I want to buy a new machine finally, can't afford a Mac but a wary of buying a Windows machine given the virus problem. I was thinking of buying a cheapo Windows machine and putting Red Hat Linux on it. Does anyone run Poser on Linux here? I need to run Poser Pro, Adobe Photoshop 7 and Painter 7 for Windows... is this possible?

Buy and use a cheap windowsbased workstation and put it behind a secure linuxbox that controls your "network" (including internet). Because the linuxbox can be a very small one, that should be the cheapest security you can buy at the moment.

Talk to Penguinisto; he's had success with Poser and Win4Lin.

Why don't you go with Windows and just get a good Virus protection software. If you keep Windows updated and a good virus program updated you should have nothing to worry about.

momo I'd go with adp on this one.. set up the linux comp as a server.. that keeps nasties from whatever you run for a mian comp 8 ) Linux is progressing nicely.. and more emulators are being made every day.. but for network stuff it's still the least expensive and best bet 8 ) good luck

It's not only the virus-problem. Windows is like a potential, but starry-eyed little lamb. There has to be something that protects them against the bad world out there :)

Can you say Firewall? ;) Windows XP has one built in. Me personally, I use my router's firewall.

Been on the 'net with Windows for NINE years. Not one virus. Not one intrusion. Windows XP Home (Auto Updates and firewall both enabled) Norton anti-virus (Auto for email, manual for all else) Proxomitron Eudora (I don't enable IE for previewing) KISS

I use "the net" since the 80th. But that means nothing special. Some people may drive their car 50 years without touching anything. But... Because my matchines are containing a lot of valuable data, I do the best I can for security. MS makes a nice and allmost usefull workstation-BS. But for security, I better trust in other things. I think thats not the right place to discuss such things. I better go on and render some nice pictures :)

Well, excuse me, I should have said "I've been using Windows and the WEB for nine years." I've been using the 'net since the '80's too. It didn't start being called the 'web' until the browser was invented. The point is that with simple measures a Windows box can be safe. Momodot isn't looking for a server, just wants to run the programs we all run. Why add the complication of another OS layer, or buy a second pc when a simple firewall and anti-virus will do? It's silly.

I remeber fondly my first virus, on an Amiga 1000, sometime in the early to mid '80's "Somthing wonderfull has happened, your computer is alive, even better, it has a virus" "cool!" we all thought, "never seen that before..." Now while it's not technically impossible to get a virus under Linux, it is very unlikely, far more unlikely than on either the Mac or PC platforms. There is even some conjecture that Linux is not that much safer than windows, however in it's default build, as a home user system I would have to reckon that Linux is safer than Windows if only for what isn't switched on by default... That said, the choice of OS is more a religious one than anything else, and you will need to buy and configure other programs if you want to run PC programs. In fact you're probably better of buying a cheap box and using that as a DMZ of sorts, install just windows, a virus checker and a firewall on it, and only connect to the 'net with that. That way if it screws up it's simple to re-install. If all you realy want is Poser then you're better off sticking with windows. Just keep it off the 'net and individually virus check everything you download, and you should be fine. Just leave your "Poser" PC off the 'net, it's good to backup the stuff you've downloaded anyway, usefull for crash recoveries... :) later jb

I run Poser both in Windows (for the real big memory-crunching jobs), and in Linux (under Win4Lin emulation.)

Poser runs fairly well in Linux, but there are two caveats:

1. you have to get and use Win4Lin (available at www.netraverse.com for $99.00 ) - this will require that you have win98 or WinME to run within the shell as well.

2. while it runs great under Win4Lin emulation, it will only let you allocate 128MB of RAM to it, which means that for anything more complex than a single V3 character or two V1/V2 Vickies, things are gonna bog down a bit. It doesn't bother me too awful much because I can just create the single character, get it posed, then export it as an .obj file for Maya import (I have Maya 4.5 Academic for Linux, which costs only $450US)

I agree that it is silly to do an all-or-nothing approach, especially if you're not yet comfortable with how a UNIX-like filesystem runs things. However, you can have the safety and security of Linux, but still run Poser: Just set up a dual-boot system.

Stick in a second hard drive and put Linux on that. keep your current Windows partition, but remove the modem/network card/whatever so that it has no networking capabilities. That way, your computer is perfectly safe in Windows (no one gets in, no one gets out), and for mail/web/whatever, just choose the Linux OS when you boot, where the modem/NIC is active and you can surf in safety.

As for me, I finally managed to score a Macintosh w/ OSX, which I will park all my 3D/CG apps on, while my main desktop PC will go full-on Linux (Mandrake 9.1), with perhaps a tiny (say, 10GB) Win2k partition (with NO networking) to test some occasional C/C++ proggies and stuff with.

"The point is that with simple measures a Windows box can be safe."

As much as I hate to say it, no, that isn't quite the case. Those 'simple measures' require that you hit up Windows Update - a lot. It requires that you don't ever use Outlook Express for your mail (Mozilla works just fine, though...)

It also requires (if you want some privacy) to get and install Mailwasher or some other spam killer (OE will by default automatically respond to "urgent" spam mails, verifying the address handily), as well as AdAware to keep everyone and their dog from tracking your web usage. There is also the matter of getting and keeping current Norton AV, Sophos AV, or whatever AV software you desire.

To top it off, in Windows you may seriously want to consider shutting off the Messenger Service (to prevent the pop-up spams), NetBIOS/NetBEUI (to prevent someone from using NBT to pop your machine), and to purchase and configure a personal firewall (Linux needs one too, but has this already built-in and it self-configures while you install the OS.)

Compared to my *ix partition, and what friends who use Macs tell me, Windows is the most labor-intensive and the biggest PITA to get and keep secure... and it all goes for naught once the next buffer overflow in Windows itself is discovered.

Over the past 6 weeks for Windows 2000, you would have had to download 180+ MB of stuff from windowsupdate.com (including Service Pack 4) just to be protected from Blaster and etc... I'm not sure about XP, but I'm willing to wager that while it wasn't anywhere near as large, it was prolly in the double-digits.

If you're on a modem (and worse, in Europe or anywhere you're charged a tax on modem use), that's a pretty big expense in both time and money.

While Linux also has patches that come out (via RedHat's up2date utility), these patches are almost always smaller than most R'osity Gallery images, and even a cumulative patch over an entire year eats no more than 5-15MB, tops (and that's only if you want a new kernel while you're in there.)

I'm not preaching here, or arguing one OS against the other (Windows at this time is much, much easier to use for someone that is already used to it.) I'm just laying it all out in English.

/P

(As for bragging rights, my first e-mail addy was mill417avi@ttr.nellis.af.mil ...in 1990. :p )

When I say remove the modem/networking in Windows, I mean the drivers, not the physical item. Sorry 'bout the confusion. /P

No, Peng..it's not that complicated. Really. Read again what I use. I do have Adaware and have run it once a month or so and it never ever finds anything. :: And there is nothing wrong with running automatic Windows Update. The paranoia about that is really quite mind boggling to me. Filesize of the downloads was never a problem for me even on dialup. It works in the background, uses bandwidth only when it's available and stops and continues the transfers as necessary without interference. As for protection from the Blaster worm, even if you did NOT do the windows update, you would be protected from it by the XP firewill. And that firewall is the simplest thing. Off or on. Full stealth mode. The netbios thing is a one-time deal. GRC has instructions. Do it once and never worry about it again. We've been running virus checkers for years. So what's the big deal about that. I don't use Mailwasher or any spam filter. They add needless complications and sometimes filter out what you don't want filtered. I was getting up to 300 spams a day on my old 9-year-old email address. All to my inbox and it was easy enough to delete 'em.

And the XP firewall blocks Messenger pop-ups too.

" No, Peng..it's not that complicated. Really. Read again what I use. "

Compared to what little I have to do in the other OSes, it is :p

Yes, WindowsUpdate does run in the background, but the point is that it still takes time (and if you're in Europe, it takes money.) Also, you have to leave the machine on the 'net during the download, and until it's patched and rebooted, it's quite vulnerable during that download.

*"The paranoia about that is really quite mind boggling to me."

The Windows updates have a nasty habit of occasionally screwing up programs, so simply running them on automatic could wind up costing you more downtime than the viruses do.

Anyone here use 3DS Max? Those who do already know exactly what I'm talking about. For those who don't, check this thread out (PoserPros link) - otherwise, read Discreet's statement about it.

For home users, it isn't as common of course, but for sysadmins who run Windows servers (and especially companies with custom apps), they see it a whole lot more often.

Like I said... Staying secure online does get more complex on windows than other OSes. I have yet to run any patches on my box since I installed Mandrake Linux 9.1 on the critter, and even then the total patching right after install took less than 5MB and less than 5 minutes... and without rebooting even once. I don't have/need AdAware on my other OSes, no A/V proggies, no spam filters, no worries about opening mail at all, and since Samba is only on when you actually use it, NetBEUI emulation is off by default.

Quod Erat Demonstradium, it's far easier to maintain the other OSes WRT the Internet than it is Windows.

By the by: I forgot about XP's firewall, but why is it off by default?

/P*

Whatever, Peng. Continue to nitpick if you wish. I USE Windows, it is not something I grumble about every time I look at it. I'm comfortable, it's not a hardship, and, most importantly, my safety record is excellent. Especially with XP, it is a brand new ball game.

LOL - I'm not nitpicking, honest. I was just pointing out actual examples of why folks are getting sick and tired of Microsoft's operating system. If it works for you, then good on ye - honestly. I'm sure there are thousands of folks who will never see a virus on Windows no matter what they do to court one, whether they take precautions or no. OTOH, I'm sure there are thousands who have viruses (or worse) and don't even know it, or can't be bothered to even check. Not an accusation of any sort, mind - just a statement of fact. Besides, you don't see any posts in the Macintosh forum about how joe user just got bit by the umpteenth bug and is looking for ancient_thing.cr2 because the bug blew his hard drive up. If you want to carry your routine just to maintain a safe environment, go for it... some folks want better, and I've no problem with helping 'em do so, no matter what OS they eventually decide on. OTOH, very few folks here even want to bone up on the latest to come down the pike at bugtraq or Windows Update... not everyone is a sysadmin or into the geek thing. After all, time spent patching up a box is time spent not rendering, or time spent not playing Quake, or (insert one of a zillion fun things on- or off-line that most folks would rather be doing than hoping the latest patch doesn't bang-up their apps.) I have to maintain a pile of Windows boxes at work (where an OC-12 line tends to make them rather tempting targets, not to mention the ham-fisted care given them by students just starting to learn the things.) In my wee case, it would be nice to come home for once knowing that I don't have to do it all over again here (and that's in spite of a proxy, firewall, and etc. at work.) /P

heck, I use the CIA method..I have an 'air gap' on my Poser machine..no connects to the Internet, or even other computers..;) no viruses yet..;)
Isn't there something out there called 'Lindows'?..don't follow Linux as much as I should (even though Red Hat was developed about a mile down the road from work..;) thought it emulated Windows well enough that Gates had a serious Jones about it..;) Couldn't hurt to try; I seem to also remember that you can have several partitions under Linux, so you can use unused space on your hard drive (waitaminnit..this is the Poser forum..strike that..;)

"LOL - I'm not nitpicking, honest. I was just pointing out actual examples of why folks are getting sick and tired of Microsoft's operating system." 'Folks' consists of specifically who now? Nope, I consider that bashing. Peng..you have different problems and a different perspective from regular windows users who just want to run Poser. We're not dealing with servers and college kids testing their boundaries. We don't hang out with users of other os's for whom criticism of Windows is daily bread. I don't spend my time hunting down patches or worrying about intruders. I don't have to be a geek (though I tend to be one at times) to use Windows, but the knowledge I do have has helped make it simple for me and I like to pass THAT along to others.

Oh, wait, bragging rights :) I first typed into the internet in 1982. Univ of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana. Believe me I had no idea what I was doing. But I didn't have my own account and email until much later when I got my first Amiga which puts it in '88 or '89 when I got in through Portal.

I use Opera...and that darn thing keeps crashing and sweeping away all the preferences (and it's NOT a MS product).
I use Zone Alarm, and one time in around five I have to shutdown and restart it because the ADSL connection wouldn't want to came up after registering on the ISP (and it's NOT a MS product).

On the other hands: install the OS, install the latest SP, install the latest IE suite, and then set "read every mail as text" and "ask me if someone wants a receipt confirmation" in the OE preferences...lastly, switch off the WindowsUpdate function.
Done, you will NEVER have to worry about your Win2000 machine.
And using the firewall had done even more than a patch from MS (which I haven't even downloaded).

Well, I tryed Linux some years ago, I know how PCs work...
What a nightmare!!!
Is there something you can't get to work? Search the net for the docs...well...WHAT docs???
Ok, there are the newsgroups...do a search...find nothing...ask..."RTFM" was the more delicate answer (at least here in Italy)...but is it my fault if the newsservers kept only the last two months of messages (even less if they are English language newsgroups)???????
Finally I put my hands on the pockets and bought a couple of books, a hand palm high each...now they're obsolete, and if I reinstall Linux I have to restart over and over again with the above situations...
And if installing patches is time not spent in rendering, playing Quake and so on, you must state that even learning how that flag in the XXX config file works is time not spent in rendering, playing Quake and so on.

Now I let Linux in the security environments (where it belongs), and I'll continue to install a MS OS and do no more than ten tweakings, and don't worry for the time being (well, MSBlast caught me when I had to temporarily shut down ZA as stated above, when I restarted it it blocked the virus in no time, and I was able to remove infections without even read instructions...if there was something similar for Linux machines, I think i had to download the latest kernel, the latest upgrades, and recompile them only to learn I had to download and recompile the latest C libraries or the latest graphic libraries from an exotic server...............and so on).
Last note: I know well that sometimes even Linux has to be upgraded, crackers hit Windows machines as well as Linux systems (yes, Linux has its own flaws as well).

Attached Link: http://www.lindows.com/

"'Folks' consists of specifically who now?" Well, we can start here: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1107_2-5063035.html It's begun to creep into the mainstream (which is why I picked ZDNet as an example instead of, say, Linux Today ;) ) Like I said - it ain't bashing, it's just stating what appears to be a growing trend. "Well, I tryed Linux some years ago" Some years ago Linux was really only good as a server, not a desktop. Things have changed dramatically since then - you may want to check out what's out now from Mandrake, RedHat, or SuSE... Mandrake is the most user-friendly out of the pile (Mac OSX users already have an interface that looks and acts exactly like WindowMaker.) Sun Microsystems has also gotten into the act, promising a "Mad Hatter" release at the end of this year. To put it in persepective, Windows 2.0 was a complete dog... but 3.0 running atop DOS actually held promise, and was the first of many nails in Apple's dominance coffin. "Search the net for the docs...well...WHAT docs???" http://www.tldp.org (The Linux Documentation Project - generic stuff.) http://www.redhat.com (if you used RH.) http://www.mandrakeusa.com (if you use Mandrake) http://www.suse.com (if you use... well, you get the idea.) ...and if all else fails, http://www.google.com Without the web, just open a shell and type: man foo ("foo"=whatever command you want to know about) (not that tough, was it? :) ) "Poser 5 ran well slower than on XP and 3ds Max ran decent enough" That's because it's emulated... like running Tux Racer for Linux on Win XP. /P

To put it in persepective, Windows 2.0 was a complete dog... but 3.0 running atop DOS actually held promise, and was the first of many nails in Apple's dominance coffin.

Uh, what exactly did we Mac users dominate, and when were these salad days? I must have been asleep or something.

In the early to mid-'80s, before Macs were known as "Macs" :) /P

Hmmmm....Commodore was the biggest thing going during that time. This may sound nuts, but sometimes I REALLY miss my trusty C64's. :( BTW, ZDNet is a big forum for complainers. I used to hang out there in my hate IE phase.

Yes, Peng, WHAT docs.

When I had to configure my Internet connection, I searched for "connection", "net", "dialup"...nothing conclusive, my connection wouldn't come alive; finally (after some days), I stumbled across a newsgroup discussion about my same problem, and the very first five (yes FIVE) answers were "RTFM"...the sixth one who answered pointed the guy to an obscure document on how to configure devices, and guess what? In NONE of the docs I've just read there was something about the proper device port configuration, they all considered the reader a master of some obscure informatic discipline...something as "point the flag to your modem device", well, at least tell me where I can find this darn "modem device", I didn't even know the "device" dir...

All that I learned then was how to jump from a doc to another, as there was nothing that explained clearly the basis, until I bought the aforementioned hand palm high books.

Last thing I've done with Linux was an unsuccessful attempt in recompiling a new Kernel, I think it was unsuccessful 'cause my C libraries were out of date, and after reading the same answer all around ("you just have to type -compile and it all goes well") I decided to reinstall Windows and put my Linux disks in the bags...I want to use the computer, not to be used by it (and by the so-called "experts")!!!!

You know, noone has all the world knowledge, and all had been beginners; but if you, ex-beginner and now master, threat the new beginners in that manner, you are likely to lose some very proficient disciples (not you, Peng, I'm speaking in general :-))) ).

Ah, I installed the RedHat6 distro, I think it was an already decent one; don't know why, Gnome didn't even work, and the "other" GUI (you well know it, I think :-) ) never crashed or gave me a problem...pretty cool, uh??? :-)))))))
The "official" Linux GUI doesn't work, the "unofficial" and "abhorred" one runs like a charm...naaaahhhh!
Welcome to the idiosyncrasies of Linux, folks!!!

P.S. - Peng, don't take it personal, I HAVE to tell that after all these years reading "Linux is cool, Linux is fast learning, Linux is a charm, Linux here...Linux there...".

In the early to mid-'80s, before Macs were known as "Macs" :)

You mean back when 90% of the market share were 640K IBMs (and a handful of clones), all running WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3 and PC Paint? The IBM had a three year headstart on the Mac and the Mac barely penetrated the business arena, only getting into education because Apple dumped their inventory on Reagan-era cash-strapped public schools. Windows was inevitable, but to paraphrase, no one (outside of graphic design) ever got fired for buying DOS-based systems. Even PageMaker 2 was available as a DOS app. As far as today is concerned, there is a stable, easy to configure OS with NX under the hood and no necessity to ever use it. What it lacks is the ability to run x86 code natively, but if you don't have to use Bryce 6, Rhino or StudioMAX it isn't an issue (since the developers of Vue, Cinema4D, Maya, Lightwave, ZBrush, Wings3D, Blender, POVray et al don't seem cowed by the challenge of having to know more than one OS). IMO, Corel, discreet and McNeel are run by bean counters who think two or three more programmers on their respective staffs and a second CD press run is just too much of an expense to justify. A well-known game company I can't name coded its mercenary first-person-shooter games in Java so they could sell to both markets, management told them to stop because the Mac market wasn't worth it, and 2 years later they're having to pay a 3rd party to port their own games to MacOS (I'd name them, but the source would be fired). Sell Linux as a great, stable, powerful OS, just don't sell it as a friendly one yet.

Personally, Linux has yet to provide anything like a compelling case for switching though I always keep an eye on it. I agree that the work necessary to run a clean and secure Windows system is not as onerous as some feel. A firewall and virus checker, once installed are pretty much hands off with automatic updates. I subscribe to MS security bulletins and I check each one. In many if not most cases, the fixex are not relevant to my particular setup so I can safely ignore them. This does require a certain amount of knowledge but certainly running Linux isn't something that I would recommend to a neophyte either. As a developer, I have yet to see tools on the Linux side that can compare with Microsoft's. While there are some interesting productivity solutions in the open source community, I don't think that any of them at this point can match the polish and integration of the Office family. Of course, the primary reason for selecting any OS is the applications that it runs. No matter how secure or easy to maintain it is, if the apps aren't there, it's useless. Even with the huge body of Unix applications that Linux can potentially tap into, there just isn't any comparison in my opinion to Windows. While Linux is improving rapidly, there is still a decided lack in areas such as docimention, support and integration which are part of the Windows infrastructure. True, any techie can take a bunch of open source applications and cobble together a solution and use "Google support" to keep it running but that's not how the average user wants to spend their time. Yes, Linux on the desktop is coming on strong but Windows is not a static target either.

lucstef: As you said... "Years ago." Mandrake 9.1 detected and installed everything in one go here, and I built the box by myself. Duane: I have Maya 4.5 for Linux right now, and it works without bugs. I didn't know Wings3D had an OSX port, though... cool. A year ago I could not credibly say that Linux was friendly to the average Joe Sixpack... but things have changed dramatically since then. lmckenzie: I don't get it - the documentation comes on the CD's, they are as close as using the man command, and the site where the distro was released has all the documentation you need - indeed, the default web browser usually has all the locally-stored documentation for the OS set up as it's home page by default. All that's missing is the silver platter as far as docs are concerned. I agree as per integration to a point, but the reason Microsoft gets bit so hard by viruses is because it went overboard as per integration... MS just released yet another critical "must-have" patch because a flaw in their Office app (or VB, or Visio, or...) gives someone complete control of a machine. I'd personally hate to have that extreme level of integration on *ix (no matter what flavor.) Ah well - like I said earlier - if you like and enjoy Windows, good on ye. Some of us just want better. /P

Uh, yes, even the RedHat6 installed everything or so, just left out internet connections and CD burners...and noone told me that I had to "mount" CDs before use, and if the manuals and docs are in the CDs...............

The problem number 1 remains: if something goes wrong, where do you can get support if you don't have a clue how the doc and man system works???
And don't tell me that the upgrade of the kernel is a "just write -compile" task... :-)

Ok, the flaws in Windows...I think there are flaws in Linux too, but they aren't so well publicized and known: in example, I know for sure that Apache, if bad configured, is an open door to a system, even more of a bugged IIS, and not all have the ability to do a good configuration of an Apache server...such as not all can configure properly the IIS system.

Oh, well, yes, I'm a Win user who can live with its security limitations and has the time to actually WORK instead of run around all its config files, you're right ;-)
And if I have to reinstall, I can do that in about two hours included apps, not a bad thing if you haven't a LAN to administrate but a simple end user computer.
How many tasks you can do in two hours, if you have to reinstall the system? And don't tell me "Linux is installed only the first time", if you misread a conf file you can blow up your entire system (as I learned the hard way, when Linux won't even start...my fault, ok, but it can happen even to Penguinisto in a bad hairy day ;-))) ).

I'm ending here this discussion, we are waaaay off topic, but I want to be clear too: Linux is a GREAT O.S., but it's almost useless on an end user computer (unless he/she's a real "nerd" and wants to know everything about that metallic case).

As to documention, I think that the average user confronted with the 'Nix man pages would run screaming. There's more to documentation than quantity. The point is that Linux is still shows its Unix roots as a scientific/technical and academic OS which needs to become much more user friendly to replace Windows for the vast majority of end users. Now I've been using computers and programming since the late 70's, so I'm not a novice and I'm sure that I could grok all the ins and outs of Linux and build a level of knowledge equivalent to that I have in Windows, but that's really not how I want to spend my time. The latest issue of InfoWorld has an interesting article on the costs/benefits of Linux. Not surprisingly, they concluded that there are areas where it is more appropriate than others. No OS is going to be all things to all people. They had a funny tagline, "Faith based Computing." Too often, that's what it boils down to. Not to detract from the true value of Linux but it seems at times, there is more religious zeal in the community than warranted for a piece of software. If it does the job for you, that's a good thing. Linux may be the messiah of the desktop, but as they say, you have to have Good Friday before you can have Easter. IMO, the Linux desktop is still somewhere around Saturday morning.

I run Linux here for the stuff it's good at - namely we use one Linux box as a firewall (IPCop) and one as a webserver we use mostly to support older Perl apps we have for clients. The rest of our network is Windows boxen.

The WindowsXP systems:

They sit behind a firewall (if your on broadband you SHOULD have a dedicated firewall, a separate box or a router/firewall combo) and run Norton Internet Security. its a good firewall that also does a great job squashing viruses in email and so on and is a good Trojan killer.

They all run Outlook (not express) and IE (not Mozilla) and they don't get a single virus, ever. Norton checks all the incoming email and scripts in the browser and and would notify us if a worm did slip in when it tried to make a connection.

Nice and simple. All we have to do is keep updated (WindowsUpdate makes it trivial) and life is good.

The Windows Server 2003 systems:

We use those for SQL Server, IIS 6 and the ASP.NET applications we run for our higher end clients.

These are the frontline database and web servers out in the DMZ (though IPcop gives us orange zone protection there) are incredibly stable and secure. While you can secure a XP system easily, the 2003 boxes are locked down >tight< when they are loaded... and they make sure you know the implications of everything you add to them.

Once again, WindowsUpdate is your friend.

For the average user it is very, very easy to keep their Windows box secure. Though they made need some advice from  a geek friend it is nothing compared to what they would need to get a Linux system running and admin it :)

I like Linux. There are lots of reasons why someone may prefer it - but to use security as one of them is a red herring in my book. It is trivial to keep your XP box safe.

And the thought of giving up all the applications I know and love (Visio, Max, native Poser, Project, Outlook... the list goes on and on) makes me cringe.

grins User-Friendly & safety as a Windows concern?! hugs her Mac OSX all the way. :) I have my friendly Mac and I have a Terminal. I can get PC stuff to work as well. Get enough partitions and you can have quite a few different operating systems co-existing on the Mac. I find that a rather fun thought.

Penguinisto: the reason Maya's available for Linux is solely because a big-name movie studio pressured Alias to port it. Dreamworks recognized that Linux has a lower CPU overhead than Windows (and probably OS X) and wanted the fastest, cheapest possible render farm they could get for "Shrek." Alias made a decision based on how close they wanted to be affiliated with a major studio and well-known film, not the kind of business decision companies like Alias generally make. Porting to Linux is still believed a heftier task than porting to OS X (note I did not say MacOS or OS 9), and the rewards to be reaped haven't convinced enough bean counters, especially the ones at Windows-only application companies.