agilen Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Generally these days I'm in the camp that the OS no longer matters at all, as long as it has a good web browser. However I have an XP box and a linux box at work, and a mac at home. The mac is over 2 years old, and the XP machine is only ~9 months old. The mac has no problems....but the bitrot on the XP box is so awful right now that I can barely use it. I write video encoding software, and performance tests on the Windows machine are running about half the speed now than they were running 6 months ago....even though windows claims nothing is running. I don't have time to wipe the XP machine, and I need it to do my job. If you don't mind reinstalling every 6 months, Windows does just fine, but I'm pretty unhappy right now that I have to spend an entire day just to get back up to a productivity level I used to be at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 It's been shown that Windows runs FASTER on a Mac than it does on a PC. OSX can't even run on a PC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 One final (for now) point on this topic. I think part of the problem many PC users have, is they expect their computer to come out of the box properly configured, for speed and security. Why shouldn't it? Unfortunately, that is very rarely the case. One of the unfortunate (but very easily rectified) side effects of getting many PCs for a terrific price, is they come stocked with trial software, commercial offers and crappy software. Also the computer is usually configured for pizazz, instead of functionality. Spending an hour or so, changing the settings, eliminating the crapware and restricting the startup programs will make a world of difference in your PC's performance. In addition, properly removing the horrible Antivirus that is likely included with your PC (Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro, for example) and replacing it with a quality AV that isn't so bloated it chokes your system resources, is also something you should do ASAP. Norton (Symentec) and McAfee are two AVs that typically cannot be properly removed using the control panel's remove program options. A special removal tool needs to be downloaded from the vendor's site. If you haven't done it yet, try right clicking on "My Computer" and selecting Properties. In the Properties menu, select Advanced and Performance. Unless you have already made changes, you are likely to see "Let Windows Choose What's Best for My Computer". And there will be a window with many options, and all of them are probably checked. In reality that setting is "For Best Appearance", and by appearance they don't mean how pictures or text, or web pages look. They mean how Windows menus look, and open and close...nothing that really matters, to tell the truth. Want to make your computer instantly faster? Check "Adjust for Best Performance", which will uncheck all of the options in the window. Your windows will now be gray, instead of bright blue, the bottom bar on your display won't be bright blue. Do you care? Then, after using your machine for awhile, you may want to add one or two of those options in the window back on. I check "Show Shadows Under Mouse Pointer" (it makes the pointer a little easier to spot sometimes) and "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" (it gets rid of the ugly box/background on the icon labels of the desktop). Killing all unneeded updaters and quick starters, should help, too. There are many ways to do this, but for those who are not at all computer savvy, try this: Go to http://www.malwarebytes.org/startuplite.php and run their free StartupLite program. Whatever it suggests you should eliminate from the startup, go ahead and let it disable those startup programs. Then go to http://pcdecrapifier.com/ and run their free program, and disable the stuff they suggest you disable. To insure programs don't reinstall themselves into the startup, install the free version of Winpartol http://www.winpatrol.com/ . It will let you know when a program tries to insert itself into your startup list, and you can simply deny that action. There are more technical ways to do this, but this should be fine for the average user. Now, I don't know much about the Mac OS. I have used Macs, and recently had a Macbook for a year, for work. I had a terrible experience with mine, as it froze constantly (I hate the multi-color spinning beach ball from hell), especially when playing video and/or music. But perhaps it wasn't properly configured. (It should have been, we had a large and good IT dept.) Still, I imagine a Mac comes out of the box with fewer issues than the standard name brand PC. EDIT: All the programs I mentioned are free, and some have paid versions. The paid version of WinPatrol is only $30...for life. It is well worth it, and sometimes it is 1/2 price or $10 off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Generally these days I'm in the camp that the OS no longer matters at all, as long as it has a good web browser. However I have an XP box and a linux box at work, and a mac at home. The mac is over 2 years old, and the XP machine is only ~9 months old. The mac has no problems....but the bitrot on the XP box is so awful right now that I can barely use it. I write video encoding software, and performance tests on the Windows machine are running about half the speed now than they were running 6 months ago....even though windows claims nothing is running. I don't have time to wipe the XP machine, and I need it to do my job. If you don't mind reinstalling every 6 months, Windows does just fine, but I'm pretty unhappy right now that I have to spend an entire day just to get back up to a productivity level I used to be at. You don't need to wipe your machine. It's likely you need something like Window Washer to clean out all the slack files and the like. This is especially true if you've been using Internet Explorer as your web browser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Of course I have only anecdotal evidence. I have not compiled studies and published a paper comparing the two. I have a lifetime of working in Windows (including every day). I have 5 or so years the Mac world. In my Mac experience, I get no crashes. I have had Safari (web browser for those unfamiliar) freeze 3-4 times but that's the only app I've ever crashed. And the OS has never crashed. Windows and Windows apps crash more than I can even count and I don't use anything out of the ordinary (Outlook, Office apps). Yes. What you said, but 25 or so years in the Mac world. The current era is always an improvement over the past, so you missed System 6, 7, 8 and 9. Before it was ten the Macintosh was an acronym for Most Applications Crash - Then the OS Hangs. Life is much calmer now, but it's always been elegant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Shut it you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Some people drive a Mercedes. Other people are happy driving a Hugo.Whatever floats your boat..... Is it really THAT important to you????? ................................................................................ How does Hugo feel about this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 How does Hugo feel about this? Stressed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 One final (for now) point on this topic. I think part of the problem many PC users have, is they expect their computer to come out of the box properly configured, for speed and security. Why shouldn't it? Unfortunately, that is very rarely the case. One of the unfortunate (but very easily rectified) side effects of getting many PCs for a terrific price, is they come stocked with trial software, commercial offers and crappy software. Also the computer is usually configured for pizazz, instead of functionality. Spending an hour or so, changing the settings, eliminating the crapware and restricting the startup programs will make a world of difference in your PC's performance. In addition, properly removing the horrible Antivirus that is likely included with your PC (Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro, for example) and replacing it with a quality AV that isn't so bloated it chokes your system resources, is also something you should do ASAP. Norton (Symentec) and McAfee are two AVs that typically cannot be properly removed using the control panel's remove program options. A special removal tool needs to be downloaded from the vendor's site. If you haven't done it yet, try right clicking on "My Computer" and selecting Properties. In the Properties menu, select Advanced and Performance. Unless you have already made changes, you are likely to see "Let Windows Choose What's Best for My Computer". And there will be a window with many options, and all of them are probably checked. In reality that setting is "For Best Appearance", and by appearance they don't mean how pictures or text, or web pages look. They mean how Windows menus look, and open and close...nothing that really matters, to tell the truth. Want to make your computer instantly faster? Check "Adjust for Best Performance", which will uncheck all of the options in the window. Your windows will now be gray, instead of bright blue, the bottom bar on your display won't be bright blue. Do you care? Then, after using your machine for awhile, you may want to add one or two of those options in the window back on. I check "Show Shadows Under Mouse Pointer" (it makes the pointer a little easier to spot sometimes) and "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" (it gets rid of the ugly box/background on the icon labels of the desktop). Killing all unneeded updaters and quick starters, should help, too. There are many ways to do this, but for those who are not at all computer savvy, try this: Go to http://www.malwarebytes.org/startuplite.php and run their free StartupLite program. Whatever it suggests you should eliminate from the startup, go ahead and let it disable those startup programs. Then go to http://pcdecrapifier.com/ and run their free program, and disable the stuff they suggest you disable. To insure programs don't reinstall themselves into the startup, install the free version of Winpartol http://www.winpatrol.com/ . It will let you know when a program tries to insert itself into your startup list, and you can simply deny that action. There are more technical ways to do this, but this should be fine for the average user. Now, I don't know much about the Mac OS. I have used Macs, and recently had a Macbook for a year, for work. I had a terrible experience with mine, as it froze constantly (I hate the multi-color spinning beach ball from hell), especially when playing video and/or music. But perhaps it wasn't properly configured. (It should have been, we had a large and good IT dept.) Still, I imagine a Mac comes out of the box with fewer issues than the standard name brand PC. EDIT: All the programs I mentioned are free, and some have paid versions. The paid version of WinPatrol is only $30...for life. It is well worth it, and sometimes it is 1/2 price or $10 off. Good points Dean thank you. Personally I don't run into many issues because I build my own. Well, really I haven't technically built one for me since 99 since my pc is in a constant state of upgrade evolution. Anyway, maybe a better way to go is to get a local shop to build a pc to spec. Can get the components you want.Then they just install a bare bones xp or vista os. Good way to do it then you don't get all the Dell or HP bs software that they are trying to promote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WellDressed Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 The article you quote is comparing the cost of components in Jan 2006. That's like a century ago in terms of technology. Intel macs and intel pcs have the same hardware inside. How can you justify spending the extra $1000 on an operating system and a fancy keyboard and mouse? Word!! Spend that money on imported French blu-ray's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agilen Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 You don't need to wipe your machine. It's likely you need something like Window Washer to clean out all the slack files and the like. This is especially true if you've been using Internet Explorer as your web browser. Thats my point, I shouldn't need to do that. I don't use IE, but I definitely thrash my file system a lot with video files and all of the stuff associated with building complex software (lots of source files, object files, binaries, etc). I could clean it up, but that is likely to take just as much time as redoing it from scratch. This doesn't happen to nearly the same extent on other platforms....here's to hoping that Windows 7 does a better job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 I will say that a little bit of maintenance will go a long long way for windows xp and vista. In terms of maintenance, I do this once a month to our windows vista laptop: 1) go to the "clean hard drive" button under hard drive properties. 2) run ccleaner 3) go to the performance settings in the system properties and set the page file setting to "no page file" and restart IN SAFE MODE WITH COMMAND PROMPT. 4) when the command prompt boots up, i defrag using "defrag -c -w -f -v" It does a good job and shows me all the defrag stats 5) after defragging, I type "explorer" in the command prompt. When the explorer boots up, i close out the command prompt. 6) I go back to the page file settings and set the file for 512mb for minimum and 512 mb for max. I have 4 gigs of ram on the computer. there's no use for a gigantic page file... hell, there's no reason for one at all, but windows does seem to run a little faster. 7) restart computer in normal mode. That's my normal once-a-month weekend maintenance. Usually takes about 2-3 hours the first time i do it on a new windows install, after that, usually takes about 45 minutes. ------------ Now, if you've got a b unch of junk loading at startup, first remove the unnecessary programs using add/remove programs. Then, run msconfig (in admin mode if you're using vista). This program lets you select startup programs and deselect stuff you don't need. Also, check out the "installed windows components" in add/remove programs as well as services running in the administrator folder of the control panel. You will usually have to wipe and start over once every year and a half to two years, but regular maintenance goes a long long long way. ---------------- Avast! If you're not using Avast, chances are you're using norton or mcafee. If you're using norton or mcafee, chances are, you're also baking retatta. Get my drift? USE AVAST! AVG is also a good free av, but the newer versions are just a bit too much bloat for my tastes.. I love avast though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Avast! If you're not using Avast, chances are you're using norton or mcafee. If you're using norton or mcafee, chances are, you're also baking retatta. Get my drift? USE AVAST! AVG is also a good free av, but the newer versions are just a bit too much bloat for my tastes.. I love avast though. You are right about AVG, too much bloat. Avast is very good. IMO, Avira is even better. Either are better than McAfee, Norton, Trend Micro, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 AVG is also a good free av, but the newer versions are just a bit too much bloat for my tastes.. I love avast though. AVG used to be a good, free AV. Now its extremely system intrusive; I've seen it break Outlook so bad you have to uninstall AVG, then uninstall and reinstall Office to fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 AVG used to be a good, free AV. Now its extremely system intrusive; I've seen it break Outlook so bad you have to uninstall AVG, then uninstall and reinstall Office to fix it. Agreed. Although you sure it wasn't the bus duct that caused your problem...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Agreed. Although you sure it wasn't the bus duct that caused your problem...? I still hate you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Thats my point, I shouldn't need to do that. I don't use IE, but I definitely thrash my file system a lot with video files and all of the stuff associated with building complex software (lots of source files, object files, binaries, etc). I could clean it up, but that is likely to take just as much time as redoing it from scratch. This doesn't happen to nearly the same extent on other platforms....here's to hoping that Windows 7 does a better job. You can set Window Washer to run every night while you're sleeping... I get what you're saying and I'm certainly not excusing Microsoft for the bloated assware but it's not any different than doing preventative maintenance on your car. You either do it or you deal with the consequences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 2 cents. Whatever one thinks of Macs, I'm happy that they are out there as an alternative to Windows machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 You are right about AVG, too much bloat. Avast is very good. IMO, Avira is even better. Either are better than McAfee, Norton, Trend Micro, etc. I use AVG, and occasionally install Avira as an alternative scan check. AVG is certainly slow. I have about 15GB occupied space on a nominal 80Gb drive - it runs for about 1 1/2 hours to check that. It does check more files than Avira, or so it says. Comodo Firewall zapped me with the latest update. It caused my DOS programs to be rendered unusable. I used System Restore (xp) to void the update - although they are now saying that the problem has been fixed. http://forums.comodo.com/firewall_bugs/lat...tml%3Bmsg306917 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 Some people drive a Mercedes. Other people are happy driving a Hugo.Whatever floats your boat..... Is it really THAT important to you????? ................................................................................ ................................................................................ . ................. Anyone who buys a Mac is either too rich to care, or an idiot. Yeah, that would be a good point, if the Hugo was exactly the same under the hood as a Mercedes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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