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Dear Sergei:
I think the major advantage of GNU/Linux and OS X are that each is a unix
platform. In both cases, I think you will find that they are more pleasant
user experiences that SGI (running Irix) or Windoze.
Second, you can run windoze programs you need, or even the whole operating
system, nested within Linux or OS X. For Linux, this can be done using a
program called WINE (which stands for Wine Is Not an Emulator). For
intel-based OS X machines, a new program called Parallels can, for $50,
permit you to run any intel-based operating system nested within OS X.
There are many linux distributions to choose from, and it comes down to
personal taste. My favorite is Ubuntu (or its KDE variant, Kubuntu). It
is completely free; the company will even mail you install CDs if you
prefer that to downloading a disk image. I have yet to find anything that
won't work on Ubuntu. It is a Debian linux, which means it has the
original, but very nice, package management system, making maintenance a
breeze. I've put some brief notes on this here:
http://xanana.ucsc.edu/linux/debian_linux.html
I am, however, a slobbering OS X fan, and that is my personal favorite
platform. OS X is a superset of unix. Unlike GNU/Linux, it is not
completely Free (as in Stallman) but the unix underpinnings get the GNU
stamp of moral purity. The GUI and iCandy applications are proprietary.
For pure ease of use, it is hard to beat. I've got everything running now
on both intel and powerpc. If you go the Mac route, you might want to
wait to buy intel versions of any machine you are considering. I just got
an iMac, and it is definitely quite nice (and fast). I've put more info on
OS X here:
http://chemistry.ucsc.edu/~wgscott/crystallography_on_OS_X.html
Powerpoint, by the way, was created for the Mac platform, and purchased by
microsoft. In any case, Keynote is 1000 times better (and your audience
will appreciate not having Yet Another PowerPoint presentation).
HTH,
Bill
On Wed, 19 Apr 2006, Sergei Strelkov wrote:
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Dear All,
like many other groups, we are currently facing the need
to move from an aging SGI/Alpha cluster to a more modern
computing environment. The obvious alternatives to choose from
are Linux, OSX or Windows. We are aiming at solving interesting structures
rather than at developing software -- and yes, we only have a limited support
from IT professionals.
1. MS Windows:
While many people would probably exclude Windows right away,
I am especially interested in collecting opinions about this option.
True, a Windows box can never be a full replacement for a Unix
workstation. However, many pieces of software (not least the CCP4/CCP4i)
are perfectly usable under Windows! The main advantage in our case,
and in most other places, probably, is that nearly all students use/own PCs
(desktops or laptops) already.
Do there happen to exist any web resources summarising the setup and
use of Windows for biocrystallography (something like the
awesome site by W. Scott on crystallography on OSX)?
It does seem that there are no Windows versions of several important
crystallographic programs/packages but I may be not up to date --
does anyone have a list of those that are available?
With Windows, there exist ways and tools that provide
modalities typical for unix environments -- how usable are
all these? How usable is cygwin?
2. OSX:
Clearly, there has been much attention to this platform
lately, and most Xtallographic programs have been ported.
Hardware is generally good. The setup/maintenance
is generally easier than for Linux.
One specific quiestion: is buying an Intel-based
Mac (and not a G5-based) is advisable at this stage
as much of the software is not yet optimised for Intels?
The well-known problem with Macs is a lesser choice
of general-purpose software. One particular difficulty
is that the OSX version of MS Office (especially the Powerpoint)
has never been optimised properly (IMHO).
3. Linux:
Many advantages and one big concern: the difficulty of setting up.
I would be very grateful for any feedback, please write either
to the BB or to me directly. I will post a summary of all replies.
Best wishes,
Sergei.
--
*NEW* address and e-mail:
Prof. Sergei V. Strelkov, Protein Crystallography Group Coordinator
Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry and Medicinal Physicochemistry
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, O&N2
Catholic University of Leuven
Herestraat 49 bus 822, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
Phone(w): +32 16 33 08 45 Fax: +32 16 32 34 69
Phone(p): +32 16 23 19 06 Mobile: +32 486 29 41 32
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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