What to do with PC now I use my Mac more?

ManannanMacLir · 24-08-2012 3:11pm #1

A few years ago I custom built my pc and used pretty good components, Intel Core 2 Duo 8500, AMD Radeon HD 4850, Dell 2209wa monitor. It has 64-bit Vista and still runs great. A few months ago, however, I got a top of the line macbook pro and have begun to use it more and more.
What I want to know (from a developers point of view) is what you think I should now to with the PC, i.e. leave it with windows, switch it to Linux (if so, which variant), create a 'hackintosh'?
I'm thinking Linux since I'm an electronic engineer getting further into software development and it might be worth my time knowing Linux.

srsly78 · 24-08-2012 3:31pm

You need windows to do windows development, which is still a huge portion of jobs out there. Mac development is very much in the minority - you only need it for the iphone. Sure lots of people use macs to do web development, but windows would also be fine for this.

Also there are loads of electronics design packages for windows. Housemate here is moaning about some expensive package he has to use that only works on xp

Colonel Panic · 24-08-2012 4:38pm

If you have a high end laptop, just get VMWare or Parallels and virtualise whatever OS you want to develop in. Give the PC away.

tatrman · 24-08-2012 10:11pm

Colonel Panic wrote: »

If you have a high end laptop, just get VMWare or Parallels and virtualise whatever OS you want to develop in. Give the PC away.

I would highly advice against this. You wouldn't have a that powerful laptop to effectively run other system to do serious software development. Laptop is meant for something else.

If you want to get into linux than get rid of vista and have fun.

Recommended. Download ubuntu it does have great community so you wouldn't be left with problem alone.

Colonel Panic · 24-08-2012 10:42pm

I do a large amount of development in a Windows 7 virtual machine running on a laptop so I dunno what you're talking about. Of course there are plenty of instances where a virtual machine won't cut it, but there are always exceptions and we don't know what the OP is developing.

tatrman · 25-08-2012 11:19am

Colonel Panic wrote: »

I do a large amount of development in a Windows 7 virtual machine running on a laptop so I dunno what you're talking about. Of course there are plenty of instances where a virtual machine won't cut it, but there are always exceptions and we don't know what the OP is developing.

I'm not saying it's not possible, but advising the guy to get rid of fully capable desktop computer and get WM on laptop to try software development possibly in linux is like advising him to buy a trailer behind personal car if a lorry is parked in backyard.

fcrossen · 25-08-2012 12:12pm

+1 on stick-ubuntu-on-it.

I did about 4 years ago after a motherboard was swapped out on my lappie. Windows 2008 refused to boot with the new mobo - I couldn't even tell if Ubuntu noticed.

I never turned back.

I rarely have a need for Windows these days, but if I do I use Virtual Box.

Clanket · 25-08-2012 9:05pm

Have a look at Linux Mint if you decide to go the Linux route. I've just installed it on an old PC at home and it's great. Comes with lots of codecs and looks quite similar to Windows OS.

You could also set it up as a dual boot machine if you don't want to totally abandon Windows.