Anywho, Mr. Mike Doyle, you haven’t really explained what are your main NEEDS for an OS. I think the community that is frequenting your website, me included, don’t really know what to suggest to you. Do you do heavy programming, run a Server or are a webmaster among other things?

Also have you tried the OpenBSD platforms out there? As Apple’s base technology is based off of that, you could give that a go on a live cd and see if that fits your needs.

As I said before, find what you like, if Windows or Linux don’t cut it for you, Mac is always willing to welcome you back! [/sarcasm;bullet included]

My story is not different from yours. I’ve been a Mac user for the last 12 years, owned 6 macs, still using 4 of them. But the future seems grim.
When switched to intel, something just broke inside my heart. Exactly, an emotional response. But was it so emotional ?

When macs were running 904s we had the best personal computing platform I ever had my hands on. I’m talking about the PM 9600. It had a SCSI backbone, it was a war tank. It had twice the price of an equivalent PC, but it was worth it. Then came IDEs, off-the-shelf standards, price drops, and finally, Intel processors. I once had a rational argument to back my emotion and macevangelism (yes, I was a member of the cult). But now I don’t have it anymore.

Today I have a dillema: I use a 20″ G4 iMac, currently running Leopard. Apart from superdrive that has been replaced with an external burner, the machine is running flawlessly. The problem is: Apps for my legacy system are disappearing. I cannot use Silverlight, I cannot play EVE online. I have to change my machine. Which is something that we all have to do sooner or later. BUT, I feel extremely guilty in tossing out something that has a fantastic 20″ display and IS working.
I don’t want to buy a MacMini. It’s too limited for my use.
I don’t want to buy another iMac. I don’t want to toss another 20, 24 or 27 display. I don’t want to buy a PowerMac. It’s too expensive for what it is.
One option would be a PlayStation 3 running YellowDog Linux. But it’s far too geeky. Other than that, I’m not so much of a Linux fan. Experimented with Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Fedora and others with a PC I have just for the sake of it.
So now I face the future. It’s either Windows (XP or 7) or Hackintosh.
Hackintosh means an eternal fear of downloading updates. What will they break in 10.6.whatever… And I’m not sure I want to deal with that.

My action is NO ACTION. I’m not changing my machine, I’ll be purchasing external HDs. I’m waiting for the hackintosh thing to become more common. Even though PsyStar lost it’s battle, soon others will appear… And, who knows what Chrome OS reserves for us.

Lowendmac has a whole listing of “road apples” that Apple deliberately hobbled in the interest of cold hard cash.

It’s the old Windows world argument being raised again as if it were fact: Macs lock you in and you can’t do “insert whatever it is that you think can’t be done here.” Then, to make matters worse, after someone proves that your logic is flawed (you can’t run other music programs with an iPod comes to mind) with an ACTUAL LINK TO WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR, you dismiss them as whining unsupportive Fanboys. Even YOU admit that you can run Google or Office or whatever on your Mac or wipe the hard drive and run Windows or Linux – wow, the non-Apple choices appear to be limitless.

That’s what has people annoyed. These are Mac users who honestly feel they’re trying to help you. They even say they hope you find what you’re looking for.

It’s not that you’re trying to figure out what electronic universe best fits you that has the Mac people up in arms, it’s that you’re instead trying to figure out how to get rid of technology from one company as if it is some evil world-domination entity (which is a better analogy for Microsoft if you think about it).

I hear Dell is having a big after-Thanksgiving sale.