If you Can Choose From 1 OS ...

If you had these operating systems to chose from. Which would you pick as per security, speed & reliability.

Thanks.

Windows XP

Windows Vista

Windows 7 My Choice**

MAC OS

Linux

OTHER

 

Windows 7, Why?

User Friendly
Lots of support
Lots of software available (Of all types which includes SECURITY, games, productivity and many others.)
I only know how to use Windows

Tried Ubuntu like a month ago and it was HAAAAAAAAARD (Took me like an hour installing something and every setup i downloaded had a different method!!)

 

Given - qualities "most" netizens desire: Which was the first OS you ever used?; If every OS was free, which would you run?

 

Linux and if there was no Linux, Windows XPx64.

 

Windows 7 for the win. The best overall.

 

ofcourse linux you get more than 100 different flavours according to your need

 

Windows 7, it is ahead of it competitors in terms of security (Linux will be second in terms of security).
Next to that it is fast, easy to use, reliable, it is very configurable and it supports the most software (and hardware).

 

Why?

 

I like WinXP because it understands me.

 

If we are talking about a single computer without any special networking needs, specific hardware or use of special programs I would choose linux.

If you want extended compatibility or you have to use windows only software then Windows 7.

XP is a no go, for many many reasons.

Vista is a no go since there is windows 7.

MacOS, I have really nothing to say about it. I have always ignored it and I'll continue to do so in this thread too.

 

definitely Linux, not much of a PC gamer, and lots of good emu's for classic consoles, so it'd compliment my console gaming nicely. not to mention its more secure, and generally faster and more customizable than any other OS listed.

 

I would choose Win XP it has never failed me in terms of security issues And also good for testing too

 

Lucid Lynx, all set for next three years

 

Ubuntu, because it does everything I want and reliably.

Contenders:

OS X, like it, would do everything I want, but I don't have a Mac.
Windows XP, my previous favourite, now too long in the tooth.
Windows 7, due to a combination of bad GFX drivers, show stopping DRM issue (can't watch my DVDs on my TV)
OpenSuse nothing wrong with it, I just prefer the Ubuntu/Debian way.

None contenders:
Vista, for the same reasons most people avoided it.
Other Linux Distros: None of the let me do everything I want easily.

Cheers, Nick

 

There are ways around that silly little "protection" they call DRM


Now, if given a single choice, I'd go Windows 7. I MUCH preferred the usability of XP. In XP, I didn't have copies of folders that should be mine, be denied access to (I HATE that). However, in Windows 7, I don't have to worry about the OS crashing whenever it got bored, and Windows 7 isn't trying to suck every last resource I have for its own use. Linux was a pain in my behind and wasn't anywhere near the definition of stable...and before I get accused of FUD or such nonsense, it's my opinion and experience alone, so don't bother.

 

This is a loaded question.

I see that it breaks down into only 2 answers: those that are knowledgable/adventurous, and those that are not.

Most people, as is clearly indicated by the volume of revenue, prefer an M$ solution because they are only casual users and M$ caters to them quite well, especially considering the gaming and office side of things.

What % of people, such as those here, make up the market is unknown. But they IMO can use whatever flavor currently peaks thier interest. It will come down to what they are using thier computer for most likely.

I would be hard pressed to choose myself. If I were strictly coding or doing productive work, I would probably choose a *nix distro of some kind. For gaming and entertainment, I would probably choose XP or 7, as either works well enough for that.

Sul.

 

I'd like to know how to get around DRM...

Cheers, Nick

 

I already made that choice, it's Debian.

Some people get turned off by a couple of install issues. What they're missing is the easiest OS to maintain, with a wide selection of programs, which is more important for me.

I've installed one version, then upgraded to another, and soon i'll probably upgrade to yet another. I don't burn any CD's, or get new ones, i just tell it 'now i want this version', and upgrade. All my documents are kept, and program settings, user specific or system wide. Otherwise it will warn me it can't, and ask me what to do.

There are no ads anywhere, it's light, and it's mine. It has a good community to help me in those odd cases i can't find out for myself (man + google + time + brain). It is, in my view, the community distro.

There are some programs that are not available for GNU/Linux, and they can be a show-stopper, or whatever you call it. But this situation is getting better, similar to the old problem with IE only websites (which is no longer a problem, in general).
Steam for instance is said to become available soon

Cheers

 

Search around for DVD copying software, there's plenty of it available from torrent websites. They break the DRM schemes as the disc is copied. As far as music, often you can break the DRM just by converting the protected MP3/ACC file to WMA in Windows Media Player. I've never really noticed a big enough loss in quality for the process not to be worth it, unless the file was already lossless. I'm not advocating music or movie theft here, I'm just in the rather large camp that figures I'll be damned if I'm told what I can and can't do with music or movies I buy with money I work for, especially I won't get told where I can and can't play said files.

 

That's not actually a way to bypass the DRM though... understand your point as I do rip music and movies when needed, BUT this is a media machine running through the TV and does not have a desktop, nor mouse/keyboard and a machine the family has to use.
I wanted to use XBMC but that fails to initialise due to the MS provided GFX drivers being rubbish in Win 7 (works fine in XP), pretty sure that would not of suffered the DRM issue that Media Center suffers.

Cheers, Nick.

 

I can choose and even if I was being offered money for using it, I wouldn't switch to another OS than XP. XP here runs safe, smooth and is very reliable. Has to do with years of experience. If I had the same knowledge of the others I would use the best for me, but I don't know which one that would be. In reality I will switch to 7 eventually.

 

Sorry, but you underestimate windows here. Yes, there are those users who want something that works, it's easy and runs the "known" programs for tasks like office, gaming, multimedia. But actually I see it as an advantage for the windows platform. The whole sales network and OEM partners are doing a great job for Microsoft providing cheap and nice machines. This is one reason of the huge volumes. But still, windows is a valid solution for many users, knowledgeable and not.

 

Prefer Win 7 here but have XP and Vista on other machines.

Win 98, XP and Vista VMs on my main machine

Win 98 VM was setup just for old times sake and for a bit of a laugh I tried to install a dozen different rogues and one of my favourites being a microjoin exploit that drops just about everything.

Not a single rogue or the microjoin exploit would or could run.