Were you a Mac or a PC?

[aluminumspleen]

Before you were introduced to the wonderful world of open-source and Linux, were you a Mac or a PC? Or maybe you are still using one (or both even) along with Linux. I've seen a lot of the Mac vs. PC ads lately (and Novell's Mac vs PC vs Linux ads ) and it got me thinking about whether Linux has more ex-Mac users or ex-Windows users.

Myself, I was first introduced to Apple in grade school, all the way through the first iMacs in 4th grade. At home, however, we ran Windows 95, then later XP, so that's what I'm most comfortable with.

[MikeTbob]

I was a PC, I dual booted for awhile and decided to trash Windows in favor of Linux only, I have never used a Mac but I would not mind having one just to tinker with and see what all the fuss is about. I think you will find that most Mac users keep Mac, even if they use Linux. I think we really only have a handful of Mac users here on the forums, but I could be wrong.

[bigtomrodney]

I hope you don't mind, I added a poll to the thread. That's actualy a very interesting question that I'd like to see the answer to

I was a Windows user before. From Windows 95 to Windows 98. Kinda took a break for a few years then but when I got my Windows XP laptop in 2002 or 2003 I had already decided it was getting Linux. Now originally I'm a C64/Amstrad CPC kinda guy...

[aluminumspleen]

I think it's an interesting question, because (IMO) the reasons for switching would (most likely) be far different. For ex-Windows users, the reason may be "I'm so fed up with windows, I want something completely different." Whereas with Mac, the argument could be "Well, my $3000 Copywritten Mac is based on UNIX, and this $0 public-licensed Linux is based on UNIX, so..." I just thought it would be interesting seeing the different thoughts.

[GNU-Fan]

As you seem to draw the distinction based on the Mac vs. PC ads, I can neither identify with the "business suit" nor the "creative yuppie".

Because I have always been curious about the things that made my computer run and how I can interfere with it, I take pride in saying I have always been a GNU/Linux user.
Even if I have used Microsoft's products for a substantial period of time and even owned an iBook.

[elija]

I voted PC as I was using Windows (still have to at work) before I switched completely to Linux. Technically, I'm still a PC as my computer hasn't magically morphed in to something else. If this was a first computer question then the first I used was a Sinclair ZX81 and the first I owned was a Commodore Vic 20.

I think back fondly to those days when things were incredibly simple and getting to the heart of the machine using nothing but hecks* machine code was relatively simple. Now-a-days it's layer upon layer of libraries and frameworks. Sigh.

Slightly off topic but does any one else get wound up by the latest Microsoft ads implying that PC == Windows?

* this is not a typo but it is as close as I can get to the language it taught this thirteen year old programmer** while not being banned from the forums and alluding to hex in a punny kind of way

** my mum would have been shocked!

[rokytnji]

PC guy. Like customising things. Makes it mine.Stock has never been good enough.

[bigtomrodney]

Slightly off topic but does any one else get wound up by the latest Microsoft ads implying that PC == Windows?

Yeah that annoys me too. Not because IBM pretty much lost their exclusivity on the term PC but because it seems to say that Apple Macs aren't personal computers, or are something special.

What's even more irritating is that this advertising campaign appeared after Apple switched to Intel. Hardware wise they're only a glorified PC now more than ever.

[Freston]

PC guy here. At least I was, as I no longer own a valid Redmond license.

*correction* I still have a valid W98 OEM license for a machine now running FreeBSD. Maybe this last bit brings me (oh irony) closer to being a Mac guy.

Slightly off topic but does any one else get wound up by the latest Microsoft ads implying that PC == Windows?

You mean commercials post-Seinfeld?? Haven't seen them yet. But *ahum* I *ahum* /phrases carefully/ don't really mind Redmond not putting more light on Linux. I mean, it's not as though they ever made a fair comparison. Please, for the love of all that is honest, let Redmond never mention anything about Linux ever again. We don't want another 'get the facts' or 'halloween documents'. *)


*) If they ever do that again I'll unleash my legion of laser-eyed spacemonkeys. And I'm not kidding

[bigtomrodney]

Only after reading that do I see the bit about Microsoft ads. I guess I was expecting a reference to the Apple ads so that's what I read