OS?

[Paul Wagner]

however it all depends on what you need, mac fun/serious windows really good overall linux good for like web browsing

 

[mrbiggs]

XP, with various Linux installations popping up when I feel like putting the effort into partitioning a hard drive.

I hope I never have to use Vista or anything like it. I'm very much depending on Windows 7 to be not awful.

 

[AvGalen]

Business laptop: Vista Business SP1 (I like it)
Home PC: Vista Home Premium SP1 (I really like it), Server 2008 R2 Beta (testing just started, but so far I am really really liking it), Singularity (by far the most innovative OS I have ever worked with, but don't expect a big software-stack anytime soon)

I have always loved experimenting with different OS's and have come to this conclusion:
Server level network stuff: BSD
Home level network stuff: Linux
Server level applications: Windows (Server 2008)
Business level applications: Windows (XP Professional)
Home level applications/games: Windows (Vista Home)
Way above average home-user-level: Linux (+dualboot Windows)

I delibrately left out OS X because it only runs on Apple hardware which I never had. If you do, I guess it would work well for "Home level applications (but not games)"
[side-note]I just checked the Apple FAQ to find out how to write "OS X" correctly and I hope that Apple is less restrictive in reality than they make it sound:
1.

And a Mac is smart enough to know what to do when you plug in your digital camera: It opens iPhoto ...

There are also some other things in that FAQ that just feel very wrong
2.

And Mac OS X resists most viruses, so you can do anything — without worrying about losing everything

3. And why do I need to buy software, memory and "other extras" for a pc? Is all MAC-software free? Is all PC/Windows-software non-free?

When you compare the cost of a PC and factor in the additional software, memory, and other extras you have to buy...

4. Has the MAC-mini been updated in....the last 18 months?

Finally, a Mac is built with the most cutting-edge technology ...

5. But this has to be my favourite quote:

How do I move my files to a Mac?

The easiest way is to let us do it. If you buy a Mac at an Apple Retail Store and bring in your old Mac or PC, a Genius can move all your files for you

I have studied marketing and commercial economics myself, but that FAQ was just.......full-of-it.
[/side-note]

Besides Singularity, I was very impressed by the ideas behind, and speed of BEOS. But those two experiences have taught me that the OS itself is not really an important thing for me. An OS is just there to supply basic functionality like supporting my hardware and running my applications. After 5 years of DOS and 20 years of Windows it would be very hard for me to change to an OS that doesn't support the applications that I have learned to use so well.

 

[byu]

Leopard version 10.5.5

 

[Ewks]

I use Mac OS X Leopard. For me this is the optimal OS. 'Cause I'm not really that good with computers and Mac does quite a lot of the boring stuff for me. There is one thing I hate in Mac's and that is the fact that it can not run programs that were designed for Windows or Linux(like gabbasoft). But to make that up Mac has a lot of awesome programs that are easy to use.

 

[panyan]

main:
macbook 13"
320gb hdd
4gb ram
dualboot xp corporate
2.4ghz

There is one thing I hate in Mac's and that is the fact that it can not run programs that were designed for Windows or Linux(like gabbasoft).

umm, crossover be crossweavers, parralels, vmware fusion, bootcamp?!

 

[Erik]

I don't know much **** about this stuff.
I just have XP home edition with sp 2.
Don't see why other systems like linux would be better if you cannot even run most software and games on it.

 

[Waynilein]

Like AvG has said so nicely, I think an OS should be just that, an operating system. The only thing I want it to do is allow me to actually use my hardware and my software as efficiently as possible, NOT to provide me with additional software - as there are almost always better alternatives to the default software, and I often do not need it at all. Apple has quite the opposite philosophy, making its own hardware and including lots of extra applications in the OS.

Linux would probably be the most fitting for my purposes, however the compatibility issues really bother me, so I use Windows XP.

 

[brunson]

Don't see why other systems like linux would be better if you cannot even run most software and games on it.

Security, stability, reliability, configurability, expandability and cost, just to name a few.

Your computer can't run my applications, that's just a fact of running different OSes. You have Windows applications, I have Linux applications, Mac's have Mac applications. They're different apps to do the same things and generally don't cross over.

If I want to play games I have a PS3 and a Wii which, by the way, can't run Windows applications and run games Windows can't play. Though my PS3 can run Linux.

"Microsoft: Lowering user expectations since 1984"

 

[JTW2007]

"Microsoft: Lowering user expectations since 1984"

Couldn't have said it better myself. And I do agree that all an OS should do is be an operating system, I believe there are OSs out there that let you do that and more, so why wouldn't you use them? The way I see it, the Mac OS's only downsides are cost and compatibility with windows machines.

 

[JBCM627]

An OS is just there to supply basic functionality like supporting my hardware and running my applications. After 5 years of DOS and 20 years of Windows it would be very hard for me to change to an OS that doesn't support the applications that I have learned to use so well.

Well said. I think a lot of people completely miss this point when arguing which OS is 'best'. And I agree that Vista is awesome for games.

And I do agree that all an OS should do is be an operating system ... The way I see it, the Mac OS's only downsides are cost and compatibility with windows machines.

...which is why I wouldn't buy a mac. Why bother with bootcamp or something similar, when I have no interest in mac apps, and can therefore just use windows/linux in the first place?

 

[JTW2007]

Yeah. Don't spend the extra cash on a mac if you won't use the benefits it has to offer. That's just ridiculous. I do believe Mac is more user friendly, stable, and secure than Windows. I think a linux based OS is the best OS you can have for PC.

 

[Odin]

Vista (i hate it so much).IMO if microsoft dosent start fixing there probs or better yet come up with there own ideas Apple is going to kill them.

 

[pcharles93]

Vista (i hate it so much).IMO if microsoft dosent start fixing there probs or better yet come up with there own ideas Apple is going to kill them.

Or if the users were smart enough to download and use programs other than the crapload (emphasis on 'crap') of programs that are the default.

 

[JBCM627]

Vista (i hate it so much).

As I said earlier, what specifically is wrong with vista? Can't you have it imitate XP? It seems like many of the problems people have with it are due to their own failings, not the OS's.

 

[Jai]

As I said earlier, what specifically is wrong with vista? Can't you have it imitate XP? It seems like many of the problems people have with it are due to their own failings, not the OS's.

I have some friends that complain a lot about Vista's "large holes", and I immediately asked if they downloaded Windows Updates, and they said no, because they were annoying. If you buy a nice car and refuse to take care of it, don't complain when it breaks down. >_>

Edit: and by the way, for people wanting a more Mac look on Windows, there's always good ol' Stardock. You can download Windowblinds and get an OS X skin, and/or download ObjectDock (free, not a free trial), use the Leopard Skin, tick off the setting that displays open windows on the dock, put the dock on the bottom of your screen, and put your Windows start bar at the top of the screen, and set it to auto-hide. Sounds complicated, but it's not. (This is actually what I'm using right now - Objectdock; my Windowblinds free trial expired a while ago >_>)

 

[JTW2007]

As I said earlier, what specifically is wrong with vista?

Um... For example:

When you start up, you need to wait for a cursor so you can go click into the password box instead of the cursor just showing up there.

You can download whatever music player you want and the only one that will work (or at least the only one that worked for me) is iTunes. iTunes!

And the fastest internet browser? Safari.

Those are just a few examples that made me cry when I installed Vista on my friend's computer.

 

[JBCM627]

Ahh, the nuances. I suppose a lot of those are a matter of preference. Do I care that there isn't a cursor immediately? Not really, and anyway I try not to use it if I can help it. And what about WMP? It works fine for me. And Safari may be able to display things more quickly (you know, it is available for windows, too...), but IE has always started up most quickly for me (as windows is its native environment).

This is nice and all, but not exactly what I meant. I probably should have directed the question better:
Relative to other Windows OS's, why is Vista so bad?

 

[tim]

As I said earlier, what specifically is wrong with vista? Can't you have it imitate XP?

I guess you meant Mac OS X here.

 

[julesv]

Everything!

i run Mac OS Leopard natively, but i dual boot XP and emulate Ubuntu Desktop and Backtrack 3. My favourite must be Backtrack 3, for people who know what I mean =)