Apple OS X 10.10 vs. Ubuntu 14.10 Performance

[jimbohale]

All you people claiming you use Macs for the commercial software are just hilarious. We all know you are firing up your Windows PC or your Boot Camp or Parrallels when you need to get work done on a real commercial offering. Macs are good for Garage Band and some light video editing as far as I can tell. Or watching something on Netflix. Personally I can't think of much else, although I'm sure there's something. Macs are multiple iterations behind on MS Office apps usually, web browsing is downright hostile on Safari compared to most modern browsers. Games - forget about it. iTunes is one of the biggest abominations I've ever run into, although you're entitled to your opinion on that one.

And the warranty thing - Apple care? Most computer retailers sell the same or better for less money - try the BestBuy warranty sometime - no questions asked returns. Or Amazon.

Face it - the reason you use Macs is because you like them (or they make you feel superior, which is a bit odd). Why try to tell us all about the "amazing advantages" - we've all tried them, and we all know many instances where they fall far short. If you like it - use it. Enjoy. No need to exaggerate the benefits.

I use my Mac because I enjoy it, and I also very much use it for commercial software. I make quite a lot of money doing a variety of development, and I very, very seldom boot up windows in VMware. I only do so when I have to ensure the product works on Windows. Don't be silly. It's just as capable of production as Windows is. Pages is a more than fantastic Word replacement, Numbers is a great Excel replacement, I use Google Chrome, I use Spotify instead of iTunes, and I don't play computer games.

[curaga]

Now don't read into the above that I'm against decent working conditions. What I'm saying is that killing yourself is not a result of working conditions. Heathy people simply don't do that.

Of course healthy people kill themselves over working conditions. Put yourself to a slave camp and see how many years you last.

To quote you, that is complete garbage.

[profoundWHALE]

That is complete garbage. People don't kill themselves over working conditions, it is usually linked to depression.

TIL that people don't kill themselves over some of the worst working conditions in the world, because they'd have to be severely depressed for that to happen, and you don't just get depression.

Just an FYI, they get paid next to nothing and work long hours. If they do poorly or lose an arm or something they're replaced because everyone is so dirt poor and those factories are virtually the only way to get money. And with that money they have to pay for the housing (which the factory company probably owns) and with the little that they have left, they send it off their dirt poor families. Imagine being almost the only income for your family + extended family and then always being at risk of losing your job because your break was 5 minutes longer than they said it should be. Just imagine coming back to them and saying that you lost your job, or that you can't keep living that way.

[liam]

TIL that people don't kill themselves over some of the worst working conditions in the world, because they'd have to be severely depressed for that to happen, and you don't just get depression.

Just an FYI, they get paid next to nothing and work long hours. If they do poorly or lose an arm or something they're replaced because everyone is so dirt poor and those factories are virtually the only way to get money. And with that money they have to pay for the housing (which the factory company probably owns) and with the little that they have left, they send it off their dirt poor families. Imagine being almost the only income for your family + extended family and then always being at risk of losing your job because your break was 5 minutes longer than they said it should be. Just imagine coming back to them and saying that you lost your job, or that you can't keep living that way.

Many people are inclined towards depression, and the trigger that sets it off can seem arbitrary. I'm not saying that's the case with foxconn but wanted to clarify that it can just happen.
I like your comparison of foxconn to the old factory towns of the USA(maybe Europe had them as well?). Wizard is perfectly free to use, and enjoy, his Mac but I wish he wouldn't deny the copious evidence and working conditions at foxconn. The comparison to his depressed coworkers in upstate NY is, I think, demonstrating a misunderstanding. Yeah, there are depressed folks everywhere (super common malady), but if you don't think your work conditions can influence your feelings at least as much as your desktop ui ...

[Anarchy]

Many people are inclined towards depression, and the trigger that sets it off can seem arbitrary. I'm not saying that's the case with foxconn but wanted to clarify that it can just happen.
I like your comparison of foxconn to the old factory towns of the USA(maybe Europe had them as well?). Wizard is perfectly free to use, and enjoy, his Mac but I wish he wouldn't deny the copious evidence and working conditions at foxconn. The comparison to his depressed coworkers in upstate NY is, I think, demonstrating a misunderstanding. Yeah, there are depressed folks everywhere (super common malady), but if you don't think your work conditions can influence your feelings at least as much as your desktop ui ...

Neocolonialism. Foxconn gets paid to produce stuff for other companies. If the working conditions are bad at Foxconn factories then that's not my problem. It's a problem that Foxconn management has to solve. Do I agree that working conditions in those countries are bad? Yes, I do. Should they be improved? Definitely. Do I give a damn about the workers' well being as someone who owns and uses Apple products? No, I couldn't care less.

Foxconn produces electronic equipment not only for Apple, but also for Google, Microsoft, Acer, Blackberry, Dell, HP, Sony, Motorola, etc. Foxconn working conditions aren't isolated to Apple products, nor they are isolated to Foxconn. This situation is common not only in China but also in all other 3rd world countries that produce our stuff. It is the problem of neocolonialism. Putting the blame on one group of people when the entire society is at fault is like blaming the rape victim.

[johnc]

It is the problem of neocolonialism. Putting the blame on one group of people when the entire society is at fault is like blaming the rape victim.

No, it's nothing like blaming the rape victim. Apple is typically singled out as a leader of the practice, and because they basically make so much cash that they show themselves to be the stingy misers that they are.

[JohnLee]

All you people claiming you use Macs for the commercial software are just hilarious. We all know you are firing up your Windows PC or your Boot Camp or Parrallels when you need to get work done on a real commercial offering.

Look at the business world: what software is used most of all? PowerPoint, Excel, Word. The rest doesn't come close. Office exists for Mac, so there's just no need to switch to a Window PC or BootCamp or Parallels for that.

But the beautiful thing about a Mac is that I can have my cake and eat it too: it has a complete Unix shell with all the necessary tools, right out of the box. And if you want more, 'brew' is a command away. I develop my programs on my Mac (iTerm, vim, the works) and run them overnight on the Linux farm. I could do just the same on a Windows system with cygwin, but that's always a little bit hackier, because cygwin and Windows use different file system conventions. So why bother?

Macs are good for Garage Band and some light video editing as far as I can tell.

They're not only good, they're great at it. Thanks!
But I've deleted them from my Mac, because I'm not a musician and I don't desire to be one.

Or watching something on Netflix.

Yes, it can do that too! Isn't that great? Though, I use a Roku for that.

Personally I can't think of much else, although I'm sure there's something. Macs are multiple iterations behind on MS Office apps usually, web browsing is downright hostile on Safari compared to most modern browsers. Games - forget about it. iTunes is one of the biggest abominations I've ever run into, although you're entitled to your opinion on that one.

Well, MS Office works just fine for me. I'm sorry that you've had bad experiences with that.
I do my web browsing on Safari, but Chrome and Firefox are there if you need them. What are you using?
I don't game.
iTunes hasn't been necessary for your iDevices for years now, so who cares?

My family is completely on iPhone and iPads. When my daughter takes a picture, and I want it, she taps 'family share' and it shows up the next minute on my MacBook's iPhoto (as well as all other phones, of course.) Try that with Linux? There is no iPhoto for Windows, unfortunately, but I'm sure Google has something similar after you install it...

But you forget the most important thing: hardware. Find me one, just one, laptop with the same quality, size, and responsiveness touchpad as a MacBook. They don't exist. The overall full aluminum body build surpasses even those of Lenovo. The MagSafe is great. The retina screen a beauty. And TimeMachines/TimeCapsule, I could write a song about it.

Many laptops have some of the qualities of a MacBook, most you'd be hard pressed to find one that has all of them. (Did I mention the touchpad?)

So if you're going for a MacBook because of the hardware anyway, there's little point in wiping OSX and going Windows.

And the warranty thing - Apple care? Most computer retailers sell the same or better for less money - try the BestBuy warranty sometime - no questions asked returns. Or Amazon.

Good to hear that others are stepping up to the plate as well.

Face it - the reason you use Macs is because you like them (or they make you feel superior, which is a bit odd).

In all honestly, you got that one right, I do feel superior: to those who feel the need to calling out other for feeling superior because of their usage of an OS or piece of hardware they don't like.
And, yes, I use the Mac because I like it. They look cool too!

Why try to tell us all about the "amazing advantages" - we've all tried them, and we all know many instances where they fall far short. If you like it - use it. Enjoy. No need to exaggerate the benefits.

I have used Linux uninterrupted since 1994. For a long time a home, and always at work. Once you're at the point in your life where money isn't as much as a factor, little time wasters become more important: you have better things to do than mess around with printer drivers, setting up backup systems, ease to use photo sharing, praying that your open source office suite won't mess up your files too much etc. That's the point at which you switch to a Mac. At the core, they're all computers that run on an x86, but it's the mountain of little things that count in the end.

[wizard69]

TIL that people don't kill themselves over some of the worst working conditions in the world, because they'd have to be severely depressed for that to happen, and you don't just get depression.

There are far worst place to work than China

Just an FYI, they get paid next to nothing and work long hours.

Actually you now have companies leaving China due to the high wages there.

If they do poorly or lose an arm or something they're replaced because everyone is so dirt poor and those factories are virtually the only way to get money.

If you do something stupid in the US you get replaced also. In fact it is common practice to blame employees for all accidents in the US. There is very little difference in the way companies in the US approach accidents and those outside of the U.S.

And with that money they have to pay for the housing (which the factory company probably owns) and with the little that they have left, they send it off their dirt poor families. Imagine being almost the only income for your family + extended family and then always being at risk of losing your job because your break was 5 minutes longer than they said it should be.

You do realize that people get fired for extended breaks in the USA right? Happens all the time really. As such I see no reason why there would be less expected of people in China. Honestly it appears that you have never worked in the real world where screwing off isn't accepted.

Just imagine coming back to them and saying that you lost your job, or that you can't keep living that way.

Yeah just imagine all the guys that have lost their jobs in the US, as they went to China, going home to their families with their last paycheck. Your whining here is pretty pathetic as you assume that companies in China are some how special in the way it treats employees. They aren't special and in some cases they actually do a better job treating employees.

[wizard69]

Of course healthy people kill themselves over working conditions. Put yourself to a slave camp and see how many years you last.

You do realize that the U.S. had an extensive history with real slavery. Slaves didn't kill themselves off then and frankly the working conditions where far more horrific.

Further people don't line up to work in a slave camp. If your point of view had any credibility at all Foxcon would not be able to staff its factories.

To quote you, that is complete garbage.

At least I'm not gullible.

[wizard69]

If workplace conditions cannot substantially increase suicide rates, why were all the other motherboard makers-the ones who still have their plants in Taiwan and not mainland China-not also getting hammered about workplace suicides? Could it have to do with better working conditions not triggering depression perhaps?

If Foxcon had suicide rates higher than the general population in China we might have a rational discussion. Beyond that who says there have been no suicides in Taiwan?

I really don't understand you guys here claiming that the suicide rates are excessive at the Foxcon plants. The evidence simply isn't there.