What do you use: Linux / Mac / Win?

[etchhh]

i just wonder why there is still peaple who use Microsoft Windows OS till now , although open source products like Linux/Mac/.. r available and even "free" to use !
Moreover , its secure / easy to use and bla bla bla ...

so ,,, lets return to our question ... what do u use ?? .. Linux/Mac/Win/...etc OS ^^

 

[etchhh]

for me !!

i'll just start by and say ... i use Microsoft Windows -sadly- ..

( i just have no time to install linux OS - ubuntu for me i'd say -)

i'm sick of this bug based product , i hope that one day i use linux for real - i wanna try it

so , what about u ?

 

[BorisandBailey]

2 hard drives, 2 operating systems

I have Windows on one hard drive, Ubuntu on the other. I use Windows for my specialized programs--Photoshop and Illustrator, and I use Ubuntu for everything else. With the possibility of Microsoft going subscription, I'll switch entirely to Linux the next time it's time for me to build new computers for me and my wife, maybe in another five years or so.

 

[DelJo63]

Lots of underlying issues to the simplistic question.

Issues that typically impact the decision are

1. which system supports the applications I need?
2. what system am I most familar with?
3. how comfortable am I in learning a new system?
4. what's the impact of not getting the work tasks done while I'm getting it all together?

Personally, I use all three; OS X 10.3.9 (behind the curve now),
WinXP Pro,
Linux RH7 (also behind the curve)
and even have a Win/98se used as a primative backup server.

Unless you have a need to move to a specific environment, avoid the pain
and stay where you are. On the other hand, if your major motivation is to get to a
more stable environment, then just use the list above to guide you in your choice.

(notice: no reference to "xxx is better, cheaper, faster, or easier. Just not germane!)

 

[tw0rld]

Currently my system Dual-boots Kubuntu 8.04(Hardy Heron), and Win Xp sp3. I love Kubuntu, but it is very buggy. Just the other day while browsing with Konqueror the system crashed twice. This happened after Iinstalled the flash plugin in konqueror, since then I have installed Firefox 3.0, and all is well.

 

[EXCellR8]

Ubuntu >*

I have Ubuntu 8.04 installed on a pretty fast machine and I love it.

 

[TimeParadoX]

Dual booting is better and more efficient than just installing one primary OS and sticking with it. For about 3 years I've dual booted WinXP and Ubuntu and never had any problems. I use Ubuntu for general stuff like Firefox and photo editing and XP for gaming.

It's really all about what you're doing, so don't stick with a OS just because it's convenient.

Also, installing Linux on a PSP along with custom firmware is very fun since you can run emulators like Daedalus for NES games.

 

[LNCPapa]

All three - in fact, the machine I'm posting this from now triple boots Vista Ultimate 32/Leopard 10.5.5/Ubuntu 8.04 x64. I love all three (I'll even through XP SP3 in there) and use them all regularly. I'm not a zealot for any particular platform and think they are all good and necessary.

Just don't imply that OS X is free or open source. All the Mac zealots who complain about Gates just make me laugh.. and sick at the same time. Jobs is every bit as bad as Gates ever was.

 

[etchhh]

actually i like the idea of having all the three Operating Systems on my machine ,, currently i have win xp w/ win/98 as a backup-system lol , u know Microsoft Buggy Windows crashes almost every week with me ..

i'm gonna try to use mac and linux also -- why not give it a try ?

 

[hynesy]

Its all very debatable, what one person likes may not suit the next, I have tried OS X both Leopard and Tiger, Ubuntu and Kubuntu, XP and Vista and found that each has its good and bad points. Personally, I am on Vista, just because some important programs I need only support Vista and for games, dual.triple boot is pretty pointless for me, Vista does everything I need.
Cheers
Hynesy

 

[SNGX1275]

I use Vista, XP64 (sort of), Win 2000, and my laptop is Leopard. I run a lot of different, just not Linux, other than the cost, it doesn't do anything I need to get done any better than what I already use, and often times it does it worse.

 

[alvdy]

I run Vista on my desktop and OS X on my MacBook with Vm's of XP and Ubuntu (hardy heron).

 

[Justin]

Linux only (Gentoo)

I do have a Windows gaming box that I fire up whenever I can't get something to work through Wine.

 

[Ultiweap]

Yes thats nice all that...

But .exe file does not open but how do you make to play a game on it or even program that is only .exe format for the users of Linux and MAC???

Also I would like to know where to get a MAC OS as etchhh ask that it is free?

 

[DelJo63]

Fundamentally, other systems do not rely upon the filename extension to determine
what the file is or how to open it. Windows uses the .com .exe .scr to 'run' the code.
Linux has a 'magic number' in the first four bytes of the program file or a line that reads

#!path_to_interpreter​

which is launched and handed the file to work on.

Mac WAS like Linux, but now (10.4 and above) has Intel processors and the .exe
can be launched with the right emulation or configuration. This is very problematic
and NOT advisable for gamers.

 

[Ultiweap]

So if I understand well the new versions of MAC can open .exe file without any problem?

But how do linux users do to get a program that is only .exe format?

 

[DelJo63]

Run an emulation program (see wine)

 

[tw0rld]

uughh!

Wine sucks! I've tried using it a few times to run windows based programs, but to no avail. Apparently it works for others.

 

[DelJo63]

Likely true, but imo, it's a faux pas to move windows programs ANYWHERE

Gamers have major conflict of interest in Keeping their games AND moving to any other platform.

 

[captaincranky]

Currently my system Dual-boots Kubuntu 8.04(Hardy Heron), and Win Xp sp3. I love Kubuntu, but it is very buggy. Just the other day while browsing with Konqueror the system crashed twice. This happened after Iinstalled the flash plugin in konqueror, since then I have installed Firefox 3.0, and all is well.

The subject of "Kubuntu" being buggy has been tackled before. The "Ubuntu" version has a much better reputation. But, if your choice of Kubuntu was motivated by the KDE desktop, it might be worth it for you give "Open SUSE" a shot.

The "wine" is always so far behind current program versions that I certainly feel your pain there, That said, Windows isn't going away anytime soon for many apps.

 

[Ultiweap]

I don't really know what to choose as Vista is very slow on my PC so I was wondering to put MAC on it but did not know what MAC and where to get it...

 

[alvdy]

Currently the only legit place to get OS X is from apple with their hardware. There is an illegial copy that has been hacked to run on non-apple hardware but this will pretty much be rendered useless if you try to do a major update, and anyway its illegial.
Cheers
Allan

 

[captaincranky]

I don't really know what to choose as Vista is very slow on my PC so I was wondering to put MAC on it but did not know what MAC and where to get it...

This may be your only 1GB of memory issue. I always suggest "downgrading" to XP. But as this always results in an argument, I won't this time. I will say that PCWorld tested Vista SP1 versus XP and they said XP was much faster.

 

[Ultiweap]

Yes XP is much faster thats true but when i'm thinking that Microsoft will stop making updates for XP mainstream as from April 2009 so i'm wondering to go to another one to adapt myself. Vista i'm already adapt but the only problem is that it take too much RAM for me now as I have on 1GB but it run pretty ok but just the problem of the RAM that is annoying me.

 

[SNGX1275]

Its Mac, as in short for Macintosh. Not MAC as in Media Access Control (for ethernet cards).

You can't run a Mac OS on a regular PC without violating the OS X TOS. There are ways to do it, certain hardware produces better results than others. Even a company with a plug in workaround.

But to run all 3 on 1 set of hardware legally you'd need to buy an Apple branded computer with an Intel processor, then use Bootcamp to install/run Windows XP/Vista or some variety of Linux.

At one time recently I ran OS X 10.3.9, 10.4.10, 10.5.x, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Ubuntu 8. I've slimmed that down to 10.5.5, Windows Vista, and Windows 2000.

As far as speed of the OS, I think that is made a much bigger deal than it really is. Unless you are gaming or doing some serious video/photo editing a slower computer doesn't hurt you much. I'm running Leopard (10.5.5) on a G4 450 (had to modify some files to get it to install on that slow of hardware) and yes its a bit slow, but I could do word processing, spreadsheets, IM, and browsing on it just fine if I had to.