What OS do you use?

[Joaz Banbeck]

Linux, of course. How could a sane person do otherwise?

Please explain.

99.4% of malware is built for Windows. On the rare occasion when there is something built to attack Linux, there is a lower percentage of clueless users passing it along. And on the exceptionally rare occasion where it does become a serious issue, there are thousands of eyeballs looking for a cure because Linux is open source, so cures are found faster.

[RobertJasiek]

It is difficult [...] to replace the window manager with something more powerful.

I am not sure what you mean by window manager. The shell can be replaced by, for example, the PowerShell (if you like a DOS-like GUI). The task manager can be the Sysinternals ProcessExplorer.

[RobertJasiek]

Software has different design decisions across the platforms, and those effect how easily you can use it.

What do you mean in detail for each OS you used?

I was using Ubuntu, but [...] I was frustrated by the general poor design and usability of the OS and apps.

I would like to hear details.

[RobertJasiek]

99.4% of malware is built for Windows. On the rare occasion when there is something built to attack Linux, there is a lower percentage of clueless users passing it along. And on the exceptionally rare occasion where it does become a serious issue, there are thousands of eyeballs looking for a cure because Linux is open source, so cures are found faster.

Malware is not an issue for Windows NT 6.x and - with greater effort - XP SP3, provided the PC is configured well. The problem is rather that too many users don't configure it well.

BTW, smartphones and Androids are becoming popular for malware, too, and I would be surprised if iPad wouldn't catch up. Linux and indeed some advantage of obsurity but getting 1% or 99% is just a difference of a constant factor. If I ran some Linux, I would want to make it about as secure as my Windows.

[tj86430]

Linux, of course. How could a sane person do otherwise?

Please explain.

99.4% of malware is built for Windows.

That's an argument against Windows, not for Linux. There's Solaris, OS/X etc

[Redundant]

The only real answer to this question for me is yes. I currently use mac, windows, and linux on a regular basis, although most of my time is in mac and linux (Ubuntu 11.10)

[mic]

Since I'm no gamer (besides go) and do a lot of software development (as a hobbie and for work) I use Linux excusively for maybe ten years now. Although, from time to time I have VirtualBox open for synchronizing my Garmin Forerunner.

Michael

[hyperpape]

Even default applications in Ubuntu had tons of inconsistencies. A quick example: would Ctrl-Q work in any given application? Probably, but you might also need to try Ctrl-W or even Ctrl-Shift-Q.

Malformed dialogue boxes are another source of trouble--it is rare that you should use "yes" or "no" instead of descriptive choices.

Most of what I might complain about is specific to particular applications, dialogues, etc., rather than system level issues, but they're pervasive. When most applications that you use on a daily basis have crappy usability, it becomes harder to justify the effort to make yours better, or you even lose an eye for problems because you never see better examples.

Of course it's not the case that Apple is perfect: right now I have iTunes open on Windows and there is no keyboard shortcut to close the application. *facepalm*

[kirkmc]

Of course it's not the case that Apple is perfect: right now I have iTunes open on Windows and there is no keyboard shortcut to close the application. *facepalm*

Control-Q doesn't work?

[Toge]

Not wanting to worry about keeping virus protection and firewall up to date might be one.

- Security is easy to handle. Disabling common sources of troubles like remote control have usually been enough. Half of Windows updates are about fixing security issues in remote control that never sounded a good idea. Viruses aren't nearly as big thing as they were ten years ago. Bulky virus scanners automatically running and updating themselves, hogging system resources makes me wonder are they any better than what common malware used to be in the past. What concerns me most about security is privacy. Sites like Facebook just hoard personal details of all your 'likes', names you search and sites you visit. Who knows where this all ends up.

[Laman]

Win 7 / Kubuntu 11.04

i have used mainly Linux for 3 years or so, but since last upgrade it has started overheating my notebook (fan is screaming most of the time), and i didn't bother enough to solve the problem (any tips? downgrade should work ), so i mostly came over to win. and Visual Studio 2010 is slightly better than MonoDevelop

my desktop has some HW issues with linux, and family is not so enthusiastic about lin, so again win

otherwise, philosophically i support linux 100%. am i going to pay $100 for windows? no. do i choose unofficial copy of windows or do i choose linux, that comes with equal functionality* for free?

*oh yes, i said it has issues with my HW and not all software is suited for it. but i can always blame HW&SW producers for their limited support

PS: writing this post again gave me some motivation to return back to lin. thank you

[jts]

I primarily used Ubuntu for four years. There were a lot of minor irritants, but the glaring problem was that Word is still the fastest, most convenient, and most compatible word processor. I tried AbiWord, KWord, and OpenOffice, but they're all so slow and so irritating. When you have to make plans to use XP or a Mac for anything that matters, it sort of ruins the point of "primarily" using Linux.

One thing I originally disliked about Windows is that it would perpetually pester me to update this and update that. By the time I switched back, Ubuntu was even worse.

Anyway, there were things I liked about it, but I wasn't getting more comfortable with Ubuntu or using it more efficiently as time went on. I eventually stopped using it because CGoban was intermittently not working, Easier just to switch back to XP full-time.

[hyperpape]

Of course it's not the case that Apple is perfect: right now I have iTunes open on Windows and there is no keyboard shortcut to close the application. *facepalm*

Control-Q doesn't work?

Nope. But it turns out that Ctrl-W does work . However, it isn't listed in the file menu along with the Exit command, so I don't feel too badly embarrassed.

[nagano]

How could you make a poll like this with only one choice?

I thought about allowing multiple choices, but I was more interested in what people prefer to use as their primary OS, not to list every OS they use. And for that reason I didn't include mobile. The only thing I use Windows for anymore is games and Blu-rays, but if I were to include Windows as my choice as well that would artificially inflate the numbers.

[ez4u]

How could you make a poll like this with only one choice?

I thought about allowing multiple choices, but I was more interested in what people prefer to use as their primary OS, not to list every OS they use. And for that reason I didn't include mobile. The only thing I use Windows for anymore is games and Blu-rays, but if I were to include Windows as my choice as well that would artificially inflate the numbers.

So games and video aren't real (are artificial)? Go is imaginary? What are you doing here? Or are you even here? Maybe it is all just a hallucination!