Betty, you mysterious and accomplished woman, you. My comment wasn't really meant to be part of a Mac vs. PC debate, just mentioning how incredible the availability of VB experiment packages used to be available, perhaps not surprising since VB is/was the most popular programming language.
But since you bring it up, I do get the argument about tinkering. If the Mac is a great platform well designed and responsive to a whole range of needs (which must be true if my MacMini is represenative) then buying a Mac to radically mod or adapt it is like buying a Caddy or Porsche when you want to build a hot rod. When you want to build a hot-rod you start with a Chevy because its alot cheaper and you don't feel so bad when you carve it up. b_s-wilk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > In terms of real scientific tinkering, what was common for experiments is > data acquisition cards. I don't know if either system is more amenable but > even in the mid-90's there were literally dozens of Visual Basic packages > for using DAC's in different types of experimental set-up (dozens maybe an > understatement). In that case, a software tool would seem to be driving the > choice of a platform. **I guess hypercard played the same role but I don't much about it or how widespread its use in this way** Data acquisition cards with VB are not necessary when the sampling/testing hardware is designed to communicate directly with the computer software without requiring an additional card in the computer. Macs have been used in labs under many circumstances -- chemistry, engineering--as long as PCs. There are scientists at the DuPont company who are still using 10 year old Macs for their research because the [big, wealthy] company has refused to buy anything but PCs until this year when they finally purchased a few MacBook Pros. [Mark--is NGC like that?] I used a Mac at a Hewlett Packard robotics facility--that's HP, the PC manufacturer. I also use HP/UX there. The software was not written for Windows. Robotics certainly qualifies as "real scientific tinkering", as do chemistry and engineering. Many Mac users on and off this list use PCs, some use a version of Unix other than Mac OS X. However, most Windows users have never used, much less tinkered with Macs [or PCs] at all. It's odd that the same people who tout how great it is to tinker with their PCs, have rarely done the same with Macs for comparison. It's possible to hack both, and Macs have been easier, especially since the first towers with the one-hand spring-release door were available. One of the main reasons that there may be less tinkering with Macs is that you can buy a professional level Mac with everything you need out of the box except maybe some extra RAM, while, to be comparable, you have to add the missing parts to a PC that are already standard on a Mac. - Is tinkering on a PC just another word for upgrading RAM, drives, cards, motherboards? I've done that. - Does tinkering on a PC include soldering, rewiring, and using a moto-tool? I've done that on Macs. - Is tinkering on a PC a way to describe overclocking? I've done that on my Mac. - Does tinkering on a PC include hacking and rewriting system files? I've done that too. Out of the box, it isn't as necessary to hack a Mac as to "tinker" with a PC. Is this PC "tinkering" jargon just another kiddie club up in the backyard treehouse, needing a secret password and lingo? Sure sounds like it. Betty ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************
