What OS (Operating System) do you use? And Why?

I have several PC's and Laptops in my home, the desktops and most of the laptops are currently running Windows 7 (primarily for gaming purposes), but I have recently moved my writing laptop and my oldest son's laptop to Linux Mint 13 (will more than likely will move the writing laptop to Mint 14 once I get the time to do so). I've found that I really like Linux Mint, it's sleek, fast and basically does a hell of a lot more than I expected it to. Once Steam is fully set for Linux (which should be relatively soon), I may move more of my machines to Linux Mint.

I'm curious to see what the users of these forums use for an OS ( I know that the majority will probably say Windows or OS/X, but you never can tell).

Do you use Windows (which version), OS/X or Linux (which flavor?) and why (if there's a specific reason)?

reply to post by ProfessorChaos


So far I really like Win 7.
I develop with Visual Studio 2010.
And use illustrator and photoshop.
It pretty much does it all.
Plus it has some nice tools for administering MS servers.

At home I use Mac OSX so far it does everything I need it to do.
Though I miss some windows programs. But there is a mac equivalent usually.

I like some Linux os's. Ubuntu. But it doesn't fit for me. Missing tools that I need for windows.

reply to post by ProfessorChaos


I use Windows7 cause I'm a noob. I preferred XP but like you I'm a gamer so windows7 is the easiest to use.

I'm on OSX Snow Leopard for now on my home laptop, probably my first and last Mac as IMHO Apple screwed up things after Jobs got out of the decision loop, and it will only get worse from now on. My work laptop runs on Ubuntu Linux and that's probably what I'll use from now on. I refuse to use Windows, hate Microsoft with a passion. Every time someone comes up with a great idea, soon after the filthy rich vultures go ahead and buy that company. But see, money DOES NOT equal genius, and thus ALL of them are set to failure sooner or later. In my opinion of course.

I use OSX. I do a lot of work at home and the MAC just works better for me. Plus I have never had any type of problem with OSX.

Hmmm. Usually, I use some iPads. Yes, there is still some computer running W7 on 4 to 5 year old hardware (state of the art then, nowadays near moot), and there is even a (legit!) W8-version sitting on a stick waiting to be installed, but to be fair and open: I don't like PCs anymore.

Yes, there are some tasks which can only be fulfilled by some real computer. And I have a W2K-server running, too.

But usually my free time is far more limited than it was years ago. So I use some tablets for whenever I have some spare minutes.. No boot time, no updates which try to reboot the damn thing right after I started it, just Use-time. Thats the essential core-feature of tablets for me.

Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit Edition mainly because I'm a developer using Visual Studio 2010. Plus there's all the gaming that I do as well, lol.

Windows 7 64bit Ultimate for music producing purposes, Adobe Audition 3.0, FL Studio 10. I use my mobile OS more than anything though. Hopefully Google moves to an Android Desktop OS within the next 5 years, I'll be sold.

I am currently using XP, because that's what came with this beloved piece of junk.

I use Windows 7 and am happy with it. It does everything I need it to without any problems. I have the whole style modified too, as you can see in the pictures. I think it looks really nice. (I'm using 2 monitors)

Screenshot 1
Screenshot 2

reply to post by trollz


Nice. I've messed with my windows 7 system as well, but since my wife got in the "John Hurt Way" (pregnant), I've spent far more time on my Linux Laptop for writing. There's plenty of themes for it though and I plan to customize the hell out of it after our little bundle of diaper changes arrives.

EDIT

This is for your sig (love it by the way) 150 over here. I'm living proof that a high IQ doesn't guarantee a high paying job. lol.


I also like the profile pic.

OSX Snow Leopard, for 2 reasons:
1) It is the only Mac OS working.
2) BSOD is boring, while SBBOD is quite mesmerizing, isn't it ?

reply to post by trisvonbis


Though I've never thought of Macs as "perfect" by any means, I had never heard of, nor seen the SBBOD. I had to look it up (I actually watched a video of one, lol.), and though it indicates a problem to the user (which sucks), it is FAR neater to see than the BSOD.

Apparently, Mac even manages to FAIL in style.

mainly android 4 now on my tablet or phone (yes even on this web site).

If I need a pc, my laptop has mint 14 on it.

The days of installing windows and putting every update in the world have long gone now.

Also pc's used to be about cpu power but these days the emphasis is always on (tablet, phone etc).

why wait for something to boot up....

Oh and another reason to like Win 7.
Rainmeter and Dreamscene.

W7, because it works, and I have no issues with it.

W8.

reply to post by Klassified


Agree on your estimation of Win 8. I haven't seen or heard much good about it.

reply to post by ProfessorChaos


$ uname -ra
Linux slamduxx3-debian 2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Sun Sep 23 10:07:46 UTC 2012 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I've been all-FOSS (Free Open Source Software) all the time, even longer than I've been reading these forums. More than ten years. Being rootkitted using OS 10.3, and having my Thinkpad running Windows 2000 turned into a spambot, resulting in a ruined hard drive, convinced me to consolidate all my computers under one kernel -- the Linux kernel -- in 2004 or so. I haven't phoned tech support or even posted to a user forum for tech issues on my personal computers since then, either. And I still do whatever I want -- create graphics, desktop publish, manipulate sound and video files, and so on -- without ever paying a cent for software, or for that matter, without every downloading questionable "freeware" or "shareware".

Linux and BSD OS's aren't 100% secure but the "free" software is better and safer, and 100% legal, by comparison to what I ended up with using Windows and Mac OS once upon a time. The only downside is, I've had to wean myself from eye-candy, and learn to use the command line...A LOT. Boo hoo. The command line won't ever go away, in fact it is liberating. I feel sorry for all the ragged tendons, made ragged by dragging the mouse and cursor this way and that, searching endless menus, when in reality, writing your own config files, and shell scripts, is the easiest and most efficient way to take control of your computing experience.

Only thing I really miss is Visual Basic...I know, I'm ashamed to say it. But for my spreadsheet and word processing needs -- and those can be huge -- VB macros were the best. Even wrote a pseudo-random I Ching VB macro, with the yarrow-stalk method. Couldn't do that with OpenOffice, that's for sure, unless I learned Java and/or C++ and/or Python...

I recently encountered Win 8 for the first time a few days ago - setting up an "all in one" system for a friend who'd bought in on Cyber Monday. After I got past the annoying phone style main interface ( took a minute or two to figure it all out ) I thought it looked pretty darned sharp.

My own PC is reaching the end of it's usable life. It's a 32 bit P4 2.6Ghz dual core and not meeting all of the demands I wish to place upon it these days. So I'll soon have to upgrade to something better.

But for now I run XP Pro - build 3 and Linux Mint Maya, with a dual boot and love both. This XP has been the most stable O/S I have ever used and, thus, never upgraded to anything newer. Good balance of resource drain and performance.

When I do upgrade ( in the next 4-6 months I think ) it will most likely be to Win 8 with an external drive dedicated to a triple boot of Mint, Ubuntu ( just for flavor ), and one other Linux build that specializes in network security but which might break T&C's to specifically name here ( it can be used for bad things ).

Yeah... that system would make me a happy, happy man.

~Heff

reply to post by Hefficide


We geeks are truly a species of our own. Everything you and the above poster said would send the average PC/Mac user into convulsions, but to someone like me, I said "Yeah, I hear ya there." lol.