about the mac/ pc poll on the main page

[Minnesota]

minor nit-pic about the poll currently on the main page (10/30/07)
... there's no option for "Both"

RiffTrax Poll
Which computer platform do you use?
PC    79.5%
Mac    20.5%

Total votes: 112

[bettertomorrowamy]

Or those who run windows on their mac.

[torgosPizza]

Added "primarily" to the wording. Sorry for any confusion.

[AmandaGal]

Since technically a platform is more commonly referred to as an OS, I would like to see an option for Linux and to get nit-picky, PC isn't so much a platform as Windows since some PCs run Linux (and heck, even macs are personal computers if you want to get granular).

See definition:
The term platform as used in a computer context can refer to (1) the type of processor and/or other hardware on which a given operating system or application program runs, (2) the type of operating system on a computer or (3) the combination of the type of hardware and the type of operating system running on it.

And I don't think Mac or PC even fits 1 because it doesn't really tell you the type.  You can be running on many different processors on both systems.  Perhaps you should ask us in more detail about our processors and chipsets.


[and I'm mostly being facetious because I think it's silly to nit pick a poll]

[torgosPizza]

Although knowing your processors and chipsets doesn't do any good now that Intel has their chips in mac as well. Granted if someone says "Opteron" then you can be pretty sure you know the answer.

[bettertomorrowamy]

So what is the point of the poll then?  Do you want to know what operating systems we are running most, or what hardware we use?  Just asking.  I don't think it's a big deal.

[Minnesota]

*enjoys giving Torgos a hard time about a simple (fairly straightforward) poll*

...so anyone heard about the latest apple hack, couldn't it also be a PC running a Mac?

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139038-c,macos/article.html

[torgosPizza]

Haha you guys are jerks

But seriously ... when a developer says "cross-platform" that's what they mean - Mac OS vs. a PC OS, which is usually Windows, since nowhere near enough people use Linux or anything except for on servers. I think.

From Wikipedia:

In computing, a platform describes some sort of framework, either in hardware or software, which allows software to run. Typical platforms include a computer's architecture, operating system, or programming languages and their runtime libraries.

[AmandaGal]

Oh please, stop talking logical.

I want an option for Linux and for each individual build and while you're doing that, you might as well throw in Windows XP, Vista, etc (and there are like 20 versions of Vista so you better account for those).

I use Mandrake.  That better be there!

[Pak-Man]

Which one is Commodore Vic-20?

[RVR II]

Oh please, stop talking logical.

I want an option for Linux and for each individual build and while you're doing that, you might as well throw in Windows XP, Vista, etc (and there are like 20 versions of Vista so you better account for those).

I use Mandrake.  That better be there!

MAN! 
I'd be Scared to vote then, because I'd have to mark Multiple options + a description for feedback (and I'm sure that wouldn't be allowed anyway)