PC or Mac?

I'm curious because I just got a new computer.

PC, but only because I'm an engineer.

So, which one did you get?

PC, definitely. Isn't that in the engineer's license agreement?

LOL!

And I thought that was just a mandatory NCEES exam question.

I'm like a mullet (you know, business up front, party in the back). PC at work, Mac at home.

wilheldp_PE said:

I'm like a mullet (you know, business up front, party in the back). PC at work, Mac at home.

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You're a wild man wilheldp. My youngest brother who is going to college next year was wondering what he should do. I think he's going with a mac and partitioning the hard drive to run windows on one partition and the Mac OS on the other.

PC at work, MAC at home. Hubby picked out and paid for the computer though, so I didn't have much say. BUT I freaking LOVE this MAC!!

PC at work and at home.

PC at work... PCs at home... the only time I put up with a Mac was when forced to (college labs/etc)... but I guess I did grow up using an Apple 2e... gotta love the green and black screen.... and the external floppy drives

PC at work and at home. Sure, Mac hardware is fine, but the prices are still asinine for what you get. The netbook craze is also taking a HUGE chunk out of the Mac laptop market.

I guess this is semi-related to the topic. Has anyone here tired (or even heard of) Ubuntu?

http://www.ubuntu.com/

It's a linux based operating system that is growing in popularity and it's FREE! Dell even sells computers with Unbuntu pre-loaded http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopi...;l=en&s=dhs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu

I have very very limited experience with Linux but I have used Knoppix as a kind of recovery CD before and was impressed with it. I have an older computer which currently runs Windows 2000 and I've been debating testing Ubuntu out on it. Anyone have any experiences they'd like to share?

Here is an article comparing Ubuntu to Windows Vista, the author of the article pretty much calls it a draw. I'd say a big positive to Ubuntu would be the price.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/softwa...cleID=199201179

PC (piece of **** Dell) at work, iMac at home. Totally in the Mac camp at this point.

PC, definitely. Isn't that in the engineer's license agreement?

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Perhaps if you need to run AutoCAD or some other PC specific program, but I know a number of engineers who have Macs at home and a few that run them at work as well. My wife's entire lab is on Macs. Which makes sense as they are known for better graphics and she does imaging work.

Sure, Mac hardware is fine, but the prices are still asinine for what you get.

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They're expensive compared to the stripped down, bare bones $499 PC. But when I was researching computers before I got mine, I found its pretty comparable to what you would pay to get a PC that's halfway decent.

An as aside, I think this should be a choice on your profile, like what calculator you used. Hmm...

I'm PC at work and at home. I have noted this before but I build my own PCs and I can build a very high performance PC for $700, then upgrade components over time rather than throwing it away and starting over. My brother did show me a video on Mac's website detailing their unibody aluminum chassis, very impressive.

we are also a PC, build your own computer family. Our case is really awesome looking. It is see through on one side and has blue LED lights built into the fan cases (5 of them I think) so we get light shows too.

PC's all around from work to home desktop to laptop. AutoCAD needs to be on all of them so there wasn't a debate.

I have 3 pc's a mac and a linux machine (server)...

Roadwreck, the great thing about linux is you'll never have to worry about the system breaking because window's is being stupid...

I believe that they don't even sell virus protectors for linux machines commonly because they're almost impossible to hack. The main negative is it doesn't always have the pretty windows interface. And it's not always easy to set things up with. But if you don't mind putting your nose to the grindstone it is a great idea. I've been looking into another linux box (this time at home, not a server) to use as a backup storage center and media device...

I have a cpu running xp that has been acting up and it's JUST ASKING to be overwritten with a linux distro.

I have had some distribution of linux on a home computer for maybe 7 years, I usually install linux on a second hard drive partition or on a separate hard drive and "dual-boot" with windows. I started out with Debian, which is the basis for many distributions that have emerged over the years, Ubuntu, Mepis, Knoppix, to name a few. As was pointed out, you can run "live" versions like Knoppix directly from CD without altering the hard drive to give it a test drive. And, best of all, it's a much more stable operating system than Windows and it's FREE!

If I didn't need windows for AutoCAD, I'd have ditched it years ago. There is something wrong with:

Hardware: $200

Operating system: $400 (cheaper if you only rent it, i.e., no CD copy)

Office applications: $400 (cheaper if you get a stripped down version)

The $800 cut for Micro$oft if you purchase full versions is just wrong.

Roadwreck, you might want to try Kubuntu, it's Ubuntu with the KDE user interface which looks and works much like Windows.

Supe said:

The netbook craze is also taking a HUGE chunk out of the Mac laptop market.

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I bought my wife an ASUS "Eee PC" for about $375 a couple of months ago. That thing is awesome! I put an old copy of Office 2000 on it, and I've been borrowing it to run Powerpoints for a class I am teaching. I am convinced that it will do everything I need a computer for, except of course for AutoCAD, but I don't use AutoCAD in my job....

So I just ordered my own, so I can stop irritating my wife by borrowing hers.

geofs said:

I have had some distribution of linux on a home computer for maybe 7 years, I usually install linux on a second hard drive partition or on a separate hard drive and "dual-boot" with windows. I started out with Debian, which is the basis for many distributions that have emerged over the years, Ubuntu, Mepis, Knoppix, to name a few. As was pointed out, you can run "live" versions like Knoppix directly from CD without altering the hard drive to give it a test drive. And, best of all, it's a much more stable operating system than Windows and it's FREE!If I didn't need windows for AutoCAD, I'd have ditched it years ago. There is something wrong with:

Hardware: $200

Operating system: $400 (cheaper if you only rent it, i.e., no CD copy)

Office applications: $400 (cheaper if you get a stripped down version)

The $800 cut for Micro$oft if you purchase full versions is just wrong.

Roadwreck, you might want to try Kubuntu, it's Ubuntu with the KDE user interface which looks and works much like Windows.

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I might suggest one could use openoffice instead of the microsoft office suite. I use it on my laptop in partial resistance to not giving more money to the company that made vista. Sure, it doesn't run as well but for most things its fine.

One can also use turboCAD or similar program for drafting, you don't have to have autoCAD since the cheapy programs can interpret .dwg native files. I wouldn't bother with a cheapo 3D parametric modeler however.

PS. The Asus Eee is really neat, I was very close to buying one and would have if the store didn't have a special on HPs that made them cost about the same.