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Ivan's picture

Is Longhorn a threat to OS X?

http://www.activewin.com/screenshots/longhorn/

To me it's butt ugly, but some Windows fans are quite excited about it. What do you think, is it going to be better than OS X? Apparently they are working on some 3D environment for the GUI that's code named Avalon, that supposed to be revolutionary.

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larusson's picture
713 pencils

i don't know about longhorn...

true that i am a genuine mac-geek and just working on windows for a couple of minutes can really piss me off, but I have to, since my girlfriend has a PC and wont even consider switching.

I agree, it looks like a ok made theme for XP, way to something for me personally, but that is the same thing I said when I saw XP for the first time, and today I think it's the best of all the Windows' that have been made.

But even though I am a mac-nerd through and through, I truly hope that Longhorn will be a great platform... but you know what? I really don't think they'll catch up with OsX any time soon! ;)

NitroPye's picture
36 pencils

admin wrote:

http://www.activewin.com/screenshots/longhorn/

To me it's butt ugly, but some Windows fans are quite excited about it. What do you think, is it going to be better than OS X? Apparently they are working on some 3D environment for the GUI that's code named Avalon, that supposed to be revolutionary.

Look a the times, Longhorn is promising in 2005 or 2006 or whatever they bumped the release date back to, while OSX pretty much delivered a lot fo those features all ready or will be in 10.4. 3D Desktop ... is pretty much what Quartz extreme is already as was since 10.2, if you have used something like Desktop Manager (take a look at the transition movies, showing off just a little of the power that quartz extreme has) you will see OSX already has the 3D opengl accelerated desktop :) . Other features that Longhorn is promising is big tie ins to DRM, this is bad, very very bad, especially since the first DRM motherboard is on the way. Bad bad bad.

A side note, the best technology IMO that is coming out from microsoft currently is the .Net framework. Hopefully the Mono project will be a better alternative to .Net in the C# developing world, because from a developers perspective the more popular platform is the one most easily developed for, and I have seen C# and the cool features of the .Net or Mono frameworks, its combining the ease of Visual Basic with the power of C or Java, for one kick ass developers suite. I am currently waiting for Mono-cocoa project to get some work done before I jump on the C# bandwagon.

got code?

Ivan's picture

What's DRM? :?

NitroPye's picture
36 pencils

admin wrote:

What's DRM? :?

Your worst nightmare.

Digital Rights Management

Good article on its badness

Imagine the iTunes Music Store copy protection built into AAC files, but instead of just music and software, its built into the motherboard of the computer and tied into the operating system. Copying of anything not digitally signed properly becomes a hassle.

Microsoft Own All Your Base Then.

got code?

LiquidSpeed's picture
3 pencils

Judging by the screenshots Longhorn looks quite shit. Who knows what will happen to OS X by the time Longhorn is released.

larusson's picture
713 pencils

well there is one more thing to consider...

they just might change the looks of it before release... i mean... they've got the time to do it!! ;)

LiquidSpeed's picture
3 pencils

This is Microsoft we're talking about isn't it? Considering how long it is taking to sort this out.

larusson's picture
713 pencils

point taken!

lunabeetlegirl's picture
3 pencils

Windows is Windows! No matter what it looks like, it's still windows and PC users will still get blue screens and stuff will still not work right. Not to mention the fact that for the most part, changing how it looks is only going to scare their average user. I work in a computer retail store and there are STILL a lot of people scared to upgrade to XP because it's different...

Ivan's picture

oh my! :roll: if people are scared to switch to windows xp, imagine if you'd mention them to switch to a different computer: Apple. :D

LiquidSpeed's picture
3 pencils

I believe that is partly why MS have such a huge market share. People are to afraid to switch, and also most people believe Mac is mainly for Graphics and not really for Business use. We is obviously not the case. But what can you do.

Billwhit's picture
136 pencils

It's been my experience that most Windows users that hate Macs know little about them and/or have never used them, where as mos Mac users that hate Windows have a good understanding of why.

lunabeetlegirl's picture
3 pencils

I used to be a PC user who hated Macs (for no good reason!), but when I became serious about graphic design I got rid of my PC and bought a G4 simply because Macs are the industry standard. I will be the first to admit, switching was not easy! Nothing was where I was used to it being and it was frustrating at first-- but once I got used to it, everything is so much better! It looks better, works better, and makes more sense. I can't count how many times I bought something for my PC (software, hardware, etc) and then spent a whole weekend trying to make it work. With my Apple, never!

Since I work at a computer store, I am constantly being asked how do YOU handle this problem or that problem on YOUR own computer? I love telling people-- I don't have to worry about anything like that, I have a Mac!

Thel's picture
43 pencils

lunabeetlegirl wrote:

...switching was not easy! Nothing was where I was used to it being...

Heck, I felt the same way leaping into Mac OS X after a decade of being a classic Mac OS user! :lol:

A quick trip to unsanity.com fixed that. :wink:

lunabeetlegirl wrote:

I love telling people-- I don't have to worry about anything like that, I have a Mac!

::::applause:::: Oh, yes, that's one of the joys of being a MacHead, fer shure!

"When you have a dream you’ve got to grab it and never let go." — Carol Burnett

Thel's picture
43 pencils

Billwhit wrote:

It's been my experience that most Windows users that hate Macs know little about them and/or have never used them, where as mos Mac users that hate Windows have a good understanding of why.

Well said, Billwhit!!

(We need a "thumbs up" emoticon, Ivan!) :lol:

"When you have a dream you’ve got to grab it and never let go." — Carol Burnett

Ivan's picture

Thel wrote:

(We need a "thumbs up" emoticon, Ivan!) :lol:

that can be arranged :)

Click the "View more Emoticons" I've added it.

larusson's picture
713 pencils

this is what I think of that!

:Y:

Thel's picture
43 pencils

larusson wrote:

this is what I think of that!

:Y:

*ROTFL!!!!!* I agree! :D

"When you have a dream you’ve got to grab it and never let go." — Carol Burnett

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