Easy Installation: okay, not necessarily true for all Linuxes, but may be the case. IE: who cares?
Apple WebObjects / Mac Commercial Software: In the same way there is software for Linux the Mac can't run, and there is almost always a good free equivalent.
Firewire support: Linux does support firewire.
Consistent Interface: This is really down to the applications, as the DE/WM certainly provides consistency.
Anti-Aliased fonts: Yes, these are available for Linux.
Quicktime: Yes, via MPlayer.
Games: Yes you can run most popular games under Linux.

I'll grant you that there is lots of software available for Linux that is not available for Linux, and vice-versa. Almost always a good free equivalent? Uh, no. Almost always a free equivalent I'll grant you. Who cares about IE? Well, unfortunately, a lot more people than care about dillo and opera, and OmniWeb blows them all out. Linux does have firewire support. It's an effort in futility to get it running for most users, but it is there. Consistent interface is lacking on BOTH sides of this argument, IMHO. Anytime you mix GUI with CLI there is inconsistency. Anti-aliased fonts are certainly available for Linux. Never seen it in a WM but I'm told it works. ;) YOur last point I have to tear to shreds. "most popular games run under Linux". What dream did you just come from? Granted, there's some game sout there for Linux, but let's face it. The big ting right now on Linux is Freeciv, but to Mac and Windows users, that's 10 year old news. If you're going to play seriously popular games under Linux, you'll be doing it through wine, if you're lucky.

"Who cares about IE? Well, unfortunately, a lot more people than care about dillo and opera, and OmniWeb blows them all out."

Actually, I'm using dillo (which I'm very partial to) right now, and when I need to use some Windows box I use opera, so at least for me, this doesn't hold true.

"Anti-aliased fonts are certainly available for Linux. Never seen it in a WM but I'm told it works"

I'll grant you that currently unless you're using KDE, it's a bit of a pain to get things working properly -- most other aa implementations are hacks. OTOH, the Mac had hacks to give it aa text for years, so complaining about this seems a bit silly.

"most popular games [do not] run under Linux...to Mac and Windows users, that's 10 year old news"

I grant you that it's a bit difficult to buy a game, since there's no guarantee that any given game will run, but I strongly suspect that if you count all the games that run under WINE (even ignoring all the native games), you'll have a larger game library than the MacOS.

I used classic MacOS for years and had a great deal of respect for it, but the pro-Linux poster is correct.

I am a Windows 2k/xp consultant. I do not understand why Linux supporters and supporters of MaxOSx are beating each other up. Your goal should be acceptance to the world. The only way is to have best of Linux/Unix on the destkop. Why are not more people pushing for the Aqua interface on Linux. If you have that, you will have a bigger following than you can image. If I could put a desktop for my clients at less than $100 per including office suite, email, etc. rather than with Windows at $600 per, then I would. Why don't you guys see that...

i agree! why should mac and linux users "debate" over the merits of each?

let's expend our energy adding positive value to our own respective platforms and honing our skills so we can make some money, or, just have some fun and help others get up to speed.

While I wouldn't mind having the option of using an Aqua type interface on a Linux computer, I would hate to have it as a standard. While it's only my personal opinion, Aqua makes me ill. Standardizing on it would not be a good idea IMHO.

That's a real joke.. comparing OS X aqua to gnome.. heheh hahah
Gnome has always sucked! Great things have come from gnome don't get me wrong and the developers are brilliant. However point and clicky is for chumps.. Fluxbox by choice is the the WM of choice. If your catering to pleebs give em kde or. And your little chart.. boy have you done your homework.. Easy installation ? Ever install mandrake.. christ if it got easier you'd have someone else do it for you. One click updates.. yeesh that sounds like a great idea...why not let anyone install anything on the OS.. Internet explorer Omniweb - how is that a plus.. you want active X and the other windows shit problems.. Firewire support... !!! now that is just absurd. I have been using firewire in LINUX since before OS X existed! Usable file manager - konqueror. (why bother try bash) file finder.. hrm.. try locate / find -name . Idiot proof DON't USE root IDIOT! Anti-Aliased fonts. Your kidding right are you using some ancient distro - christ... www.xfree86.org .. duh. Games.. there is more on linux than OS X for sure.
I like OS X .. but apple has only got it half right. They are putting to much into closed source software. Microsoft has already stated if sales of OSX don't pick up they will no longer port software to it. I hope OS X survives ... but if they don't embrace the open source community they will find themselves in Beos's shoes.

Great OS's just made bad decisions. Linux will always exist whether or not the market embraces it. Open Source will always win in the end. Remember programs are just ideas, and no matter how good or bad these ideas are they should always be available.

This page is obviously slanted to apple - "apple software support"? This is grading Linux on how much it is like apple, clearly. I use W2K, I'm thinking of switch to Linux but here I just see slant written all over.

Don't get me wrong I respect apple but this article is so bias. It is judging Linux on what it can do for apple (mac os9 comp, mac software, etc.)You could turn it around on apple in the same way but.. The bottom line is I could download any flavor Linux go down to fry's or PCclub and build myself one hell of a machine that would out perform any mac and spend half of what I would spend for a mac. that alone makes the difference.

I use both OS', OSX as my primary desktop. Saying that, you load OSX with features that are also available on Linux. I like OSX, but you're not being fair to Linux at all. Usable File Manager? Please.

Retarded.
Linux does support fireware
IT does have AA fonts
It CAN run IE (wine) and it's faster there as well
Games Mac: Yes Linux: No ???
HAHAHA man you are a comedian.
Usable FILE MANAGEr??????
NAUTALIS HELLO
Not to mention cdl.

IDE project builders??? HAHAHAHA

Yes let's all go develop on a macintosh please
Easy Installation?
Red hat, Gentoo and mandrake are easy as pie.
Slack which I use, isn't even that bad.

One click updates ?
Debian: apt-get
Rpms, mandrake packages etc etc
Don't be silly
Quicktime ? Runs on linux


Whoever wrote this article is just about THE dumbest so called writer I've yet to encounter
He or she has obviously never touched linux in any way shape or form.
Except for maybe a box at Comp USa or something.


Please don't read this and be swayyed away from linux.


This site is horrible.

It is my knowledge that linux can be adapted to run on alost all platforms available. Why don't apple do this? Imagine the impact if Apple released an OSX for PCs. It should happen..... and linux for apple? Why not?

GO LINUX
this site hoovers.
I want this author tho read all these messages, get embarrased and try out linux for real. Not just read the articles.

anyone who thinks that linux is tough to get up runnin' is probably still in the stone age. i've personally done installations of RedHat, Mandrake, Cladera, SuSE and Debian ... and apart from a few hair pulling sessions in the early versions everything is like a hot knife slicing thru butter now. and why the interest in the Aqua look. granted it's a one of a kind look but after all those skins i have downloaded for my XP box i'm beginning to think otherwise. why does linux have to ape apple and for that matter why not. open source allows us a huge choice of what we want on our desks. the point is to make what's already there better and to prevent eternal boredom some new stuff should also be attempted. Homogenizing looks isn't what is required. there must be a better way than the aqua. only the years will tell. till then lets stop this stupid rant about which one is better and which one stinks. what's good for me isn't necessarily your choice. man ... that's what it's all about ... CHOICE ... never forget that.

1.) SuSE is by far is toooo easy to run. Compared to others. IN MY OPINION.
2.) I have Firewire running.. like freakin plug and play
3.) Who gives a care about IE and its poor security, and information sending bogusness.
4.) Check out Wines compatability list, or even CrossOver Desk.. (Still Wine)
5.) Ummm Anaconda to name one... has always been a sinch to use. Maybe... auto partitioning and network config stup people?
6.) Free? which also means Freedom! Which means Freeware... Also leading to OpenSource.
7.) Idiot Proof? If you set everything "IMPORTANT" to root as ownership (Default normally)... and read only. Then this arguement is... uh pointless.
8.) I have a Mac... Im typing this on a Mac.. Ill be honest with you. I hate the Finder. :) Though its simple to use. Its also very simple with hardly any useful functions. Which comes back to the idiot proof thing. Which is like Darwin Proof.
9.) Mac Commerical software is the same software on Windows... The important commerical software anyways.
10.) One click updates? How about Automatic Updates. :)
11.) Mac OS X... is better then Windows. Just the Apps arent there per say.
12.) Mac OS X's heart is FreeBSD... doesnt mean.. you are operating on Unix entirely. Until you bust out with the X11, and or Fink. So this bringing Unix to the people is hardly valid. Its like Microsoft saying Windows XP 2010... is Unix... and you never see a terminal/shell. Like Microsoft.. the core of Mac OS X is hidden unless your brave enough to open Terminal.. and ls to see everything. Otherwise... Macs load... u see an apple on the screen.. then loading Mac OS X. The average Joe is never going to see or even be able to verify he is actually using some form of *nix. All the average ... trendy studio living wanna be geeks do is check the news, chat on messengers, playin in photoshop, and look at porn. Lets see Grandma Sally, and Mechanic Bob.. run to sourceforge.. and try to compile src and cvs. First sudo apt-get install xxxxxx? Where the heck do I do that? and What the heck is a terminal? Do I have to go to the airport?

Sheesh looking at my statements it seems to be about Useability.

Basicly Im saying this. The only valid excuse from Microsoft, and Mac OS X fascists.. is that... its EASIER... they spoon feed me what I need. Not once... was Performance, Stability, Networking, Cross Compatability... etc. Nothing was mentioned on that. Just how easy to USE it. Usually Easy costs money.. and greater security risks. Im not here to dog oh Apple or OS X... I have SuSe, Windows XP, Mac OS X, OpenBSD and Netware running on my network. Love them all like my babies. But.. neither is better then the other one. Cept Netware with Bordermanager is like OpenBSD.. and while lock your stuff down tight. But thats another story. But this Article or Argument.. is.. pretty assisine... bias. They all do things some cant.. Or do the same things but better then others. But these kinds of things.. bother me.

I will say this. If your looking to get away from a Commericial operating system... Thats pretty, fun, somewhat easy, good windows like programs. Mac OS X. :)ok Im done..

(I need to go back to grammar school forgive me)

Q: WHO CARES ABOUT IE? ---
A: People who only know enough about the computer to barely sqeeze by.

In all honesty IE will and does run under linux -- Quite well actually. Grantged you have to get an implimentation of Wine by Codeweavers, but it will run. Not to mention M$ office, Quicken, and many others the list grows all the time.

I've been running cXoffice for a couple years, and I love it. The apps run as well under linux as they do in windows. And I don't have to worry about the OS going down.

Also One click update is now available in every version of linux that I have seen.

It's Okay to like MacOS more than linux. But atleast be honest about what you are bashing. The fact is Linux is idiot proof, cause some idiot is not going to beable to trash my system on accident.

That's my two bits worth.

"In all honesty IE will and does run under linux -- Quite well actually. Grantged you have to get an implimentation of Wine by Codeweavers, but it will run. Not to mention M$ office, Quicken, and many others the list grows all the time."

I run Linux on a Sun Microsystems Ultra 5. I'm thinking about running it on an Apple iBook. Wine only works on x86 processors. As you can see, IE and all those cool PC games are NOT available to all Linux users.

If you use commercial software on Linux, you're limited to a single hardware platform, just like OS X users are stuck with Apples. Most people are OK with that -- both PCs and Macs are decent, affordable machines -- but it's a bit far-fetched to say that "IE runs on Linux" when, in fact, it can only be made to run on one of the many platforms supported by Linux.

Wine? Yeah right... it works...sometimes.. flaky as all hell. Firewire? Weeks making it work.... wireless? Good luck, works sometimes .... Linux is great for a server and dev environment but if you want entertainment it's ancient history. OSX finally gives us the power of unix with the entertainment of a home desktop machine.... it kicks!

If you want to impress me with Linux, put it on a laptop and make it actively regulate cpu speed/temp and then sleep and suspend on lid close... whoops can't do it.

I was running Fedora Core 2 on my 3.2ghz P4 and it would overheat and shut down unless I manually dropped the cpu speed down to 50%. Nice.

All the fanboys. OSX has not had much of an improvement since 10.2 (expose is nice, spotlight isn't needed anymore).

Linux has progressed. Get yourself a copy of feisty and welcome to the 21C.

Mac has Software Update, which downloads system updates weekly. But the update software on distros like Ubuntu updates EVERY SINGLE part of the OS from one place.