Thread: What OS do you guys Use and why?

  1. #1
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    What OS do you guys Use and why?

    What do you guys use as a main Operating System?
    and why?

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    Unregistered User Yarin's Avatar
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    Windows. A lot of people will tell you that a unix-like OS is good, and/or you should use a Linux, BSD, etc., but don't listen to them. Windows is the most stable, innovative, user-friendly, and capable operating system.

    Linux, for example, is deliberately difficult, in a desperate attempt to make the people who have no life, look like they know what they're doing.
    And, BSD was originally made by a teenager, who (for what ever reason, I don't know the details) was jealous that _he_ wasn't the one who invented Windows; the project then grew by more people who felt the same way.
    The stories are mostly the same across the board.

    Think about it, Windows doesn't have 99.9% of the OS market share for no reason.
    And with 8 being released soon, MS is upping the ante even more. Save yourself some headache, don't learn the hard way. Stick with the OS that's been proven.

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    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    I am definitely not one of those people who think that everyone should use linux but it is somewhat disgusting that the only thing people know about it boils down to useless anecdotes and lies about how obtuse it is a huge majority of the time. A lot of weird OSes like BSD and linux run the internet thanks to apache web server software. It shouldn't be totally ignored by anyone IMO. We will probably have the same stupid discussion anyway, but most of the people who ask about linux don't even ask google first.

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    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SuperMiguel
    What do you guys use as a main Operating System?
    and why?
    At work, I use Ubuntu Linux, because that is what is running on our servers so it is better for me to have a ready test environment along similiar lines. I do not know first hand why a Linux distro was chosen for the servers, but my guess is that although the tools that we use are cross platform, the support for them on Linux is simply better (e.g., we use Python, and at least at the time when the servers were being setup, virtualenv and virtualenvwrapper installation, configuration and usage was more straightforward on Linux than Windows).

    At home, I dual boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu 12.04, but primarily use Windows. One reason is games: I'm not really a gamer, but the PC games I do play run on Windows, and while I might be able to get them to run on Linux, it is not worth the trouble. Another reason is that staying familiar with Windows helps when I need to provide tech support to family and friends, many of whom use Windows. Oh, and having variety from what I use at work is a Good Thing

    On the move, I use BlackBerry OS, because my phone is a BB. I chose my BB Bold because I liked the keyboard, and overall I found it the most similiar to my previous Nokia phone when that one went down. There is a reasonably high chance I might switch to a Samsung Galaxy S3 later this year, but we'll see. If I do, then obviously my phone OS would change to Android (which is based on Linux).

    Quote Originally Posted by Yarin
    And, BSD was originally made by a teenager, who (for what ever reason, I don't know the details) was jealous that _he_ wasn't the one who invented Windows; the project then grew by more people who felt the same way.
    I note that the version of BSD that Yarin is talking about predates Windows. Feel free to draw your own conclusions concerning the flamebait that Yarin posted in post #2.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  5. #5
    C++まいる!Cをこわせ!
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    I use Windows because it fits my style. I favor graphical UIs before text file editing, and Windows is what I am familiar. It helps that I get it for free, too.
    I dislike Unix because the overall community focuses on programming with C and editing files. Many every day tasks become mundane and difficult, partly because there is no UI for it or because whatever help you find involves CLI. A lot of programs are distributed only as source code, and many have problems compiling due to compiler versions and different dependencies.
    Contrast Windows where mostly everything has a GUI, there are 3rd party program GUIs to fill in the blanks and everything comes with installers. Hassle free.
    Add to that that I cannot be bothered to research and find the most suitable distro among all of them to fit my style of working with multi-tasking, everyday tasks, etc.
    That is not to say Unix/Linux is bad. My favorite missing tool from Windows is the Linux fdisk. Being able to create a filesystem in an bin file (essentially a raw hard disk file) and mount it in order to work with it is pretty handy I must admit. I have yet to find a program that lets one work with image files instead of partitions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    io.h certainly IS included in some modern compilers. It is no longer part of the standard for C, but it is nevertheless, included in the very latest Pelles C versions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    You mean it's included as a crutch to help ancient programmers limp along without them having to relearn too much.

    Outside of your DOS world, your header file is meaningless.

  6. #6
    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    I probably should support my opinion:

    I dislike Unix because the overall community focuses on programming with C and editing files.
    Many jobs focus on editing files, but glibs aside... If a Lunix program has a GUI, you don't really need to do this. GUI option screens are not hard to program and many times, functional. A lot of times I see a screen that may as well be a file, but isn't, which usually isn't a detriment to anyone.

    Many every day tasks become mundane and difficult, partly because there is no UI for it or because whatever help you find involves CLI. A lot of programs are distributed only as source code, and many have problems compiling due to compiler versions and different dependencies.
    Do you know what you are looking for? I'd be willing to bet unless you were using someone's pet project (but in fairness it depends on who that someone is) that there is a binary package. Linux and unix are not strangers to binary packages as you seem to claim but they do use specific package formats. Many package managers have GUI front-ends too.

    Windows isn't a stranger either. You've got InstallShield and MSI as examples of binary package management. In fact does MSI even work with Windows 95? That's an example too, perhaps not a good one... you need different binaries for the same program, just like Linux does. If you want to know what it's like to compile windows from source, there are bound to be visual studio projects around.

    Mac has StuffIt things and DMG files.

    The OS doesn't matter when it comes to many user complaints because the examples are so ubiquitous.

    Add to that that I cannot be bothered to research and find the most suitable distro among all of them to fit my style of working with multi-tasking, everyday tasks, etc.
    The linux distros that do the things you actually list will be returned shortly from my imaginary database:
    SELECT ANY FROM LinuxDistroTable, BSDTable
    Last edited by whiteflags; 08-25-2012 at 06:06 AM.

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    Master Apprentice phantomotap's Avatar
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    *anecdotes despite no personal experience*

    *stupid flaming*

    *obvious trolling*

    *comparisons between favored new and outdated alternatives*

    *confusing cause and effect of popularity*

    *discounting familiarity as having a strong effect on preference*

    I've almost filled my "Stupid Thread" bingo card!

    We need to bring "OS2" and "AmigaOS" into this thread.

    Soma

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    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    Small bingo card huh?

  9. #9
    Master Apprentice phantomotap's Avatar
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    O_o

    Sorry, but "Stupid Thread Bingo" brand bingo cards employ United States rules.

    It is a standard issue 5x5 card with 24 "values" drawn from hundreds of possibilities and "free space"; you only have to get a specific patterns of "hits" not "hit" every possible "value" or all 25 spaces.

    Soma

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    Quote Originally Posted by phantomotap View Post
    We need to bring "OS2" and "AmigaOS" into this thread.

    Soma
    Here you go: IBM’s OS/2 at 25: Surprising Afterlife of Operating System | Techland | TIME.com

  11. #11
    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    Anyway, I use Windows because of college. If I were in an art degree I would probably use a Mac.

    My phone probably uses Symbian - I don't actually know because it's a nonissue.

    At work I'd use whatever they tell me to use.

    I also heavily dislike bingo and if I get INCREDIBLY OLD I will avoid it as much as possible.

  12. #12
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    I'm mystified why anyone would register a "Like" for obvious flame bait.

    Personally, I would have used a "Dislike" button if such a thing existed.

    I'll leave the original question unanswered.
    Right 98% of the time, and don't care about the other 3%.

    If I seem grumpy or unhelpful in reply to you, or tell you you need to demonstrate more effort before you can expect help, it is likely you deserve it. Suck it up, Buttercup, and read this, this, and this before posting again.

  13. #13
    Master Apprentice phantomotap's Avatar
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    O_o

    Well, I figured the thread itself was flame bait from the originating post; I can't help but think Yarin gave SuperMiguel exactly what he wanted.

    Really, who could ask this question these days and expect anything more (less?) than trolling and flaming?

    Soma

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    Quote Originally Posted by whiteflags View Post
    Many jobs focus on editing files, but glibs aside... If a Lunix program has a GUI, you don't really need to do this. GUI option screens are not hard to program and many times, functional. A lot of times I see a screen that may as well be a file, but isn't, which usually isn't a detriment to anyone.
    Yes, I mean, yes, you are right. But there are far more programs in Unix that require you to edit files than use a pretty GUI than in Windows. Some of this is because some of the people in the Unix community dislike GUI, or stamp is as annoying, horrible or just resource sucking. Some people don't even use X. And they can get away with it, because Unix/Linux really hasn't been that newbie friendly.
    But on Windows it's another matter. Everything is based around GUI there.
    That was kind of my point why I dislike Unix. Sometimes I am forced to work with editing files and working with CLI a lot more than Windows.

    Do you know what you are looking for? I'd be willing to bet unless you were using someone's pet project (but in fairness it depends on who that someone is) that there is a binary package. Linux and unix are not strangers to binary packages as you seem to claim but they do use specific package formats. Many package managers have GUI front-ends too.
    Oh, I've checked a few tools. To be fair, a lot of software exists in the distros software collection list thingy, or whatever it's called.
    Sometimes it's as simple as yum install gcc. Sometimes it just won't work, such as installing grub legacy.
    And don't get me started on the GUI. Usually it's ugly and flimsy. That depends on the distro, obviously, but that brings me back to the point on finding the right distro.
    I worked my ass off trying to find a binary for grub legacy, but couldn't find one. And because no one maintained that anymore, I couldn't compile it, either. And hey, I needed it, because grub 2 didn't work for what I needed (aside from being a lot more complex).
    And because of the hundreds of different distros, simply shipping binaries is difficult, unlike Windows.

    Windows isn't a stranger either. You've got InstallShield and MSI as examples of binary package management. In fact does MSI even work with Windows 95? That's an example too, perhaps not a good one... you need different binaries for the same program, just like Linux does. If you want to know what it's like to compile windows from source, there are bound to be visual studio projects around.
    Usually it's just to double-click the file and away you go. It's no more difficult than that. For pretty much all programs out there. If there is no installer, than it's usually just to extract the files somewhere.
    (Who uses Windows 95 anyway these days?)
    True, it's a one double-click for lots of things for Linux, too, but some things aren't so easy. It requires more know-how for some stuff.

    The OS doesn't matter when it comes to many user complaints because the examples are so ubiquitous.
    Yes! I agree. But when growing up and becoming familiar with one OS, stuff becomes easy in it.
    Then switching to another is a bloody pain because you're going to have to re-learn everything because it does in different (not necessarily more difficult, though).

    Just suffice to say that I've had my share of nightmares in Linux some months ago, and I'm not exactly thrilled about it!
    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    io.h certainly IS included in some modern compilers. It is no longer part of the standard for C, but it is nevertheless, included in the very latest Pelles C versions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    You mean it's included as a crutch to help ancient programmers limp along without them having to relearn too much.

    Outside of your DOS world, your header file is meaningless.

  15. #15
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    I have used both Windows and Linux exclusively for many years, so I'm fairly proficient in both.

    Right now I'm using Windows mostly because I started playing games again, and don't really feel like dual-booting. Besides, all I do on my home computer nowadays is web browsing, checking email, and gaming, so there's really no "need" for Linux, even though I much prefer it from a usability standpoint (small things like Windows automatically restarting to install updates, UAC, and bigger things like lack of package management system that makes installing things much more work than on Linux).

    When I become unlazy again, I'll probably switch back to Linux and use Windows as a gaming console only, especially if I get into software development again. Software development on Linux is so much more straight forward and "natural" than on Windows IMNSHO.

    Command line does have a steeper learning curve, but if you can stick with it, after you get proficient, you can do a lot of things much faster than with a GUI. Of course, this doesn't apply to everything. I would never edit a photo on command line, or browse the web. But for things like file management, a proficient command line user can do most things WAY faster than anyone can with a GUI. I don't think I've ever used a GUI to do file management on Linux even though it does have file managers at least comparable in quality to explorer.exe, because I can do things much faster on CLI. For example, to go into a few layers of directory when you know the directory names more or less (very common scenario), is much faster on the command line - "cd [first 2 letters]\tab[first 2 letters]\tab[first 2 letters]\tab", and less stressful because the eyes don't have to search the screen for the name on every layer.

    Command line and GUI both have advantages and disadvantages. Some tasks naturally suit CLI and some GUI. On Linux, we get to pick which one to use. Almost no one uses CLI on Windows because "cmd" feels like it's taken straight from the 70s, and lacks many important modern command line features, so in a way, Windows takes away the choice from you.

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