I need a new Mac for some specific OSX requirements that I need 1% of the time but for the rest of the time I need Ubuntu, I usually I stick to the LTS releases. I am open to the Mac mini, Macbook air, Macbook Retina, iMac, whichever is most likely to give me the least amount of frustration in terms of hardware compatibility. I'm not concerned about cost or any other factor. I want to run Ubuntu on bare metal, not within a VM. Any advice?
3 Answers
Here's the deal there is no answer for this question, since you can't back anything up with a fact.
I feel that the Power mac G3 is the best Mac for Ubuntu, but I guess you don't.
My point is that you can't say that "this is better to buy than that", since older models are more likely to have been implemented in Ubuntu. Here's a list of the macs you wanted to buy and the operating systems supported.
Since you have not stated what version of the Macs you want to buy (new or old) I have to give you the general links.
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What do you mean I can't back anything up with a fact? I thought that perhaps some hardware lines were more popular with developers who have taken it upon themselves to fix some of the driver issues etc, that is all.– MichelleJan 20, 2013 at 9:23
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I would probably recommend a MacBook air (or possibly a Mini, but I don't have any experience there).
In my experience, any Ubuntu on Apple hardware setup is going to require some configuration to really get it working ideally, but avoiding the very latest hardware and the hardware with multiple graphics chipsets will eliminate quite a few headaches.
The other "gotcha" you're likely to run into is so much incorrect and conflicting advice on how to boot the system, in regards to EFI vs BIOS compatibility mode (a similar thing is happening right now in PC advice with UEFI entering the market). Once you get your Mac, highly recommend reading the documentation on the Refind EFI boot manager, which should help quite a bit in getting you started with a native EFI boot.
I use My Mack Book Pro 6.2 and It works quite well. Apple does some weird things, but a MBP works quite well. Be aware that when new hardware is released it takes a while to get the changes into the kernel. I know the latest MBAs have a couple of problems and the Retina has a few minor issues.
I still recommend the MBP, but that may be bias.