Comments on: Thank Apple for the Linux 'desktop'

Apple's rise is teaching a generation to look beyond Windows, which bodes well for Linux.

[Ben2talk]

Nice article - I agree, linux needs a fair bit of improvement, but I can tell you that having used ubuntu from 7.04, through 7.10, 8.04, 8.10 and now 9.04 - the improvement is incredible. Flash problems are pretty rare now, and I'm sorry to hear about that (I'm a little surprised, I didn't have any problems after the first few bugs were fixed in 8.10).

Sure, Apple really took the BSD Kernel and persuaded people to pay a lot of money for some nice software built on top of it, amazing how that worked. Hopefully in the future, we'll all have computers that are as good as Apple - but offered without charge. Everyone should be entitled to use their hardware without being forced to pay for the basic operating system!

First on the way out is the Office suite. Way to go Open Office!

[odubtaig]

Yeah, but you have to know the secret Canonic handshake. It's all very well once you know to go through Synaptic but if no-one tells you then there is exactly nothing that gives any direction. There's just the attempt to install through FireFox which usually fails.

[dragonbite]

I have had full success with the FireFox Flash installation process on all of my installations (laptop & desktop)

[odubtaig]

YMMV

[naijadev]

Am currently running Ubuntu Jaunty and installing Adobe flash player was a breeze. When I hear people say how difficult it is to install Adobe flash on Ubuntu, I wonder if its this the same OS am using!

[RodrigoPolo]

Flash it's easy to install on Ubuntu, just search, select and install on:

System->Administration->Synaptic Package Manager

The deal with Linux (Ubuntu) it's to Think different, but really different, why download software in the web when you can do it from a package manager, like iPhone does with the iTunes store BUT FREE!!! Actually, I guess Apple copy the idea from Linux :p

Another great difference it?s that you have the source of the software, so you can change the source code and make your own tools, a software that work for your needs.

If you like Ubuntu now, Install ?CompizConfig Settings Manager? and enable the Visual FX to have a 3D Cube or Cylinder for desktop!!!

Check out this links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28LFMmcSZLg
http://www.howtoforge.com/enabling-compiz-fusion-on-an-ubuntu-9.04-desktop-nvidia-geforce-fx-5200

[odubtaig]

You mean:

System->Administration->Synaptic Package Manager

CTRL+F Find flash

Install flash-nonfree

[kast5089]

Free is great. I like free. But I also don't mind paying for good applications. Have you ever tried using some of those "free" applications? They might not cost anything, but some are just crap. Compare Dia to Visio, SmartDraw, or OmniGraffle. I ran Linux exclusively for a year before giving up. The quality of applications is just terrible. The UI design in particular is often far inferior to commercial variants.

[kcotham]

Things have changed a lot, just in the past year or two. As for the UI, it leaves a bit to be desired in most cases, but there are so many different window managers and GUIs out there, it's ridiculous. Some are better than others and some combinations are better than others. Keep looking, and I'm sure you'll find something that works for you.

[aMUSICsite]

Thank Apple for the Linux 'desktop'

Should have been a look at how all the 'innovation' Apple has brought is just the best bits from Linux.

I think you posted this in the wrong place too, it's not news, at best it's a blog, at worst it's dribble.

[SunnyGuy53]

>> Should have been a look at how all the 'innovation' Apple has brought is just the best bits from Linux. ...

Sure, like ... Uh, Cocoa, Objective C, Bonjour, DTrace, ZFS, MultiTouch, uh, the list keeps going.

And the Linux precursors were, ..., uh, never mind.

Sunny Guy

[Vegaman_Dan]

Um... it *is* a blog. It's only in the 'news' section because it has 'Apple' in it during the big day for the keynote.

But otherwise, Matt is a blogger, not a reporter. There's a huge difference.

[zyxxy]

ZFS came from Apple? Methinks you are confused. That came from the unholy ones at Sun. Objective-C? Sorry, but that is an ancient piece of software from Next. DTrace? Oops! Those evil minions at Sun again. Multitouch? That has been around since the early 80s. Not invented at Apple. Bonjour, though it is a nice implementation, is still just that, and implementation of an old idea, zeroconf networking. So, out of your whole list, only one is uniquely Apple, two of them came directly from a non-Apple aligned company, one came through the purchase of Next, and one is an Apple embellishment of an idea that is as old as the hills.

Sorry SunnyGuy53, but you should fact check before you post.

[kast5089]

@zyxxy: I was going to point out the same thing. However, Apple does often bridge the gap between technical standards and the consumer. It's a trick that few major companies have been able to do. Regardless, aMUSICsite is also wrong. Apple didn't take much -- if anything at all -- from Linux.

[qwerty-berty]

You have the relationship between Linux and Mac OS X wrong.

Linux was designed as a free compatible implementation of Unix, whereas Mac OS X was designed as a 100% Unix platform.

So Linux, Mac OS X and all Unix variants are in the same family whereas Windows is out there all on its own.

[therobot]

I have a dual boot Windows XP/ Ubuntu 9.04 on my Gateway laptop. For the life of me I cannot find a solution to getting my wireless connection to work on my linux partition because of the issues with broadcom.

[cvaldes1831]

Congratulations! You and Matt have experienced two parts of the holy Linux desktop FAIL trinity: excessive system administration (Matt), poor device driver support (you), and lousy end-user documentation (anyone who has been told to read the source code -- which is fine for programmers, but unacceptable for consumers).

I ran Linux for four years (was a Linux sysadmin and before that, a UNIX sysadmin) and I wasted FAR TOO MUCH TIME diddling with Linux. I wish I could have that time back.

If time is money. I am willing to pay Apple $129 every eighteen months for their newest OS.

[cvaldes1831]

Ahahaha!!! Snow Leopard is only $29 for Leopard users!

And installation time is much faster! Thanks Apple!

[tm_anon]

Have you tried doing a wired update on your Linux partition? I thought I was going to have trouble so I went out, bought a really long ethernet cable, plugged it in, ran an update and there was the driver. I had better connection with Linux than with Windows after that wired update. So good in fact that I removed Windows and now run purely Linux.

@cvaldes1831

Matts problem was most likely in trying to do things the Apple way. I've used Linux for the past 5 months, took me a day to learn enough about the Linux way to install Flash through Synaptic. therobots problem is in trying to do things the MS way (installing drivers through a CD).

As for your problem? You don't quite get that Linux doesn't have to be "diddled" with anymore. As I said, I've been using it for 5 months, makes Windows look like crap and it's vastly less expensive than switching to Apple and gives me a sense of accomplishment that I can run this "difficult" OS when apparently you (an ex sysadmin for the same OS) thought it was such a waste of time.

Maybe you should stop complaining about how it used to be and try what's out there now. Just don't try and use your old skills and say it's still the same old thing. If I'd tried doing things the Windows way, I'd have left a long time ago. Turns out the Linux way is much simpler.

[cvaldes1831]

@tm_anon:

Linux is a fine operating system for servers and embedded devices. It works great as the operating system for TiVo, my wifi router (running the Tomato firmware), and countless servers all around the globe.

Again, I will refer to any mainstream Linux forum/bboard and point you to the scores of people having major sysadmin problems and hair-pulling device driver problems (therobot, above, is just one example amongst tens of thousands).

Also, if you ask any honest Linux pundit today, they *will* clench their teeth when you bring up the topic of high-quality end user documentation for ordinary desktop users. As I mentioned before, having the man pages and source code is wonderful for programmers, but even today, Linux documentation for the end user is an extremely sore spot.

Like I said, this is the trinity of Linux FAIL. Linux must eliminate ALL THREE ISSUES before it can step up as a mainstream desktop contender, not just one of them.

Thank you very much.

[cvaldes1831]

Oh, and I am very aware that I sound like a Linux (desktop) heretic. The people Linux pundits fear the most are experienced former Linux users who list these critical shortcomings.

I have no vested interest in seeing one operating system win or lose. I made good money being a UNIX sysadmin then a Linux sysadmin. I've used every version of Windows since Windows95, every version of MacOS since System 6 (except for System 8).

I'm sorry you don't like my opinion, but OS X is simpler than Linux. For me, the lack of sysadmin time, ease of installation, compatibility with my hardware (Mac notebooks, Canon HD camcorders, my iPod), and the fine end-user documentation make OS X the easiest computer ownership experience I have ever had in my life, and I started with the Apple II+.

Like I said before, I am not totally against Linux (it's great for servers and embedded devices). It just sucks as a desktop.

[cvaldes1831]

@tm_anon:

Just more thing...

I *will* reconsider Linux on the desktop when there is *widespread* evidence that my 70-year-old parents would be capable of administering their own Linux computer. Until then, forget it. I have better things to do with my time.

[pentest]

Broadcom is about the only tough spot for wireless drivers and is entirely broadcoms fault.

However, ndiswrapper usually tames these cards.

The vast majority of the wireless cards work out of the box.

cvaldes,

Sorry to break your fantasy, but Linux supports considerably more hardware than Vista and XP combined.

Windows takes excessive administration. In 20 minutes I can have a flawless and complete Linux installation. 5 hours later and several reboots Windows still isn't fully installed with all the apps and third party security tools that are needed. Babysitting all those security tools, third party updaters and keeping Windows clean on one box is a full time job for 3 people.

The documentation is a million times better than Windows. And end-users having to look at source code is a lie.

[pentest]

My 65 year old parents can do everything in Linux that they did on the windows machine they despised, and easier also.

Linux is 3 clicks to install and dead easy to use. Your arguments were valid 10 years ago, so either you haven't used it in a long time or are just another terrible MS shill.

It may be possible that you are a sys admin, most of those I have met are completely retarded and should have been hired as janitors.

[gopnick]

aMUSICsite, please. You fanboys are ridiculous.

[aMUSICsite]

That's funny as I'm a mac user and usually called a mac fanboy! But fast user switching, spaces and a whole host of other bit came to Linux first. Apple did do a good job of making *nix easier to use and as the author said showed windows users there were alternatives.

One day, sooner rather than later I think Linux will be on par with OS X & Windows and free. Then it will start gaining good ground on both of them.

Apple are still mainly a hardware company and when Linux takes over I would probabbly still want to run it on Apple hardware.

[linkux]

Coincidentally a friend of mine spent the weekend installing and configuring Ubuntu 9.04 on an HP laptop that had a Vista full of viruses. He has always been a non-technical Windows user, but just recently switched to a Mac. You know what he told me? "I think it's easier for me to figure out this Ubuntu stuff because I've been learning a Mac and an iPhone for three months now." His experiences over the weekend completely reflect the observations in this article.

I'm sorry to hear that you still don't have Flash working. I had it first try; I enabled the "jaunty partner" repository and then ran <code>sudo update-apt-xapian-index</code> and then installed the flash package from Synaptic (the one that has the Ubuntu icon next to it).

[Renegade Knight]

Since Mac's based on Unix and Linux is also...It's no suprise. Having used Windows, OS X and Linux I was struck by the similarities between OS X and Linux.

[monkeyfun14]

"I enabled the "jaunty partner" repository and then ran <code>sudo update-apt-xapian-index</code> and then installed the flash package from Synaptic (the one that has the Ubuntu icon next to it)."

I love how you think that doing these things are so obvious.
Some people personally would like to.
Goto application site > download application > click on application and have it install |
no apt install bs.

[odubtaig]

Oh Christ. Monkeyfun's actually making sense. Time for my pills!

[bananaphonerules]

"Learning a Mac and an iPhone for 3 months now"...I thought they were simple?
To get a virus on vista you'd have to ignore alot of (annoying) prompts. You can't help everyone.

[TheTechKid]

Just like spanish has certain syntax differences as compared to english, Linux has a different procedure for installing commonly used applications as compared to windows or apple. Likewise, it takes a little bit of time to get used to and appreciate the differences between them. If you spend some time (at least a month) with Linux you will come to see that it comes naturally, the same is true when moving from a windows platform to a mac platform.

It makes sense that Linux deals with precompiled applications differently than Windows and the Mac OS because it would be impossible to list each the Linux distribution precompiled application on each website. It is notable that recently more popular distributions such as OpenSuse have statred to provide 1-click install buttons for application groups or driver installs on websites though and it is proof that the Linux community is continuing to adapt.

[JebusWankel]

@monkeyfun14 It's funny you say that, because Flash is one of the few pieces of software where the traditional windows way of doing it will work for Ubuntu.

The easiest way, IIRC, is to go to Applications > Add/Remove Software. Change the drop down menu from officially supported software to all available, start typing flash in the search box, and select the Restricted Extras package.

A good rule of thumb for Ubuntu is to be wary of the age of the howto's you find from google. Ubuntu gets easier with every release. The howto you linked to was 3 years old!

[tm_anon]

@monkeyfun14

It sounds complicated until you see how to do it through the GUI. It's just easier to type up directions for the terminal than to say click System>Administration>Software Sources, put in your password, enable all repositories, Click System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager, search for Flash, install.

Neither is difficult, one can be copied and pasted directly into the terminal.

By the way, you can also go directly to the site and install that way as well, using Synaptic just means it's there without you having to go through the whole process you usually do with Windows. Different process, one just lets me install everything in one go without a browser restart.

[pentest]

"Some people personally would like to.
Goto application site > download application > click on application and have it install |
no apt install bs."

Of course you don't realize the genius of getting your software in one place.

It makes it easier to find and install it and updates are easier as well.

The Windows way:

1. Search the internet for the download
2. Download it
3. Manually install it
4. The app runs its own updater, one of dozens running sapping resources.

Do you really think that is a good way to go about it?

[linkux]

One of the best guides to getting proprietary programs going in Ubuntu:

http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-ubuntu-9.04

[ewsachse]

I stopped using Apple products when I graduated high school in 1987, and I never looked back. I have lived an Apple free existence ever since, and I have never been happier.
However, I do "real" work on computers. I actually develop software and major systems. I do not write for a knuckle dragging blog that drools over every product that Apple releases.
Unix is a great development environment, but the development tools are still sorely inferior. Windows is also a great development environment, and Microsoft makes the best development tools, hands down.
If I tied my software engineering career to Apple products, then I would have been a starving developer who would have to resort to writing cheerleading articles about Apple on a blog.

[xggrand]

"Real" work... hmm... SNAP! You got me with that one! Ouch, that really hurts.

[Perry_Clease]

"@ xggrand June 8, 2009 7:47 AM PDT
"Real" work... hmm... SNAP! You got me with that one! Ouch, that really hurts."

I see that comment often from trolls, but when you call them out to define "real work" they never respond. So ewsachse can you define "real work?"

[kast5089]

Oh geez. I am a software developer and I use a Mac because I prefer the UNIX-based development environment and I am a fan of simplicity and minimalism. I don't stick to UNIX dev tools as many are outdated, but you can't easily replicate the experience of bash and the UNIX API in Windows. You can mess with Cygwin if you want. As for the "best" development tools, this is largely a matter of preference. If you do a lot of works on Windows, then Visual Studio is acceptable (and necessary). It's no secret that Macs are consumer machines first, but I am also a consumer, so it's nice to have a machine that can do both with ease.

[newnewsreader]

1987.
Its a pity you didn't follow software innovation from 1987 onwards. Just when things started to get interesting with the innovative software platform NeXT (1988). Maybe you - as a software developer - heard of OO? Or the use of GNU open source even before Linus started his famous Linux?
NeXT lives on in Mac OS X and made Apple interesting again. It's development continues in a rapid pace with the iPhone.

Your missing out on the software 'fun', but its a free world.

J.

[kelmon]

It's nice that you seem to think that you are the only person that does "real" work. I guess the rest of us are just pretending or something...

[Perry_Clease]

"It's nice that you seem to think that you are the only person that does "real" work. I guess the rest of us are just pretending or something..."

Notice that he has yet to respond.

[qwerty-berty]

The only environment that works best on windows is c sharp, but that's because it's a microsoft technology. If you work with java, c++ et al then unix like platforms such as mac os x and linux work best hands down.

[brocksilva]

Are u joking?

[Seaspray0]

It seems to me that since OSX was built off a linux kernel, the title should read the other way around.

[kcotham]

Seaspray0,

You are completely and utterly incorrect. Mac OS X was based on Darwin which was based on NeXTSTEP which is based on BSD. It's more complex than that, but that's the Reader's Digest version of the family tree.

[pentest]

Seaspray,

Why are the shills the least informed?

Linux and OS X are in the same family, but OS X is not built off any Linux kernels.

[kcotham]

They, Mac OS and Linux, are both *NIX derivatives, that's as close to being related as they come. They are both POSIX compliant too, but that's about it.

[TimGray--2008]

It's not linux's problem that Flash is a PITA to install. That fault lies right in the lap of Adobe and their refusal to allow Ubuntu to bundle it in and make it auto update.

Granted, the other media problems are also not the Fault of Ubuntu, With really stupid IP laws crippling anything where the mother company does not pay extortion payments to the other companies to be blessed and have the codec. Ubuntu fails because they dont have billions of dollars and lawyers to strong arm the Extortionists in the tech world like Apple and Microsoft can. It's why Ubuntu cant play an MP3 without downloading a "illegal" media pack and installing it.

So when you have problems with Linux and it not coming with something that you have on your MAC or PC. Blame the lawyers. They are the ones that are keeping Linux behind.

[kcotham]

Interesting observation. I personally came from the Amiga camp and was frustrated with the state of Windows computing back in the 1990s. When Commodore went under I looked for alternatives. Linux was a far cry from what it is today and Windows was a horrible designed-by-committee mess. BeOS and Mac OS were the only viable alternatives for home computing from my perspective. And when Be went away, it left only Mac OS. And as the years progressed, it kept getting better and better. I've used Macintoshes from System 6 (might have been some earlier versions way back) all the way to Mac OS X 10.5.7. I also have used computers using DOS and Windows 3.1-7. So when I make comparisons, I do so from first hand experience with every version of Windows and Mac OS over the past 20-odd years.

Linux has progressed fantastically. If I were to have to buy a non-Apple computer, Linux would be my first choice, Ubuntu for it's ease of use most likely. Every release is a major jump forward in usability. With 9.04, I can now seriously suggest it as an alternative for my parent's HP.

As for Flash Player, installing it on an Ubuntu 9.04 machine is simple and straightforward (if you cross your fingers and say a little prayer first). On other distributions, I feel your pain.

[jjww2009]

The problem is not because or unix or Linux, but GPL. No consumer desktop OS will thrive on GPL, unless you have other significant revenue model

[stevenagel]

Let's face it: Windows is going down; there literally is no up for it. And that's a good thing: there's less security in a monoculture or a monopoly.

It's like the potato famine: Within a couple hundred years Europe's few varieties took sick, while the Andean cultures have raised thousands of varieties for thousands of years.

Diversity is security, so the more OSes the better. Look at the new smartphone OSes: they are all safer because many versions are blooming. And now that it's all happening on the web, it all works.

The more the merrier for us all.

[kelmon]

Disagree. Windows went down but I suspect that Windows 7 will either prevent the decline or turn things around, unless the other companies do something really spectacular soon. Window's primary problem is simply market saturation. Markets like China and India offer newer opportunities and it's mostly going to be MS vs. Linux on that one simply because Apple costs too much.

[pentest]

Nobody who has left Windows will want to go back.

[stevenagel]

You class Linux and MS together as more affordable? I suppose you see them both as open source vendors as well.

No way India and China will accept the expense and the monopoly that is MS when Linux can do the job. As I said, Windows is going down.

Nor need Apple care: It's playing well and successfully in the arena of consumer electronics, another sector where Windows has demonstrated no ability. It never learned to compete, only to crush.

[Monokul]

Matt...I don't agree with you at your article, except Ubuntu is great, and it's easy too. All you need to be able to run flash 10 on Ubuntu is 30sec.

Tutorials:
32bit: http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-install-flash-player-10.html
64bit: http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/install-flash-10-ubuntu-linux-64bit.html

enjoy

everything flash runs great

[monkeyfun14]

http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-install-flash-player-10.html

You call that easy?

Method #1: Install Ubuntu flash 10 Player

Visit this url and grab .deb file. Uninstall old flashplayer 9 ( if installed ):
$ sudo apt-get remove flashplugin-nonfree
Now, install Flash 10 (make sure Firefox is not running):
$ sudo dpkg -i sudo dpkg -i install_flash_player_10_linux.deb
Start firefox and type about:plugins. You should see list of plugins including Flash 10.

What is the issue with Linux distros not understanding that users do not want to search for things or type in commands in a terminal to do basic tasks they want to be able to just double click the application and have it pop up a simple on screen set up.

[tm_anon]

@monkeyfun14

Go to http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/
Click Get Flash Player 10
Download version for Ubuntu, it will say .deb for Ubuntu next to it
double click the file, wait for install
If you have your browser open, close it, open it again and browser to youtube or other site using Flash media


Yeah, his way was easier.

[supoman]

I like the way it looks and there is a lot of good stuff in there. The downside is I'm running it on a Capaq EVO 1.4ghz with a 1gig ram. It is incredibly slow!!! How slow? I ran Windows 7 RC on the same and it was faster. I know I can rebuild the kernel and remove all the junk I don't need but i don't have the patience for that anymore. I've been using Linux since the early 90s and my patience for tinkering has waned a good bit since I downloaded Slackware on 30 floppys. I just want stuff to work. Probably why I've become such a big fan of Macs. I'm selling my Mini and the EVO and buying the Macbook Air $999 after rebate on Macmall. Just my two cents. Maybe when they have a kernel that can self optimize and be smart enough not to load any modules that you are not using and remove everything from the Kernel that you may not use SCSI, PPPOE, yada, yada that will be a huge leap forward and then it'll blow the doors off any other OS(in speed) without all the tinkering.

[dragonbite]

I have Ubuntu running on a Dell D400 at 1.4 GHz with 512 MB of RAM.

I was able to boot, open Synaptic, download and install Kino, hook up camera and start working with my video by the time my Windows XP laptop showed my desktop (and a little bit longer before it was actually usable).

And this is "stock" Ubuntu; no customizing of the kernel or shutting off services or anything.

Considering my Windows laptop is a dual-core at 2 GHz ea. and with 2GB of Ram and is still slower than Ubuntu, I would LOVE to find out how Linux would run on this thing. LiveCD shows it pretty darn good (and good hardware recognition.. wi-fi out of the box!)! Unfortunately it's my work machine and I cannot install anything new like that.

[carlosgfranco]

¿Shouldn't the title be: "Thank Apple for the UNIX 'desktop'"?

As far as I know, Linux and MacOS have different cores since Linux is a "remake" of Minix while MacOS is based on the Free Berkeley Software Distribution (FreeBSD). http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Unix_history-simple.svg

[kcotham]

You obviously missed the point of the article. You weren't the only one by some of the posts here. He meant that Apple's Mac OS opened up the world of alternatives to Windows to him. I've found this to be true too. People that didn't grow up with Windows being the only thing they saw, are more likely to be open to "alternative" operating systems.

[carlosgfranco]

@kcotham: The point of the article is clear, and i was making a "technical annotation" to clear up some history that is not obvious and may lead other readers to confusion.

Now, out of the possible OS alternatives, none has gained a developer base big enough to justify investments on easy-to-use devtools (other than Microsoft). That is why linux/unix/mac are no real options YET. ALL of the OSs are unstable (windows may be one of the most unstable) but at least there is enough 3rd party software out there to make useful things with your computer.

I don't want a computer that doesn't need to reboot in 3 weeks and be able to use only iLife, open office or buggy community apps.... and I've reached this conclusion after spending several months trying out linux/unix distros and OSXs. Blame it on personal research, not on an OS.

[tm_anon]

@carlosgfranco

Been using Ubuntu for 5 months for everything day to day. OOo is more than good enough for everything I've ever needed it for. My browser works just as well with the exception of the Flash player (how Adobe still can't get a fully functioning Flash player for Linux is beyond me). Every tool I need has a good open source equivalent. No need to bog my system down with so many tools needed for system maintenance.

Prior to Ubuntu, I used Windows from 95-XP. Ubuntu just works better.

[kcotham]

Carlos
I haven't had your experience with either Mac OS X or Linux. I've been able to use both for weeks on end, months even without having to reboot. And while I was using them, my applications were neither buggy nor unstable. Put in some serious keyboard time with Linux and Mac OS X, then come back and tell us how you did.

[DeeBAG]

First, just want to say I really enjoy your blog.

Anyway, I think it is hard to draw this comparison between Apple and the GNU/Linux movement. In all honesty, I see Apple as even more proprietary than Microsoft, and if Apple was the dominating force in the industry, I think it would be a much crueler king. I DO agree that competition is important, but I feel that if everyone switched to Mac from a Windows machine overnight, then it would not be a stepping stone toward the GNU/Linux path, but just another iron-fisted ruler of the software industry. Don't get me wrong, I feel that their hardware and software are very good products, but some of their policies make me shudder (e.g. driving up price of accessories which the average know-nothing user may be crazy enough to pay for, app store approval seems to be based on the wind direction of that day, etc).

[aquaadverse]

Apple invented food! Apple invented air! Apple invented sex! Please. I'm betting you didn't even bother to do this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu-restricted-extras

Lose the smug

[streak24]

These "I love my Apple computer" blogs are getting a little stale. Don't Apple users have anything better to do on their Apples beside telling Windows users how much better their systems are? Oh thats right...Apple users don't have fun games to play on their computers when they aren't using it for productivity, so they sit at home all day staring at their over-priced hardware writing blogs about how great their computer is. <yawn>

[trboyden]

Ugh, more FUD from Matt.

Where Apple's OS X is built on BSD, I would say it's Apple's users who should be thanking Open Source developers for enabling them to have such a stable core in their operating system. Without BSD, there would be no OS X and Apple fans would be still relegated to that non-multi-tasking crapware that was OS 9. OS X is just a fancy GUI on top of an Open Source operating system and its associated Open Source libraries that power just about everything in Mac OS X. The only thing we have to thank Apple for is pulling the blinders off of a small percentage of Windows users and showing them life after Windows.

[kast5089]

That's not entirely true. BSD was just a starting point for OS X. Take a look here for a detailed treatment of the issue: http://www.osxbook.com/

[kcotham]

BSD -->NeXTSTEP --> Darwin ---> Mac OS X

[Synthmeister]

Apple is simply using open source solutions whenever they make sense. But they are also putting a great interface on those solutions. But Apple is also creating new solutions like Quicktime, Core Audio, Core Date, Core Animation, Quartz, Grand Central, etc. No doubt, at least some of these technologies build on previous tech, but Apple seems to have a knack for doing old things in new, elegant ways. Remember how you could manipulate fonts on the original Macs? Was that "new technology?" No, but it was revolutionary in a personal computer.

Leopard is a long, long way from BSD, but yes, it owes BSD a great debt.

[qwerty-berty]

But are you saying that's better than the windows approach where everything is created from scratch and the operating system is completely proprietary?

Or maybe you think there is no room for a non free variant of BSD, but plenty of people are willing to pay for the smoother experience. Ok, maybe it's the price you object to, but it's a free country and people vote with their wallets.

[kcotham]

@qwerty
People are voting with their wallets, but they don't see the big picture, the long haul, the total cost of ownership. That's where they actually wind up paying more.

You are welcome to tinker with BSD and Darwin and contribute to both. They are open source. No part of Microsoft's Windows is open source, none of it. And Windows does not come with powerful development tools either, Mac OS X does. You can create applications for both Mac OS X and for iPhone if you like. You can code for Java if that's what you are into.

Microsoft tries to reinvent the wheel, then impose the new "standard" on everyone through their superior numbers until it is the defacto standard.