Why would Mac/OSX users want to use Linux ???

[mips]

Why would a Mac/OSX users want to use Linux ???

Lets ignore the fact that OSX is a commercial product and not free.

Besides that:
Just about everything you can do in Linux you can do in OSX.
You can run X server on OSX.
You can run just about every single BSD application out there.
It is stable and works on your current hardware.

If I had a Mac I would probably not be using Linux but maybe trying it out to learn something and just because i'm curious.

No flames please.

[aysiu]

I believe we already have a thread about this (http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=89331).

[ssam]

why i run linux on my powerbook (http://tygier.co.uk/linux/why.html) i wrote it quite a while ago, so some of its a bit out of date.

bascially:
practical reasons
* the free software. i use fings like gimp, firefox, openoffice, tetex, etc. they work better on linux. its easier to get recent versions on linux (fink can be very out of date).
* i like to customise stuff. themes with small title bars, scripts to update the background. multiple desktops. these are less hassle in linux
* X11. i find the network transparency of X11 very fun and useful. mac os x has an X11 server, but its application are not X clients.

philisophical
* linux is free and open source. i value that. (i know there is some open source in mac os x, but there is a lot that isn't).
* i like being able to learn how something works. linux lets you look and see everything.

[fuscia]

i started a similar thread once. i find it puzzling, as well. it has been explained to me that some people like macs but not the operating system, or the bloat of the operating system. also, as this article would suggest http://www.over-yonder.net/~fullermd/rants/bsd4linux/bsd4linux1.php there may be those who would prefer using a non system to a system (a system does imply some restriction of freedom and choice). there are people who prefer one flavor of bsd over another, so one can assume that there would be even more of a difference between linux and bsd.

[weasel fierce]

Freedom of choice and options

[xequence]

The same reason a windows user might use linux. They have a choice and they can choose whichever OS works better, and if linux works better then OSX for a certain person, they will probably use it.

[fuscia]

i guess another way you could look at it is why get a mac, with osx, when you can put bsd on something cheaper?

[Derek Djons]

When you strip away the operating system of a Apple Powebook or iBook it's just a laptop and nothing. Yes, it's design is neat, it's quality and style. But the same remains when you install Linux on it. It remains the same laptop with the same attributes.

Once you realize that step you see other (customizing) abilities for your Apple products.

[lunatic77]

I am running Breezy on my Powerbook G4 but have dual-booting to use both OS X and Linux. I can do a read/write mount back to my OS X partition when I'm using Linux. The primary motivation was my curiosity and desire to learn new stuff. Not to mention my obsession over customization...

Why not have the best of both worlds?