MAC HELP NEEDED!

[Gilligan]

Serious question Ink.

Why not just run something like Xen, or something else that is nothing more than an extremely lightweight "base" to launch your VM from and forgo the expensive Mac and overhead that comes with X?

[inkbrigade]

Hey Gilligan,
I was trying to simplify the explanation as to how we do things here.

We have a Linux box that runs KVM that does all our virtual machines for our business.

Instinct man's case he's using a Macintosh. And that is there one main computer at the shop.
So the explanations were for him even though that host hardware and software we use are different.

My personal Mac laptop has a Windows VM that just has QuickBooks on it, because QuickBooks Mac version sucks.
I have a bunch of other Vms Ubuntu, FreeBSD, various versions of Windows going back to Windows 98, nexenta, Novell etc. it's the best testing lab I've ever had

[inkbrigade]

Hey Ink, I'm psyched that we got you going.
That's the best way to do it man, whenever you're doing something freak it just make a new virtual machine!

You can always make a clone of your current virtual machine, then install some software you're not sure about, and if it's great awesome, if not, screw it delete the virtual machine.

Another great thing is to always make sure you snapshot before installing any updates. Microsoft updates, accurate updates that sort of thing. That way if they freak up your machine just roll back to the one that you know it's good.

Virtual machines have been a game changer for me in so many different ways my regular job, the shop, and even my personal computer usage.

[GraphicDisorder]

I love a good Mac/PC Debate. 

That's one way to look at it. The way I look at it is I enjoy using my Mac. I only use Windows because I have to.

It was actually just a joke.  Ironic if you will. 

If software companies would write the drivers or the applications I needed to run on the Mac, I would never use Windows.

Software/drivers always are written for OS's that it can be largely sold for.  It's just that simple.  I do not blame the software people for not spending tons of man hours writing software for something that just wont sell well.  It's like many of us screen printers, we dont set up a auto for 6 shirts.  Same concept here.

Just because software companies have their head up their ass, why should I have to suffer by using windows as my daily operating system?

See above.  Curious though, what exactly are you "suffering" through on Windows?  My guess, it's like many Windows users that complain about it.  They are/were running a computer that has some weak hardware in it and they are comparing it to their new Mac which ironically has high end hardware in it.  I find it is that when you build/buy a computer with quality hardware, be it Mac or PC, it's night and day difference in performance, life, and so on VS buying a mid to low level off the shelf POS Dell/HP/etc from the latest big box store.  In other words, comparing your 1k computer to your 2,300 dollar computer should be the first hint that you are maybe cheating yourself on a comparison.  After all do you often really compare Chevy Cobalts to Corvettes?  LOL.

So I don't. Like I said, I use the Mac for everything I can, and windows only when required.

I think they are fine machines, I have a 27inch iMac, MacBook Pro, iPhones, Apple TV, and 2 iPads.  I am a Apple fan not a doubt about it.  BUT, they do not compare with a Windows machine when built with good hardware, in fact you can often build a similar or more powerful PC based system for less money than you can buy a Mac that will probably come with a 1/4 of the ram, 1/2 the drive space, and be locked into smaller limits on RAM/etc.  Plus for me PC is still a winning choice because on many macs there are components are not easy to, or even able to be replaced.  You certainly can't run down to Best Buy and fix your iMac same day if your graphics card in it fails.  (Had 2 friends have this happen to them).  If my PC would have a card fail, I could fix it and be back up in a hour including driving there and back.  A iMac may be down days, weeks, if out of warranty may just have to buy a new iMac all together.  So you could be out over 2k for a $150 dollar part that could take you years more down the road.

Actually the nice thing about this set up, is it's better than having an actual Windows PC. Windows has problems, viruses, malware, and from time to time decides to self-destruct.

As Macs get more popular this will plague them as well.  Same concept applies here as software.  Why bother attacking a tiny % of the market with Virus/Malware/etc when there are plenty of idiots running Windows that have no idea how to use it.  But let's be REAL honest.  Avoiding Viruses and Malware is SO easy.  It really is and overstating it like its some massively hard to avoid deal is just IMO reaching.  I haven't had a computer virus since probably the 90's and I am very lax with the way I use a computer.

This way I can keep virtual Windows machines separate from each other, and only doing one function per virtual machine.

Good advice here since he went mac, I would say that may be a great way to solve his issue.

[Gilligan]

Very good post Brandt.

Usually your post are laced with some condescending vocabulary or a stubborn tone, this one was clear and to the point.  Not sure it was the right place but this thread has gotten WAY off original intent many times over now.  (I'm guilty for that).

Apple makes a great product and maybe a PC manufacture should come out and be TOP notch ONLY and they would likely have a similar rep.  It would just be a hard sell due to the bad rep that PC's in general have.  Alienware kind of did it... they just went after gaming and made their cases kind of goofey looking, but people knew it was a good machine.  The trick though was that you couldn't buy a $500 pc from them.  You paid a premium for a system that you knew would be a good system.  Basically the same thing that Mac is doing.

Mac is certainly not immune from viruses, they just don't have a market share worth going after... sadly I think their snootyness towards this "you can't get a virus on a mac" attitude will be their downfall.  They will get under the wrong person's skin and he will set out to make a Melissa virus for the Mac and prove that diatribe wrong.

I as well have not gotten a virus in MANY MANY years (since I stopped using IE so long ago).  I don't even run antivirus software or anything.  I'll go to any site, never a concern.

VM's really are a great way to go for all the reasons Ink stated though... no matter what OS you are running, ish happens and it would be great to just roll back to before that happened.

[inkman996]

I have been immune to viruses for a very long time, just using common sense' firewall, and malware scanners have kept me clean. But the stupid root kit I got over night come how blew my mind. I still cannot understand where or how it got on the PC. Windows has built in firewall, user account control so supposedly nothing can be installed with out permission first, firewall at the router and malware running in the back ground, so how the F did a root kit get in? Sure I open tons of attachments daily all business related, I never open anything that is not work related period. I occasionally peruse face goof but I absolutely never click on any links from with in FB posted by people I know.

I wish I was more windows literate so I could some how track down when that root kit arrived and from where.

[Gilligan]

Yeah, Mike... I've seen some of the most conservatives users get hit.  Maybe we've just been lucky all this time to a degree.

I know they say out of date Java and Acrobat reader can be a cause for infection and that is the only thing I can think of for one of the previous users that I know didn't do anything stupid that still got a pretty intense virus infection.

[GraphicDisorder]

Very good post Brandt.

Usually your post are laced with some condescending vocabulary or a stubborn tone, this one was clear and to the point.  Not sure it was the right place but this thread has gotten WAY off original intent many times over now.  (I'm guilty for that).

No doubt it can happen, but that's generally after someone makes a off the wall absolute comment that is usually already false before they typed it.  Other than that I am very easy going and just matter of fact.  A lot of people make a lot of assumptions about computers and a lot of them are misconceptions from the word go. 

[inkman996]

Yeah, Mike... I've seen some of the most conservatives users get hit.  Maybe we've just been lucky all this time to a degree.

I know they say out of date Java and Acrobat reader can be a cause for infection and that is the only thing I can think of for one of the previous users that I know didn't do anything stupid that still got a pretty intense virus infection.

Thats good food for thought. I hate java with a passion, I try to avoid it at all costs it always seems to be required and running processes in the BG. I hope it goes away and dies eventually. Acrobat is not much better, again it is something you seem to have to have and when you install it there is three or more processes running in the BG relating to it. WTF it opens and shows a file what the hell does it need to be running in the BG for? I have tried third party PDF readers but disliked them all.

While on the topic when will flash die? Surely apple not supporting them in the mobile market must be a death blow for them because now everyone that wants their content viewable by all will use html5.