Why use Mac?

[adikgede]

I think bragging rights are the wrong reason to buy a computer but the VPI/SU TerraScale Cluster built from 1100 (2200 CPUs) mostly stock G5 dualies is the third fastest super computer in the world as measured by www.top500.com . VPI/SU chose the G5 because the overall price was substantially less than offers they were considering from other vendors at the time. Close behind in 4th is the NCSA Tungston planned to run 1450 Dell Poweredge 1750 servers with RedHat Linux. Both NCSA and VPI are expecting around 18Teraflops when their clusters are fully mature.

[kamui]

coss said:

adikgede said:

...they do run hot ...

 

This is probably a good reason to get a Mac G5 for the tropics (and Germany) there're something like nine separate fans in these new ones. And a range of separate cooling "zones".

 

Just the thing for Bangkok I would have thought.

 

Cheers

 

Coss

 

Another reason to buy a Mac G5 could be the design. The G5 looks great, outside AND inside. It is no surprise that you find in design orientated places like art galleries almost only Macs.

 

Anyway, since I learned to work with Windows I won't switch to Mac.

[Guest]

When I read this I almost fell off my chair laughing. Windows users not being given access to the guts of the OS? With all due respect, you don't know what you are talking about.

[gobbledonk]

When I read this I almost fell off my chair laughing. Windows users not being given access to the guts of the OS? With all due respect, you don't know what you are talking about.

 

Perhaps I just dont have the URL for the Windows XP source code. Please feel free to post it.

 

In the meantime, those who wish to peruse the code which forms the foundation for OS X, please feel free :

 

Darwin

FreeBSD

 

We can either allow this to degenerate into a religious war, or you we can agree to disagree. I cant deny that anyone with the patience to master whatever API Microsoft deems fit to release (and. more importantly, replace 12 months later) will probably enjoy a long and well-paid career, and I wish you all the best with that.

 

[Guest]

You made the statement that people can control the OS from the command line or can write code to do so.

 

I do not generally believe that access to the source code for an OS/API really enhances the ability to write code that targets that API, assuming good documentation is available. (Note: This is not a comment about the value of open source vs MS in general; I see value in open source, just for other things.)

 

Also, Win32 (and now Win64) are all part of the same lineage that can be traced back to Win16. So I don't understand your comments about Microsoft replacing anything. People actually find *fault* with just how faithful and constrained Win32 and now Win64 are by compatibility concerns. That doesn't mean that the API sets are perfectly compatible, far from it. But *replacing*? What do you mean by this?

 

You are right, this could easily degenerate into a religious war, but there's room for multiple religions in this world, no? In any case your final comment about careers is sorta condecending and inappropriate. Are you trying to compare your career and financial situation with mine?

[Guest]

PS: If Apple had called me back a little earlier during the fall of my senior year in college, I might today be a Mac guy .

[gobbledonk]

Alright, KH - I apologise re comments regarding your career/financial situation. To each their own, and I admit that my opinions are heavily flavoured by my Unix-centric view of the world. The reason that religious wars are heavily discouraged on NP is that, ultimately, they are completely unwinnable. That's what Slashdot is for

[adikgede]

When I read this I almost fell off my chair laughing. Windows users not being given access to the guts of the OS? With all due respect, you don't know what you are talking about.

 

 

I think you two just have a different idea about what "getting at the guts means". After all its not a technical term. Better to flesh out your ideas by getting to what you mean than to start trading jabs.

[gobbledonk]

Better to flesh out your ideas by getting to what you mean than to start trading jabs

 

OK, Adik - I admit that I have hijacked a thread from a well-meaning member who merely sought to buy a computer which he could actually use. My response was to go off on a complete tangent. Apologies to all who were offended by my anti-MS stance : for things like gaming, it remains the best platform we have, and nothing else can match it for the availability of consumer-oriented applications.

 

We now return you to your regular, er, programming.

[gobbledonk]

Hi Adik,

 

I think bragging rights are the wrong reason to buy a computer

 

I agree, for several reasons:

 

1. Having the 'fastest' CPU is, at best, a month-long honour. AMD and Intel have traded places so many times over the last few years, and most of us simply cant afford the bleeding edge stuff.

 

2. A great desktop machine is about more than CPU grunt, but that is virtually the sole focus of every vendors advertising.

 

3. Benchmarks start more arguments than they solve. One side will always claim that the tests were weighted in favour of the other, and propose a different combination of motherboard, video card or whatever.

 

I find benchmarks particularly galling in the case of the new 64-bit machines from AMD and Apple : until we have stable versions of their respective 64-bit OS *and* a decent number of apps, how are we supposed to get genuine results ? Unless you really need top-end grunt, I cant see the sense on shelling out $US2500+ for a box from anyone.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.