Linux, Microsoft, and Apple converts

More Windows users move to other platforms, simply because there are so many more Windows users.

I've noticed that most people using Linux either have a MBP or a ThinkPad (although this is in public, at home is likely to be very different). I'd say that most use custom built machines, so their only real option for an alternative OS would be Windows.

 

In my experience, most Linux desktop users move to OS X and Macs once they find a desktop machine just too limiting. My own desktop is now deep within the bowels of my basement and I used a Dell laptop with Linux for a while, but hardware support for newer models is always spotty, so moving to OS X was the next best thing : keep all the Unix tools, get a real Unix Operating System and proper hardware support.

Pretty much my whole circle of collegues and Linux friends have gone down this route. And pretty all of them have moved on from desktops and custom built rigs years ago, we don't have time to waste on building machines.

 

How busy are you? It takes like 2-3 hrs max, including choosing parts and build time (not including shipping of parts). The first time I ever built one it only took 3 hrs to assemble and I was flying blind. And on top of that, you get a machine built for exactly what you want it for. For a laptop, Macs are fine, but for a desktop, not having time is a feeble excuse.

 

In my world, Linux unfortunately has not arrived. Right now I am forced to use Win7 for work and in combination with Office 2010 and it's hated ribbon I had many a moment where I wanted to turn my Thinkpad into a frisbee. I used to be fast in PowerPoint and Excel and my job doesn't allow me to waste time relearning things. Office 2010 and Windows 7 have effectively destroyed my carefully managed worklife balance. At home we use Macs mostly, my wife still has two 7 year old laptops for trading that run Windows XP but prior to our next move we will likely replace them with another iMac with an extra screen. We still have a PC in the living room that I built from the ground up, which runs emulator software for PS1/2, GameCube and DosBox as well as a few old and beloved Windows Games but it's hooked via DisplayPort to an iMac that we use instead of TV to watch our shows and manage our digital lives.

 

For me, it was Unix --> DOS --> Windows --> Linux --> Windows --> OS X.

 

I converted from Windows to OSX.

 

For me, it was WinXP -> Mac OS X -> MacOS 9 -> Linux/ Mac OS X.

The reason I've gone back to MacOS 9 was because I had to find a cheap replacement laptop (A clamshell iBook), and I just decided to switch to Linux because it was free, I already wanted to try it before but didn't want to erase Mac OS X, and it was better than MacOS 9. I like a lot of things about Linux better. You can still run the latest version without having it lag, just by using a different WM/DE. I can't imagine anybody going from Mac OS X or Linux to Windows without being required.

 

I'm not an official "Convert" but each OS has a place in my life;

Work - Windows XP
Home Desktop/Macbook - Dualboot Win7/OSX

 

Work-Mac OS and believe it or not Windows 2000. Print industry.
Home-Always been Mac OS

 

Unix to DOS DOS> Windows 95 from there to OSX. I now have 3 Macs, and an Ubuntu system which I'm currently selling...Really don't use it much although version 12 is very good.

 

I have better things to do with the 2-3hrs.

Heck, in my experience, Linux users don't really "build rigs" either, it's more of a thing the Windows gamers or teens do in general.

 

I guess it's down to personal valuation of time. It's interesting that you've experienced the custom rig to be a Windows thing. I know quite a few people who have built their own machines, and many run Linux (most do have Windows as a secondary OS for things that require it). I definitely agree that Windows gamers are a big part of custom builds, but not just teens. It's a value-for-money thing, and you simply don't get any better value for your dollar than a custom, purpose-built rig.

 

I value portability. A custom purpose-built rig sucks in terms of value. Making it portable would cost a lot more than my simple MBA.

Again, just something I've noticed in the younger crowd. We've been there. Once you've built a rig, you've built one, there's really not much fun in going back there. We've also all moved away from desktops. We want to do computing downstairs, in the kitchen, outside on the patio we've payed a couple grands for, on the can, in coffee shops, on the road, etc...

Custom built rigs just don't offer that versatility, they require planning and time to assemble, whereas a laptop is simply hop into a store and buy. Then install Linux on it or just enjoy OS X.

 

Just pointing out, I was only talking about desktops. I already said that Macs are fine as far as laptops/ultrabooks go. Obviously a desktop won't be portable, that's a pointless argument to make.

 

I went DOS -> Windows 95/98 -> Mac OS (System?) 7.5 (I had been given an old Performa by someone my dad knew) -> Windows XP -> Mac OS X