On 20 Jun 2007, at 13:53, Richard Bensley wrote:
I have been a bit busy, so I am just scanning the list, but yes you would find a lot better help in general with Linux guys and gals, and since OSX is UNIX, you will find many including myself are mac users.
Yes! I feel so validated!
I was surprised to find out MUGs even existed!
My immediate reaction had been "I am now on the Mac platform, I need to find out where the Mac users are". But I kept falling over the advocacy-zealotry and the fact that everybody within 60 miles or so of me seemed to be Mac-ghetto rather than my (admittedly-untypical) switch pattern of "20 years Windows followed by crash-and-burn Linux switch-unswitch, followed by more Windows, followed by: what I actually want is Gorgeous Consumer Stuff and consistent UI to feed the dumb user and Unix to feed the beginner geekery. I shall get a Mac"
I hasten to add that I did not crash-and-burn on Linux because I think it's invariably a Worse Operating System for Everyone than the others, but because I switched too early and far too fast with no advice or local support, and unswitched. Am currently giving advice on LJ to a Mac user thinking of Linux dual-boot that she will almost certainly find it an unrewarding experience because dual-boot works for almost nobody (I'm fairly sure that this is likely to be the case for Macintel as well, but have no actual data as my box is G4), and that she'd have far more luck buying a cheap secondhand laptop for Linux 'play' and 'switching sideways' so that she can retreat to the user-comfort-zone between fits of geek-fu.
Our meetings are the second Thursday of every month int he Reindeer Pub (dereham road) in norwich, but there is also an Ipswich group which meet every 3rd Monday I think?!? But of course you and Adrian would be most welcome, conversations and topics (as you have proven) are vast!
Went to the Ips group this week, and noticed that even though I couldn't get any help with the problem I _thought_ I was going for, the group is a far better fit for me personally than ghetto-Mac. May consider coming to the Norwich group for social reasons if I haven't frightened you off yet :-)
Regards, Ruth