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Poll: What is your primary operating system

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321–330 of 472 posts

Re: Poll: What is your primary operating system

#322
This is pretty hard to define for me. At work, I primarily use Windows 7. My away-from-work computing is pretty evenly split between my laptop (MBP running Lion) and my desktop (custom box running Ubuntu 11.10).

I'd say my time pretty evenly split between all of these operating systems. I think I prefer Ubuntu overall, however the ease of use of OS X and Windows 7 are pretty tempting a lot of the time (try installing Spotify on Ubuntu 11.10 and get it to play local files). I'd probably prefer OS X among those 2, though since it's much better for development. However, for the most part it really doesn't matter what operating system I'm using.

Re: Poll: What is your primary operating system

#323
I answered OS X in the spirit of honesty. However, I would much rather use Fedora on a laptop at least equivalent to my MacBook Pro, if I could buy such a thing. Installing it myself works at home, but not at work.

I am familiar with System 76, but I personally prefer Fedora. Suggestions welcome.

Re: Poll: What is your primary operating system

#325
post #11

Every day, I start up a computer running OS X. Then, I proceed to fire up virtual machines for two Linux distributions, Windows XP, and Windows 7. I occasionally play around with a headless system that I have running FreeBSD. Then I may power up my iPod Touch to test recent changes to my mobile site. I also do a significant quantity of work while I am logged into a remote debian server via ssh. I doubt that I am the…

That used to be my routine at my old job. Fire up WinXP and Win7 VMs to do .net development and other client work.

My new job doesn't require interacting with Windows at all so I work in OSX/sshed linux sessions all day.

Re: Poll: What is your primary operating system

#326

I was forced to choose "other" since my operating system (GNU) was not listed. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by…

This argument is, and has always been, ridiculous. The GNU user land is no more an operating system than the Linux kernel or the K desktop environment. It's just one component of a larger software system which most refer to by the convenient moniker of "Linux".

Re: Poll: What is your primary operating system

#327

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My way of thinking is that being free does not really to me, a lambda user, make it superior but otherwise just add pros and cons. By using mostly Windows I trade the inconvenient and risks of non-free with other advantages. It is a informed choice. RMS may hate me though :)

Are you able to explain the term "lambda user"?

an anonymous utility function.

Re: Poll: What is your primary operating system

#328
post #238
post #11

Every day, I start up a computer running OS X. Then, I proceed to fire up virtual machines for two Linux distributions, Windows XP, and Windows 7. I occasionally play around with a headless system that I have running FreeBSD. Then I may power up my iPod Touch to test recent changes to my mobile site. I also do a significant quantity of work while I am logged into a remote debian server via ssh. I doubt that I am the…

OT question for you: I'm a developer that does a lot of web development, from Perl to RoR. When I end up starting more than 1 VM with 4 GB RAM, my computer literally dies with Mac OS X. Now this is all with VirtualBox, which I suspect isn't the best all around VM application. For some reason I feel that it is the crappy memory management with OS X that is killing me. Other than getting more RAM do you do anything spe…

More RAM, period.

Going from 4GB to 8GB on my mbp made a huge difference running VMs. Also, get Fusion. For working in VMs all day Fusion has worked better for me over VirtualBox.

Re: Poll: What is your primary operating system

#329
I'm curious about those using Windows. I can see four main reasons to use it:

- You are a "business type" and prefer some app/workflow that you are already familiar with and don't want to change.

- You used to work at Microsoft and you know it way better than other OSes.

- Your target userbase has strong Windows lock-in so it makes the best business sense to use it.

- You are really into gaming and don't want to dual-boot.

I'm curious if any windows users have any other reasons...

Re: Poll: What is your primary operating system

#330
post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm kind of indifferent to OS X but the Mac laptop hardware is so nice, particularly the trackpad, that I'm likely to stay an Apple customer for the foreseeable future.

Am I the only one hating especially the trackpad? I feel like it has much lower relative spatial resolution, i.e. if you set the maximum cursor speed you still have to make long motions, and the precision for some reason is far from pixel perfect. And pixel-perfect pointing is something to be desired with those ubiquitious small controls in OSX. In discussions like this, where serious hackers praise OSX over Windows,…

Serious hackers use the keyboard.

(Awesome WM, vim and vimium on chrome).

Joking aside, I've never found any trackpad Apple or otherwise that I could use as efficiently for pointing and clicking as even a cheap-o mouse. But gestures and scrolling are so smooth and so useful on OS X that I keep one around (even when I'm at my desk - I now keep a mouse to the right and a trackpad to the left).

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