Is Ubuntu safe to try

[Peter Garrett]

On Wed, 6 Jul 2005 01:30:25 -0400
Stephen R Laniel <steve at laniels.org> wrote:

> Sounds like you don't have much experience with OS X. It
> behooves you to try it, just to see what we're up against.
> I'd bet that after a few minutes of playing around with it
> and seeing its level of *polish*, you'd admit that Linux has
> a ways to go.

This intrigues me. I have an iBook G4 that dual-boots OS-X and Ubuntu. When I first bought the machine, I was quite excited to try OS-X and see what all the fuss was about. I even installed and used Fink and the X server, was pleased to see how similar to Debian the Fink system was, and so on... 

I now hardly ever use the OS-X installation. I prefer the Ubuntu side of my hard drive. Sure, the Mac OS is pretty, and it mostly "Just Works" - but so does my Ubuntu install, and I have a choice of interfaces I can use - Gnome, Fluxbox, Window maker, Enlightenment. I could do that with Fink too, but why bother?

I configured OS-X to work with my home NFS network - but for some unfathomable reason it decided to stop connecting, and really I can't be bothered to work out why, since Ubuntu "Just Works" for that. If I used wireless, I would have a reason to boot OS-X, since the nice people at Broadcom won't tell anyone the specs for their Super Duper Airport Extreme ... (Extreme indeed ... )

No OS is perfect. In the end it comes down to personal preferences, as long as the functionality is adequate to one's needs.

Both Linux and Mac are reliable and secure by comparison with the monstrosity from Redmond ;-)

Peter