I Don’t Switch. I Assimilate.
When I read stuff like this Slashdot article that talks about people switching from Mac OS to Ubuntu Linux, I am mildly amused. Maybe it’s because while I’ve certainly “switched” operating systems over the years, the fact of the matter is, no single OS meets 100% of my needs. I have a Mac Mini (Power PC variety), a Windows laptop, and a Linux laptop all sitting side by site sharing a common keyboard and mouse with Synergy. I use all three OSes simultaneously. Part of it is the increased screen real estate and inherent stability that comes from operating more than one computer at once. Part of it is because I have needs in all three OSes.
I use Windows for various tasks at my day job that cannot currently be done in any other OS. I do most of my web page reading in Linux for stability reasons, and IM/Skype/VoIP/web-based media (like videos) on the Mac. Could I do all of these on one OS? Sure I could, but the experience would be suboptimal or simply not possible.
I suppose most people don’t have tons of computers sitting around at their house like I do. I will admit to being unusual in how I compute and do many other things. Perhaps a new MacBook will change how I compute as well since I will be able to do “all of the above” on one device. It might reduce three computers to two–I still need my work laptop, after all.
Or maybe not. Having three computers up and running and accessible on the same desk reduces the likelihood that I will be “down.” if one computer crashes, I don’t generally lose the other two. The load that runs on each system is lower than if I were to run everything on one system. I also clear separation of functions. I also have three times the amount of software to choose from.
For people who say Apple’s hardware quality has gone downhill, pretty much everyone’s hardware has gone downhill to some degree or another if you ask me.
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