Win vs. Mac: the current state of play?

1
Hi all,
I wish to use the Psychophysics Toolbox and the Eyelink toolbox for my
experiments, but I am unsure whether I should go with a Mac or a
Windows-based PC (I will be purchasing a new PC, so I have the benefit of
choice). I have more experience in the Windows environment, but understand
that the Windows versions still contain bugs. The PTB website provides a
list of functions that are not currently implemented (or bug-free) in the
Windows versions, but having not used the PTB before, it is not clear to me
how this translates to limitations in the control and design of paradigms.
When are new Windows versions of these toolboxes likely to be released?

Adam
2
If you go with Windows, you won't have to use the EyeLink toolbox. You can use Matlab's
DAQ toolbox instead and a National Instruments card. That's what we do where I am
post-docking now, and I used that system with a Bouis tracker for my dissertation
research.

Paul D. Thiem, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
San Francisco CA

--- In psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com, "franswcornelissen" <f.w.cornelissen@m...>
wrote:
> Dear Adam,
>
> I can give you my view on your choice.
>
> For running eyelink experiments, your choice at present is between running mac OS9
and
> windows. OSX, is, at present not an option (unless you're a (very) savvy unix/
> mac programmer, in which case there are other options).
>
> The OS9 version of the EL TB in combination with the PTB, when running NATIVELY (so
not
> under classic) is a very reliable tool for doing eye-movement experiments (imho). It
works
> well with both EL I and II. But you would need to buy an older mac to run your
experiments
> (currently, none of the new macs will run OS9 natively anymore).
>
> The windows version is also quite decent, but there are some limitations to both the EL
> and PTB's. But perhaps others can comment on how serious these are. (One PhD in my
lab
> insists on using the windows version so it can't be too bad.....).
>
> If anything will happen with respect to the ELTB it will be that an OSX version will come
> out. But it may take a while, unless someone volunteers to work on it now (anyone?).
The
> same goes for windows, unless someone volunteers to do it, I don't think we'll work on
> improving the WIN version. At present, we simply do not have the resources to do so.
>
> My biased advice: go for OS9, and buy an older mac (cheap) to go with your flashy new
G5
> (that you can use to analyse your data very quickly ;-) and in the meantime learn the
tricks
> for working with the OSX PTB. In a year (or so), switch completely to OSX.
>
> gr.
> Frans
>
>
> --- In psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com, Adam Morris <morrisa@u...> wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > I wish to use the Psychophysics Toolbox and the Eyelink toolbox for my
> > experiments, but I am unsure whether I should go with a Mac or a
> > Windows-based PC (I will be purchasing a new PC, so I have the benefit of
> > choice). I have more experience in the Windows environment, but understand
> > that the Windows versions still contain bugs. The PTB website provides a
> > list of functions that are not currently implemented (or bug-free) in the
> > Windows versions, but having not used the PTB before, it is not clear to me
> > how this translates to limitations in the control and design of paradigms.
> > When are new Windows versions of these toolboxes likely to be released?
> >
> > Adam