I just read the FAQ on the difference between BOINC and gridrepublic, it seems I don't need it and that gridrepublic might just have a prettier interface (is this even true?)
Anyone tried both?
GridRepublic Desktop is built from the BOINC code, so yes, you can use either; and yes, the primary differences are (1) the installer, and (2) the interface.
The installer for GridRepublic Desktop is set to attach to the GridRepublic website "out of the box"; if running BOINC, this needs to be done manually.
When running, the UI for GridRepublic desktop is (IMHO) a bit cleaner, though it is functionally the same.
Having said the above, GridRepublic Desktop tends to lag a few versions behind the latest BOINC release, so if you want the very latest you might want to stick with BOINC.
