40 replies to this topic

[lucas92]

1) I use Windows since I don't have any problem with. I have tried Mac and didn't like it too much since there were a lot file compatibilities problems. I haven't tried Linux yet.

2) No, because Vista is known to consume lot of CPU, and my current computer can't handle it anyway. But I would buy a new computer with Windows 7 on it.

3) Linux. It is known to be an awesome system for programmers, and I'm learning programming.

[Fabbrizio]

I love both windows XP and Mac OS 10.3. I just need to get a faster processor for my PC.

In general I use PC for all my programming stuff. All the best programming freeware you can find is in windows executable form.

My Mac is devoid of programs except for garageband, the singlemost handy home-recording program there is to those who have their own preamps and instruments.

Anyways, unless Windows 7 is absolutely spectacular, I believe that Microsoft has not done anything right since XP. They had to market the hell out of Vista because it was a crap OS. THE FIRST VERSION DIDN'T EVEN RUN iTUNES! Frick, like anyone ever uses Windows Media Player.

Edited by Powerbracelet, 24 February 2009 - 07:51 PM.

[Nicholas Steel]

THE FIRST VERSION DIDN'T EVEN RUN iTUNES!

Probably because Itunes was at the time, coded for Windows 9x? did Itunes run well under Windows 2000?


the difference between DOS and NT environments is pretty huge.

[Ben]

Probably because Itunes was at the time, coded for Windows 9x? did Itunes run well under Windows 2000?
the difference between DOS and NT environments is pretty huge.

iTunes was always intended to run on an NT-based Windows system. At the time of its release for Windows, the 9x versions had been dead for a while.

In addition, Microsoft does deliberately sabotage certain apps on occasion. iTunes may or may not be one of these, but it has been confirmed that the original version of Windows XP had code deliberately designed to screw up QuickTime and RealPlayer, as well as Winamp and the Netscape browser. (See US Dept. of Justice v. Microsoft for more information.)

[Fabbrizio]

I meant vista. Fixed.

[Hunter P Brown]

Have you ever tried getting Maple Story to run on Linux or Mac OS X without using something like VM Ware or Wine or Boot Camp?

That's my reason for having windows: Game compatibility ftw.

[Koopa]

I must give a little slap to my local Apple store here. They've got this big poster up outside with six reasons why you should use a mac. In such a list, it's common to put your best argument first and your second best last, where they'll catch users' attention most. Except if you're counting up or down your best arguments.

Either way - Argument 1 of 6. Mac is fully compatible with Microsoft Office. Argument 6 of 6 - you can install Windows on a mac.

So the good things about a mac are, primarily, that you can run MS Office and install Windows on it? Get real. Or fire the n00b who thought up that poster.

I should also add one small comment for Bengal. The poll is, much as I like Linux myself, not fair or objective. You're implying before you let people answer that Windows is somehow bad and that anyone using it should know better. The most "positive" answer is "I haven't had many issues with Windows ...". What about "I like Windows"? It's not my opinion, but it's one that I wouldn't discount from the start.

[Ben]

Well ... I offered the choices that were given me. I kinda noticed that they didn't seem exactly objective at first either, but eh. They get the job done.

I have actually compiled this poll's results together with a door-to-door and a written survey version and the results are rather scary. Many people don't know what an operating system is and just believe that Windows is something that exists on all computers.

However it seems that lots of people want to switch to using a Mac; very few people like/want to try Vista, hardly anyone in the general non-tech population is aware of the existence of Linux (though I did get responses from an arch user and a few ubuntu users outside of the PZC poll) and I got a lot of favorable votes for OS X and Linux alike here and inside some tech workplaces.

Either way - Argument 1 of 6. Mac is fully compatible with Microsoft Office. Argument 6 of 6 - you can install Windows on a mac.

So the good things about a mac are, primarily, that you can run MS Office and install Windows on it? Get real. Or fire the n00b who thought up that poster.

A valid argument, but necessary to help debunk the myth that Macs aren't compatible with Windows machines and Office. Apple has to appeal to the non-savvy user, and it's going to look bad to those who have some market knowledge.

Lately some salespeople have been unofficially promoting alternative open-source packages like NeoOffice though, at least in the store near me. It's probably not official policy, but the floor people are actually discouraging people from purchasing MS Office 2008 for Mac when it's blatantly obvious that the customer isn't aware of a free alternative. (Apple does business differently; even selling expensive software like MS Office actually doesn't make them much money at all. Apple thrives more on hardware sales.)

Also, Boot Camp, the same mechanism that allows the native booting of Windows on a Mac, allows for the booting of pretty much anything. What OS X needs is the ability to read and write to the ext filesystems. It can currently read linux swap space but not modify it at all.



At any rate, this poll is pretty much not good for anything anymore as I've already compiled all my data. I got hundreds of different votes on the written version, so this poll doesn't figure in very much, but it does give a picture of what the somewhat-computer-savvy to power users think, I think.

Now I have to get started on the next part of this project they've assigned me. x.x;

[Fabbrizio]

I have actually compiled this poll's results together with a door-to-door and a written survey version and the results are rather scary. Many people don't know what an operating system is and just believe that Windows is something that exists on all computers.

WHAAAAAAAAAT?

let's see that again:

WHAAAAAAAAAT?


I can't really believe it. It's one thing to not like Mac, but to have never heard of it? To think windows is on every computer? Have they not been to a public school in the last 10 years? I may prefer Microsoft for sheer flexibility of hardware, but honestly, Mac is pretty great, too, and now I'm even more afraid of n00bs.

Edited by Powerbracelet, 27 February 2009 - 05:30 PM.

[Eurysilas]

Powerbracelet, it is my belief that a good chunk of the US at least is technically illiterate. They have not even a basic understanding of of how a computer works. To them, it's just a magic box. This is something most proprietary software vendors wish to encourage. "Now, you don't fret your poor little head about how the big ol' scary computer works. Just do things our way and Papa Microsoft will make it ALL better....". Now you know why I wish I could move to a different country.

Bengal, I wish you luck on the remainder of your project. The job must be pretty good, if you're willing to go through this to secure it.

[link3505]

1- I've never had any serious issues with Windows. Never had a BSoD on my machine, and I've only had to reinstall it once (Lost my Images folder, but other than that, nothing too horrible). Everything else is fine for what I need to do, though there are a couple features I'd like that, as far as I know, no other OS really has, so I can't complain about that

2- I might "upgrade" to Vista, in the fact that I'll dual-boot it if anything. Doing this is only because there are some games specifically for Vista that I'd like to play, hence the 'might'

3- If money wasn't an issue, I'd buy a Mac and dual boot XP on it. Macs are awesome, I won't lie, but they are quite expensive, and not worth the money when it's more of a switch of OSs than an upgrade, in my opinion. They both have their strong points, but Windows is more affordable, so that's my choice

On a side note, good luck Ben(gal)

[Nathaniel]

Why do I use Windows?

I have used it for a long time, I am used to it, I can play certain games that would be a problem on other OSes, and most imporantly: I like it. And as Relic pointed out, Macs are nice no doubt, but I am not about to spend all the money on it. Perhaps some day (if ever), but that day is not anytime soon.

Until Vista has enough bug fixes and I find the need to use something that requires it over XP, I will stick to XP.

To quote the Rolling Stones: It's only Rock and Roll but I like it.

[NekoArc]

I've been a Windows user since the late 90s. It serves its uses for my programs and games. I'm also a casual Linux user, having experminted with Ubuntu and Knoppix. Now when I took classes at the community college, I used to take my Knoppix live cd and a flashdrive and go to the computer lab to do stuff and learn the workings of Linux bit-by-bit.

If I was regularly connected to the internet, I'd turn one of my computers into a Linux machine in a heartbeat because I miss it.

[Majora]

The only reason I use Winblows is because I'm too lazy to properly install Linux.
I probably would not use vista even if it were handed out as a free sample at some random mall/store/place/thing.
I'd get a mac, definitely, with Windows for the rare occasions I'd actually need it, and Linux too for the hell of it.

I'm inclined to believe that those who claim to never have had a problem with windows are lying. Simply because my OS is in the crapper. It's laggy and **** crashes more often than it should, namely explorer. Recently (well, around the end of last summer) my registry exploded for some reason and I had to use a Linux Live CD to 'fix' it. I undestructively reinstalled windows with a recovery CD thing, but I kept getting a "(some file) is compressed" error, so I used the Live CD to find the uncompressed version of the file (I think it was either on the recovery CD, or the hard drive already; my machine has 2 CD drives), and swap it with the compressed one. The irritating part is that the two files were literally not even 5 KB apart in size. Even this moment my computer does little suspicious things that force me to conclude that all is not well, despite hardware scans saying my machine is relatively 'healthy' (it's an eMachine from late '05).

... I forgot where the hell I was going with this. ._.

[Adem]

I use windows because it's what I've always used. I've had this computer since XP came out, actually. It's just what I'm used to...and there's the fact I don't want to buy another one.