OS Mac? Windows? Linux?

[Pebbles]

i like mac and windows
but i prefer mac i think

 

[Taorero]

Windows all the way without even thinking.
It's all a matter of how well you know the OS.

In my experience, my Linux friends talk about "stability, resource consumption and no crashes"... Turns out they all ran older versions of Windows (not updated), pirate copies of Office and almost every single software was just a pirate copy.
So my solution was... Original copies avoid system files corruption giving you more stability and no blue screens.
If resource consumption is too high, go to task manager and check how much resources windows take over 3rd party software ex... GOOGLE CHROME!, however solution is simple... update your RIG... If you want to run the latest video game in HD ULTRA using a 2010 computer... good luck with that.

Now, with apple The "no viruses" BS... Truth be told, they do get viruses, they are not as reliable as people might think and is a matter of preference. Graphics Desing friend bought one, and still my computer had better performance (even though it was 2 years older). Is always a matter of what is inside.

In the end, it comes down to preference. I cannot speak 100% about which one is better but definitely people tend to sell windows short and complain about a lot of stuff that is not even the OS fault to begin with.

 

[Styx]

I triple boot (technically quadruple boot). I have Windows 7, Windows 10, Ubuntu and Linux Mint (both of which are latest LTS). My main drive is Ubuntu, while I test out and play around in Mint—which used to be my main drive. I even have a Mac Mini, which visually is nice, but feels far more empty than Linux.

I have been using Windows and Linux since I was about four or five, and while I go back to Windows for gaming or using software that isn't natively supported on Linux just yet (such as PS or most games) I cannot imagine my computer time solely on a Windows computer. It is slow, insecure, a mess to work with, has terrible support, costs way too much money for very limited use and is just generally unattractive when it comes to the environment/UI.

I love the comfort, ease, fluid response, and creative use behind Linux. I can have two media players open (Banshee and Spotify), my writing software open (Libreoffice x 4 docs), Firefox, Okular, Gimp and a terminal running things (monitors, usually) I require without sacrificing any of the snappiness that you get on a fresh install of Windows 7/10. I can also fully customize my desktop so that I am not staring at ugly, 90s designs or colors all night (I have sensitive eyes) as well easily control my privacy settings—something that cannot be said for any Windows OS to date despite what some people may say. And if something should happen to make my system unbootable, the solution is generally quick and easy. Just pop in a liveCD/USB, navigate, put in some commands or just run boot-repair and it is usually over unless you borked it pretty hard doing things you shouldn't have. Can't say that about Windows, especially if for some reason you have to reinstall more than a few times.

The only downside I see to Linux is its lack of art related programs, such as Photoshop, Corel etc. It lacking a huge gaming library could be ignored, or dulled by WINE/POL, but having no equivalents to PS/Corel/PST really cripples Linux and the people willing to migrate off of Windows or Mac (pricey turds if you think about it). This is of course all changing (of which I am happy about) at a steady enough pace thanks to growing support by developers and companies (Vulkan, please, save us) but the progress is still too slow.

If Linux should take its proper place as the best OS, it needs to look at Windows for some things and seriously reconsider adopting one flavor as the "official" flavor. Unofficially some people think it is Ubuntu or Fedora, but it isn't. If they did this, they could concentrate on one singular version they can hammer on until it is perfected and able to easily be developed for.

Well, anyways, I guess I could cut it short and just say "Linux".

 

[Taorero]

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of rig you have, and are you IT as well?

Last time I actually had a slow computer, insecure and mess to work was when I use Windows Me (which everyone knows was BS), Never used Vista so I can't fully judge. Same way I'll go to Linux, can't fully judge it since I don't use it. Last time I had a virus was several years ago, never had a blue screen since XP Service Pack 2, and to be honest I don't know what is like to have a slow computer, still as I stated before is a preference thing. Don't like to judge a OS or a computer solely on my own preference or experience. Or even in-experience.

Same way I should say I can't imagine my Win to run something different. Main use for my computer is Java, C++, CNS simulation and something 3D editing.

I can also fully customize my desktop so that I am not staring at ugly, 90s designs or colors all night (I have sensitive eyes) as well easily control my privacy settings—something that cannot be said for any Windows OS to date despite what some people may say.

Can you elaborate on this one? Privacy settings are actually quite easy to set on Windows, unless of course you share your computer AND session with a bunch of people

 

[Styx]

I'm not an IT, but I have been fixing, making/building, cleaning (physical and OS internal) and using OSes since I was a kid so I'm pretty familiar. My brother used to program and develop software and was a huge computer nerd, so he taught me a lot before he joined the military. I tend to help out Linux people more though because I'm in it so much.

I've got a few different rigs, if you are talking to me about this all. My main driver has an i5-4670k (OC'd to 4.0GHz when I need it on games), a XFX 280, 8gb of ram, one 250gb SSD and two HDDs. Every two years or so, I use a clone of my default Windows 7 install image so that I can go back to a crisp clean state, and until then I keep all my OSes cleaned and pruned.

Can you elaborate on this one? Privacy settings are actually quite easy to set on Windows, unless of course you share your computer AND session with a bunch of people

Privacy settings such that track, spy on, record and send back various information on your computer (which as of 2015 updated to Win7 too). Specifically, for an an example, is the inability to quickly, easily and fully adjust privacy concerns within Windows 10. I'm sure you heard of the huge fiasco? The options within "General > Privacy" do absolutely nothing, it is the registry edits you can make that will "help". Their privacy policy is pretty invasive too.

Finally, we will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary.

or

Rather than residing as a static software program on your device, key components of Windows are cloud-based. … In order to provide this computing experience, we collect data about you, your device, and the way you use Windows.

They also, without consent of the user/operator of the OS, "share" your bandwidth (peer-to-peer distribution of their OS updates). Unless you know about it or what "peer-to-peer" means, you have no idea it goes on. Edge and Cortana are a huge privacy concern too. They track what you type in the start menu/search, online or offline, and record it in order to "learn about you for better experiences".

 

[Taorero]

I've got a few different rigs, if you are talking to me about this all. My main driver has an i5-4670k (OC'd to 4.0GHz when I need it on games), a XFX 280, 8gb of ram, one 250gb SSD and two HDDs. Every two years or so, I use a clone of my default Windows 7 install image so that I can go back to a crisp clean state, and until then I keep all my OSes cleaned and pruned.

There should be NO reason at all for your computer to be slow. Mine is slightly better but I don't use any SSD. Turns on and is fully loaded after 30 seconds tops. I would say yours (if slow) might be running unnecessary background processes or programs. And the reason why I asked about your background is to have a better understanding in your approach towards windows.

I'm pretty sure that if you are able clean the OS. A startup check should be a piece of cake.

The privacy thing, yes I know the one you're pointing out, but then again is not a problem that I could not solved. Privacy is something that I always laugh at, because the more secure people believe their are, the less this is true. I'm gonna go a little off-topic here but the best example I have is the fact that Android is actually extremely easy to bypass and to steal whatever info I want. All of them have some issue, that is for sure. Personally I believe (this is just my opinion), privacy issues on Windows OS are not as bad as privacy issues of social network however the love for Social Network blinds users on the matter.

 

[Styx]

There should be NO reason at all for your computer to be slow. Mine is slightly better but I don't use any SSD. Turns on and is fully loaded after 30 seconds tops. I would say yours (if slow) might be running unnecessary background processes or programs. And the reason why I asked about your background is to have a better understanding in your approach towards windows.

I'm pretty sure that if you are able clean the OS. A startup check should be a piece of cake.

The privacy thing, yes I know the one you're pointing out, but then again is not a problem that I could not solved. Privacy is something that I always laugh at, because the more secure people believe their are, the less this is true. I'm gonna go a little off-topic here but the best example I have is the fact that Android is actually extremely easy to bypass and to steal whatever info I want. All of them have some issue, that is for sure. Personally I believe (this is just my opinion), privacy issues on Windows OS are not as bad as privacy issues of social network however the love for Social Network blinds users on the matter.

It isn't as slow as my i3 build or so slow that I can't do anything, but it is still noticeable in comparison to Linux that it can hinder me when I'm doing the things I need to. The only programs that run for me in the background is Spotify services at boot (for some reason it just doesn't work if I don't let it start up with the OS), my Wacom drivers and a system monitor. It is a relatively short list of processes running. Msconfig reveals nothing of concern, and inspecting running services through services or task manager doesn't have any glaring problems either. I even keep options like indexing etc off so that I get the most out of my system.

I suspect it is because Windows consumes a lot of ram and processing power that Linux and iOS simply do not require. Generally Linux requires around 384-500MB of RAM and half the processing speed to even work correctly.

The average joe has no idea what registries are, or how to follow the instructions required to properly turn off or disable intrusive things like this though. That's the biggest issue here, is that Microsoft knows this and sneaks it in and then tells everyone that their control panel offers them the ability to adjust the privacy concerns when they don't.

I blame social networks for the growing lack of concern about people's privacy too. So many people are used to sharing every second of their day online to complete strangers they don't stop to consider the impact of what they are doing and what they allow people to do around them. In comparison to, say Facebook, Windows 10 is privacy haven. I agree entirely with you on that, but the actions of social media shouldn't influence Microsoft to do these things or make people accept it because it is getting harder to maintain privacy. I'm not saying that you think that way of course, just adding my two cents here.

 

[Taorero]

Well definitely Windows takes a big load on your RAM can't argue with that, still check it out and try to pin-point which process is hitting you the most. host processes sometimes can be jerks on your ram lol.

Yes, definitely is not regular user friendly when you point it that way. Which is the reason I'll say Win7 had some features over 10 that makes it better.

You know I'm glad I'm not the only one on this one, I can't believe how much social media affects your system and what you do. One thing I completely hate is the fact that facebook takes all the info they want on you in order to give a better "AD experience" WTF said that I want ads in the first place?, and I don't even want to go into this ads that say "Your windows is out of date" "computer in danger" and they fully used the Chrome GUI or the Windows Interface in order to make people fall for it. There is where I believe the OS should protect the user better and bypass whatever the software does. Chrome for example is very crappy when it comes to security. So windows OS should take over and stop Chrome from popping more and more processes.

Social Network has made people share absolutely everything and if you consider the fact that everything is going wi-fi and "shareable" I wouldn't be surprise if coffee machines will start sharing on your news feed "xyz Coffee is ready to drink, mmm so yummy"

 

[Doughboy]

Not gonna lie I like my Windows laptop but Windows 10 has been sucking majorly for me, to the point I wish I didn't download it. Mac I would get just cause it's sleeker and I have an iPhone already.

 

[Styx]

Not gonna lie I like my Windows laptop but Windows 10 has been sucking majorly for me, to the point I wish I didn't download it. Mac I would get just cause it's sleeker and I have an iPhone already.

If you are an avid gamer, the change would disappoint you a lot. If you ever decide to get a Mac: do not get a mini. Get one you can upgrade or will last longer than 3 years in terms of hardware.

 

[Pat]

The amount of RAM an OS uses may be deceiving since the OS may opt to keep some additional components in RAM if there's plenty for faster access later, OSes are getting more and more intelligent and trying to make the most out of the hardware they're used on. I guess Linux users are more computer-savvy than Windows users in general and can solve whatever problems they have more easily or disable unnecessary services which may make their computer faster. If properly managed in the hands of a knowledgeable user, Windows is certainly a very reliable OS too, the last time I encountered a BSOD was years ago when my video card died on me. On the other hand, Windows 10 is probably the most invasive OS ever, so if you value your privacy, you can use one of the many softwares that disables these annoyances features such as Ashampoo AntiSpy.

 

[Styx]

Oh, it certainly isn't unusable. I get my work and gaming done well enough (more so for the later).

I do like the changes that came with WX in terms of performance though, and the stability upgrade it got from the wreck that was Windows 8 was a huge step, but I can't get around the invasive stuff Microsoft pulls anymore. Not in a time where it is hard enough to keep your life private. And for the program you linked to: I thought that was announced as being ineffective due to lock outs and virus potential?

 

[Pat]

And for the program you linked to: I thought that was announced as being ineffective due to lock outs and virus potential?

Windows Defender blocks it? I haven't used it personally but then I disabled Windows Defender too, so I wouldn't notice.

 

[Styx]

Windows Defender blocks it? I haven't used it personally but then I disabled Windows Defender too, so I wouldn't notice.

I manually made the changes in the registry instead of taking a risk on a program like that, so I'm not entirely sure. I just remember reading on reddit that the programs no longer worked (a few updates before the anniversary update) and were a security risk.

 

[Pat]

I manually made the changes in the registry instead of taking a risk on a program like that, so I'm not entirely sure. I just remember reading on reddit that the programs no longer worked (a few updates before the anniversary update) and were a security risk.

I see, some of those applications can be security risks themselves but Ashampoo is a known brand, so I doubt they would go down the route of doing something nasty, tainting their name. Also it's possible that MS takes countermeasures in an effort to stop these applications from working properly but I guess they can just update their software to accommodate to the changes.

 

[Taorero]

Messing with the registry is never a good idea unless you feel pretty confy with it, however sometimes some programs don't fully uninstall and stay in your registry (for someone like me, is annoying even though they are harmless). A lot of programs claim to clean registry but in truth they do nothing. I believe in this case is better to have a reliable software that you might not keep install in your PC, like a portable version. CCleaner is decent. Not the best maybe but it gets the job done.

One thing to bear in mind are "free version", we tend to speed the installation process by clicking "next, next, ok" without realizing we are also installing ads. And that's when problems start appearing.

 

[Styx]

Messing with the registry is never a good idea unless you feel pretty confy with it, however sometimes some programs don't fully uninstall and stay in your registry (for someone like me, is annoying even though they are harmless). A lot of programs claim to clean registry but in truth they do nothing. I believe in this case is better to have a reliable software that you might not keep install in your PC, like a portable version. CCleaner is decent. Not the best maybe but it gets the job done.

One thing to bear in mind are "free version", we tend to speed the installation process by clicking "next, next, ok" without realizing we are also installing ads. And that's when problems start appearing.

I wouldn't recommend it to a new user for sure, but if you follow the instructions to the dot or make backups, it's no problem. And yea as you mentioned, programs will leave registries behind that could bork up a reinstall or a uninstall.

Oh, I started paying attention to the free installations. Those things will destroy your PC for sure. I had an Acer I was installing a video converter on and it installed a crapton of stuff along with it (had no idea). I ended up having to do several dozen different steps to completely clean my PC. Never again...never again.

 

[Taorero]

I wouldn't recommend it to a new user for sure, but if you follow the instructions to the dot or make backups, it's no problem. And yea as you mentioned, programs will leave registries behind that could bork up a reinstall or a uninstall.

Oh, I started paying attention to the free installations. Those things will destroy your PC for sure. I had an Acer I was installing a video converter on and it installed a crapton of stuff along with it (had no idea). I ended up having to do several dozen different steps to completely clean my PC. Never again...never again.

I definitely feel your pain I blaze through an installation once and I ended up installing 3 different annoying programs, including a Yahoo bar and search engine... It was a pain to get rid of it. What pissed me the most back then was that it was made by Yahoo, it made me hate the company so bad that I went into forums and complain straight to Microsoft for such an invasive behaviour lol, of course I accomplish nothing

About the registry definitely with some guidance one can do it, still is something that I avoid messing with even though I know how to

 

[EmberSpirit]

I usually boot into Windows 7 because of specific software and games. Not for long, probably, one day I might settle on a distro.

Windows 10 has huge privacy issues, everyone knows it, but Windows 7 or 8.1 are no exceptions.
If you update your Windows 7/8 without reading, it is likely that there is telemetry updates installed in your PC. It is as bad as Windows 10 if you don't uninstall those.

Found a handy script to delete telemetry updates from Windows 7/8.1
Source: https://gist.github.com/xvitaly

Spoiler

 

[Styx]

Yup. If you accidentally installed the update on Windows 7, you can go into your update history and uninstall it too. After that, you can "hide" it so that it won't ever install "accidentally".