Does your PC or MAC operating system say something about the coins you collect?

[James_OldeTowne]

Hmmmmmm?

 

[noow]

I use W7 :shrug:

[cpm9ball]

Hmmmmmm?

 

 

I disabled the sound because I got tired of listening to the wisecracks.

 

Chris

[coinman_23885]

I predominately use Mac OS X Lion, although I do have a Windows 7 Ultimate partition for some legal software (probably the only software suite that I cannot get to run natively on my Mac). With this said, I do think my choice of operating system reflects my willingness to pay a premium for something that I like or find superior, and I think this reflects my collecting habits as well. I will pay a premium for something unusual (in a good sort of way) and original or that otherwise possesses a characteristic superior to what normally is seen.

[brg5658]

8-5 Monday through Friday, Linux for work

 

Other times (besides when sleeping) various Windows OSs and Ubuntu

[coinman_23885]

8-5 Monday through Friday, Linux for work

 

Other times (besides when sleeping) various Windows OSs and Ubuntu

 

Your post seems to make a distinction between Linux and Ubuntu, but isn't Ubuntu a variant of Linux? I seem to recall dabbling with it in the past, but I had difficulty with some of the drivers for my hardware.

 

[ldhair]

Hmmmmmm?

 

Yes. My operating system is really old. It keeps telling me to replace it but, I hang onto it just like many of my coins.

[Conder101]

Then why am I not collecting ancients?

 

I have several machines running using Windows 7, XP, Windows 98, Windows 95, and I even still have one running Windows 3.1.

[HiHoAudio]

I remember Windows For Workgroups 3.1. And Windows 95, and especially NT.

 

Remember Windows ME? Used to crash 5 times a day, seven days a week.

 

Anyway I use Windows XP at work, Windows 7 Pro at home and I am very happy with it. My son has a Mac and gloats on a daily basis.

 

My wife has Vista and that will soon be replaced with Win 7 which is far more secure.

 

[FishyOne]

Then why am I not collecting ancients?

 

I have several machines running using Windows 7, XP, Windows 98, Windows 95, and I even still have one running Windows 3.1.

 

3.1!

 

I cut my teeth on Windows 3.1 back in 1994. Loved it!

 

Do you collect ancient computers too?

[MJ]

Made the switch to Mac (Lion) after 20 some odd years on PC platforms. I'm never going back............MJ

[brg5658]

8-5 Monday through Friday, Linux for work

 

Other times (besides when sleeping) various Windows OSs and Ubuntu

 

Your post seems to make a distinction between Linux and Ubuntu, but isn't Ubuntu a variant of Linux? I seem to recall dabbling with it in the past, but I had difficulty with some of the drivers for my hardware.

 

Ubuntu is one of the many distributions (flavors) of Linux. Ubuntu is the only distribution I have at home. I used the generic term "Linux" for my work OS because we have used many distributions over the years.

 

It's interesting you had problems with drivers....I guess Mac users don't have to worry about that since almost all of the peripherals are overpriced, proprietary Apple products?

[coinman_23885]

It's interesting you had problems with drivers....I guess Mac users don't have to worry about that since almost all of the peripherals are overpriced, proprietary Apple products?

 

Pretty much, and the drivers for non-Apple hardware components are custom made for the OS. In fairness though, the premium for Apple products, especially higher end machines, has decreased. When I purchased my Macintosh the difference between the comparable Dell model and my Macbook Pro was less than a couple hundred of dollars (bearing in mind that this slight difference only appeared to hold true at the time for the higher end models). The extra software and lack of the problems that I had with Windows was worth the small premium to me.

 

After dealing with Vista, I will never predominately use a Windows product again if I can help it. While Windows 7 improves on Vista, I still think it is overly bloated. I still like XP better although it is becoming readily outdated.

[James_OldeTowne]

I have almost all XP PRO at home, but I literally wore out my old laptop from the cataloging I do for Scotsman. No joke - they keys are worn down smooth with hardly any lettering still visible on them. So I bought a new laptop, and it came with 7/64, which of course is what's on everything these days.

 

I liked XP a lot, hated Vista, and am so-so on 7, and am contemplating a major shift to the Mac. We actually have one in the family (Mac Air laptop), and the dang thing cannot be crashed!

 

The stability (using XP for what, eight years?) is kind of like me in my coin collecting habits, and reflect the fact that I've been working largely the same dozen or so sets of about fifteen years now. However, unlike my PCs... I don't want to make wholesale changes in my collecting goals . I want the remain stable in that regard.

[Hard Times]

This question is kind of like PCGS vs. NGC - which side of the fence are you on?

 

My instruments at work run on Windows, which for ease of use and logic are simply terrible compared to Mac OS let alone chunky displays and graphics. But that is what the manufacturers use for software, too bad. At home, in my office at work, and on the bourse, all Mac, iMac's, a Macbook Air, and a Powerbook are all in the mix right now, possibly an iPad is in the near future. I still don't get why anyone would ever use a Windows based PC willingly, especially if one has ever spent time with a Mac, there is simply no comparison. I don't know anyone who ever spent time on a Mac crossed over to PC for primary use by choice, but I know many who have gone the other way and glad of it.

 

You see this in the scientific community - on average more than half of the scientists in my community use Mac's, yet Mac represents a much lower market share than half. The Mac users include the portion of the community who are extremely quantitative and are developing lots of source code to create complex models - these folks are almost completely won over to Mac.

 

So yes I believe that the kind of person I am for collecting is represented well by my choice of OS and PC.

[Chris1976]

XP outdated? only for almost a year now. Microsoft stoped issueing security updates for that platform about 2 or 3 months after Windows 7 became available. They do however still offer minor updates such as drivers for some of the newer hardware, but they had made an announcement a couple of months after Windows 7 became available to the public that they would no longer be sending out security updates for XP.

 

 

 

Currently I use Windows 7 on most of the PC's here, a couple of which were updated from Windows Vista Ultimate just to keep all of them chatting in the same language. It may be the way I use my PC's or something, I am not sure, but I have never had repeated crashes with any of them regardless of which version of Windows I had ran on them (some dating back to Windows 3, then upgraded to windows 3.1 then on to Windows 3.11, win 95a and b, win 98a and b, Win ME, Win 2000 pro, until current.) The oldest machine here still runs Windows 95a (mostly because its an old Pentium 33mhz IBM PS1 Model) that I use MS office (last issue on 3.5 floppy) just as a simple account manager machine that is not hooked up to the internet in any way.

 

Do I feel that my operating system choice influences my coin choices, not really, I have some that are worth only a few pennies, while others range in to the thousands. I like variety, holding myself to just one type of anything tends to become extremely boring to me. Same goes for my vehicles, I have a diesel truck, I have a classic camaro, a classic olds cutlass, Monte Carlo SS set up for drag racing, a mud bogger, multiple ATVs, etc. I will drive one for a while, then change to a different one depending on my mood. Everything except the ATV's are street legal with tags and insurance. Even the ATV's have insurance.

[robec1347]

.I guess Mac users don't have to worry about that since almost all of the peripherals are overpriced, proprietary Apple products?

 

By peripherals, I am assuming you are talking about the Epson printer and scanner I use for both my Mac and wife's Sony laptop or the Canon camera I can use with both machines at no extra cost. I've installed hard drives in my mac that are used in both platforms. No additional cost again. Also, no downtime. That is more proprietary to Windows. What other peripheral's and drivers does the average computer user use.

[jom]

Having been a user of a Mac from 1984 to 1999 and being a PC user since I see absolutely NO connection to my collecting "habits".

 

I presently use XP because I don't like moving to new platforms, although I have used W7 at work. I will be moving to W7 at home once I get the energy to re-up all my apps and stuff over...which is a large PITA.

 

jom

 

PS: As to XP being outdated: I get security updates all of the time so I have no clue why people think otherwise. In fact, MS is going to continue to keep XP up to date "security wise" for another year or two.

[Chris1976]

I stand corrected about the updates (for now). I was repeating what was told to our group at the local MS Partners meeting. Apparently they changed their minds:

 

"In an unprecedented move, Microsoft has committed to providing support services for its soon to be retired Windows XP through 2014 -- a full 13 years after the operating system was originally released. "

 

Copied from "Microsoft Pledges Windows XP support through 2014"

[Old Pueblo]

I remember that Gateway tower, Win 95 and a whopping 16 Megs of RAM

 

oooohhhh!

 

Now I have Imac, Win xp, win 7

 

 

[coinman_23885]

Having been a user of a Mac from 1984 to 1999 and being a PC user since I see absolutely NO connection to my collecting "habits".

 

I presently use XP because I don't like moving to new platforms, although I have used W7 at work. I will be moving to W7 at home once I get the energy to re-up all my apps and stuff over...which is a large PITA.

 

jom

 

PS: As to XP being outdated: I get security updates all of the time so I have no clue why people think otherwise. In fact, MS is going to continue to keep XP up to date "security wise" for another year or two.

 

I was unaware of this, and this was directly counter to what I had read in a major magazine or site like PC World or CNET. To be honest, I am very surprised that they are continuing to keep XP alive as many would refuse to upgrade to their newer OSes. While Windows 7, from my experience, appears more stable that Vista, I am not particularly impressed with either. Microsoft (and other software companies) have apparently latched on to the "more is better" approach and a lot of software packages (especially programs that are packaged with the OS) are much more bloated that it was a few years ago IMO. Apple may follow a similar trend, but I will say that I had three issues (including "freezes") within my first year of ownership when this was a semi-regular occurrence with Windows.

[coinman_23885]

.I guess Mac users don't have to worry about that since almost all of the peripherals are overpriced, proprietary Apple products?

 

By peripherals, I am assuming you are talking about the Epson printer and scanner I use for both my Mac and wife's Sony laptop or the Canon camera I can use with both machines at no extra cost. I've installed hard drives in my mac that are used in both platforms. No additional cost again. Also, no downtime. That is more proprietary to Windows. What other peripheral's and drivers does the average computer user use.

 

When I skimmed his original post, I overlooked the phrase "peripherals" and I just saw proprietary Apple products and assumed he was referring to other hardware instead of peripheral devices. There is much truth in a general statement about proprietary hardware (look at the new Thunderbolt ports, etc.) although much of this is changing, probably resulting in the lower premiums attributed to Mac prices than in the past.

[coinman_23885]

You see this in the scientific community - on average more than half of the scientists in my community use Mac's, yet Mac represents a much lower market share than half. The Mac users include the portion of the community who are extremely quantitative and are developing lots of source code to create complex models - these folks are almost completely won over to Mac.

 

So yes I believe that the kind of person I am for collecting is represented well by my choice of OS and PC.

 

The trend in the scientific community is what prompted me to originally buy my Mac (coupled with my dismay with Vista Ultimate). I have noticed that a lot more biologist have Macs while chemists that I have worked around tend to have more PCs. Does this concur with your observations (I think you mentioned previously that you were a chemist or chemical engineer), or are you seeing scientists universally moving towards the Mac?

[Hard Times]

You see this in the scientific community - on average more than half of the scientists in my community use Mac's, yet Mac represents a much lower market share than half. The Mac users include the portion of the community who are extremely quantitative and are developing lots of source code to create complex models - these folks are almost completely won over to Mac.

 

So yes I believe that the kind of person I am for collecting is represented well by my choice of OS and PC.

 

The trend in the scientific community is what prompted me to originally buy my Mac (coupled with my dismay with Vista Ultimate). I have noticed that a lot more biologist have Macs while chemists that I have worked around tend to have more PCs. Does this concur with your observations (I think you mentioned previously that you were a chemist or chemical engineer), or are you seeing scientists universally moving towards the Mac?

 

I am familiar with the 'Earth' and 'Space' community - 'Earth' appears to be more Mac oriented than 'Space'. Chemists may be in the same funk as I, at least those that have instruments which are mostly Windows based OS. I export all of my data away from the Windows platform on the instruments and process it in Mac OS.

[brg5658]

.I guess Mac users don't have to worry about that since almost all of the peripherals are overpriced, proprietary Apple products?

 

By peripherals, I am assuming you are talking about the Epson printer and scanner I use for both my Mac and wife's Sony laptop or the Canon camera I can use with both machines at no extra cost. I've installed hard drives in my mac that are used in both platforms. No additional cost again. Also, no downtime. That is more proprietary to Windows. What other peripheral's and drivers does the average computer user use.

 

When I skimmed his original post, I overlooked the phrase "peripherals" and I just saw proprietary Apple products and assumed he was referring to other hardware instead of peripheral devices. There is much truth in a general statement about proprietary hardware (look at the new Thunderbolt ports, etc.) although much of this is changing, probably resulting in the lower premiums attributed to Mac prices than in the past.

 

Kenny has clarified it more eloquently than I could have. My point was that Macs were for a LONG time relegated to the graphic design and publishing/newspaper business. They were functioning on their own technology, and Apple built an empire based on incompatibility with the non-PC world (a proprietary niche market). In the past few years, Macs now have Intel processors, and to my understanding computing is converging to a universal architecture/hardware. The "Mac" people talk about today is basically an operating system. The fundamental processing chip is the same as a Windows based PC, and the backbone of the Mac OS is a flavor of Unix.

 

In my experience, there is really little of anything a Mac can do that a Windows or Linux PC cannot also do, and vice versa. My personal preference is that I can't stand all of the superfluous animation and bubbly menu system of the Mac OS. But, I grew up cutting my teeth on command line computing.

 

Another shortfall of the Mac world has always been the dearth of software. In fact, the only way to run the industry standard software package used in my career as a research statistician is to boot your Mac to a Windows partition...they don't release a Mac version.

 

On the other hand, I own many Apple products, and have owned almost every generation of the iPod. They make quality products, no doubt. I just haven't jumped on the Apple bandwagon yet...