Discussion on:

gOS Space: OSX-like operating system without the Apple

I hate all these comparisons of various desktops with OSX. There's more to OSX than just eye-candy and effects. With OSX, compared to any Linux distribution, you don't have to deal with package management, driver management, or software installation (most software packages you just drag and drop). Mounting disks is not an issue with OSX, and is a pain with many Linux distributions. The same goes for network shares, domains, etc. Eye candy is just a small part of the total package. Let's take VMware for example, with the OSX version, you run an installation program, and viola, you're done. With the Linux tarball, you must tar xzf, make && make configure && make install, then go ahead and run vmware-config.pl, then go ahead and choose a bunch of settings that may not be obvious to non-techies. And even before the software will compile, you'll have to make sure you have all the right libraries for it to run.

apt-get install vmware-server

and last time i checked, you could chose to compile things in OSX too. Just because you don't have a grasp on something, doesn't make it convoluted.

OSX is "just eye candy". Nowhere is it implied, either. Relax. The author just happens to like discussing the merits of various GUI.

You're an idiot. How VMware is packaged is up to the folks at vmware.

99.99% of Linux application installs are done as so:

Run "Add/Remove Programs"
Place a checkmark next to desired apps
Click 'Apply'

No need for installation CDs, no need to search the internet to find the download, just 3 easy steps.

Also, I'd like you to name the Linux distros's where mounting disks is somehow a pain, since all of the more popular distro's (which constitute the vast majority of the Linux desktop market) automatically mount disks exactly the same way OSX does.

Oh, and one more thing: Where did the author say that OSX is "just eye-candy and effects"? Maybe you should learn to read.

Trying to get anything done beyond editing a video and checking your e-mail is a royal pain in the butt in Mac OSX. It's extremely hard to administer a Mac at the technical level when problems arise. Maybe that's the biggest problem with the OS - it's so dumbed down that when something breaks, you are stuck searching Google, which usually has little or no info on the problem. Compare this to Windows/Linux (especially Linux), which has a plethora of related blogs, posts, and articles about software, fixes, and solutions. I've worked with a Mac for the past few days and this is one of the first time I've honestly started to hate it. How is a PICTURE of a hard disk useful info when you right click on it to get more info? I don't want a PICTURE of the hard disk, I want the MOUNT POINT and other useful info that can be used to SOLVE PROBLEMS.

The obscufication of the internals of OSX just eliminates in as a valid contender for my attention or use, unless I'm forced to be near it. It definitely belongs in the realm of the soccer mommies and artsier people who will pay the Geek Squad or Apple thousands of dollars to shield themselves from anything technical.

Mac OS X is amply documented in a variety of books and in most cases on Apple's web site and Google as well. Practically everything that can be done in the UI, with respect to administering OS X, can be done on the command line too. Mountpoints are in /Volumes. Most typical UNIX tools, and several command-line tools specific to OS X, can be used to analyze and control disks.

Don't assume that because you are ignorant on a subject, that there are no good answers to your questions. If you don't like OS X, fair enough. But don't try to blame your personal bias on some larger reason -- at least not unless you know what you're talking about.

steven

This looked like a neat thing to me until I read that it was aimed toward MySpace users. Maybe I am "out of touch" (hopefully 30-something isn't yet), but I have yet to see a MySpace page that isn't a pile of thrown-together crap.

Then I thought, this will never work for a MySpace user - it's too clean and organized - the exact opposite of nearly every MySpace page out there. Web pages from the early '90s look better than most MySpace pages. I have yet to understand the attraction to that clutter and disorganized mess, but there must be a few million people that have a different opinion. =)

Anyhoo - I do like the Mac OS-X interface. It's clean, performs fairly well, and is mostly intuitive - even if you've never used one before. Wish I could justify spending all that extra money on hardware just to run it...

Less Buggy ? Huh ? who reviewed this and on what ?
I have a machine I use to test Linux Distros on and virtually all work on it except this one. It installs and updates fine but when you select to shut it down, it locks up ( The mouse will still navigate ) and will just set in a frozen state forever unless you use the power button to shut the machine off. Looks like a major bug to me.

Another ugly copy of OS X. I'm sorry to say this but no stupid Linux distribution can copy the advanced design and ease of use of OS X. Not to talk about the performance. Why don't you just stop wasting your time and convincing people to switch to Linux. Why would a Mac user decide to use gOS? Ok, you can run it under low cost hardware. But will you be able to run your Mac apps? NO!
Will you be able to run Final Cut? Replace it with Cinerell!Hahhaha!NO!
Maya? Replace it with Blender! Hahhahaha! NO!
Photoshop? Replace it with the GIMP! Hahahahhah! NO!
Dreamweaver? Replace it with...InDesign? Rep...Flash?Logic Studio?

The list continues endlessly. Stop being fools.