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hardcastle · 02-23-2014, 01:52 PM

A lot of misinformation from users in this thread who should be doing their research rather than speculating.

RPM "dependency hell," as it's often called, has not been an issue for around a decade. Fedora and OpenSUSE use two different package managers (YUM and Zypper, respectively). Despite the fact that they both use RPM files, the two systems use them in entirely different ways, occasionally to the point of non-compatibility. The same goes for DEB files on Debian/Ubuntu, though the differences there are less extreme.

Switching to OSX or Linux after a lifetime of Windows is not a trivial task, and requires a willingness to do research. For less technical users, Mint or Ubuntu would be my first recommendation, but not for any major technical reason. Rather, it's because answers to users' questions would be easier to find on the internet. Fedora is a more technical, new-and-shiny distribution, not really geared for people who haven't learned the command line. OpenSUSE is a fine distro, though it's a bit obscure and oddly configured in a few details.

Computer security is a lot less obscure of a field than a lot of people seem to think. It basically boils to not installing unnecessary programs on your computer. Take all "Do I have permission?" questions very seriously. Carefully read installation dialogs and DON'T install optional toolbars or trial software. The magical computer break-ins do happen, but most users won't be in danger if they avoid installing unnecessary programs - this goes for all phones, computers, operating systems, etc.

Apple's biggest feather in their cap is the way that they stay unified on many fronts. Tech support is available and effective. They control the whole stack - the OS, the drivers, the upgrades, the app stores, advertising, everything. I believe a Windows PC maker could rival Apple if they invested in keeping Windows well configured on their machines, with plentiful and effective tech support to keep their users happy. OSX/iOS has few intrinsic advantages - it's more about what the company does with it to give the users a meaningful experience.

02-23-2014, 01:52 PM	#44
hardcastle Zealot Posts: 138 Karma: 3651501 Join Date: Dec 2013 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Gray Kindle Basic	A lot of misinformation from users in this thread who should be doing their research rather than speculating. RPM "dependency hell," as it's often called, has not been an issue for around a decade. Fedora and OpenSUSE use two different package managers (YUM and Zypper, respectively). Despite the fact that they both use RPM files, the two systems use them in entirely different ways, occasionally to the point of non-compatibility. The same goes for DEB files on Debian/Ubuntu, though the differences there are less extreme. Switching to OSX or Linux after a lifetime of Windows is not a trivial task, and requires a willingness to do research. For less technical users, Mint or Ubuntu would be my first recommendation, but not for any major technical reason. Rather, it's because answers to users' questions would be easier to find on the internet. Fedora is a more technical, new-and-shiny distribution, not really geared for people who haven't learned the command line. OpenSUSE is a fine distro, though it's a bit obscure and oddly configured in a few details. Computer security is a lot less obscure of a field than a lot of people seem to think. It basically boils to not installing unnecessary programs on your computer. Take all "Do I have permission?" questions very seriously. Carefully read installation dialogs and DON'T install optional toolbars or trial software. The magical computer break-ins do happen, but most users won't be in danger if they avoid installing unnecessary programs - this goes for all phones, computers, operating systems, etc. Apple's biggest feather in their cap is the way that they stay unified on many fronts. Tech support is available and effective. They control the whole stack - the OS, the drivers, the upgrades, the app stores, advertising, everything. I believe a Windows PC maker could rival Apple if they invested in keeping Windows well configured on their machines, with plentiful and effective tech support to keep their users happy. OSX/iOS has few intrinsic advantages - it's more about what the company does with it to give the users a meaningful experience. Last edited by hardcastle; 02-23-2014 at 02:01 PM.