Why do you choose Ubuntu over Mac OS X? Calling all former Mac OS X users!

[afroman10496]

After I saw this forum (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7786897#post7786897) about why you choose Ubuntu over Windows, I wanted to see why former Mac OS X users switched to Ubuntu (or dual booted). Now don't get me wrong! I never even used Mac OS X and would never switch to it. I love Ubuntu and just want to see what some people want to say about Mac OS X vs Ubuntu.

[HappinessNow]

After I saw this forum (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7786897#post7786897) about why you choose Ubuntu over Windows, I wanted to see why former Mac OS X users switched to Ubuntu (or dual booted). Now don't get me wrong! I never even used Mac OS X and would never switch to it. I love Ubuntu and just want to see what some people want to say about Mac OS X vs Ubuntu.My next computer purchase will must likely by an iMac, so inevitably I will be switching to Mac OS X or more precisely Stated: I will be using 4 different types of Operating Systems:

1. Linux based OS (Macpup Opera)

2. BSD based OS (PC-BSD)

3. Mac OS X (latest version upon purchase)

4. Windows based OS (either XP or Windows 7)

[AlphaMack]

I switched from OS X because I did not want to pay the Apple tax to run the same software I currently use with Ubuntu. It makes more sense to spend a few hundred dollars for a good laptop and run Ubuntu on it with all of the software I need. Here are my other reasons:

- Package management is far easier with Ubuntu. With OS X, not only do you have to run Software Update, you have to go to every System Preference pane you installed to check for newer versions as well as every application. Some of them have their own updating mechanisms (such as Adobe and Microsoft's updater) while others will send you to the project web site to hunt down disk images.

- HFS+ sucks and you need third party software (DiskWarrior) when it goes belly up.

- OS X lags far behind in its subsystem's packages which can become a security nightmare.

- Apple refuses to acknowledge hardware or software issues until threatened with a class action with the former or a 0-day with the latter.

- Bloat...although Snow Leopard will address some (not all) of it.

- Planned obsolescence. Developers are already ceasing support of Tiger in favor of Leopard (e.g. VLC, Handbrake, Wireshark, etc.). Meanwhile a certain 8-year-old OS by a certain company of Redmond is still supported and the software ports to it still work. Can you imagine what would happen if software became Vista only?

- Fink and MacPorts are not real substitutions. The former is out of date and the latter can be a PITA to work with. X11 sucks on OS X.

I'm sure there are more reasons I can think of, but my mind is in weekend mode already. ;)

[Starlight]

I have a rather old iBook with Mac OS X 10.4 installed. For some time, I had Ubuntu installed there, but I decided to switch back to OS X, because some things weren't available for the PPC version of Ubuntu. However, I use Kubuntu on my desktop computer and I love it, I think it's nicer to use than OS X, especially since it's much easier to customize it, and it's easier to get new stuff. If that iBook had an Intel processor, I'd most probably install Kubuntu with KDE 4.3 on it too. :)

[handy]

I run an iMac, predominantly on Arch, as it suits me better than OS X.

I won't go into the details, its all been said before in other threads multiple times, & it is just as likely to start the same old us vs them rubbish in this thread sooner.

Use whatever suits your needs/taste, because you will be happier if you do. :) Allow others to do the same, & respect their freedom of choice, because they will be happier if you do. :)

[lightningfox]

I have a MacBook running Mac OS X 10.4, and a PC running Ubuntu 9.04.

I think that Ubuntu is better than Mac OS X for the following reasons:

Installing software in Ubuntu is easier than installing software in Mac OS X.

Ubuntu has better software installed by default, and there is software available for Ubuntu that is not available for Mac OS X.

Also, Ubuntu is more customizable, and the appearance can be changed easily.

[konqui]

I run osx86 on pc! I just installed it for experimenting. I don't mind OSX but prefer ubuntu. The osx style of keeping a menu bar on top takes a while to get used to however.

[handy]

He sure didn't last long! :shock:

[kevdog]

He sure didn't last long! :shock:

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[Regenweald]

lol guys :P
Back on topic, I would probably never buy a mac, but Automator hugely impressed me. HUGELY. Sure in linux you could write a bunch or a script. But here is apple, with a big shiney powerful GUI. Tools and thinking like that is what helps them to justify their prices. Well not to me though, but a great tool is a great tool.

[schauerlich]

He sure didn't last long! :shock:

It was a dupe account.

I have a MacBook now, and I love OS X. However, I'd like to have more flexibility with hardware and be able to get more for less. I'm strongly considering building my next computer and installing OSx86.

[BloGTK]

I mainly use OS X, but also Ubuntu.

Both are the result of different trade-offs. MacOS is about a tightly-controlled experience (and I mean that in a good way). In general, Macs really do "just work", but that's because they're designed to do so. The hardware and the software are built to work together, which is a major advantage. Apple does a better job at software usability than anyone. MacOS is an OS designed to just get out of your way.

Ubuntu, on the other hand, is an OS designed to be completely open. It lacks polish in a lot of areas, but having used Linux for 15 years, it's much better than the bad old days of having to do everything manually. Ubuntu is infinitely customizable, very flexible, and does a lot of things well.

I wouldn't give up my MacOS for Ubuntu, but I wouldn't give up Ubuntu for just being able to use MacOS. Each has different strengths and weaknesses, and I think Apple could learn a lot about openness from the open-source world, and I think that open-source could learn a lot about the value of providing user experiences from Apple.

[Frak]

lol guys :P
Back on topic, I would probably never buy a mac, but Automator hugely impressed me. HUGELY. Sure in linux you could write a bunch or a script. But here is apple, with a big shiney powerful GUI. Tools and thinking like that is what helps them to justify their prices. Well not to me though, but a great tool is a great tool.
I have to agree. Automater in 10.5 and 10.6 is simply amazing. It breaks a lot, I mean a lot, but it's still fun to play with.

I don't use Ubuntu over OS X because Flex doesn't run natively in Ubuntu and Wine can't run it correctly (even though it's just a modified Eclipse).

[rifak]

i have ubuntu and mac os x dual booting, but i cant remember the last time that i booted into mac...its easily been 5 months or so. really, it comes down to customization and free/open source philosophy. i can do whatever i want in ubuntu.

and that f-ing dock...i cant stand it

[hanzomon4]

OS X does everything I need but I like tech and linux is always getting new little things to play with. I'm lovin kde4 and the audio apps have really improved

[schauerlich]

os x does everything i need but i like tech and linux is always getting new little things to play with.

+1

[ssam]

i ran Linux on my G4 powerbook, until it died.
software like openoffice, GIMP, inkscape work much better.
multiple desktops (mac os X has caught up now, but it would have been a £80 upgrade).
full featured command line. lots of stuff just seems to be missing from the os x commands. for example in top you can't press 'M' to sort by memory usage. lots of commands miss options that work in Linux.
poor X11 integration. can't lauch X11 apps from the normal terminal, have to start the ugly xterm terminal. the apple apps don't use X11, so you can't forward them over SSH.
can't share an arbitrary folder over samba. need os x server for this.
text editors. linux has huge range of text editors. apples textedit has not syntax highlighting. or you can use VI, or install emacs. not much in between that does not cost money. (maybe has changed).
lock in. there is an increasing amount of lock in. buy music from apple, you need to play it with apple software. musicplayer from apple, need to buy music from apple. phone from apple, need apps from apple.
no ogg/flac support
i could go on.

[handy]

@ssam: I'll end up inheriting my wife's G4 powerbook someday, I look forward to running it on a nice lean Linux build to put some speed back into it. :)

[misfitpierce]

I had a macbook Intel and got rid of it because I'm not sure why exactly, I know a few reasons though
-Open Source Software I prefer aka Ubuntu
-Mac lagged alot even with 2GB ram
Its something about how easy Ubuntu is to theme and the software on Ubuntu I like better, hate iTunes etc... I been using Ubuntu for years and before I got the macbook so I just couldn't handle a OS as lame as mac's! lol!

[slakkie]

After I saw this forum (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7786897#post7786897) about why you choose Ubuntu over Windows, I wanted to see why former Mac OS X users switched to Ubuntu (or dual booted). Now don't get me wrong! I never even used Mac OS X and would never switch to it. I love Ubuntu and just want to see what some people want to say about Mac OS X vs Ubuntu.

I don't use it anymore, since our macbook died, but OSX is a piece of software that is just awesome. Only problem I ever had with it that it died ;) No really, it didn't support my external DVD toaster-oven. But since my gf used the mac 90% of the time it was not a big deal.

But the OS itself is really nice, intuitive, looks clean and shaven. For laptops I just love it, for desktop I would pick Linux. I love both :)

[Mark76]

What's a dupe account?

[schauerlich]

What's a dupe account?

A duplicate account.

[Mark76]

Ah.

I was thinking of the other kind of dupe.

[afroman10496]

os x does everything i need but i like tech and linux is always getting new little things to play with.
+2