Why is OSX Tiger so reliable?

Question

Level 2

373 points

Why is OSX Tiger so reliable?

I've been playing with Apple's for about 20 years going back to the Apple IIgs. I've owned many Macs, but did not switch to OSX until May of 2005. In my experience it has been very reliable and almost never crashes.

OS 7-9 crashed often, and I was always getting crashes at bootup (with my Performa) and I think that Norton's garbage caused many crashes. So I have refused to install any Norton stuff on my ibook. But I am told that I dont need them.

I bought Tech Tools Pro July 2005, but almost never use it. Tech Tools 2.x for OS 8-9 I used often, as I often had crashes.

I did have a Mac on my Mac called Rewind, and I used that a few times to restore my system. But it eventually slowed down my Mac, and caused other issues, so I dumped the product. Power On wants to escape embarrassment, and no longer lists the product anywhere on their website.

I bought Retrospect also in July of 2005 (wont take any chances with any shareware backup apps) I got the upgrade price since I have been using Retrospect for OS 8.1-9.x for many years. But I have yet to restore my ibook with Retrospect.

In my experience with OS 7-9, I had crashes, bombs, restores, and it was not uncommon for me to be yelling, screaming, and even hitting my Mac after crashes.

Extensions usually always caused me problems, and in those days it was so easy to modify and tweak the os, so I got more crashes. ResEdit also was a contributor to my crashes.

So why is Tiger so reliable, or is my experience niche? Have the rest of you experienced the same thing?

Tiger has gotten me angry a few times, but this is very minimal in comparison. I mean its so reliable!

After 9 years of Macs, my folks finally got tired of the crashes, bombs, and other issues of their ancient Performa 6116 and moved to Windows XP in late 2004. Their computer is so much more reliable than that old bugger Performa. But still XP crashes, and is not as reliable as Mac OSX.

But I admit XP is much more reliable than the ancient Windows 98 which runs on my PC laptop. But nothing can compare to OSX.

John

ibook 12 G4 1.2 ghz (512MB RAM) (UPGRADED 5/25/05 FROM PERFORMA 6360), Mac OS X (10.4.7), Also own Zire 72, Compaq Armada 1700, HP Jornada 720

Posted on Jan 31, 2007 8:22 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Jan 31, 2007 8:38 PM in response to John Wolf

It's not really. My OSX crashed twice today.

Reply

Answer 2

Jan 31, 2007 8:55 PM in response to John Wolf

I've never had a problem with OS X, any version. No crashes, kernal panics, etc. Apple has found how to make a very stable system after years of trouble.

Reply

Answer 3

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Jan 31, 2007 9:00 PM in response to Gnarlodious

Gnariodious,
That is not the comman everyday experience. If you aren't having a positive experience with Mac OS X, chances are you have either data corruption, bad driver files, or bad hardware somewhere. Please start a new topic thread so someone can help you.

Reply

Answer 4

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Jan 31, 2007 9:03 PM in response to Gnarlodious

I have had at least five Macs at any one time, and none of them has ever crashed in over four years of using OS X. I'd call that pretty reliable.

Reply

Answer 5

Mika

Level 2

350 points

Jan 31, 2007 9:29 PM in response to John Wolf

I've used Panther (on an early Mac Mini) and then Tiger (on the iBook) for the past year. Never had a crash. I repair permissions every couple of weeks, and that's it.

On my old iMacs using OS 8.6 and OS 9.1, I still have to rebuild the desktop and run DiskWarrior on a regular basis to keep them running properly. Still have an occasional freeze.

I was slow to embrace OS X, but now I'm glad I did. Love it!

Reply

Answer 6

Dr. Smoke

Level 9

56,586 points

Jan 31, 2007 10:08 PM in response to John Wolf

Hi, John.

You wrote:

"So why is Tiger so reliable…"

It is a collection of advancements that have made Mac OS X the most reliable Mac OS ever. You should read Mac OS X Technology Overview.

For example, the advantages provided by the Core OS layer all address improved reliability.

Consider just one Core OS feature: protected memory. Prior to Mac OS X, one had to rely upon developer's creating applications that were "good citizens," i.e. not overwriting the memory occupied by other apps or the OS. Frequently, crashes and hangs under Mac OS 9 and earlier were — at the root — caused by a third-party app or extension stepping on the memory of another running app or bit of the OS. When only the kernel can write to RAM — vs. some app scribbling directly to RAM — such problems are avoided.

You wrote:

"…in those days it was so easy to modify and tweak the os, so I got more crashes. ResEdit also was a contributor to my crashes."

Making it harder to "tweak" helps prevent self-inflicted wounds.

Unfortunately, there's still bad third-party code being written in an attempt to restore some of the "tweakability." IMO, such hacks are best avoided if reliability is what one values. If one's livelihood depends on their Mac, "reliable and boring" beat "cool…when it works."

Good luck!

😉 Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

Reply

Answer 7

John Wolf Author

Level 2

373 points

Feb 2, 2007 6:47 AM in response to Dr. Smoke

In the days of OSX I am avoiding installing apps that make my Mac look like Windows, or drasticially modify the OSX interface. They were everywhere in the OS 7-9 days, and may still be aroudn for OSX. But I wont install them. If I want a Mac I'll use a Mac. If I want Windows I will use Windows. I wont install third party garbage that makes my Mac look like Windows.

The developers of this trash usually are the only ones to say that their product causes no problems. But they are not telling the truth and just want to sell their product.

John

Reply

Answer 8

John Wolf Author

Level 2

373 points

Feb 2, 2007 6:49 AM in response to Mika

This was common for me as well. OS 7.1-9.1 were not the most reliable.

Although I do miss some features of OS 9.1, I wont take it back, because OSX is tons more reliable.

Reply

Answer 9

Feb 2, 2007 7:14 AM in response to John Wolf

I've gone through Jaguar, Panther and am now on Tiger and have had exactly one crash in all those years. That was with Panther and I had just added some bad RAM to my system. Once I corrected that, my crash free experience has continued. Unfortunately, none of my Windows using friends will believe me when I tell them this.

Rick

Reply

Answer 10

Klaus1

Level 9

52,879 points

Feb 2, 2007 7:51 AM in response to Richard Segedi

Unfortunately, none of my Windows using friends will believe me when I tell them this

Annoying isn't it?! They think it just the usual 'Mac propaganda'!

I have only been on OSX (Tiger) for 11 months, since I got this computer (jumped straight from OS 8.6!). No crashes, only two kernal panics. OK, I update everything as soon as updates become available, and I do the recommended maintenance, but even so, it really is nice to have a reliable computer that actually does what I mainly bought it for: home movies on to DVD.

Reply

Answer 11

Dr. Smoke

Level 9

56,586 points

Feb 2, 2007 4:47 PM in response to John Wolf

You wrote:

"I am avoiding installing apps that make my Mac look like Windows, or drasticially modify the OSX interface."

I believe you're wise to do so.

There's also a good bit of code dedicated to "restoring" Mac OS 9 features that were omitted from Mac OS X. Some of it is very shaky code and, IMO, best avoided. It's better to learn the "Mac OS X Way" vs. attempting to weld the "chrome bumpers" of Mac OS 9 and earlier onto the modern sports car that is Mac OS X. Change is difficult, but usually for the better. There's nothing from Mac OS 9 that I miss in Mac OS X.

Good luck!

😉 Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

Reply

Answer 12

Feb 2, 2007 5:10 PM in response to John Wolf

I have been using OS X since the days of the first release. Yes I installed 10.0 on two of my Macs right away. By the time 10.1 came out I had it on three Macs and by the time 10.2 came out I had it on 5 Macs. In that time I have only had two kernel panics and both of those were due to failed hardware. I have not had any kind of application failure or system failure in better than three years.

My wife is the download queen and even with all the garbage that she downloads and installs, her Mac , with 10.4.8 has never crashed, had a kernel panic, or any other issue. She has more third party downloaded junk than you can possibly imagine on that thing. I am amazed that she hasn't had problems. She never does any maintenance on it either. It amazes me that it works at all!

In my opinion it is hard to beat OSX for reliability. My windows using friends just thing I am some sort of Mac fanatic when I tell them how reliable things have been for me.

Reply

Answer 13

Feb 2, 2007 5:38 PM in response to Gnarlodious

Hi Gnarlodius,

In re your post:

It's not really. My OSX crashed twice today.

The only time mine ever crashed in several years using OS X, the problem turned out to be hardware (RAM in my case). You might want ot check out your hardware.

Good luck,

Rick

Reply

Answer 14

Feb 2, 2007 7:09 PM in response to John Wolf

To actually answer your question...OSX is reliable because it is based on unix, one of the most solid and stable operating systems ever created. When OSX first came out, Apple was criticized by many because unix is not a "new" OS and since OSX is unix based, it could not really be considered new. It was said that "all" Apple did was to put a pretty face on it. Nevertheless, this OS has proven to be one of the best "marriages" in the history of personal computing.

Reply

Answer 15

John Wolf Author

Level 2

373 points

Feb 3, 2007 1:34 PM in response to Dr. Smoke

OS 9 and earlier had a few advantages, but nothing to hassle about. For ne I miss the ability to encrypt files right within the finder, and I miss a few other features I cnat think of at this time. But nothing major. I wont hassle with it, like I did to OS 9 and why I was always getting crashes on my Performa 6360. I hit that computer so many times in anger after a crash. I could have gotten so much more school work done in so much less time. But it took me a long time to do work on that machine, because it crashed all the time and I was always trying to fix it.

Reply