*Please delete if you are not interested in this thread - thanks!* Hi all, Just want to add some perspective to this ongoing discussion regarding the various platforms:
I used to work as a Systems Engineer in Australia, specialising in Windows NT/2000, and am also an MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) in Windows NT. I'm in between jobs now (e-mailing from Singapore), but was brought up on a diet of assembly programming, DOS, OS/2 and Windows programming, not to mention electronics/hardware engineering (part of my Engineering background). Throughout my studies and working experience, I almost never came in contact with a Macintosh. We always thought that Macs were just for the creative (media) folk, and never thought more about it, because (all this is from an Australian perspective): 1) They *were* (back in 1991 - 97) horrendously expensive. 2) Many Engineering and CAD/CAM applications were simply not available for Mac. If they were, they were usually very expensive too. 3) Engineering colleges and Universities always look at (1) to justify their meagre budget allocations. So I've used PCs for years - from DOS 5.0 all the way to Windows 2000. They are good operating systems, but I've always heard good things about the Macintosh platform. The only thing that hindered me in getting a Mac was the price. Then I got myself a Rev B iMac - that changed my perspective on computing forever. I soon found out that working on the MacOS was remarkably simpler than on Windows machines. Although it still crashes occasionally, it is far more stable than even Windows 2000. Needless to say, I'm hooked! With regards to Linux and UNIX, there has been a major trend by most small-mid size companies to migrate to the use of Linux or UNIX as the backbone for their server platforms. And there is good reason to do so. Linux (which runs on PCs) is extremely stable and cost-effective. Indeed, it really is an excellent alternative to using Windows. I think most users would agree that Windows 95 was an excellent product, although it still paled in comparision to OS8. I'm glad that Apple has elected to use UNIX as an underpinning for their major new OS in OSX. I believe that if they can market their OS and hardware effectively, perhaps they would be able to push into the enterprise server market and win some new converts over. I must say that I'm fairly new to this Mac platform, having used it for about 2+ years. I'll be eager to migrate to OSX when it becomes more mature as a product and when more applications that are OSX-native are released. Windows is still overall a good operating system. It's unfortunate that Microsoft has elected to use bad business practices to gain and dominate the market for over 10 years now. Hopefully with the rising-up of Linux and the release of OSX, PC users will now dare to cross the line and try something different. Being a server-oriented person, I was impressed with the server capabilites and the GUI in MacOS X Server 10.1. Apple still has a job ahead of them to refine the OS so that it will be easier to manage using the Aqua GUI, but for a new product, it's excellent. Anyone remember Windows NT 3.51 and how unstable that was when it was first released? To sum up, Windows and Macintosh each have their advantages and disadvantages. In my opinion, Microsoft is trying very hard to make the best of an old-technology operating system in Windows XP. XP has far too many overheads and tries to be an OSX in terms of looks, but cannot keep up in terms of processing/operation. Apple, on the other hand, have realised that the MacOS 8/9 is the most that they can push it to, and hence, with the release of OSX + OSX Server, they are trying to revamp and reposition the Mac as a viable alternative to Windows and Linux, with the major advantage that it is far easier to use and manage than Windows and Linux. I have to agree with that. Hope you enjoyed reading this. I look forward to the reactions/posts. God bless, -- Mark Philip mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] John 3:16 (King James Version): For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Macintosh? Get free email and more at Applelinks! <http://www.applelinks.com>
