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TiMacLover
Senior Member


USA
1282 Posts
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 :  04:06:34
Does anyone think that the great thinkers that used macs have been over shadowed by dimwit PC converters who have no open minds? I find myself on SpyMac and all these jerks who are PC switchers and stuff. What happen to the pure blood mac users who had all the same good stuff in common?

What do you think?

Jeremy

Covert Ops
68k Hacks General
Macs Liberated:28

maclover5
LC Doctor/Hot Rodder


Australia
5830 Posts
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 :  05:59:59
Y'know, i've been wondering about the same thing. Back in '97, when i first started using the 'net, it seemed that Mac evangelism was everywhere. Now it seems to be next to nonexistant.

"**** em" - Jobs in regards to customers
Warrior maclover5
68kMLA

Official 68kMLA Detective
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Unknown_K
Full Member


USA
602 Posts
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 :  06:57:12
It used to be old mac users were like old jaguar owners. They laughed at the masses buying fords and spoke up about why their costly jag was better. These days the only difference between a ford and a jag is the price and the nameplate both being made by the same company from mostly the same parts except the engine and outside sheetmetal. So people still buy and drive the jags they are just not vocal about the "mystique" that doesnt exist anymore (same with computers).

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The Lightning Stalker
Full Member


USA
747 Posts
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 :  09:49:48
Wasn't that about the same time they got rid of the 6-colored apple?

The Lightning Stalker

Performa 631CD, 7.5.5
LC III Mail Server
Q610
Q650

6400/180 40/1.6G/512k L2/enet/video-in/TV
7600/120 '604/233, 80/1.2G & 4G, 9.2.2 (Main Mac)

Lady Smith Apples:
Apple IIc 5.25"
2 Apple IIeGo to Top of Page

TiMacLover
Senior Member


USA
1282 Posts
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 :  14:48:34
No matter I still have my faithful 68kmla comrades!

Jeremy

Covert Ops
68k Hacks General
Macs Liberated:28Go to Top of Page

cory5412
68KMLA Comrade-in-Arms


USA
4679 Posts
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 :  18:21:28
Woohoo! we're the grumpy old geezers of evangalistic computing!

truly though, I should probably think that the PC users just need to be educated a bit, but they can't go all evangalist on us, because we're the hard-core lifelong macfans, even during the mid '90s, we were using and loving macs (some of us, not knowing that they were nearly 10 years old at the time, and even not knowing that apple had newer stuff...)

I think that something like this would make a good article (or something) for the MLAgazine maybe, I bet it'd make good reading, that's for sure.

Official 68k videographer
Official MLA TourGuide
Editor of the MLAgazine
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maclover5
LC Doctor/Hot Rodder


Australia
5830 Posts
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 :  18:52:23
quote:

Wasn't that about the same time they got rid of the 6-colored apple?

The Lightning Stalker

Performa 631CD, 7.5.5
LC III Mail Server
Q610
Q650

6400/180 40/1.6G/512k L2/enet/video-in/TV
7600/120 '604/233, 80/1.2G & 4G, 9.2.2 (Main Mac)

Lady Smith Apples:
Apple IIc 5.25"
2 Apple IIe


Yep!

"**** em" - Jobs in regards to customers
Warrior maclover5
68kMLA

Official 68kMLA Detective
Number of 68ks Liberated: 7
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raWr
Junior Member


Tuvalu
491 Posts
Posted - 16 Nov 2003 :  08:57:27
quote:

Does anyone think that the great thinkers that used macs have been over shadowed by dimwit PC converters who have no open minds? I find myself on SpyMac and all these jerks who are PC switchers and stuff. What happen to the pure blood mac users who had all the same good stuff in common?

What do you think?

Jeremy

Covert Ops
68k Hacks General
Macs Liberated:28


Sorry but the "All great minds think alike and use Macs" agenda you're referring to is bullshit.

_r
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MacTO
New Member


Canada
60 Posts
Posted - 16 Nov 2003 :  11:32:00
quote:

Sorry but the "All great minds think alike and use Macs" agenda you're referring to is bullshit.

Agreed, because a lot of great minds use Linux too. Don't know of any who use Windows though.

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Trash80toG-4
NIGHT STALKER


USA
2899 Posts
Posted - 16 Nov 2003 :  12:02:17
quote:

quote:

Sorry but the "All great minds think alike and use Macs" agenda you're referring to is bullshit.

Agreed, because a lot of great minds use Linux too. Don't know of any who use Windows though.



IMHO, the greatest minds use computers as tools to do great things, usually without caring very much which OS runs whatever software they need to accomplish them . . . but a lot of us like to play with toys and old macs just happen to be a lot more fun!

Remember the words of the muse: ALL computers suck!

jt .
Trash Hauler: call sign: eight-ball
C.O. AC-130H SpecOps 68kMLAAFGo to Top of Page

The Lightning Stalker
Full Member


USA
747 Posts
Posted - 16 Nov 2003 :  17:22:35
[body][rant]Really, though the same thing happened to PC users too. Back in the day, it was just really cool people who knew DOS. Before that, UNIX. Now Windows has PCs going mainstream and everybody and thier brother are using them. If Mac goes mainstream, the same thing will happen. It's what happens when anything goes mainstream. Like cars used to be worked on by really smart people when they first came out and now everybody knows that a lot of mechanics are jerks and assholes. I know somebody is going to say "not all mechanics are assholes" so go back and read that last sentence. Notice I didn't say they ALL are, just a lot of them. I do know a few that are nice.
[/rant][/body]Go to Top of Page
MacTO
New Member


Canada
60 Posts
Posted - 16 Nov 2003 :  20:57:42
quote:

It's what happens when anything goes mainstream. Like cars used to be worked on by really smart people when they first came out and now

I don't agree with the jerks bit (some seem to be incompetent and not too bright, to be sure), but I will agree with computers being the automobile of the 21st century -- and the people who maintain them being auto mechanics.


Edited by - MacTO on 16 Nov 2003 20:58:51Go to Top of Page

Alien
Junior Member


Netherlands
269 Posts
Posted - 17 Nov 2003 :  05:45:44
quote:
quote:
Sorry but the "All great minds think alike and use Macs" agenda you're referring to is bullshit.

Agreed, because a lot of great minds use Linux too. Don't know of any who use Windows though.

A truly great mind would stay far, far away from crap like Linux.

,xtG
.tsooJ

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MacTO
New Member


Canada
60 Posts
Posted - 17 Nov 2003 :  08:47:14
quote:

A truly great mind would stay far, far away from crap like Linux.

Well then, I guess that great minds would stay far, far away from crap like Mac OS X. It's beauty is only GUI deep. Underneath is the wicked core of *BSD Unix. And it is partially open source at that. [gasp]

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Alien
Junior Member


Netherlands
269 Posts
Posted - 17 Nov 2003 :  10:07:29
quote:
quote:
A truly great mind would stay far, far away from crap like Linux.

Well then, I guess that great minds would stay far, far away from crap like Mac OS X. It's beauty is only GUI deep. Underneath is the wicked core of *BSD Unix. And it is partially open source at that. [gasp]

Right. BSD. Not Linux.

,xtG
.tsooJ

--
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cory5412
68KMLA Comrade-in-Arms


USA
4679 Posts
Posted - 17 Nov 2003 :  11:07:08
So what's the problem with linux?

Great minds, will use the computer to get things done, regaurdless of what the computer is, greater minds, don't need a computer. (IMHO)

Even though Windows (and MacOS!) are becoming mainstream, there's still a small tightly knit community of us who actually know what we're doing, who have actually ridden through the ages, suffering the insults coming from those who call themselves part of the mac community today...

(Yeah... that went nowhere huh?)

Official 68k videographer
Official MLA TourGuide
Editor of the MLAgazine
"I'm just a normal computer geek who somehow landed a social life"Go to Top of Page

Alien
Junior Member


Netherlands
269 Posts
Posted - 17 Nov 2003 :  14:56:43
quote:
So what's the problem with linux?

Linux is becoming the next Windows. Fast.

Contrary to popular belief, Linux is not the solution to everything. Linux is not the pinnacle of OS technology. Linux is not the only alternative to closed source software. And open source software is not always the better solution.

,xtG
.tsooJ

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The Lightning Stalker
Full Member


USA
747 Posts
Posted - 17 Nov 2003 :  16:41:18
quote:
I don't agree with the jerks bit

I've got some mechanics to introduce you to.Go to Top of Page
MacTO
New Member


Canada
60 Posts
Posted - 17 Nov 2003 :  23:40:46
quote:

Linux is becoming the next Windows. Fast.

I don't understand what your point is here. The Linux kernel is just that, a kernel. As for distros: you get what you pay for. I avoid the hyped-up-like-Windows distros, and have never run into problems.

quote:

Contrary to popular belief, Linux is not the solution to everything. Linux is not the pinnacle of OS technology. Linux is not the only alternative to closed source software. And open source software is not always the better solution.

Agreed, as I have never believed that one solution can solve all problems. I will differ on the open source bit, as I believe that it combats planned obsolesence. (If Apple made the source to Mac OS 9 available, I'm willing to bet that somebody would get it running on the latest models.) I also believe that open source prevents developers from locking users into particular products or platforms. Would I try to ram open source down somebody elses throat? No. For the most part, I doubt that they care about the long term implications. In time they will even figure out how to deal with those implications (may that be by going with the flow, choosing open source, or sticking with what they started with). Does open source have its problems? You bet it does. Some developers/publishers simply aren't comfortable with it, so that may limit quality. There are also some very extreme definitions of open source (think FSF).

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Unknown_K
Full Member


USA
602 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  00:10:40
quote:

quote:

Linux is becoming the next Windows. Fast.

I don't understand what your point is here. The Linux kernel is just that, a kernel. As for distros: you get what you pay for. I avoid the hyped-up-like-Windows distros, and have never run into problems.

quote:

Contrary to popular belief, Linux is not the solution to everything. Linux is not the pinnacle of OS technology. Linux is not the only alternative to closed source software. And open source software is not always the better solution.

Agreed, as I have never believed that one solution can solve all problems. I will differ on the open source bit, as I believe that it combats planned obsolesence. (If Apple made the source to Mac OS 9 available, I'm willing to bet that somebody would get it running on the latest models.) I also believe that open source prevents developers from locking users into particular products or platforms. Would I try to ram open source down somebody elses throat? No. For the most part, I doubt that they care about the long term implications. In time they will even figure out how to deal with those implications (may that be by going with the flow, choosing open source, or sticking with what they started with). Does open source have its problems? You bet it does. Some developers/publishers simply aren't comfortable with it, so that may limit quality. There are also some very extreme definitions of open source (think FSF).



Why would developers not want to lock you into their products? Open source and free software make sense to young people who dont want to pay for anything. Any buisiness that makes money with their code WILL guard it with their life.

A few software companies like the free OS idea because they dont have a lock in the OS market and it would kick their competitor MS in the ass if they lost the stranglehold on the OS buisiness. Do an linux distributors actually make any money? Most live off old IPO money and donations. Do you want the OS you depend on to be managed by companies on the verge of bankruptcy when you need a bug fixed? It takes quite a few people and alot of money to keep an OS bug free and to add new features. Both apple and MS have alot of people maintaining their code.

We live in a capitalistic society where everything done by buisiness is to enrich themselves while serving some market or niche. If they can find something you need they will do everything in their power to keep making you come back for more to them.

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The Balance Of Judgement
Senior Member


Ivory Coast
1006 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  00:54:43
Open Source Softare is like how the .com bubble was. It's hyped up but the bubble bursts soon enough.

Typicaly there alot of neat OSS projects, but very few are ones that make any specific change in business simply because of the nature of OSS. Only when a company stands behind an OSS project and decides to either fund it or market it does an OSS project really shine.

Simple fact: In this day and age, nothing is free. So if you want commercial grade software with full support, you are going to end up purchasing something retail. If you're just looking for hobby software, then OSS is perfect for you. (And the adage nothing is free doesn't always mean free as in relation to you..because somewhere down the line someone paid something)

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MacTO
New Member


Canada
60 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  02:14:19
I would argue that somebody doesn't know what open source software is.

OSS and free software are based upon the principle of freedom. If you looked at the license agreements from Apple or Microsoft, you would discover that freedom is only one thing you lack. The other thing you lack is a commitment to quality software. All license agreements, may it be for OSS or commercial software, attempt to limit liability. But OSS licenses do something pretty amazing: they may say 'we are not responsible,' but they also say 'we give you the right to fix.' Of course, you are also free to enhance software in the process.

The record of companies like Apple and Microsoft demonstrates that they are not concerned with fixing bugs: they may patch the latest and greatest software, but they gladly abandon users of older versions. (It wasn't always like this, but it is today!)

Like it or not, OSS works. If it didn't work, we wouldn't have the Internet or it would be very expensive. Everything from the web, to mail, to domain name resolution depends upon open source software. It also has strong support in the scientific community (probably because OSS shares many of the values of the academic community). This is not hobby software. This is professional software. This is software which we should all be thankful for.

Like it or not, not everything has a dollar value attached to it. And I'm optimistic enough to hope it never does -- because once it has, we would have lost all of our humanity.

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Alien
Junior Member


Netherlands
269 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  05:02:11
quote:
quote:
Linux is becoming the next Windows. Fast.
I don't understand what your point is here. The Linux kernel is just that, a kernel. As for distros: you get what you pay for. I avoid the hyped-up-like-Windows distros, and have never run into problems.

I'm not talking about any distro's. I'm talking about the growing "if it runs on Linux, it doesn't have to run on anything else"-attitude that is taking over the Linux community fast. The little, but annoying deviances from long-standing UNIX standards that break a lot of software, for no apparent reason at all. The "We're the biggest in this market, we make our own rules" mindset.

quote:
quote:
Contrary to popular belief, Linux is not the solution to everything. Linux is not the pinnacle of OS technology. Linux is not the only alternative to closed source software. And open source software is not always the better solution.

Agreed, as I have never believed that one solution can solve all problems. I will differ on the open source bit, as I believe that it combats planned obsolesence. (If Apple made the source to Mac OS 9 available, I'm willing to bet that somebody would get it running on the latest models.)


which wouls eat away at Apple's market share, therefore their bottom line, and therefore their budget to innovate.

quote:
I also believe that open source prevents developers from locking users into particular products or platforms.

If the investment is big enough, that's as good a lock as any. The biggest problem is that you can't really hold someone responsible when things break.

Sure, and IBM mainframe may cost an arm and a leg, but they guarantee 99.999999% uptime. And if a machine breaks down in Antarctica at 4:15AM on Sunday morning, IBM will send someone over to fix it. Immediately.

You get what you pay for.

quote:
Like it or not, OSS works. If it didn't work, we wouldn't have the Internet or it would be very expensive. Everything from the web, to mail, to domain name resolution depends upon open source software.

Not necessarily. The internet is much, much older than the open source movement.

quote:
It also has strong support in the scientific community (probably because OSS shares many of the values of the academic community). This is not hobby software. This is professional software. This is software which we should all be thankful for.

Some of it may be professional-grade software, but too much of it isn't. Where's the responsibility? Where's the support? Where's the documentation?

quote:
Like it or not, not everything has a dollar value attached to it. And I'm optimistic enough to hope it never does -- because once it has, we would have lost all of our humanity.

Like it or not, in our world, it has. And we're running out of possibilities to step out of this world fast.

A lot of open source software maybe freely downloadable, but bandwidth costs money, and the time you take to set it up, too. As does the power needed to run it. The adage "Linux is only free if your time is worthless" is true, always has been.

Lastly, programmers have to eat, too. Sure, in an ideal world, nobody would work to stay alive, but we do not live in such a world. Coders who can make big money with their skills sure aren't going to get part-time jobs at McDonalds to put oodles of time and effort into giving you free software. Not for long, anyway.

,xtG
.tsooJ

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MacTO
New Member


Canada
60 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  13:35:22
quote:

The "We're the biggest in this market, we make our own rules" mindset.

Every Unix vendor has that mindset. Apple is no exception.

quote:

which would eat away at Apple's market share, therefore their bottom line, and therefore their budget to innovate.

Innovation doesn't matter when the customer is satisfied with what they have. Software developers must learn that they serve their own interests by serving the needs of their customers. Linux does that very well in some segments. Apple does that very well in other segments. Microsoft must do that very well in yet other segments. If this wasn't the case, then none of them would be as successful as they are.

quote:

The biggest problem is that you can't really hold someone responsible when things break.

Read any license agreement. SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS AND SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS ARE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN MISTAKES OR TO FULFILL THEIR CLAIMS. This is equally true for free software and commercial software. At least free software balances this lack of responsibility with the right to inspect and modify code. Commercial vendors (for the most part) will not do this. If you don't understand this, then you haven't read a single OSS license and a single commercial software license.

quote:

IBM mainframe may cost an arm and a leg, but they guarantee 99.999999% uptime.

Knock off a few nines, and you may be correct. I dealt with IBM technical support in the early 1990's and they were great. Soon afterwards, they terminated that level of support for consumer and small business products. The simple fact of the matter is that very few companies provide that level of support for small clients, and they will even terminate that support for their best clients in the long run.

quote:

You get what you pay for.

And you will get top knotch Linux support if you hire a qualified Unix administrator.

quote:

Not necessarily. The internet is much, much older than the open source movement.

Don't play with words. The OSS movement is less than a decade old, however the FSF has existed for almost two decades. Open source principles have existed long before that, mostly in the academic community (where most of the vital technology for the Internet was developed). Finally, I was speaking of the Internet as it stands today.

quote:

Some of it may be professional-grade software, but too much of it isn't. Where's the responsibility? Where's the support? Where's the documentation?

Sure, there is a whole slew of substandard, undocumented, uncompleted, open source software. There is also a whole slew of substandard, undocumented, and bug ridden commercial software. Often, these days, documentation and support is a value added option. The same can be said for open source. So where's the difference? As for responsiblility: READ ANY COMMERCIAL LICENSE AGREEMENT.

quote:

A lot of open source software maybe freely downloadable, but bandwidth costs money

And commercial developers are not selling their software online? And commercial developers are not providing patches online? And open source software isn't sold off the shelf?

quote:

As does the power needed to run it.

Ah, I get it. Electricity is free for commercial products!

quote:

The adage "Linux is only free if your time is worthless" is true, always has been.

By this point, your surely understand that my time is worthless.

quote:

Lastly, programmers have to eat, too. Sure, in an ideal world, nobody would work to stay alive, but we do not live in such a world.

I wouldn't want to live in a world without work. Whether you should work fulltime to fulfill a corporations gluttonous appitite for your hard earned money is another question. I would be happy living with System 7.1 (for example), but nobody supports it these days. That means I cannot go out an buy software for it. Am I supposed to go out and buy a new computer and a new OS every three years to satisfy some corporate entity. Heck no! I can use and support open source instead.

BTW - the open source mentality extends well beyond computers. Look around you. Enjoy. Contribute. And if you still believe that gluttony should rule the world, send me $1.25 for entertaining you with this message. Or better yet, send it to Amnesty International.

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Trash80toG-4
NIGHT STALKER


USA
2899 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  13:54:25
quote:

. . . Am I supposed to go out and buy a new computer and a new OS every three years to satisfy some corporate entity. Heck no! I can use and support open source instead.


Actually, that'd be more like a desktop AND a laptop every 2.5 years and 2 licenses for O.S. upgrades (at $100 per copy) to keep them current at least once a year! Throw in more RAM, a bigger HDD halfway thru the expected lifetime of each machine and a whole new set of O.S. compatability upgrades for all your applications every other computer change and that might just about cover it!

jt .
Trash Hauler: call sign: eight-ball
C.O. AC-130H SpecOps 68kMLAAF

p.s. to make things clear, despite my comments, I think I'm still gonna side with Alien on the UNIX/Mac/whatever supported O.S. vs. Linux/open source thing though. Great discussion, guys, maybe we should break this out into a new subject so interested comrades can find it.


Edited by - Trash80toG-4 on 18 Nov 2003 14:05:10Go to Top of Page

Unknown_K
Full Member


USA
602 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  14:43:00
On the PC side you dont have to upgrade your OS every year. The liscence for win2k doesnt expire every year and all the new software will run on it fine. You also dont have to upgrade the whole thing every 2-3 years unless your a bleeding edge gamer. Just because a company is offering something new every year for its OS doesnt mean you should have to buy it or need it to do what you do.

Just because a ford explorer has 3 cosmetic changes every model year doesnt mean you have to toss your old one out and buy a new one.

If you get caught up in all the hype and dump what works just to have the new version they you are an idiot and deserve to be suckered by everybody.


Use your heads people. I can use my old PM8500 to browse the web, do email, write letters, do spreadsheets, run quicken, etc which is what 90% of people with computers do anyway. Its mostly keeping up with the joneses that makes people do the 2 year upgrade cycle, not the need of a faster machine because quicken is taking .05 seconds to ballance the checkbook instead of .001 seconds on the new machine. You might have to upgrade your HD and memory every few years because your too lazy to clean the drive up or the new bloatware app needs more memory. The days of waiting for your computer to do simple tasks went out with the pentium era.


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Trash80toG-4
NIGHT STALKER


USA
2899 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  15:43:21
quote:

On the PC side you dont have to upgrade your OS every year. The liscence for win2k doesnt expire every year and all the new software will run on it fine. You also dont have to upgrade the whole thing every 2-3 years unless your a bleeding edge gamer. Just because a company is offering something new every year for its OS doesnt mean you should have to buy it or need it to do what you do.


AFAIK, bleeding edge gamers need to do it something like every nine months when each new video accelerator chipset ships. It's the graphics folks on both platforms that need to be closer to the 2.5 year plan! Besides, I'm just making facetious comments about what the companies think would be appropriate consumption levels!

Personally, I like the 90/90 philosophy. I think 90% of computer users could do 90% of everything they really NEED to do on a 386/68030 era box using an early version of ClarisWorks or even Works for DOS 3.x.

Of course it's just too bad that 90% of those folks suffer from Madison Avenue instilled delusions that they're PowerUsers in need of the latest and greatest!

jt .
Trash Hauler: call sign: eight-ball
C.O. AC-130H SpecOps 68kMLAAF


Edited by - Trash80toG-4 on 18 Nov 2003 15:48:21Go to Top of Page

MacTO
New Member


Canada
60 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  16:17:54
quote:

The liscence for win2k doesnt expire every year and all the new software will run on it fine.

What of Windows 98? My understanding is that Microsoft dropped support for it within the past year. And the situation on the PC side is nothing like the fallout from Mac OS X. You can expect annual updates at present, as developers adopt Apple's continually updated API. (I bought Mac OS X 10.1 weeks before 10.2 was released. Within a few months, software was becoming more and more scarce.)

quote:

Just because a company is offering something new every year for its OS doesnt mean you should have to buy it or need it to do what you do.

You shouldn't, but our discussion was getting out of hand: you seemed to be representing one extreme (blind consumption), while I was representing the other extreme (redemption through open source). Still, companies like Apple and Microsoft would love to have their users upgrade every year. I even know a few people who got caught by the Microsoft Office XP naming scheme (thinking that they had to buy Windows XP too).

quote:

Just because a ford explorer has 3 cosmetic changes every model year doesnt mean you have to toss your old one out and buy a new one.

What if Ford refused to sell replacement parts after five years? What if Ford made it impossible for other companies to make replacement parts? The analogy goes both ways. (To carry it further: open source allows you to create those replacement parts, if you have the skills.)

quote:

I can use my old PM8500 to browse the web, do email, write letters, do spreadsheets, run quicken, etc.

My folks recently replaced their PC with my old G3 because the PC was too slow for web browsing, even though it would be a great deal faster than your 8500. I would love to go online with my PowerBook 170 (the 15 W wonder machine), but it simply isn't going to happen. To keep costs down, I share a DSL line with my roommates and the PB170 cannot do PPPoE.

And speaking of PPPoE: I would be hard pressed to use Mac OS 9 with this company. The PPPoE software for Mac OS 9 is rather buggy, and an upgrade to Mac OS X is the easiest solution. There is always something.

quote:

The days of waiting for your computer to do simple tasks went out with the pentium era.

Waiting for your computer lasted well into the Pentium era. To this day, web browsers are notoriously slow. Processor speed is a big part of that problem (tables to be formatted, images to be decompressed, and so on). Application and OS boot times are mediocre too. (Mac OS X 10.3 is approaching reasonable. Linux is reasonable if you strip X11.)

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Unknown_K
Full Member


USA
602 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  16:52:02
I should have noted my 8500 has a ton of ram, ALL IDE drives and a g3-400 with 1mb cache so its alot faster then the 7500 with the old 604-120 processor my 8500 came with.

My old p2's browse the web just fine too.

Open source pretty much just supports the newest kernals and software thats out now. You would have more luck finding a bugfix for windows 3.1 then an old version of redhat 5 somebody is using. I would have about as much chance of having a programmer fix some obscure bug in an old linux as I would having somebody whip me up a fender for a 5 year old car from scratch. There are lots of places that will stock fenders for a car because of paying customers, but who is actively supporting old obsolete opensource code for the people who actually need it? It sucks when companies like redhat are ditching support for all their old OS's and just supporting the enterprise software they create (basically paid for server software).

Do we really care about slow boot times? I mean in an office setting you boot it up once a day and they load the programs you will be using then go bullshit with your next door cube friend for the rest of the day anyway. Its more important to have a computer that will shut down quickly at the end of the day when your on your time.

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cory5412
68KMLA Comrade-in-Arms


USA
4679 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  18:27:04
So it would appear that all operating systems, all marketing tactics and all computer using communities in general "suck"

Windows is broken to begin with.

Apple tried to fix mac OS, and then ended up breaking it, and nwo we have a great OS what constantly needs to be updated, with jerks in the community.

Linux constantly needs updating, and it's more sparsely documented.

Nobody wants to be stuck on a proprietary unix platform any more, even Solaris and IRIX are going the way of the dinosaur, with linux available, and being sold preinstalled on sun and sgi boxes.

Just because your older computer can browse the web, doesn't mean it's suited to a graphic artist, the home user concerned about the bad things on the internet, and the business suit-person....

I could certainly use my old iMac, nay, the 7300, nada, even a Quadra or an LC for everything I use my TiBook for, but it'd be slower, it'd certainly be older (10 years is a long time, and that's just the age of the quadra... imagine a PowerBook 170 or an LC...)

I bet that in a few years, things'll have slowed down again and you'll be complaining about that...

Just recently, everything is hitting version X, or has X in the name (If your OS has a year in the name, it's obsolete...)

In the '90s, the computer market was MUCH slower... for example, OS 7.5 to 7.6 was probably a year, and it was probably almost 2 years between 7.6 and 8.0...

And that wasn't like, any needed upgrade until 4 years after OS8's intro, when 8.5/8.6 rolled out...

That's right folks, IIRC, it took apple almost 3 years to update OS 8 to OS 8.5 (8.1 doesn't count)

The funny thing is, when the market does slow down in a year or two, or whenever, or ifever...

Y'all will be complaining your rears off (those who are complaining now at least) because now apple expects you to live with the same old install for 3 years...)

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MacTO
New Member


Canada
60 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  19:34:04
quote:

Y'all will be complaining your rears off (those who are complaining now at least) because now apple expects you to live with the same old install for 3 years...)

I promise you, I won't complain about being stuck with the same OS for three years. I'll probably complain about living with the same bugs for three years, but that's different y'understand.

OS upgrades tend to introduce (IMHO) more bloat and more bugs. Mac OS X 10.3 is the first upgrade in years which has impressed me, and I don't even use that very often. I have a nice Debian install, and am rather impressed by the lack of a release date for sarge -- while woody has been out for almost a year now.

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cory5412
68KMLA Comrade-in-Arms


USA
4679 Posts
Posted - 18 Nov 2003 :  20:31:07
MacTO, Are you one of the ones who'se complaining now?

if not, then that didn't apply to you.

Yes, I realize that once you find your groove in an OS, that you like it to keep working...

that's why I don't use Office 98 on OSX, and why I don't use Office v.X on OS8...

In addition to having certain computers that run different OS' in different ways, sometimes, certain OS' run good with different programs...

would you want to use keynote on 10.1?

do you think that 10.1 would work very well for burning dvds in iMovie 3?

iTunes 3/4 don't work in 10.1 because it doesn't have rendezvous....

the list goes on....

the difference between 10.1 and 10.2, is almost like the difference between NT3, and NT4... *(And that's a HUGE-glayven difference...)

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maclover5
LC Doctor/Hot Rodder


Australia
5830 Posts
Posted - 19 Nov 2003 :  05:12:50
quote:
That's right folks, IIRC, it took apple almost 3 years to update OS 8 to OS 8.5 (8.1 doesn't count)

Nope. One year, to be exact. OS 8 came out in mid - late 1997. 8.5 came out in late 1998.

"**** em" - Jobs in regards to customers
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The Balance Of Judgement
Senior Member


Ivory Coast
1006 Posts
Posted - 19 Nov 2003 :  07:28:23
With all discussions like this one thing has to be kept in mind: All of the economics that drive our way of life depend on each other whether we like it or not. So, even though we hate Microsoft for being such an inconsiderate slob, it does create jobs, jobs that pay for people to live. Without this constant influx of money life stands still in this day and age.

The only real glitch in this system is that many companies hoard they money and don't circulate it. Only when money trades hands faster than you can say "Show me the money!" does the world get nicer in the corrupted model we live in.

People today try to fight the politics in place but the sad thing is that even with free software foundations that fight so called monopolies, they don't have anything to replace the actual political system/economics we use. They only look at the issue from one standpoint.

It's nice to get free software, but at some point having an OSS license lets other people take your gun and shoot you in the foot.

As per the software and upgrade cycles, the world is moving too fast and the quality suffers. To be honest, will it kill a person if it takes 10 minutes instead of 2 to read your e-mail? Not really.

It's a matter of perception that makes people think they need faster. Companies and society in general are pushing the pace of life faster and faster forcing people to adopt a quicker pace of life untill they go so fast it's a blur and they lose controll.

Software and technology today is at a point where no real advancement is going to be truly significant. Because of greed, no-one takes time to fine tune an engine like people used to. People used to fine tune thier cars so that they run better than ever. Nowadays in this example, companies all over think of fuel as cheap and plenty so it doesn't matter if it's not fine tuned.. as long as it works.

True technological balance is when design, logic, creativity and function merge as one. It's when software is optimized over and over again even if it only makes a small fraction of a speed difference. Today the speed of software is only in relation to the hardware it runs on. But a true test of character and design is to see how a software ranks in any hardware..not just so called "System Requirements". I fail to see the logic behind comparing two computers running one OS at various speeds, like XP on a 1GHz Celeron and a P3 1Ghz. That doesn't tell you anything. However, if you turned the tables and gave the software a serious disadvantage like putting Xp on a Pentium 233MMX and see what happens..then you have amark of character for the actual design of the OS. See, there is little intelligence in most of the mainstream software. Sure, the hardware designs are good, but what good is a fast computer if the software decides to run in circles because it can't see head or tail? Something must be said for intelligence. The lack of intelligence and planning is masked by the sheer capacity and speed of today's machines. In my previous example....say for instance putting Linux on an old 233MMX and another copy on a Celeron 233. (If one ever existed, I'm comparing two generations of chips...the old Pentium 1 and the Pentium 2 of which Celeron was the economic brand)

If the scores were only marginally behind each other then it wasn't really the hardware that is to be praised, it's the software for being able to adapt so well to it's enviroment and to exibit intelligent behavoir to strengthen it's position on an older platform.

This is what we are missing... this balance between two sides. Having a powerfull V8 engine is great, but it sucks when you use sub grade fuel. So, we need to improve our software before we start building faster machines.

Anyways...this post is long and I probably lost my track i was on.. but maybe it will add fule to this conversation.

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MacTO
New Member


Canada
60 Posts
Posted - 19 Nov 2003 :  08:25:06
BoJ: with respect to fine tuning software, I agree with what you have to say. Well, there is one caveat: I think it has more to do with a lack of pride. I say this because a lot of OSS suffers from the same problem, and greed is less of a consideration in that case.

As for Microsoft providing jobs: while it is true, somebody would have to take their place if Microsoft disappeared tomorrow. Hopefully it would be many companies, so that there would be more competition, and more jobs. Hopefully they have a higher standard of ethics too. Like it or not, Microsoft is one of the hoards you speak of. IIRC, they have hoarded $50 billion US. (But I shouldn't complain about that too much, because I am a small scale hoarder too.) But I'm not too concerned about Microsoft either: I understand that some people love them, and who am I to ram my ideas down their throat. I simply wish that other people would stop ramming their ideas down mine.

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Alien
Junior Member


Netherlands
269 Posts
Posted - 19 Nov 2003 :  11:14:37
quote:
quote:
The "We're the biggest in this market, we make our own rules" mindset.

Every Unix vendor has that mindset. Apple is no exception.

For the last time, I'm talking about the community, not the vendor.

quote:
quote:
which would eat away at Apple's market share, therefore their bottom line, and therefore their budget to innovate.
Innovation doesn't matter when the customer is satisfied with what they have. Software developers must learn that they serve their own interests by serving the needs of their customers. Linux does that very well in some segments. Apple does that very well in other segments. Microsoft must do that very well in yet other segments. If this wasn't the case, then none of them would be as successful as they are.

Right. And Apple would be just as successful today if they hadn't been innovative.

quote:
quote:
The biggest problem is that you can't really hold someone responsible when things break.
Read any license agreement. SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS AND SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS ARE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN MISTAKES OR TO FULFILL THEIR CLAIMS. This is equally true for free software and commercial software. At least free software balances this lack of responsibility with the right to inspect and modify code. Commercial vendors (for the most part) will not do this. If you don't understand this, then you haven't read a single OSS license and a single commercial software license.

It depends on how important a customer you are. I have filed bugs with Apple, and gotten response from them, and seen them fixed. They have an obligation to do so, and they stick to it. Mostly. With a free bit of software, a reply from the author is nice, and you'd be thankful if a fix were issued. But you'd have no-one to bitch to (or about) if the developer decided to drop support and go work on something else.

quote:
quote:
IBM mainframe may cost an arm and a leg, but they guarantee 99.999999% uptime.
Knock off a few nines, and you may be correct.

I think it's 99.99, but I'm not sure. It depends on what you're willing to spend on support.

quote:
I dealt with IBM technical support in the early 1990's and they were great. Soon afterwards, they terminated that level of support for consumer and small business products.

There aren't all that many consumers that run mainframe computers at home. Not many small businesses that need that kind of horsepower, either.

quote:
The simple fact of the matter is that very few companies provide that level of support for small clients, and they will even terminate that support for their best clients in the long run.

If they stop paying, yes. Any idea what it costs to provide such a level of support? I'll give you a hint, check out the prices of on-site support at www.sgi.com.

quote:
quote:
You get what you pay for.
And you will get top knotch Linux support if you hire a qualified Unix administrator.

KA-CHING!!

quote:
quote:
Not necessarily. The internet is much, much older than the open source movement.
Don't play with words.

Oh, now that's rich! I'm playing with words? Hey, you're the one that claimed the internet couldn't exist without open source software. Care to provide some evidence for that?

quote:
The OSS movement is less than a decade old, however the FSF has existed for almost two decades.

And the internet is about to 40 years old.

quote:
Open source principles have existed long before that, mostly in the academic community (where most of the vital technology for the Internet was developed). Finally, I was speaking of the Internet as it stands today.

So, provide some evidence for your theory.

quote:
quote:
Some of it may be professional-grade software, but too much of it isn't. Where's the responsibility? Where's the support? Where's the documentation?
Sure, there is a whole slew of substandard, undocumented, uncompleted, open source software.

No, you see, you're not reading my words right. There's a whole slew of great, professional-grade software that fails solely because it is badly documented and supported. Everyone wants to get in on the coding. That's the fun bit. No-one wants to get stuck documenting or doing support. At least, not without reward. Enter RedHat, Suse, Mandrake...

quote:
quote:
A lot of open source software maybe freely downloadable, but bandwidth costs money
And commercial developers are not selling their software online? And commercial developers are not providing patches online? And open source software isn't sold off the shelf?

What's your point? It still isn't all that free, is it? It still costs money to obtain it.

quote:
quote:
As does the power needed to run it.
Ah, I get it. Electricity is free for commercial products!

Yeah, whatever. You're just being dumb here.

quote:
quote:
The adage "Linux is only free if your time is worthless" is true, always has been.
By this point, your surely understand that my time is worthless.

If you say so.

quote:
quote:
Lastly, programmers have to eat, too. Sure, in an ideal world, nobody would work to stay alive, but we do not live in such a world.

I wouldn't want to live in a world without work.

Really? Wow. I'd love to. I'd get to devote all my time to my hobbies and my friends. Don't you have hobbies and friends?

quote:
Whether you should work fulltime to fulfill a corporations gluttonous appitite for your hard earned money is another question.

It's a trade-off. I give up some of my time, offer some of my skills, and they pay me quite nicely. That paycheck enables me to do things I like.

quote:
I would be happy living with System 7.1 (for example), but nobody supports it these days.

If enough people used it and were willing to pay for support, someone would provide that support.

quote:
That means I cannot go out an buy software for it.

Yes, you can. You just have to look harder.

quote:
Am I supposed to go out and buy a new computer and a new OS every three years to satisfy some corporate entity. Heck no! I can use and support open source instead.

Right.

quote:
BTW - the open source mentality extends well beyond computers. Look around you. Enjoy. Contribute. And if you still believe that gluttony should rule the world, send me $1.25 for entertaining you with this message. Or better yet, send it to Amnesty International.

Sorry to break it to ya, but I don't find you all that entertaining. For starters, you made a whole bunch of assumptions about me based on the single fact that I don't like Linux.

How is it that people get this whacky idea that anyone who dislikes Linux is a Windows-using open-source hating dumbass? I have nothing against free software. I have nothing against open source software. I just don't like Linux from a technological standpoint, and I don't like the Linux community for it's zealotry. Thanks for once again confirming that sentiment, you jumped on my statement like the rabid little Linux-drone that you apparently are.

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Unknown_K
Full Member


USA
602 Posts
Posted - 19 Nov 2003 :  12:20:07
If MS was completely destroyed there would be another monopoly in 5-10 years to replace it. Thats just how capitalism works.

Somebody comes up with something usefull and make a ton of money
a dozen other companies copy it by making it better and or cheaper
there is a price war and generally companies start losing money and get aquired. Then you have one big winner and maybe an also ran or 2 out of a pack of dozens or more. Happens in any niche like cars, oil companies, railroads, computers, tv's, video games, software, etc.

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MacTO
New Member


Canada
60 Posts
Posted - 19 Nov 2003 :  15:30:52
quote:

I just don't like Linux from a technological standpoint

Feel free to bring up technical flaws, as we seem to be rehasing the same points over and over again when it comes to market forces.

quote:

I don't like the Linux community for it's zealotry. Thanks for once again confirming that sentiment, you jumped on my statement like the rabid little Linux-drone that you apparently are.

It takes two to tango.

No, I'm not a Linux drone. I am meerly overly sympathetic with the underdog. Quite frankly, I couldn't care less whether that underdog is Linux, Macintosh, NetBSD, or one of many of the alternatives which I have used and enjoyed. I can see the competition's inherent advantages in many cases, while a nasty mental block prevents me from doing the same for the market leader.

Also, I am overly cynical about license agreements. As somebody once pointed out: there is no spirit of the law, only the letter of the law. So I tend to take license agreements literally, and most licenses are bad (they make the presumption that their rights forefit the rights of consumers, and that they are not accountable for their own mistakes).

You seem to take the perspective that software developers are responsible for fixing their mistakes, because the failure to do so would lead them to fail in the marketplace. Unfortunately, businesses operate by weighing the costs of fixing the problem, with the costs of ignoring it. If the return is too small (eg. customers will not go to the competition because they are locked in), or the cost is to high (eg. acknowledging a string of problems will lead to a public relations disaster), a company will not serve the interests of the consumer.

If you need an example of this, look at Apple. How many updates for Mac OS 10.0 were introduced after 10.1? How many patches were available for 10.1 after 10.2 was introduced? Likewise for the transition from 10.2 to 10.3? There were few, because maintaining the previous version was at the expense of the new version. IOW, fewer people would upgrade.

There are, of course, counter examples. IBM was great when it came down to patching old versions of OS/2. Not only did IBM address bugs, but they updated the API of older versions so that new drivers and new applications were likely to work. Now look at where OS/2 is today.

Is it because customers were unwilling to pay for this level of service? Probably. Unfortunately, this means that service oriented products often fail in an economy which demands economies of scale. Unfortunately, this means that there are few commercial alternatives. Which is where OSS comes in.

BTW: I still think that you are confusing free for free of cost. Few people in the OSS community would support that notion. Free, in free software, refers to freedom. This is because we understand that there are costs. They simply are not the traditional ones which lead to wealth or exploitation.

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cory5412
68KMLA Comrade-in-Arms


USA
4679 Posts
Posted - 19 Nov 2003 :  19:30:39
quote:

quote:
That's right folks, IIRC, it took apple almost 3 years to update OS 8 to OS 8.5 (8.1 doesn't count)

Nope. One year, to be exact. OS 8 came out in mid - late 1997. 8.5 came out in late 1998.

"**** em" - Jobs in regards to customers
Warrior maclover5
68kMLA

Official 68kMLA Detective
Number of 68ks Liberated: 7
Number of Contraband (PPC) Liberated from the Dumpster: 1


Despite having proven me wrong, that is EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!!

Thanks ML5!!

Hey all! Apple's been doing this FOREVER!!!

Stop complaining about OSX, the only difference is now, instead of moving .4, we're moving by .1, and getting SHEISSLOADS more features for our money (which also seems to be a bit more nowadays anyway...)

we've been getting "major" OS updates spaced nearly exactly one year appart for a long time now, (it'd appear) and you're just now beginning to complain about it?

Also, alot of the time, i hear that 7.5 and 7.6 are majorly different, that 7.5 and 7.1 are so hugely different... what is the difference between 7.1 and 7.6? Nay... System 7.0 and 7.6.1... other than .61 of a full version...

It would seem to me, that just now, Apple is finally giving us more than cosmetic and control panel updates per each new version of the system, and we're paying a bit more, and we need to update the programs, and we need to update the OS to use newer programs... but it's worth it, because it all works better if you do stuff like that anyway...

I guess apple's sentiment is, that if you don't want to pay for the new OS, then you won't want the newer programs as well.

(the difference between 7.1 and 7.6, from what i can see, is a bunch of bulk that doesn't exactly help quickness of the 68ks, and a few control panels that have been redone in 7.5/7.6...)

Just because it takes MS alot longer to make a meaningful update, doesn't mean that MS is better at spacing their updates...

it just means that it takes 10x more programmers, 3x longer to coordinate on a simple thing like updating an OS...

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Unknown_K
Full Member


USA
602 Posts
Posted - 19 Nov 2003 :  19:31:16
OS/2 failed because of lack of support from IBM. Sometimes they would spend alot on advertising and others not a cent. They had no clear vision of where the product would fit in. Early versions required alot of memory and that would cost too much for the average desktop, later versions just didnt have developer support because IBM wasnt interested in it anymore. Warp 3 initially sold many millions of copies even though it cost a few bucks.. IBM let it die. Even most IBM pc's didnt have OS/2 installed at the factory.

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Unknown_K
Full Member


USA
602 Posts
Posted - 19 Nov 2003 :  19:42:22
quote:

quote:

quote:
That's right folks, IIRC, it took apple almost 3 years to update OS 8 to OS 8.5 (8.1 doesn't count)

Nope. One year, to be exact. OS 8 came out in mid - late 1997. 8.5 came out in late 1998.

"**** em" - Jobs in regards to customers
Warrior maclover5
68kMLA

Official 68kMLA Detective
Number of 68ks Liberated: 7
Number of Contraband (PPC) Liberated from the Dumpster: 1


Despite having proven me wrong, that is EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!!

Thanks ML5!!

Hey all! Apple's been doing this FOREVER!!!

Stop complaining about OSX, the only difference is now, instead of moving .4, we're moving by .1, and getting SHEISSLOADS more features for our money (which also seems to be a bit more nowadays anyway...)

we've been getting "major" OS updates spaced nearly exactly one year appart for a long time now, (it'd appear) and you're just now beginning to complain about it?

Also, alot of the time, i hear that 7.5 and 7.6 are majorly different, that 7.5 and 7.1 are so hugely different... what is the difference between 7.1 and 7.6? Nay... System 7.0 and 7.6.1... other than .61 of a full version...

It would seem to me, that just now, Apple is finally giving us more than cosmetic and control panel updates per each new version of the system, and we're paying a bit more, and we need to update the programs, and we need to update the OS to use newer programs... but it's worth it, because it all works better if you do stuff like that anyway...

I guess apple's sentiment is, that if you don't want to pay for the new OS, then you won't want the newer programs as well.

(the difference between 7.1 and 7.6, from what i can see, is a bunch of bulk that doesn't exactly help quickness of the 68ks, and a few control panels that have been redone in 7.5/7.6...)

Just because it takes MS alot longer to make a meaningful update, doesn't mean that MS is better at spacing their updates...

it just means that it takes 10x more programmers, 3x longer to coordinate on a simple thing like updating an OS...

Official 68k videographer
Official MLA TourGuide
Editor of the MLAgazine
"I'm just a normal computer geek who somehow landed a social life"


MS is a big company, do you know what percentage of their programmers work on just the OS, and since there are at least 3 versions supported (98se/ME, win2k, xp) how the work is devided up between them? They do develope for apple (office apps),pc office apps,various 32bit OS divisions, The new 64bit OS versions, xbox division, the old visial programming suite, the new .net stuff, internet explorer, media players, r&d, etc. They also have a huge team of people working with developer to answer problems and teach courses.

Apple only supports 1 OS period, and only the current version of that. Plus the i* apps and a few others. And they still have alot of
programmers. So dont tell me MS has 10x the programmers working on 1 particular OS compared to apple because its probably incorrect.


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