Tech Blog

[#1]

Do you ever get the feeling like the folks behind the major OSes (Windows, OS X, and Ubuntu) seem to just want to stay in lock step with each other? Sure you expect it from Microsoft and Apple, but the Linux crowd? Regardless, it's T minus 1 day until Ubuntu 9.10 (aka Karmic Koala) goes final (you can download the beta now) and I have the release candidate of our next furry friend to turn into a virtual machine (or maybe even a new boot partition). But, huh what's a geek to do? So many OSes, so little time?

It doesn't seem that long ago that picking an OS was like buying a house. It was a long-term commitment to something that wasn't easy to switch from if you changed your mind. In the pre-Intel Mac days, running Windows on a Mac was possible but not terribly practical. Ubuntu or other Linux build? Well I watched a Linux geek I knew install Linux a couple of times and after he futzed with the video driver settings for about the fifth time, I thought "yeah I'll just stick to my Mac..."

Today things are completely different. Between my MacBook Pro and Eee PC 901, I can choose to run OS X, Windows (XP or 7 in practicality), or Ubuntu whenever I wish. Makes you wonder how you choose which OS to work with on a regular basis. Beyond all the other considerations, if you had your druthers, what would you use?

Sure, I'd use OS X now, but I do need to have WIndows around (I have an XP virtual machine on my machine and a Vista laptop around to testing) and I like having Ubuntu kicking about because, well ... just because.

How about you?

[#2]

And I just installed Hardy Heron on one box...what's a geek to do?

In my case it depends on the hardware I have available, and the applications I need to run. Media center is my Ubuntu box. Gaming a windows box, and Multi-media is a Mac Mini. My laptop swings 3 ways (Vista, Win7 and Ubuntu...though I did have a OSX virtual machine on it for a while). Laptop needs to be the most versitile.

It's to the point that the OS really doesn't make a difference any more, they're all easy to use, just what can you do with them is the issue.

[#3]

Exactly Brad, the OS doesn't make a difference any more. When my netbook was running Ubuntu's netbook remix (which is very nice I might add), I didn't matter that I was using a Mac primarily, or that my fiancée was using my old PC laptop. We could do and share files and such pretty easily.

As much as I think it would be coolio to have an Ubuntu partition on my machine, I don't need to do it and I can't think of a great reason why I'd really have to use Ubuntu.

Besides just for fun, that is. 

[#4]

I installed ubuntu 9.10 a few days ago (didn't really realize it was still beta at the time), and am loving it for the most part.

I think it's getting a spot on my laptop, next to vista, if I am able to resize that partition reasonably easily...

[#5]

Eric_, if Vista's resizing function won't free up enough space for you, check out EASUS Partition tool -- free for home users - it worked well for my Vista laptop.

[#6]

@Eric_ yep, Brad is bang on. In fact that's exactly why I keep an Ubuntu boot USB around. To be able to boot a machine that is having issues.