I'm Switching....

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Back to Windows!

I just sold my PowerMac and will be building myself a new PC this weekend. I won't be totally abandoning the Apple world, as I will be getting a Mini in a few weeks.
 
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Back to the registry disaster? To This crap? That is just Daft!
 
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falltime

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witeshark said:
Back to the registry disaster? To This crap? That is just Daft!

What registry disaster?

I will C&P what I posted a few weeks ago to you when you made a bunch of wild, unfounded comments about Windows and the registry.

I suggest you read up a little more, and clear up any misunderstandings you have about basic OS functionality because based on your sig and your posts, you really are in the dark.




Originally Posted by witeshark:

The very concept of worm/virus as they now attack Windows is a non issue in Mac OS or other Unix based systems because they rely on the indefensible Windows registry which is the very core of the system. Worms edit, add and delete registry keys at will and the loop of new ones and new protections is infinite. This will not happen to Mac OS X because there is no registry core, there is instead the kernel, (Darwin) and the root and administrator user. Such editing to the file system core would only be doable with the admin password or logged in as root. Obviously never be on line as root!


What??????

First of all the OS X Kernel is not called "Darwin." Darwin is the FreeBSD OS that OS X runs on top of. Darwin is notoriously weaker than other types of UNIX OS's and its stability and robustness is often overrated (As was confirmed by ImmunitySec - an open-source auditor) especially by Apple.

The registry is not the "core" of Windows. It is simply a database used by Windows to store configuration information. It has nothing to do with the Windows Kernel. The Windows kernel does basically the same thing as OS X's Mach 3 Kernel as it is the module loaded first, containing all essential services needed for the OS to run at its primary level. The kernel is generally responsible for process management, memory management and disk management. It is completely independent of the Windows Registry, and cannot be directly altered.

I don't know what you mean by the Windows Registry being "open 24/7." It's just a database... of course its "open." OS X doesn't store configuration information in a central database; instead it stores information in separate XML files, which aren't any less "open" than the Windows registry. Neither system is considered better than the other - some Windows users would say the Windows registry is easier to navigate, whereas OS X users would argue that separate files make things more simple - its just a matter of opinion.

And what is heck is a "File System Core"?

I'm surprised no one has corrected you in the past, because it is quite obvious you are operating under serious misconceptions.

OS X is not impenetrable.... in fact it is far from it - at the Call Center the Techs are frequently informed of severe OS X security vulnerabilities and directed not to discuss the issue with the customers until Apple acknowledges and broadcasts a standardized solution. These vulnerabilites are never really newsworthy because so very few people use the OS for them to A. Be Exploited and B. Really Matter even if they were exploited.

But for those who think Darwin is god's gift to computing, heres a few news stories that DID get out:
http://news.com.com/Darwin+flaws+su...ml?tag=nefd.top
http://news.com.com/Apple+fixes+fla....html?tag=st.rn
http://index-site.com/firewirebug2.html
(The Firewire bug is the worst issue OS X has ever had in the Video Editing industry - thousands of editors in LA have already gone to PC's simply out of absolute disgust.)

The simple fact of the matter is that OS X alone holds an insignificant 1.5% of the entire OS market. Windows XP and 2k on the other hand command a substantial 90% of the OS market. It's just simple numbers, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out who would have more threats to deal with.

It's like if Nowhereville (Pop. 24) constantly gloated about their negligible crime rate and offered LA (Pop. Approx. 1 Million) as contrast. How stupid would that be? Who would care?
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Windows does require a bit of intelligence to use, but I have no problem with that. I do not find Windows to be a security risk, but you do have to keep an eye out for spyware.

My Mac experiment has been fun. One of the main reasons I switched was to see what all the OS X fuss was about. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing operating system, but I found it to have just as many little bugs and quirks as WinXP Pro. Operating systems are so complicated, that I consider that to be acceptable. The only "real" problem that I have found with OS X is that it is sluggish compared to Windows when it comes to some everyday tasks...primarily web surfing. Windows is just a much more snappy OS. The second issue I had was just how loud my PowerMac was. I was hoping for a much quieter system, but some simple tasks would cause the system to rev much louder than any PC I've ever owned. It can get annoying at times when all I'm doing is checking email.

The Mini should correct both of those things. It won't be nearly as loud, and I will expect a bit of sluggishness at times because it is a less powerful system.
 
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Avid6eek and falltime, nice posts! To be fair, people at the "can barely click the mouse" stage do have some pretty severe problems with XP in reguards to malware/adware and whatnot.

Having to take care of the computers of several teenagers in my extended family I have gotten pretty tired of cleaning out all of the crap they keep getting on their systems. Usually it's "Uncle Dan, my computer is so slow now, and all these windows keep popping up when I surf....could you fix it?" I started telling everyone to get Macs. With my own PC use I have zero problems.

BTW Avid6eek, the Mini sounds like it would fit your needs nicely. The **** thing is almost silent, and has pretty decent performance for the price.
 
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monkeybutler

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witeshark said:
Back to the registry disaster? To This crap? That is just Daft!

registry disasters? please. this is exactly what makes mac users so hated by everyone else. the assumption that if macs are great then pc's must be put down.

the problem with pc's isnt 100% the OS. its 95% the users who cant stop clicking on popups and opening emails because they thought "its jen from last night" may be an email worth reading even though they spent last night watching tv by themself.

find a knowledgeable computer guy and you wont hear many stories of them being shut down by a virus or spyware. thats because if you know what youre doing then you know how to avoid those things.
 
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monkeybutler

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Avid6eek said:
My Mac experiment has been fun. One of the main reasons I switched was to see what all the OS X fuss was about. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing operating system, but I found it to have just as many little bugs and quirks as WinXP Pro.

weird. i was going to make a thread about this because im currently a experimenting with mac too. i got a mac because i couldnt resist seeing what everyones been raving and raving about. the perfect os. the simple to use interface. the "superior to windows in every way" OS of the future. Well, as a huge mac fan back from 7.1-8.5 then i shouldve known that mac fans havent changed. the os is good but its not as great as some would lead you to believe. its not easier, its not faster, it hasnt made me more productive and its not cheap. that doesnt mean its not good. its a nice OS but its
not any better than windows xp.

Operating systems are so complicated, that I consider that to be acceptable. The only "real" problem that I have found with OS X is that it is sluggish compared to Windows when it comes to some everyday tasks...primarily web surfing. Windows is just a much more snappy OS.

It sure is. i bought a mac notebook assuming it would be my "web machine" but in the end its just too slow and i cant figure out why. ive tried all the browsers and my 1ghz notebook smokes it in all my daily tasks. i really didnt expect it to be this way. i thought id love the os, love the hardware and eventually ditch windows. but in the end all it did was make me appreciate windows more and make me eager to switch back.

one thing about apple is that they can make incredible hardware. simply the most gorgeous stuff ive ever seen. but i'll take my ugly dell over this mac since its where I feel most comfortable.
 
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tbh im yet to switch to mac simply due to funds but will do even though i can keep my winblows machine more than secure and malware free.

The reason for wanting a change is yea the "whats it really like" factor and also the fact that im about to graduate soon and would like to have a little clue about osX

Also if its really that aweful i just stick linux on there and still have a slick looking machine that works how i want it, IMO i cant really loose buy buying one
 
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dirtydog

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Avid6eek said:
Back to Windows!

I just sold my PowerMac and will be building myself a new PC this weekend. I won't be totally abandoning the Apple world, as I will be getting a Mini in a few weeks.

Are you gonna be using the Mini with a VGA monitor? If so you might wanna wait till they fix this problem.
 
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dont worry mate, thats what most of us call it on our Mandrake forum :p
 
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dirtydog

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Yep I know that a lot of Mac and Linux fanatics call it that name, and like to say M$ rather than MS..
 
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Thud

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dirtydog said:
Are you gonna be using the Mini with a VGA monitor? If so you might wanna wait till they fix this problem.


I have my mini hooked up to a VGA monitor, and it is not exhibiting that problem.

The display is clear and bright, and I didn't have to adjust anything. Maybe it only applies to analog VGA LCD screens, I'm using a CRT.


As for the immunitysec audit, here's more info:
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5540955.html

The flaws won't apply to the vast majority of mac owners, since they aren't running remote systems with multiple users.

Not that I'm a mac apologist... I've only had mine for 2 days now. I'm still keeping my windows box for the heavy-duty stuff.
 
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dirtydog

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No the dim displays problem affects a variety of VGA displays, both TFT and CRT. The same monitors sometimes work perfectly with other Apple computers, so it points to the mini's VGA output voltage being too weak as is explained in the thread.
 
T

Thud

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dirtydog said:
No the dim displays problem affects a variety of VGA displays, both TFT and CRT. The same monitors sometimes work perfectly with other Apple computers, so it points to the mini's VGA output voltage being too weak as is explained in the thread.

I guess I'm lucky then?
 

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On the DIM monitor problem, I tried my Mini with several VGA Monitors and it looks just as brite as any of my PC's or other older Macs. Tried a Dell 17" Trinitron Flat Screen, Gateway 17" non Trinitron, Another Dell 17" but non Trinitron, Sony 17" Trinitron, Panasonic 17" Panasync and all look great and the same as my other systems. I even put the same background on all of them so it would be similar.
 
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MichaelSullivan

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Falltime, great post. I got a lot out of that, even as a seasoned windows user. Can you (or anyone) explain more about the general slowness of the OS? What processor speed/RAM do you have? Simple web surfing is slow? Uh oh... I do a lot of that. (about to purchase a g4 1.5 pb)...

Its nice to see more balanced information. I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed, but sometimes mac users (not just this forum, but overall) seem to be a bit overprotective and prone to windows bashing.

I'll be switching to apple not because I hate windows (I use it everyday as a software developer), but because I want a change. That, and the software market has finally gotten such that most of what I use is available on that platform.
 
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MichaelSullivan

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This might help. From: http://developer.apple.com/darwin/

Beneath the appealing, easy-to-use interface of Mac OS X is a rock-solid foundation that is engineered for stability, reliability, and performance. This foundation is a core operating system commonly known as Darwin. Darwin integrates a number of technologies, most importantly Mach 3.0, operating-system services based on 4.4BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution), high-performance networking facilities, and support for multiple integrated file systems.


and this, from: http://www.kernelthread.com/mac/osx/arch_xnu.html

The Mac OS X kernel is called XNU. XNU contains code based on Mach, the legendary architecture that originated as a research project at Carnegie Mellon University in the mid 1980s (Mach itself traces its philosophy to the Accent operating system, also developed at CMU), and has been part of many important systems. Early versions of Mach had monolithic kernels, with much of BSD's code in the kernel. Mach 3.0 was the first microkernel implementation.

XNU's Mach component is based on Mach 3.0, although it's not used as a microkernel. The BSD subsystem is part of the kernel and so are various other subsystems that are typically implemented as user-space servers in microkernel systems.
 
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The occasional display problems with the mini has been fixed for many by resetting the Display Options in System Preferences ~ ref Apple Discussion Board ~ mini section.

Why fight guys? they are all computers. 'Man' hasn't managed to make anything 100% right yet. One day who knows, in the meantime use what you are comfortable with. I use both, the Mac fits the way I prefer to work better than Windows. ymmd.
I am very happy to have multi choice options for Operating systems as well as Cars or Countries to live in.
Ubuntu Linux looks interesting too. :) No doubt it will suit some people very nicely.
 
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Thud

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witeshark said:
...[removed by mod]... Darwin is the name of the OS X kernel And the FreeBSD OS that is the OS X base is Nextstep.


You might want to read this...

http://www.kernelthread.com/mac/osx/arch_sys.html

The windows registry is the effective system core because it is the absolute file system root to which all apps are based and allows worms to lower security settings and turn off software firewall etc and notice that new registry editing worms are out daily


The registry is a database that stores name/value pairs in a tree hierarchy. That's it. The registry has absolutely NOTHING to do with the filesystem, at all. The filesystem has to be mounted BEFORE windows can even read the registry!

The reason the registry is vulnerable is because MS has provided an interface to it via windows scripting host. But that would be the same whether MS used xml files scattered everywhere, or a central repository.
 
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