[Brightcolours]

http://hothardware.com/news/microsofts-n...eathercast

[Rover]

I'm in horror after seeing this thread. Up until now I was thinking that only the issue of "equivalence" could have caused so much uproar.

[stoppingdown]

Well, after all PC vs Mac is a way of speaking of "equivalence" 

[Brightcolours]

 

For security, I think there are reasons to say Mac OS X is better, but there is not an abyss. For instance, I've been running a shield with an anti-virus on my Mac for several years now. The point is that it is less intrusive and has a lesser impact than the similar products I see on Windows (exclude Windows 10, that I don't have a deep experience with).

 

Why have you been running that for years? For all the non-existent viruses roaming around?

[Klaus]

Maybe we should make a solomonic decision and settle on ChromeOS.

Honestly both Windows and MacOS and conceptually outdated in comparison.

 

(I also have a Chromebook Pixel in my arsenal)

[Brightcolours]

Chrome OS? Seriously? Sure, fine to browse the web. Or read your email. Or have google go through all your data.

[Rover]

Go FreeBSD

[toni-a]

Maybe we should make a solomonic decision and settle on ChromeOS.

Honestly both Windows and MacOS and conceptually outdated in comparison.

 

(I also have a Chromebook Pixel in my arsenal)

 

Surprised to read this, AFAIK chrome is just in the development stage and lacks a lot of functionalities, it is good for phones and for browsing, other than that it doesn't have much things to offer

[Klaus]

Depends on your usage pattern. Other than photo editing, the lab stuff and software dev I can easily live with ChromeOS.

My documents are in the google cloud where they are more secure than on any local hard-drive. Using Google Apps I can manage all my document needs easily.

 

Just think of something as simple as your house burning down or a natural catastrophe (Toni - I suppose that war is always nearby in Lebanon ...). Even if I lost my Chromebook in such a scenario, I could just buy another one and continue with my data from where I left it - how sweet is that ?! The risk loosing data in a local device is a MAGNITUDE higher than any perceived risk by government agencies or Google. 

 

If you think Google is evil just consider the fact that Google is a US company. If they violate their privacy guarantees, they are out of business due to lawsuits that will go into the gazillion dollar range. They just will not dare.

Possibly the NSA may get access - in theory this is possible, of course - but if they are interested in you, your data in the Google cloud is the least of your problems (just think of access to your bank accounts or your "blank" criminal records). 

You think that someone could hack into Google ? What is more likely - that someone hacks google or your internet router at home (which doesn't receive any firmware updates after a year already ...) ?

 

The notion that your data is more secure at home rather in the cloud is simply obscure (assuming that you took minimal precautions).

Disclaimer: In my other life I am living in the cloud as a software developer/architect.

 

ChromeOS is mature as is (at it's core it is  based on Linux in case you didn't notice). Yes, it isn't feature rich, you can't simply install conventional software (well, you can but normal mortals won't) but that is not an issue at all for me. At this stage I will not state that I can live with ChromeOS only but the time is near. Once you embrace the concept, it's bloody awesome actually. If you are not willing to do that, it's useless, of course.

 

If you think that all this odd ... well, over at Microsoft the cloud is the target for Windows as well. The difference is that ChromeOS is already there and it's backed by a company that has inhaled in the internet second to none.

 

FWIW, it seems as if Google is planning to "merge" ChromsOS and Android - thus at some stage you will be able to install Android apps.

[Brightcolours]

Google and Facebook make up their very own "privacy rules" and no user has a real view on what that means. Your data gets sold and gone through and analysed and that is how they ear their money! 

 

The only company I trust with my info is Apple, they do not earn money from user data (and actively design stuff to protect it).

 

And so you can use Chrome for... typing letters and mails. Wow. Impressed. No photo processing, no photo editing, no serious video editing, just web browsing and typing.

My data can be backed up in the cloud with a Mac just as easily, only thing is it does not live in the cloud exclusively. So, I can do things when I have no internet access. I can manage files on multiple computers, the cloud and other sites with ease. I have a fully functional computer.

 

A bit contrived, that Google Chrome is conceptually ahead. I wonder why within Google itself, Apple computers are the standard for employees.