What OS are you running and why?

[AlexNet0]

Originally Posted by rstb88

This was inspired by the Fail. thread with the Targets window was crashed lol. I noticed a couple of people used Linux which sparked my interest. I'll start.

Ubuntu/Linux 8.04 Hardy Heron LTS
I'm running on an M1330 1.8ghz duo centrino
120gig ssd and 1gig ddr2
I switched to Linux completely less than a month ago because windows vista kept having a fatal error after using windows update. And wouldn't boot I had to reinstall. So I made the switch and I haven't looked back. I don't even miss Maplestory that much anymore.

If that error was for service pack 1 and it kept repeatedly rebooting to "installing" or "configuring updates" 0%, you can fix that by booting to Barts PE or a linux boot cd and delete these 2 files/folders:
C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml
and
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution

[Altitude]

WinXP - because all the rest suck.

[rstb88]

No it was after sp2

[50MPGDream]

ubuntu 8.10 on the main desktop, the laptop has a dell hacked version of 8.07, and the other computer is constantly being experimented with, currently it has mythbuntu and puppy on it

[turboecho2005]

hackintosh pc ($199 boxing day special) running OSX 10.5.6 beta is my primary PC. I prefer it over linux any day. I can run linux apps on it and have the wonderful OSX interface... and its the cheapest computer i have ever setup...

and a few other computer ranging from suse linux to windows vista... On WindowsXP right now and its just so ugly...

[Demon]

Running on Mac OSX 10.4.11.
1.8 Ghz PowerPC G5
1.25 GB DDR

[JBIZZ]

OS X Leopard, because its the most technologically advanced and user friendly. On a Macbook Pro w/ 4GB 1067 MHz DDR3 RAM, 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 320 GB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics.

[YarisDude]

I am using Win XP Pro and Ubuntu/Linux 8.04 Hardy Heron LTS as a dual boot on my general purpose PC. In the Ham Shack I use Win2000 Pro. Linux has serious driver and application availability limitations when using equipments/instruments that require an GPIB (or Firewire) interface for control. I use some software defined receivers (Dynamic Sciences/Flex) that will not operate under Linux, perhaps in the future. It appears that most of the development work is for a Windows world and this makes sense as the majority of users employ a M$ Windows OS.

I have yet to get a virus, worm, or trojan under Windows, but again I don't stick my d**k in places where it can infected. I do enjoy watching the firewall blocking all the port scans and pings from the clowns attempting to gain access to my little abode on the internet.

/begin rant

Hopefully, as time goes on Linux will become more mainstream and manufacturers will provide more drivers and API's. I do not like M$ relationship with the content producers (DRM). Why would I buy a OS that requires me to pay and pay every time I want to do something. If I pay for it once, it should be mine to use (personally) as I wish.

/end rant

[Altitude]

Originally Posted by YarisDude

/begin rant

Hopefully, as time goes on Linux will become more mainstream and manufacturers will provide more drivers and API's. I do not like M$ relationship with the content producers (DRM). Why would I buy a OS that requires me to pay and pay every time I want to do something. If I pay for it once, it should be mine to use (personally) as I wish.

/end rant

Linux will never rise to the level of a ubiquitous OS - its target audience has never been the average user and it will remain primarily a server OS with some personal user base. It's been almost 20 years since it was introduced, if it hasn't managed to unseat Windows at this point it is very unlikely to do so. It will continue to be a 'specialty' OS and be used primarily in servers and embedded systems.

However, if it ever does reach the level of a Microsoft OS - you can be damn sure DRM will infect it as well. As you noted, it is the content producers that coerced MS into incorporating it into the OS and that's not going to change regardless of which OS (maybe, possibly, someday) overtakes MS's stranglehold on the personal PC OS market.

Like it or not MS is here to stay.

[firemachine69]

XP Home on two units, and Ubuntu 8.04. Love Ubuntu, but it's getting rolled over to XP. My gaming rig (which is now unused) is an XP Pro rig, but it's now defunct. So My only Linux box is going to be an XP rig because:

A) a 13 year old girl (my sister) only knows the basics of Windows (Word, iTunes)

B) I need a remote-connection terminal for troubleshooting other PC's.

[eTiMaGo]

Originally Posted by Altitude

Linux will never rise to the level of a ubiquitous OS - its target audience has never been the average user and it will remain primarily a server OS with some personal user base. It's been almost 20 years since it was introduced, if it hasn't managed to unseat Windows at this point it is very unlikely to do so. It will continue to be a 'specialty' OS and be used primarily in servers and embedded systems.

However, if it ever does reach the level of a Microsoft OS - you can be damn sure DRM will infect it as well. As you noted, it is the content producers that coerced MS into incorporating it into the OS and that's not going to change regardless of which OS (maybe, possibly, someday) overtakes MS's stranglehold on the personal PC OS market.

Like it or not MS is here to stay.

Yes, in terms of user-friendliness Linux has taken huge steps forward, but it's still really fiddly...

[BailOut]

Originally Posted by firemachine69

B) I need a remote-connection terminal for troubleshooting other PC's.

I've been using rdesktop for that for years. It works like a charm.

[firemachine69]

Still doesn't address making my sistr have multiple PC environments... She needs to focus on her school work, not how to make her school work.

[TheRealEnth]

Windows 7 FTW
2.67 Quad
4GB

[BailOut]

Originally Posted by firemachine69

Still doesn't address making my sistr have multiple PC environments... She needs to focus on her school work, not how to make her school work.

The last time I checked iTunes wasn't part of school work, and I will take the usability of OpenOffice's Writer over the bloated and wiggy M$ Word on any given day.

[tk-421]

Ubuntu 8.10 x64, with an XP SP3 lite partition for gaming.
LINUX FTW

[rstb88]

Originally Posted by firemachine69

Still doesn't address making my sistr have multiple PC environments... She needs to focus on her school work, not how to make her school work.

I'm guessing this is referring to the woman who bought a Linux dell by accident and dropped out of two semesters of college because of poor/stupid dell customer service. Even though with research all programs on Ubuntu were completely acceptable with her schoolwork. She just wanted to be on the news.

[firemachine69]

Word is the standard in her elementary school environment (although I believe you folks call grade eight, "junior high"), and iTunes is a necessity to use up about a hundred dollars worth of gift cards she got over the x-mas holidays.