"I hate Macs"

Vogateer · Post by **Vogateer** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:24 pm

On a happier note, am I the only one who thinks the jet black System76 laptops look pretty slick, too?

Speaking of which, looks like System76 is bringing out some new laptops:
http://system76.com/index.php/cPath/1_70

Though I still prefer the style of Apple's products, I wouldn't mind carrying one of those around.

Just getting rid of all the labels and stickers typically make these things look better, too. I like things clean.

Tsuroerusu · Post by **Tsuroerusu** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:27 pm

Vogateer wrote:On a happier note, am I the only one who thinks the jet black System76 laptops look pretty slick, too?

Got a link for that? I can't seem to find it on their site.

allix · Post by **allix** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:27 pm

Now that is SEXY

PDP 7

CptnObvious999 · Post by **CptnObvious999** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:39 pm

Vogateer wrote:Man, I'm a little late here, but I still think my argument about control makes sense. I've said before that Apple maintains tight control on their hardware, more control than I like, but how is Apple's control over their hardware and software comparable to Microsoft making it possible for hardware on a Vista machine to be bricked? Yeah, I don't care for how much control Apple keeps on their computer, but they mainly use their control only to make a very tight, integrated product, and they've typically favored the consumer over some other business's interests. We all know how Microsoft prefers to cater to developers, developers, developers, and are now catering to the music industry in hopes of controlling that market as well.

So, in either case, if you have to choose between who controls your computer, Apple or Microsoft's business associates, who would you rather have? Apple, who has a history of favoring their own customers, or Microsoft, who has a history of always favoring other businesses over their own users? Microsoft gives you the Zune, with the one interesting wireless feature that's rendered useless with silly self-destruct mechanisms because the music industry wants them, while Apple gives you the iPod and tries to make things as easy as possible, and support problems aside, tries to make their customers' lives easier.

Ok but when/if Apple gets in Microsofts position they will do the same thing IMO. You have already seen it happen where they charge more for iPods because they can and they lock you into a service so you can't switch mp3 players or and use the service or switch services and use the iPod. Not to mention you can't get any of the songs you put on the iPod off without hacking it. If this is how much control they have as a smaller player I hope I never see the day they become the monopoly holders.

Wally Balljacker · Post by **Wally Balljacker** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:51 pm

Vogateer wrote:On a happier note, am I the only one who thinks the jet black System76 laptops look pretty slick, too?

Speaking of which, looks like System76 is bringing out some new laptops:
http://system76.com/index.php/cPath/1_70

Though I still prefer the style of Apple's products, I wouldn't mind carrying one of those around.

Just getting rid of all the labels and stickers typically make these things look better, too. I like things clean.

Yeah, I tend to agree. That's one reason I went with a ThinkPad. I like the subdued, clean feel these laptops have. Other than the IBM logo on the lid, there is nothing on here at all. Very sleek and professional looking. Those System76 machines are quite nice, too. When shopping for laptops I'm always torn between System76, ThinkPads, and MacBooks.

Vogateer · Post by **Vogateer** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 8:52 pm

Tsuroerusu wrote:
Vogateer wrote:On a happier note, am I the only one who thinks the jet black System76 laptops look pretty slick, too?
Got a link for that? I can't seem to find it on their site.

They used to label them as jet black, now it's just one of their Gazelle laptops:

Tsuroerusu · Post by **Tsuroerusu** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:54 pm

Vogateer wrote:
Tsuroerusu wrote:
Vogateer wrote:On a happier note, am I the only one who thinks the jet black System76 laptops look pretty slick, too?
Got a link for that? I can't seem to find it on their site.
They used to label them as jet black, now it's just one of their Gazelle laptops:

That's pretty cool, not bad at all. However, System76 is just not an option for me, as a citizen of European country. First of all, anything I order from the US gets several levels of taxes added to it, which in some cases make it more expensive than if I were to buy the same item locally. I'm pretty sure that my future laptop will be a ThinkPad.

Vogateer · Post by **Vogateer** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:13 am

That's understandable. I'm still torn between getting a cheap low-powered laptop and buying one from System76 or some other linux supporting vendor, of course the purchase of either will be in the future no matter what. While I'd probably like the fact that I could take advantage of a lightweight distro to make an old laptop useful again, another part of me really wants to "show off" what linux can do.

I don't want to carry around a laptop and have people look at my screen and see a lackluster, alien desktop and ask me "What's that?" in a tone that says, "What have you done to that poor computer?" I want them to see the sugary sweet eye-candy of compiz or beryl and ask "What's that?" in a tone that suggests, "Man, I want my computer to look like that!" I know eye-candy is not as important to most of us, but after linux has given me so much, I'd hate to feel like I had let linux down by giving people a bad impression of it.

allix · Post by **allix** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:55 am

Tsuroerusu wrote: That's pretty cool, not bad at all. However, System76 is just not an option for me, as a citizen of European country. First of all, anything I order from the US gets several levels of taxes added to it, which in some cases make it more expensive than if I were to buy the same item locally. I'm pretty sure that my future laptop will be a ThinkPad.

There are pre-installed linux outlets in england, is there nothing in denmark?

allix · Post by **allix** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:58 am

Vogateer wrote:That's understandable. I'm still torn between getting a cheap low-powered laptop and buying one from System76 or some other linux supporting vendor, of course the purchase of either will be in the future no matter what. While I'd probably like the fact that I could take advantage of a lightweight distro to make an old laptop useful again, another part of me really wants to "show off" what linux can do.

I don't want to carry around a laptop and have people look at my screen and see a lackluster, alien desktop and ask me "What's that?" in a tone that says, "What have you done to that poor computer?" I want them to see the sugary sweet eye-candy of compiz or beryl and ask "What's that?" in a tone that suggests, "Man, I want my computer to look like that!" I know eye-candy is not as important to most of us, but after linux has given me so much, I'd hate to feel like I had let linux down by giving people a bad impression of it.

I showed a mate a ascii version of suduku and he was impressed, He keeps telling me his is going to install a linux server. He told me if linux can run X app he will move over.

Tsuroerusu · Post by **Tsuroerusu** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:01 am

allix wrote:
Tsuroerusu wrote: That's pretty cool, not bad at all. However, System76 is just not an option for me, as a citizen of European country. First of all, anything I order from the US gets several levels of taxes added to it, which in some cases make it more expensive than if I were to buy the same item locally. I'm pretty sure that my future laptop will be a ThinkPad.
There are pre-installed linux outlets in england, is there nothing in denmark?

I havn't seen anything at all. Denmark is like Steve Ballmer's idea of a paradise, Microsoft is EVERYWHERE it's rare that you even find a Linux server! It's really a sad-ass sight.

Post by **dann** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:23 am

Vogateer wrote:That's understandable. I'm still torn between getting a cheap low-powered laptop and buying one from System76 or some other linux supporting vendor, of course the purchase of either will be in the future no matter what. While I'd probably like the fact that I could take advantage of a lightweight distro to make an old laptop useful again, another part of me really wants to "show off" what linux can do.

I tell you what, I've been using my system76 pretty hard lately and loving every minute of it. Their support is great too! I highly recommend them.

CptnObvious999 · Post by **CptnObvious999** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:16 am

dann wrote:I tell you what, I've been using my system76 pretty hard lately and loving every minute of it. Their support is great too! I highly recommend them.

Yeah, I really want a system76 laptop however I do not like working with gnome. Although I guess I could install kubuntu even though I never was a fan of the changes they made to KDE. I wish they could just give me a good KDE distro.

Well it is still going to be a couple more months before I even start looking into laptops so maybe they will come around by then.

snarkout · Post by **snarkout** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:07 pm

CptnObvious999 wrote:
dann wrote:I tell you what, I've been using my system76 pretty hard lately and loving every minute of it. Their support is great too! I highly recommend them.
Yeah, I really want a system76 laptop however I do not like working with gnome. Although I guess I could install kubuntu even though I never was a fan of the changes they made to KDE. I wish they could just give me a good KDE distro. Well it is still going to be a couple more months before I even start looking into laptops so maybe they will come around by then.

Veering way off "topic" here:
What *is* a good kde distro? Mainly what I see when I dick around with distros that feature kde is that they've done even more tweaking than kubuntu have. I like kcontrol the way it is by default and I really don't think creating a new frontend to the same panels does anything to make it "less confusing." I think it'll need to be redesigned by the kde folks for that to happen. I imagine having distro-specific tools appeals to some folks, but to me it's just more cruft I have to learn in order to admin a box.

CptnObvious999 · Post by **CptnObvious999** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:42 pm

Snarkout wrote:Veering way off "topic" here:
What *is* a good kde distro? Mainly what I see when I dick around with distros that feature kde is that they've done even more tweaking than kubuntu have. I like kcontrol the way it is by default and I really don't think creating a new frontend to the same panels does anything to make it "less confusing." I think it'll need to be redesigned by the kde folks for that to happen. I imagine having distro-specific tools appeals to some folks, but to me it's just more cruft I have to learn in order to admin a box.

Well I personally like Sabayon and OpenSuSE 10.2 (if I didn't have so much bad luck with the distro) and I'm sure Mandriva is probably good too although I haven't tried it since Mandrake 10.1. To be honest I have not tried the last 2 or 3 versions of Kubuntu but when I did try it they messed with Konqueror a lot and KMix and a few other apps and I did not like the way they made it at all.

Maybe things have gotten better though, I will probably try the latest version real soon as well as Mandriva.

BTW if you install KDE everything on a System76 should still work right?