[LAD] Kim did the switch to Linux

Ralf Mardorf ralf.mardorf at alice-dsl.net
Wed Aug 5 12:32:30 UTC 2009


Steve Harris wrote:
> On 5 Aug 2009, at 10:57, Ralf Mardorf wrote:
>
>> victor wrote:
>>> I note, interestingly, that even though in Linux circles (at LAC for
>>> instance), people keep mentioning MS Windows as a rival OS,
>>> for us it's really Apple and OSX that constitutes competition these
>>> days from the proprietary side of things.
>>>
>>
>> A lot of professional studios changed from MacOS to Windows and more and
>> more of the professional studios still change from MacOS to Windows.
>> This isn't an opinion by me, but what I hear if I get in contact with
>> people I know from my jobs I did some years ago. A lot of devices e.g.
>> measuring instruments changed and still change from Linux to Windows.
>> I'm unemployed but still know people who still work in those businesses.
>> I know, there are some famous examples where companies change to Linux,
>> but this isn't the standard.
>
> That may well depend on where in the world you're based, it doesn't 
> seem to be the case in the UK. I'm still in touch with a number of 
> non-geeky music people here, and they pretty much all use Macs.
>
> - Steve

I worked for e.g. Brauner and have still contact to some people who work 
for companies like this. The largest market for professional audio are 
the UK and the USA, this are the countries where the most wanted studios 
and audio engineers for commerce are. Even in Germany most people prefer 
Lady Gaga instead of German independent music and in the USA there's 
Hollywood, there are no other countries such important for proprietary 
stuff like the UK and the USA. Never heard any thing about Lady Gaga, 
maybe she's using MacOS or Linux ;). When I was working for such 
companies some years ago, the studios preferred MacOS, that's true. I 
don't have any insight myself any more, but I can't belief that what a 
friend and credible people reported me will be wrong. In Germany there 
are a lot of small professional or semi-professional Studios, that use 
Apple + Pro Tools, but "it's said" that charts and film industry changed 
to Windows, very often by using latest Steinberg Software.

For desktop computers in Germany I now by my own observations, that 
Windows is in the top position. And in addition Windows is used with 
cracks and expensive bought software. FLOSS or good less expensive 
software for Windows seldom is used. If I would use Windows, I e.g. 
would use GIMP there too, but most people are using a cracked or a 
bought version of Photoshop. It might be that Photoshop has some 
features GIMP don't has, but I know full-time Comic Artists who changed 
from MacOs to Windows and they stay at Photoshop, just because of being 
afraid that FLOSS or less expensive software would cause more troubles.

The original cause for them to choose Apple instead of PCs were similar 
prejudices. Apple was and is more expensive, that's why it must be 
better and "everybody knows how buggy Windows and Intel" were ;). Today 
they understand that Apple is expensive, makes more trouble for most 
needs, so they changed to Windows. Windows can be buggy, Intel CPUs 
never were more buggy than other CPUs and compatibility between Macs is 
the most worse and most expensive somebody can imagine. Maybe not for 
computer freaks, but for users.

Is there any better software (not heed the philosophy of FLOSS) than the 
Steinberg software for home recording and professional recording? 
Excepted for people with special needs, who don't need many features, 
there sure is Linux and other Mac and Windows software that's very good. 
For professional usage there are still some products that have a more 
prestigious name, but Steinberg.

I always hear about Nuendo on Windows as the most common solution for 
studios. For home recording it might be Cubase because of widely spread 
cracks.

I very seldom hear about Windows with other software or Mac or Linux for 
audio work.

I don't know any statistics. It's possible that I'm wrong, but I'm 
convinced I'm right ;). So, no stuff for a dispute, but it would be 
interesting to know the truth.

Your impression has nothing to do, with the fact that you are a POSIX 
man yourself and that you might have a lot of friends that prefer POSIX, 
e.g. Linux or for proprietary software Apple? Btw., what software do you 
think or know do most people use for audio on Mac?

Dunno. If you or anybody else like to reply, this might be something 
that should be done off-list ;).

Cheers,
Ralf



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