Thoughts from a Mac OS X lover

saverio

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Hi all,

I thought i'd write this in part for no other reason than I felt that I could on this forum, which I have to say has been wonderful and informative and... civilised !?!

I've always been a Mac user, dyed in the wool, cut me and you saw that I'd bleed OS X aqua and Tiger brushed steel.

I'm one of those guys that had to move away from the mac as the 3d design programmes weren't available for the mac (Autodesk Alias, Catia, solidworks et al).

I have to say that I always hated XP - you see as a mac user, we didn't really understand the guts of our systems like you windows users did, bios, registry, permissions were all dirty words for us. We knew that we liked the aesthetic of our OS, and this transalated for us, into useability.

OS X always made you feel welcome, it always made you feel that for your everyday tasks there was nothing it couldn't do, or in truth we'd want it to do, the only issue came when we had to look down from our silver lined clouds of smug, and interact with those.... pc's!

I've always been a minimalist at heart, and loved the inegrated elegant software solutions in OS X, I liked the fact that I could smugly roll the words UNIX around my mouth like a smooth cognac when I spoke to pc using colleagues who were always bemoaning crashes and virus' and the need to get another programme to do this or that.

I built my first pc, as money was tight, and all the decent stuff looked like a NASA christmas party, and there was no way I was paying Dell or HP for a workstation grade product at those prices. I was horrified at the noise of those ....PC's compared to my macpro tower, so I was guided to aftermarket cooling solutions.

I poked the bios with a stick, waved a dead chicken infront of it... it was so... eighties!

I installed XP, and wondered why I couldn't find the location manager... OS X had it, why hasn't windarse got it?
(location manager is a little app in the core system that basically says, OK, the programs folder at the moment is here, but you want to put it on this drive. OK, no probs, i'll just reconfigure the pagefile and the core OS to now deal with it on that new drive.... )

I could do it with the 'my documents' no probs, what was the problem with windows not wanting the programs folder moved?

I loved the way OS X just had vendor drivers of all kinds embedded into it, why couldn't XP, I resented having to trawl the net for things, instead of just smugly plugging it in and the OS saying hey, it's a cannon yadaya device (rummage) here's the driver for it right here!

And so, a couple of years went by, I realised that all those with virus' nearly all ran their computers as the adminstrator and used torrent sites, without taking those virtual condom precautions, just downloading to C, instead of a toxic disc or such.

I suppose that it was stuff that a Mac user takes for granted as we never really realised that unix forced us to never tamper with the system unless you went in as SUDO - which no one was ever going to do as it meant... oh my god ... a terminal window :confused:

I really disliked the way that windows would open a pane on the taskbar for every active window, when in OS X we just had the active application in the dock, and could use expose' to tile all active windows at a glance.

I always wanted the ability to have something similar to OS X's disc utility, which could format and repair all my volumes, but could also create and burn ISO's and images. I knew there was apps out there, but there was something really nice about having it as part of the core functionality of the OS already.

I'd bought Vista, but waited till all my apps were compatible, and even then found reasins not to install it, despite knowing that it was far more stable than XP in every respect.

Then I read about 7. I went onto the websites, looked at the screenshots, read the pre-reviews, and thought why not. Downloaded the Beta, and here I am.

At last I'm working with an aesthetically pleasing interface, somehow it's still got all the aero qualities, but it seems to me just less bling that Vista's black chromy thing.

The background wallpaper isn't as hard on the eyes, I hope they keep the beta fish in the final build! until 7, i' used all the OS X backgrounds!

I like the clipping tool , OS X had one, and i'm sure that like theirs, the final release will also be able to capture a timed interval or short movie type of thing, great for when you have to do an off the fly how to.

I like the way that 7 will let you burn an ISO, I really hope that they can incorporate something like BurnISO intothe final build. Infact I think 7's implementation is more elegant with just a small window opening when you want to burn.

I also really like the way that now the application is in the task bar, and I actually really enjoy the floating window with all active app's windows within it, i'd actually say it's better than apple's implementation. I love the aero flip 3D but in the final build, it would be great if there was a control panel with different options like flip, tile, etc.

Of course I still wish that when I plug in my USB stick, it just mounts on the desktop and I just double click it to open it, but I think that this is a limitation of the way windows addresses volumes (drive letters as opposed to mount points). But I don't know enough about this side of it yet.

Of course there's a few other little 'macisms' that i'd like to see, but it mostly revolves around core OS integration, and in time i'm sure it will come.

But I do like the device centre, again a nice elegant solution, to a common issue with devices of all kinds, at least now manufacturers will have a defined framework to develop with rather than getting away with coding trash.

Which in reality was very much what apple have done very well. Their interface guidelines were and are very strict to preserve the look and feel of a mac product. Microsoft was always very good in my opinion with developers by not forcing their hand on such things, and in my short time of using Windows, I realise that there was never anything wrong with the OS, it was lazy development which got bought by the non technical public which caused issues and so the 'windows is c**p' cries.

I'm really enjoying 7, i'm really enjoying the fact that it does the looking for me if I don't have a driver, and I like that the aero interface has grown on me without me realising it.

And I really hope that i'll be notified of the RC or the other one before my beta expires, as when it does go to market, i'll have no hesitation in buying it - but please Microsoft just a business and home version, both ultimates, or possibly just a single box... Windows 7 - The Operating system?

And in OS X, if you're like my partner who has poor eyesight you could have an indipendent screen resolution from other user profiles whereas in windows you have to change the resolution globally - rubbish, and the resolution manager programmes all had flaws.

But in W7, she finally can see the text and icons - thanks to the scaling technology, but better than that, is able to use the full 1600 x 1200 of the monitor's native resolution.
THAT MY DEAR MICROSOFT IS INSPIRED - probably the biggest gift MS could have ever give to her, the ability to see without having to compromise.

So i'm sitting typing, and have commercials behind me...

Hello, i'm a mac... and i'm a PC.

hmmm.... thanks to W7...

I'm a PC. :)

I can see without having to compromise.
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Lenovo
OS
Windows 7 Professional 64bit
CPU
Intel Core Quad 9550
Motherboard
Mobile Intel QM87 Express Chipset
Memory
16GB factory installed
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA Quadro K2100M
Sound Card
Onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
Apple iMac 27" display
Screen Resolution
2560 x 1440
Hard Drives
160gb factory fitted ssd
512gb pcie m2 2242 ssd
I am a long standing Windows user - early 90s I built my own PC. Windows has always felt like an enthusiasts OS rather than a consumer one but I think that situation has changed more and more over the years as the PC has become more of a mainstream item.

I think a few of my fellow geeks would admit to taking a little pleasure in explaining the ins and outs of system mechanics to the little people. "What do you mean you don't know what an IP address is" :D

I have been forced to use MACs over the years due to my work in graphic design because design houses will swear blind that you can't design on a PC. My opinion is that a user will favour the OS that he has been brought up on. Like first impressions are hard to alter.

There's no doubt that the design quality and attention to detail on offer from Apple is unsurpassed. They would never have released an OS with the design incongruences that Vista had. Windows 7 goes some way to address that.
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows Seven 7068 x64
CPU
Core Duo e6300 @ 2.8ghz
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-P965-DS3
Memory
3gb DDR2 800
Graphics Card(s)
9600GT
Sound Card
XFi extrememusic
Monitor(s) Displays
22" LCD WIDE
Screen Resolution
1680x1050
Hard Drives
2 Diamondmax 80 GB
PSU
400W PSU
Case
Coolermaster Mystique
Cooling
Stock cooling
Keyboard
Logitech Illuminated
Mouse
Logitech MX Revolution
Internet Speed
2Mb
Well i can say from my point of view that i use both, PC at home, mac at work and a mac laptop. Each have there own good and bad points. I love the disk utility in mac. I hate the single window view. In mac i love the screen savers lol. Mac feels more for the user then windows does. However, saying that 7 is making good headway in being more 'user' friendly i think. I installed 7057 today and must say its looking really good. Hope they dont trim all the goodness out of it. But im happy existing between mac and windows. So i can see it from both points of view. But i started on windows lol
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Made by Mastercard
OS
Windows 7 RTM x64
CPU
Core 2 Quad, @3.8 on aircooling
Motherboard
XFX 750i Nforce
Memory
8 Gig Geil Black Dragon
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia 8800GTX 512 x 2 in SLI
Sound Card
Razor Barracuda
Monitor(s) Displays
2 X 24 Inch Hannsg
Screen Resolution
1600x1050
Hard Drives
1X64 Gig Kingston SSD Drive
2X 320 sata
2X250 ide
1X 320 External. and lets not forget the 8 gig thumbdrive :)
and a partridge in a pear tree
PSU
600 Watt Coolermaster Elite Silent Pro
Case
Coolermaster Storm
Cooling
Coolermaster V8
Keyboard
Razor Lycosa
Mouse
Razor Mamba, sweet as candy
Internet Speed
Virgin 50MB.
Other Info
Zalman Guardian System Fan Controls
Aerocool Modern V system monitor.
And a nice bunch of stickers on the front!! All that money for something that glows blue. But thats why we do it kids. all for the bling!!

100mbit Seedbox, loving that!
Razor Destructor Gaming Mat, Razor Moray Headphones.

To much spare money perhaps? Nah, my mrs has shoes. I have a very expensive way of her shopping for
I agree damoh, I thought seriously about running all my windows apps in parallels on a mac pro as I really thought i couldn't live with windows much longer, but W7 has made me rethink that stance.

Be great if the ilife suite was on windows, there's still no real substitute for imovie or iphoto in my opinion.
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Lenovo
OS
Windows 7 Professional 64bit
CPU
Intel Core Quad 9550
Motherboard
Mobile Intel QM87 Express Chipset
Memory
16GB factory installed
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA Quadro K2100M
Sound Card
Onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
Apple iMac 27" display
Screen Resolution
2560 x 1440
Hard Drives
160gb factory fitted ssd
512gb pcie m2 2242 ssd
Oh, so Mac users are dumb? Well, that explains everything...
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
OS
Windows 8 Pro x64
CPU
i7 3820 @ 4.68GHz
Motherboard
ASUS Rampage IV Extreme RoG BF3
Memory
F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL (32GB)
Graphics Card(s)
GTX 480 SLI
Sound Card
Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD
Monitor(s) Displays
Sony 32V5500
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
LSI MR9260-4i (RAID10):
Toshiba DT01ACA300 x 4
iaStorA:
OCZ Vertex Enterprise 120GB
ST3500320AS 500GB
Intel 520 Series 120GB
PSU
OCZ ZX 1250W
Case
HAF X
Cooling
H80
Keyboard
Cyborg V.7
Mouse
Razer Lachesis 3.5G 5600dpi
Internet Speed
23296kbps ds / 812kbps us ADSL2+
Browser
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; Win64; x64; rv:32.0) Gecko/2010
Other Info
AverMedia C127 Game Broadcaster HD

My Computer My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Made by Mastercard
OS
Windows 7 RTM x64
CPU
Core 2 Quad, @3.8 on aircooling
Motherboard
XFX 750i Nforce
Memory
8 Gig Geil Black Dragon
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia 8800GTX 512 x 2 in SLI
Sound Card
Razor Barracuda
Monitor(s) Displays
2 X 24 Inch Hannsg
Screen Resolution
1600x1050
Hard Drives
1X64 Gig Kingston SSD Drive
2X 320 sata
2X250 ide
1X 320 External. and lets not forget the 8 gig thumbdrive :)
and a partridge in a pear tree
PSU
600 Watt Coolermaster Elite Silent Pro
Case
Coolermaster Storm
Cooling
Coolermaster V8
Keyboard
Razor Lycosa
Mouse
Razor Mamba, sweet as candy
Internet Speed
Virgin 50MB.
Other Info
Zalman Guardian System Fan Controls
Aerocool Modern V system monitor.
And a nice bunch of stickers on the front!! All that money for something that glows blue. But thats why we do it kids. all for the bling!!

100mbit Seedbox, loving that!
Razor Destructor Gaming Mat, Razor Moray Headphones.

To much spare money perhaps? Nah, my mrs has shoes. I have a very expensive way of her shopping for

My Computer My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
OS
Windows 8 Pro x64
CPU
i7 3820 @ 4.68GHz
Motherboard
ASUS Rampage IV Extreme RoG BF3
Memory
F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL (32GB)
Graphics Card(s)
GTX 480 SLI
Sound Card
Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD
Monitor(s) Displays
Sony 32V5500
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
LSI MR9260-4i (RAID10):
Toshiba DT01ACA300 x 4
iaStorA:
OCZ Vertex Enterprise 120GB
ST3500320AS 500GB
Intel 520 Series 120GB
PSU
OCZ ZX 1250W
Case
HAF X
Cooling
H80
Keyboard
Cyborg V.7
Mouse
Razer Lachesis 3.5G 5600dpi
Internet Speed
23296kbps ds / 812kbps us ADSL2+
Browser
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; Win64; x64; rv:32.0) Gecko/2010
Other Info
AverMedia C127 Game Broadcaster HD
I agree damoh, I thought seriously about running all my windows apps in parallels on a mac pro as I really thought i couldn't live with windows much longer, but W7 has made me rethink that stance.

Be great if the ilife suite was on windows, there's still no real substitute for imovie or iphoto in my opinion.

Very true, but unfortunatly until apple decides that there is money for them in releasing software for PC's other then itunes then it will always be just them against us sort of thing. Also rejoice the day that apple sell mac for PC lol that would be impressive cos lets face it you can do it now on hack so why should they not tap into that revenue
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Made by Mastercard
OS
Windows 7 RTM x64
CPU
Core 2 Quad, @3.8 on aircooling
Motherboard
XFX 750i Nforce
Memory
8 Gig Geil Black Dragon
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia 8800GTX 512 x 2 in SLI
Sound Card
Razor Barracuda
Monitor(s) Displays
2 X 24 Inch Hannsg
Screen Resolution
1600x1050
Hard Drives
1X64 Gig Kingston SSD Drive
2X 320 sata
2X250 ide
1X 320 External. and lets not forget the 8 gig thumbdrive :)
and a partridge in a pear tree
PSU
600 Watt Coolermaster Elite Silent Pro
Case
Coolermaster Storm
Cooling
Coolermaster V8
Keyboard
Razor Lycosa
Mouse
Razor Mamba, sweet as candy
Internet Speed
Virgin 50MB.
Other Info
Zalman Guardian System Fan Controls
Aerocool Modern V system monitor.
And a nice bunch of stickers on the front!! All that money for something that glows blue. But thats why we do it kids. all for the bling!!

100mbit Seedbox, loving that!
Razor Destructor Gaming Mat, Razor Moray Headphones.

To much spare money perhaps? Nah, my mrs has shoes. I have a very expensive way of her shopping for

My Computer My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Made by Mastercard
OS
Windows 7 RTM x64
CPU
Core 2 Quad, @3.8 on aircooling
Motherboard
XFX 750i Nforce
Memory
8 Gig Geil Black Dragon
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia 8800GTX 512 x 2 in SLI
Sound Card
Razor Barracuda
Monitor(s) Displays
2 X 24 Inch Hannsg
Screen Resolution
1600x1050
Hard Drives
1X64 Gig Kingston SSD Drive
2X 320 sata
2X250 ide
1X 320 External. and lets not forget the 8 gig thumbdrive :)
and a partridge in a pear tree
PSU
600 Watt Coolermaster Elite Silent Pro
Case
Coolermaster Storm
Cooling
Coolermaster V8
Keyboard
Razor Lycosa
Mouse
Razor Mamba, sweet as candy
Internet Speed
Virgin 50MB.
Other Info
Zalman Guardian System Fan Controls
Aerocool Modern V system monitor.
And a nice bunch of stickers on the front!! All that money for something that glows blue. But thats why we do it kids. all for the bling!!

100mbit Seedbox, loving that!
Razor Destructor Gaming Mat, Razor Moray Headphones.

To much spare money perhaps? Nah, my mrs has shoes. I have a very expensive way of her shopping for
Very true, but unfortunatly until apple decides that there is money for them in releasing software for PC's other then itunes then it will always be just them against us sort of thing. Also rejoice the day that apple sell mac for PC lol that would be impressive cos lets face it you can do it now on hack so why should they not tap into that revenue

Because it would eliminate their only profiting position in the market. Microsoft is a software corporation. Microsoft is also the best software corporation in existence.
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
OS
Windows 8 Pro x64
CPU
i7 3820 @ 4.68GHz
Motherboard
ASUS Rampage IV Extreme RoG BF3
Memory
F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL (32GB)
Graphics Card(s)
GTX 480 SLI
Sound Card
Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD
Monitor(s) Displays
Sony 32V5500
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
LSI MR9260-4i (RAID10):
Toshiba DT01ACA300 x 4
iaStorA:
OCZ Vertex Enterprise 120GB
ST3500320AS 500GB
Intel 520 Series 120GB
PSU
OCZ ZX 1250W
Case
HAF X
Cooling
H80
Keyboard
Cyborg V.7
Mouse
Razer Lachesis 3.5G 5600dpi
Internet Speed
23296kbps ds / 812kbps us ADSL2+
Browser
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; Win64; x64; rv:32.0) Gecko/2010
Other Info
AverMedia C127 Game Broadcaster HD
Because it would eliminate their only profiting position in the market. Microsoft is a software corporation. Microsoft is also the best software corporation in existence.
Very true, but then again i know enough people who would buy it. They cant afford a mac, but they love the mac os. Shame though as yes it is all about profit not user experience. And as a Mr Ballmer says ' Its all about innovation'
Yeah i would like to see MS inovate if apple came into the PC market lol.
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Made by Mastercard
OS
Windows 7 RTM x64
CPU
Core 2 Quad, @3.8 on aircooling
Motherboard
XFX 750i Nforce
Memory
8 Gig Geil Black Dragon
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia 8800GTX 512 x 2 in SLI
Sound Card
Razor Barracuda
Monitor(s) Displays
2 X 24 Inch Hannsg
Screen Resolution
1600x1050
Hard Drives
1X64 Gig Kingston SSD Drive
2X 320 sata
2X250 ide
1X 320 External. and lets not forget the 8 gig thumbdrive :)
and a partridge in a pear tree
PSU
600 Watt Coolermaster Elite Silent Pro
Case
Coolermaster Storm
Cooling
Coolermaster V8
Keyboard
Razor Lycosa
Mouse
Razor Mamba, sweet as candy
Internet Speed
Virgin 50MB.
Other Info
Zalman Guardian System Fan Controls
Aerocool Modern V system monitor.
And a nice bunch of stickers on the front!! All that money for something that glows blue. But thats why we do it kids. all for the bling!!

100mbit Seedbox, loving that!
Razor Destructor Gaming Mat, Razor Moray Headphones.

To much spare money perhaps? Nah, my mrs has shoes. I have a very expensive way of her shopping for
Personally I really can't imagine why people would buy a MAC OS over Windows if they were running a PC. The big selling point of the MAC is the fabulous design quality of the systems themselves.
 

My Computer My Computer

OS
Windows Seven 7068 x64
CPU
Core Duo e6300 @ 2.8ghz
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-P965-DS3
Memory
3gb DDR2 800
Graphics Card(s)
9600GT
Sound Card
XFi extrememusic
Monitor(s) Displays
22" LCD WIDE
Screen Resolution
1680x1050
Hard Drives
2 Diamondmax 80 GB
PSU
400W PSU
Case
Coolermaster Mystique
Cooling
Stock cooling
Keyboard
Logitech Illuminated
Mouse
Logitech MX Revolution
Internet Speed
2Mb
I bought a Mac about a year ago because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I tried to like it - I really did, but as time went on I found myself using it less and less. It seemed more of a toy than a serious tool and nothing worked the way I, as a long-time Windows user, expected it to. It seemed counter-intuitive to me.

So now it sits alone and I'll probably either eBay it or give it to one of the kids. Just not my cuppa tea.
 

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My Computer My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Self built
OS
Windows 7 Ultimate 32 & 64 -(Boot Camped Snow Leopard on a Mac Mini)
CPU
AMD Athlon A64 X2 6000+ 3.1GHz
Motherboard
DFI LanParty Jr 790GX M2RS
Memory
4GB Corsair XMS RAM
Graphics Card(s)
Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD4550/512MB/DDR3 passive cooled
Sound Card
latest RealTek HD/HDMI drivers
Monitor(s) Displays
Samsung LN40A550 (primary); Zalman 7" LCD (secondary)
Screen Resolution
1920x1080 ; 800x600
Hard Drives
WD Raptor for OS
Seagate 7211 640GB
Two Samsung EcoGreens for TV in RAID 0 = 3TB
Two WD MyBook 1TB externals for B/U and Movies
Optical Drive:
LG GGC-H20L Super Multi Blue BluRay/HD-DVD internal
PSU
Corsair HX520W
Case
Zalman HD160XT
Cooling
Zalman CNPS9500Cu on processor - Four Nexus case fans
Keyboard
Gyration wireless Media Center Keyboard
Mouse
Gyration Cordless Optical Air Mouse
Internet Speed
6344 kbps Down/1043 kbps Up (Comcast cable)
Other Info
HDMI audio/video out to Yamaha RX-V1065 receiver.
All controlled by a Harmony One universal remote.

Four other home built computers plus a Mac Mini, but this is my main Win7 testbed.
It is the speed

It's because of the speed of a mac compared to a pc its faster than windows however with windows 7 its all goign to change. Dragonfly just put windows on it lol.
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom Built
OS
Windows 7 Build 7057 x64 / Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.6 / Ubuntu 8.04
CPU
Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 (Overclocked)
Motherboard
Asrock ConRoe 1333-D667 R3.0
Memory
2GB DDR2 667MHz (Dual Mode)
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia 8600 GTS
Sound Card
Realtek (Built In)
Monitor(s) Displays
28" HDTV (LCD)
Screen Resolution
Depends on what im doing
Hard Drives
Maxtor DiamondMax 22 (500GB 3.0Gbps)
PSU
Rubbish 400watt came with the case
Case
Xblade
Cooling
Normal Fans and A Few Neon Fans Green And Blue
Keyboard
Cheapy Keboard (£10)
Mouse
came with keyboard
Internet Speed
2mbps (2meg)
Other Info
Real Big Speakers.
An interesting thing is that a little while ago I was talking to an IT manager who was about to replace a load of laptops -

His choice was to buy MAC books, and load Vista on them.

We have to remember that Apple is a hardware manufacturer, Microsoft is a software manufacturer so this sort of thing might happen a lot with the release of Windows 7
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
    ChillBlast - Custom to my design
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest Release and Release Preview]
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5950X, 3.8 - 5.2 MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime X570-Pro
    Memory
    64GB [2 x 32GB] DDR4 3200MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 Ti
    Sound Card
    On-board SPDIF to 5.1 System + HDMI [5.1 system]
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" UHD 32 Bit HDR Monitor + 43" UHD 4K 32Bit HDR TV
    Screen Resolution
    2 x 3840 x 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    1TB M2 SSD OS, 500GB Fast Access SSD, 2 x 8TB Data + Various Externals from 1TB to 4TB, 10TB NAS
    PSU
    NZXT C750 80 PLUS Gold 750W Modular PSU
    Case
    Workstation Case [Matt Black]
    Cooling
    NZXT Kraken X63 280mm CPU Cooler +2x Quiet Case fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless MX Keys & K400 + others
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless MX Master 3S
    Internet Speed
    920 MB Down 50 MB Up
    Antivirus
    BitDefender Total Security Pro
    Browser
    Chrome (always run latest Non-Beta)
    Other Info
    Also run ...
    Laptop - Quad 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64
    Nexus 7 Android tablet x2
    Samsung 10.2" tablet
    Blackview TAB 8 4G Android Tablet c/w Keyboard
    Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Pen Pad
    Wacom Intuos Pro Small Pen Pad
    Wacom Expresskeys Remote
    Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
    Shuttle Pro v2 Control
  • Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model Number
    Dell XPS 17 10750H
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64 Latest RP
    CPU
    Intel I7 10750H 5.0GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell XPS
    Memory
    32GB [2x16GB] DDR4 2933 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidia GTX1650Ti 4 GB GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Stock [Realtek] 4 Speaker
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" IPS UHD+ Infinity Edge Touchscreen
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400
    Hard Drives
    2TB M2 NVMe, 4TB External + various 500GB & 1TB External NVMe (also have access to spinner HDD from
    PSU
    Stock
    Case
    Stock XPS Aluminium & Carbon Fibre
    Cooling
    Stock - Active Fan Control
    Keyboard
    Backlit + Various Logitech
    Mouse
    Stock Track Pad + Logitech MX Trackball
    Internet Speed
    72 MB Down 18MB Up
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    Also run ...
    Laptop - Quad 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64
    Nexus 7 Android tablet x2
    10.2" tablet
    Sony Z3 Android Smartphone
    Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Pen Pad
    Wacom Intuos Pro Small Pen Pad
    Wacom Expresskeys Remote
    Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
    Shuttle Pro v2 Control Pad
    10TB NAS
Macs used to be "De Rigeur" when it came to publishing / image processing.

I still have a nice Apple Cinema Display -- beautiful piece of kit.

However what most of the "Mac fanboys" forget (and I don't mean this with any disrespect) is that Apple had a very strict control over what hardware and software one could connect to it and (until recently) if Apple didn't make or approve it --tough luck.

Windows on the other hand has had just about every piece of hardware and software imaginable thrown at it with a fair degree of success -- from such places as measuring gear on an Oil rig to a bog standard TV card on a home users laptop. Not easy to provide an interface that makes such diverse pieces of gear available.

True the Windows GUI was a bit cludgy -- if you come from a Linux background where you just had an X server (graphic server) and could run a choice of different GUI's then Windows took a bit of getting used to -- but typical Windows users aren't Linux tinkerers and basically just want to switch on their machines and run the apps.

The main reason Viruses aren't so common on Apple / MAC machines is nothing to do with the Linux kernel --it's just that there are so many fewer users ()around 10% world wide) that most hackers can do far more damage trying to "Break Windows".

If you believe that there aren't any viruses for OS X or Leopard you are certainly living in cloud cuckoo land. Just google again. Any OS can be hacked given time and resources.

My complaint with Windows is still that it takes a lot of skill to customize the GUI into ways YOU would like to have it running (and often it's not even possible)


For starters why not have "Virtual desktops" --With 4GB RAM and more you can run literally dozens of applications at the same time --keeping track of these can be difficult. =There are 3rd party apps out there (even free one's) but this should IMO be built into the OS.

Customisation of the desktop with cludgy themes is a mess as well -- also needs admin privileges --why should I have to go to the IT dept to increase or change the standard Font size or background colours --they don't know what my eyes are like do they.

But for what it does and for the sheer millions of Windows installations it works rather well and you can't really call Microsoft as the Evil Empire

-another topic but the Bill Gates foundataion gives probably more money to charity etc than any other body on earth.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom built, several laptops HP/ASUS
OS
Linux CENTOS 7 / various Windows OS'es and servers
CPU
Intel i7 Intel i5
Memory
8GB, 16GB
Graphics Card(s)
On Motherboard
Sound Card
Realtek HD audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Apple Cinema display, Samsung LCD
Screen Resolution
1920 X 1080
Hard Drives
4 X 1TB SATA
Mouse
Toshiba wireless laser
Internet Speed
> 20MB up
Hi jimbo,

One thing

Microsoft do support virtual desktops but with the new system of making everything optional, (the modular approach), it's available as a download, rather than included in the OS.

There is a standalone application available and also one available as part of sysinternals suite.

I think the standalone is this one but haven't tried it on later windows 7 builds

View attachment Desktops.zip
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
    ChillBlast - Custom to my design
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest Release and Release Preview]
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5950X, 3.8 - 5.2 MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime X570-Pro
    Memory
    64GB [2 x 32GB] DDR4 3200MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 Ti
    Sound Card
    On-board SPDIF to 5.1 System + HDMI [5.1 system]
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" UHD 32 Bit HDR Monitor + 43" UHD 4K 32Bit HDR TV
    Screen Resolution
    2 x 3840 x 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    1TB M2 SSD OS, 500GB Fast Access SSD, 2 x 8TB Data + Various Externals from 1TB to 4TB, 10TB NAS
    PSU
    NZXT C750 80 PLUS Gold 750W Modular PSU
    Case
    Workstation Case [Matt Black]
    Cooling
    NZXT Kraken X63 280mm CPU Cooler +2x Quiet Case fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless MX Keys & K400 + others
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless MX Master 3S
    Internet Speed
    920 MB Down 50 MB Up
    Antivirus
    BitDefender Total Security Pro
    Browser
    Chrome (always run latest Non-Beta)
    Other Info
    Also run ...
    Laptop - Quad 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64
    Nexus 7 Android tablet x2
    Samsung 10.2" tablet
    Blackview TAB 8 4G Android Tablet c/w Keyboard
    Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Pen Pad
    Wacom Intuos Pro Small Pen Pad
    Wacom Expresskeys Remote
    Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
    Shuttle Pro v2 Control
  • Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model Number
    Dell XPS 17 10750H
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64 Latest RP
    CPU
    Intel I7 10750H 5.0GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell XPS
    Memory
    32GB [2x16GB] DDR4 2933 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidia GTX1650Ti 4 GB GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Stock [Realtek] 4 Speaker
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" IPS UHD+ Infinity Edge Touchscreen
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400
    Hard Drives
    2TB M2 NVMe, 4TB External + various 500GB & 1TB External NVMe (also have access to spinner HDD from
    PSU
    Stock
    Case
    Stock XPS Aluminium & Carbon Fibre
    Cooling
    Stock - Active Fan Control
    Keyboard
    Backlit + Various Logitech
    Mouse
    Stock Track Pad + Logitech MX Trackball
    Internet Speed
    72 MB Down 18MB Up
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    Also run ...
    Laptop - Quad 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64
    Nexus 7 Android tablet x2
    10.2" tablet
    Sony Z3 Android Smartphone
    Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Pen Pad
    Wacom Intuos Pro Small Pen Pad
    Wacom Expresskeys Remote
    Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
    Shuttle Pro v2 Control Pad
    10TB NAS
It's because of the speed of a mac compared to a pc its faster than windows however with windows 7 its all goign to change. Dragonfly just put windows on it lol.

No, that's not a Mac running Windows. That's a dual monitor/two computer setup with the left screen running OS-X and the right running Vista 64. Same speed processor in each and the same amount of RAM.

My Vista box is faster than my Mac box (with basically the same hardware).
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Self built
OS
Windows 7 Ultimate 32 & 64 -(Boot Camped Snow Leopard on a Mac Mini)
CPU
AMD Athlon A64 X2 6000+ 3.1GHz
Motherboard
DFI LanParty Jr 790GX M2RS
Memory
4GB Corsair XMS RAM
Graphics Card(s)
Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD4550/512MB/DDR3 passive cooled
Sound Card
latest RealTek HD/HDMI drivers
Monitor(s) Displays
Samsung LN40A550 (primary); Zalman 7" LCD (secondary)
Screen Resolution
1920x1080 ; 800x600
Hard Drives
WD Raptor for OS
Seagate 7211 640GB
Two Samsung EcoGreens for TV in RAID 0 = 3TB
Two WD MyBook 1TB externals for B/U and Movies
Optical Drive:
LG GGC-H20L Super Multi Blue BluRay/HD-DVD internal
PSU
Corsair HX520W
Case
Zalman HD160XT
Cooling
Zalman CNPS9500Cu on processor - Four Nexus case fans
Keyboard
Gyration wireless Media Center Keyboard
Mouse
Gyration Cordless Optical Air Mouse
Internet Speed
6344 kbps Down/1043 kbps Up (Comcast cable)
Other Info
HDMI audio/video out to Yamaha RX-V1065 receiver.
All controlled by a Harmony One universal remote.

Four other home built computers plus a Mac Mini, but this is my main Win7 testbed.
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