Mach3 vs Mach4

[JAZZCNC]

End of the day it shoudn't be about the OS and that's not the case for me.! . . . Like I say couldn't careless if it run Wonker vision.
My machines only run MS OS because thats whats needed to run Mach3 and they don't have anything else what so ever installed.

All folks want is a controller that is easy to install, setup and ultimately easy enough to use. They can't or don't want to mess about with OS issues or learning some coding skills to make it work like they would like. They want sympathetic help when they are challenged not made to feel like idiots because they can't do the lingo.!! . . . . Like John this has been my experience and feed back form others with the EMC or linux CNC crew in the past.

They both work Well just Mach suits newer users and experienced users alike better IMO.

[John S]

I mentioned before about the screens and was taken to task by an experienced Linux user who told me it was quite simple and sent me three pages of code to alter the screen but no instructions on what to do with the code or where to put it.

OK to him that was simple but I don't even have to write G Code in this day and age.

It would be nice to just get a system that loaded up and ran but why cannot they do this after all these years ?

As regards CV, a friend of mine who is a programmer, looks after windows and linux systems has this on his machines as well as Mach.

He's done tests and filmed then using same file, same machine, same code, same everything and M3 outperforms LinuxCNC on his router, you can see it slowing for corners.

However on his lathe LinuxCNC beats M3 hands down, especially as M3 is useless at threading with the one slot encoder.

[birchy]

Obviously the OS is more important than the software. If the OS is unstable or unreliable, then we can't expect any software to be stable. But yes, at the end of the day all we need is a CNC controller. I guess that industrial machines use dedicated hardware and software, whereas Mach, LinuxCNC, etc attempt to bring CNC control to the layman with a spare PC in his shed. Every setup will have pros and cons and some end users are more technophobic than others. That's just the way life is.