but hate Windows more, and thus continue to use Mac OSX for most things.
I do however use almost exclusively Free/Open Source applications on my computer no matter what operating system I use. So just to balance my last post, here’s two sites everyone who doesn’t run Gnu/Linux should check out.
OpenSourceMac – Tons of great apps to do useful as well as fun things for free and freely using a Mac.
OpenSourceWindows – Same thing except if you’re a n00b.
I personally have found tons of great stuff on the Mac one, as well as tons of great stuff I was already using being listed there. Some of my favorites:
- Smultron => Code-enhanced text editor with tabs and stuff
- Adium => Undeniably the best chat client in the world, does MSN, AIM, YIM, everything, lots of plugins
- Firefox => Duh
- VLC => best video player around
- Transmission => Smooth easy BitTorrent client.
I guess I’ll stop there, you get the point world.
P.S. Ubuntu just released a new version, what better time to try it out?