I think I have had one hardware failure. It was around 1998 when I lost a work hard drive. I have no proof, as to why I have not had any hardware failures, however I suspect it has to do with the Tripp-lite surge suppressor I have been using for 30+ years. About 20 years ago the transformer that was on a pole adjacent to my house blew up. I thought for sure my computer was toast. Not so. My computer survived. I believe it was the Tripp-lite surge suppressor. - Keith On 2025-05-04 20:44, David Schwartz via PLUG-discuss wrote: > Virtually all of my Windows machines have had failures between 24 and > 36 months. I don’t like having to waste my time and money on crappy > equipment. > > I value my time having to deal with crappy equipment and software > failures as far more valuable than the cost difference between windows > hardware and Apple’s hardware. Apparently there are people who > don’t value their time as much. I don’t see it as anything to brag > about. > > Between 2015 and 2022, my work laptops had to be replaced due to > hardware failures four (4) times. Most of them were from Dell. My > managers weren't happy that I had to sit on my thumbs for several > hours, and three days in one case, but there was nothing else to be > done. One project was sidelined for a week because there was a problem > on a Dell server and it took a week to get fixed. > > I still have an old dell laptop I got in 2003 that required a repair, > thankfully while it was still in warranty. I have an Acer Aspire from > 2019 that I let sit on a shelf too long, and now the CMOS battery as > well as the main battery are both dead. My MBP was long > out-of-warranty when I got this Acer, and it still works fine, in > spite of the battery bloating up. > > You can pay for insurance, pay out of your own pocket and time for > repairs, or you can just pay for better quality stuff. > > I prever the latter because it has been a lot cheaper in the long-run > for me. > > My Mac Minis have been running 24/7 since I got them. The only > problems I’ve had is they collect dust and I have to open them up > and take them apart to get all of the dust out. > > As far as being in a “jail” … I haven’t run into any issues > for the things I want to do, so I can’t really say. I hate doing > Admin stuff. There are some things I’ve messed up because I did > something wrong that was not undoable, but they’re not fatal issues. > > My Macs are like the Energizer Bunny … they just keep going and > going and going. > > I used to love hacking on hardware and playing with beta code, but > that got old around 2002. I tolerate it with employers and clients > because they’re paying me either way. But for my own stuff, I prefer > things that just keep on running. > > -David Schwartz > >> On May 4, 2025, at 10:48 AM, Matthew Gibson via PLUG-discuss >> wrote: >> >> Because apple is a more snobby club than microsoft. And since I can >> install linux on just about anything I can purchase for a tenth of >> what I would pay for an apple device. Why spend more money? >> >> There's also the perceived notion that you the user are not trusted >> to own your device and understand the nuts and bolts of it as an >> admin. Or has that gotten better in recent years? Can you make >> whatever changes you want or are you still in a jail? >> >> On Sun, May 4, 2025, 1:08 AM David Schwartz via PLUG-discuss >> wrote: >> >>> Would someone kindly tell me what’s so special about their >>> favorite version of Linux is versus MacOS, which is a BSD Unix >>> derivative? >>> >>> I’ve think I’ve mentioned my harem of Macs: >>> >>> * 2014 Mac Mini >>> * 2014 MacBook Pro >>> * 2018 Mac Mini >>> * 2024 Mac Mini >>> >>> They’re all still working just fine, except the MBP’s battery >>> is bloating up for the 2nd time. (I hardly use it and if you keep >>> it plugged-in, the battery bloats up.) >>> >>> I get newer ones because they get faster, handle more RAM and SSD, >>> and the OS can’t be upgraded past a certain point. Which is why >>> I keep the older ones around. (The older ones let you upgrade RAM >>> and some the SSD. With the newer ones, you’re stuck with what it >>> comes with.) >>> >>> One of them (2018) has a VirtualBox VM on that runs Win10 that I >>> do all of my Windows-dependent stuff on. I don’t see why I’d >>> need to upgrade it to Win11, and nobody here has given me anything >>> worth considering. >>> >>> BTW, I have an older Acer box (maybe from 2000) that’s a bit >>> smaller than an old Mac Mini that runs Win XP; if anybody wants it >>> to run Linux on for some reason, let me know. >>> >>> My point is, the hardware gets old, sometimes degrades (ie, the >>> battery on the MBP), the latest OS and apps can no longer be >>> upgraded, but it still works fine if you want to keep using it. >>> I’m not sure why my older Mac Minis still keep running but >>> everybody thinks my Win10 machines are going to turn into nuclear >>> bombs in a few months just because MS stops updating them. Cripes, >>> do you know how hard it is to keep Windows from constatly updating >>> itself anyway? MacOS keeps asking even though it’s says it >>> can’t if I say OK! >>> >>> I have apps on both my 2014 and 2018 Mac Minis that will stop >>> working if I upgrade the OS, so I refuse. >>> >>> And now it seems you can’t run VMs on M-series CPUs that contain >>> any version of Windows unless you use one specific version of >>> Parallels with an ARM-based version of Windows, and it reportedly >>> runs slower than crap. >>> >>> Just for fun, I went from 36GB of RAM to 64GB in my 2018 model and >>> where before the fan would constantly be running, now it never >>> comes on. >>> >>> Macs run Unix. It’s not like I’m a crazy-ass Mac fan — I >>> just find them to be WAY more stable than Windows machines. >>> >>> When I need to get down to the command-line, the *nix shell is FAR >>> more powerful than the DOS Command line. But I rarely ever need to >>> do that on ANY of them lately. I think the only reasons I’ve run >>> the Mac’s Terminal is to use the shell to find some specific >>> files because find piped into grep works a whole lot better than >>> the search bar in the Finder. >>> >>> So while I understand (and share) the “anti-Windows” >>> sentiments here, I don’t get the “pro-Linux” but >>> “anti-Mac” attitude because Macs are all Unix machines at >>> their core. >>> >>> I’ve tossed out maybe a dozen DOS and Windows machines in my >>> life. My first Mac (a first gen Intel iMac) died and I actually >>> sold it on eBay for almost $500! I’ve bought and sold some other >>> Macs and never had to toss a single one into the trash. I’m not >>> eager to replace the battery on my MBP again, but it will still be >>> way cheaper than a new MBP. >>> >>> -David Schwartz >>> >>>> On May 3, 2025, at 4:10 PM, Keith Smith via PLUG-discuss >>> wrote: >>>> >>>> Thanks Rusty!! I agree!! >>>> >>> >>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> --------------------------------------------------- >> PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >> https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss