Comments on: The PC/Mac battle has ended – in a draw

By: Stuart

Stuart — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:25:44 +0000

I suppose you could install XP on your Mac using Boot Camp, and use that. Having to reboot to test your sites may not be all that useful though.

Hmm, maybe Parallels does the trick.
http://www.macworld.com/reviews/product/405560/review/parallels_desktop_1.html?expand=true

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:55:12 +0000

... which, in many respects, proves the point exactly.

PS If somebody can explain to me how I can run those Microsoft IE disk images on a Mac, without resorting to command line insanity, I'll be most grateful.

By: Carl Morris

Carl Morris — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:52:58 +0000

You can run Ubuntu on a Mac.

It's the optimum smug-face segment of the platform Venn diagram...

By: Alan in Belfast

Alan in Belfast — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:53:34 +0000

MacMini - good choice. They're quite nippy. I got one two and a half years ago and love it. Since I moved house 15 months ago, I have yet to power up my old XP desktop. (Though I do sometimes carry a XP Netbook around when out and about.)

By: Stuart

Stuart — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:33:44 +0000

Just FYI: Microsoft provides Virtual PCs loaded-up with old versions of IE and are a great help:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=21EABB90-958F-4B64-B5F1-73D0A413C8EF&displaylang=en

By: Dave Briggs

Dave Briggs — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:48:59 +0000

Oh, and get Skitch as well. It's great.

By: Dave Briggs

Dave Briggs — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:38:24 +0000

Nice one Simon! Quick bit of Mac software stuff: BBedit or TextMate are great editors if you need a bit more grunt and can invest a few pennies. Likewise, Transmit is a lovely FTP client, and worth coughing up for I think. Acorn and Pixelmator are nice cheap image editors.

Don't forget that the iLife software which usually comes free is great too - especially iMovie and Garageband - they make video and audio editing a cinch.

You're right on the wider point though, that the OS wars haven't been won, they're just irrelevant. The network is the computer these days. As well as SaaS and OSS, virtualisation is another reason. No matter what your hardware, or main OS, you really can have it all. For that reason, while I am very much a Mac convert, you might be better going for Ubuntu as your main choice - I think it handles virtualisation a better than the Mac.

One thing I have found since I have been playing with Ubuntu though is that it still isn't quite ready for my Dad. Having to use the command line to get Flash to work, or Skype, or .mp3s? Come on. Also, the native apps just don't have the usability that you get on the Mac, especially the creative stuff.

I'll be interested in how you get on!