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As soon as I stopped building computers from off-the-shelf parts, stopped installing unpopular applications and plugins and stopped trying to use OSes like Linu

As soon as I stopped building computers from off-the-shelf parts, stopped installing unpopular applications and plugins and stopped trying to use OSes like Linux with relatively few users the amount of my life I spent fixing weird computer problems fell from hours per week to almost zero. When I do encounter a problem, the answer is almost always available after 5 minutes on Google. Following the herd leads to an easy life. Go figure.

regularfry 14y ago
That's funny, I could have sworn that the article described someone who followed the herd and had everything go to crap.
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- spqr 14y ago
  The herd doesn't use OS X.
icebraining 14y ago
Yet OP couldn't use more popular software (Chrome, Flash, iOS, iTunes). Personally, the difference I see since I switched to Debian (six years ago) was that I had less problems than on Windows, and more importantly, that I could actually fix those problems instead of having to get used to them. My Windows 7 desktop, which I barely use compared to my Debian laptop & VPS, still wastes much more of my time with maintenance and random bugs.
onli 14y ago
Sure. Because it is so common to have unstable linux-software but the so highly popular Windows is so stable. I once had to start Windows in Rescue Mode and do some weird stuff there just to get Steam back running. It failed to start suddenly and seemingly without cause. For a while (some years ago) I couldn't boot Windows at all until I unplugged a dvd-drive (linux was running fine) - I still use that dvd-drive, windows starts with it again. I bought GTA 4 and couldn't play it because Games for Windows Live wasn't working (still doesn't, but i found the hidden offline-mode). Sometimes I can't delete files in Windows with no cause whatsoever. At the same time, I'm using a rock-stable Ubuntu LTS with a custom "desktop environment" on the same hardware and never had any real issues i still remember. Oh, thinking a bit longer about it, there were some issues when upgrading to this lts: plymouth didn't stop itself (i had to end it via the rc.local) and pulseaudio didnt work (switched to alsa). That's about it. Following the herd doesn't lead to an easy life, the herd willingly runs down a cliff.
- firedev 14y ago
  I use Ubuntu (and Debian before that) in production servers and can't complain. Now I am thinking about trying Ubuntu as a desktop, but didn't get a box for it to live in.
  - onli 14y ago
    To be fair to batterseapower: Ubuntu on the desktop could be an example of not-that-mainstream software which doesn't always work well. Unity at the beginning deserved its reputation, that it was a change from a stable Gnome 2 to an unstable experiment. Guess it is not so bad anymore, but if you liked Ubuntu in production servers, going the route of a small window manager could be more your style (don't know if I'm stating stuff obvious to you, just in case).
cypher543 14y ago
> As soon as I stopped building computers from off-the-shelf parts The most stable computers I've ever owned have been those that I've built myself, while 90% of my repair work comes from Dell and HP computers that barely last 2 years.
- officemonkey 14y ago
  The nice thing about building your own computer is you know EXACTLY what you're getting. If something breaks, you have the wherewithal to buy a replacement and fix it yourself. I don't think I'll ever buy another Mac desktop, because I'm so thrilled with the ability to "look under the hood."

regularfry 14y ago

That's funny, I could have sworn that the article described someone who followed the herd and had everything go to crap.

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spqr 14y ago
The herd doesn't use OS X.

icebraining 14y ago

Yet OP couldn't use more popular software (Chrome, Flash, iOS, iTunes). Personally, the difference I see since I switched to Debian (six years ago) was that I had less problems than on Windows, and more importantly, that I could actually fix those problems instead of having to get used to them. My Windows 7 desktop, which I barely use compared to my Debian laptop & VPS, still wastes much more of my time with maintenance and random bugs.

onli 14y ago

Sure. Because it is so common to have unstable linux-software but the so highly popular Windows is so stable. I once had to start Windows in Rescue Mode and do some weird stuff there just to get Steam back running. It failed to start suddenly and seemingly without cause. For a while (some years ago) I couldn't boot Windows at all until I unplugged a dvd-drive (linux was running fine) - I still use that dvd-drive, windows starts with it again. I bought GTA 4 and couldn't play it because Games for Windows Live wasn't working (still doesn't, but i found the hidden offline-mode). Sometimes I can't delete files in Windows with no cause whatsoever. At the same time, I'm using a rock-stable Ubuntu LTS with a custom "desktop environment" on the same hardware and never had any real issues i still remember. Oh, thinking a bit longer about it, there were some issues when upgrading to this lts: plymouth didn't stop itself (i had to end it via the rc.local) and pulseaudio didnt work (switched to alsa). That's about it. Following the herd doesn't lead to an easy life, the herd willingly runs down a cliff.

firedev 14y ago
I use Ubuntu (and Debian before that) in production servers and can't complain. Now I am thinking about trying Ubuntu as a desktop, but didn't get a box for it to live in.
- onli 14y ago
  To be fair to batterseapower: Ubuntu on the desktop could be an example of not-that-mainstream software which doesn't always work well. Unity at the beginning deserved its reputation, that it was a change from a stable Gnome 2 to an unstable experiment. Guess it is not so bad anymore, but if you liked Ubuntu in production servers, going the route of a small window manager could be more your style (don't know if I'm stating stuff obvious to you, just in case).

cypher543 14y ago

> As soon as I stopped building computers from off-the-shelf parts The most stable computers I've ever owned have been those that I've built myself, while 90% of my repair work comes from Dell and HP computers that barely last 2 years.

officemonkey 14y ago
The nice thing about building your own computer is you know EXACTLY what you're getting. If something breaks, you have the wherewithal to buy a replacement and fix it yourself. I don't think I'll ever buy another Mac desktop, because I'm so thrilled with the ability to "look under the hood."