Linux is, always has been, and always will be Jack Wallen's platform of
choice, but an iMac may very well be his next purchase. Find out why.
“Plus ca change, plus c'est la
meme chose.”
That's a quote a song from my favorite
band, Rush. The translation (according to same song) is:
“The more that things change, the
more they stay the same.”
Why do I start this post in such
a way? The last few weeks have been both different and the same for me in regards to how I work. Let me explain.
With my various and sundry
desktops and laptops (all running either Ubuntu or Ubuntu Studio), I do a lot
of writing and media work. The tools I use should be of no surprise:
- LibreOffice -- for my writing
- Calibre -- for converting books into ebook format (and to read from for book narration)
- Audacity -- to record both my Zombie Radio podcast and audio books for clients
- OpenShot -- to edit videos
- Gimp -- for graphics
There's always a “but.” I've previously written about the problem with PulseAudio and certain onboard audio chipsets. As I record, I'll catch a stutter and have to re-record more often than I care to. The “buts” don't end there. Although OpenShot is an outstanding application, it crashes... a lot. Of course, version 2.0 should arrive some time next year, at which point I hope tons of bugs and new features will help launch it into higher grounds. But...
Over the last few weeks, I've actually been contemplating the purchase of an iMac.
Breathe... breathe...
Macs have always been famous for multimedia, and the majority of professional editors and artists employ them to meet all of their artistic needs.
Again, I say but...
Every time I consider the option, my brain starts to question, “But how will I do this? Or how will I do that?” And as I wrap my brain around the "this" and "that," I realize that no matter what platform you switch to, there's always the unknown looming over you.
- From Windows to Linux
- From Windows to Mac
- From Mac to Window
- From Mac to Linux
- From Linux to Windows
- From Linux to Mac
That line of thinking brings me back to frustration. Why would I drop that much money, only to use the same tools I use on my Linux machines? Wouldn't it be better if, say, PulseAudio fixed those very well documented and reported bugs? Wouldn't it be better if, say, a tool like Lightworks could build video encoding into its Linux release? That would save me the financial burden of having to spend the coin for a new machine.
But...
It is a new machine; and who doesn't love to buy technology?
The crux of the point is this -- it's growing nearly impossible to say that Linux can't do what other platforms can do. Sure, there might be hurdles to overcome, but every platform has its hurdles:
- Windows: Malware and viruses
- Mac: Cost
- Linux: Certain persistent bugs (such as PulseAudio)
Have you purchased a Windows or Mac machine to do tasks that Linux couldn't perform as well? Share your experience in the discussion thread below.
~ Jack Wallen
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