Preferred OS?

[Jimmt]

The title says it all. Lion or Windows 7, or Linux? Or something else?

[Vladiedoo]

Windows 7, I don't use Lion enough to comment on it. I have never used Linux, what kind of advantages does it have?

[h3ckboy]

windows 7,

I have used linux quite a bit and maybe the computer I used sucks, but I just found it to be a little clunky (this was ubuntu). that being said though, it still is a lot easier to do certain things on (apache server for example).

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[StonePickaxes]

I prefer Windows 7. I probably won't be upgrading to Windows 8.

-Nathan

[Jimmt]

Windows 7, I don't use Lion enough to comment on it. I have never used Linux, what kind of advantages does it have?

Well, Linux is open source. It gets even less viruses than Macs. And it's pretty cheap.

[Jimmt]

Windows 8 is...weird. Colored tiles? 

[Z-Man]

Windows 7, I don't use Lion enough to comment on it. I have never used Linux, what kind of advantages does it have?

Well, Linux is open source. It's gets even less viruses than Macs. And it's pretty cheap.

Just to clarify, Linux is an open-source Kernel that a number of OSes are based on (such as Ubuntu, Red Hat, Mint, etc.). The only reason that I know of that Linux-based OSes get less viruses is that they have a lower market share making them smaller targets. Also, for a while at least, most Linux users were stereotyped as more knowledgeable about computers. However most of the big Linux OSes are moving away from that stereotype by making their OS easier to install and more user friendly.

My preferred OS is Ubuntu but my main OS is Windows 7. If more of the games I play were supported on Ubuntu I'd have switched to it as my main OS long ago. I'm hoping that Valve bringing Steam support to Linux will kick start a move towards Linux support in the game industry. Unfortunately one of the obstacles to porting games to Linux is that there isn't any support for DirectX since it's owned by M$. Mac OS X Lion isn't bad.

EDIT:

windows 7,

I have used linux quite a bit and maybe the computer I used sucks, but I just found it to be a little clunky (this was ubuntu). that being said though, it still is a lot easier to do certain things on (apache server for example).

Which version of Ubuntu?

I prefer Windows 7. I probably won't be upgrading to Windows 8.

-Nathan

Windows 8 == Windows Vista. It's M$'s tick-tock cycle. If you ask me Windows 8 would've flopped, regardless of the whole colorful tile, desktop and tablet combined thing they're trying to do, simply because a lot of companies/businesses are just now upgrading from WinXP to Win7. Now that support for WinXP is close to running out people are being forced to upgrade and it's just not worth it to wait for Win8 and there is even less reason to upgrade from Win7 to Win8.

[sproingie]

Win7 for my games, Fedora KDE Spin for getting work done.

I'm also not keen on upgrading to Win8 right away, I'll stick with Win7.  Metro is nice enough, but I just don't see the value in having the entire PC desktop based on it.

[princec]

I hate them all. Might hate MacOS a bit more than the others. Not sure.

Cas

[davidllanos22]

I've been using windows since my first computer (12-13 years... and I'm only 19 ) , but a few days ago due to some problems with my laptop(it's 4-5 years old T_T) I formatted it and installed Ubuntu 12.04 and all I can say is: I Love it! It's a great OS for programmers! But I'm also a musician and I miss some programs of windows(Ableton Live) And the major fail: drivers for hardware. I have a sound card that I've recently bought and I can't use it because there are no drivers for Linux T_T

So:

-Windows for music edition and also gaming.
-Linux for programming.

And because I can't choose between music or programming, my preferred OS it's still Windows!

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[Roquen]

white toaster or blue toaster?  Whichever one the piece of bread I have fits in.  Toaster breaks? I throw that one away and get a new one.

[princec]

http://philip.greenspun.com/humor/eecs-difference-explained

Cas

[Orangy Tang]

Windows 7, I don't use Lion enough to comment on it. I have never used Linux, what kind of advantages does it have?

Well, Linux is open source. It's gets even less viruses than Macs. And it's pretty cheap.

Linux is only free if you value your time as worthless.

</flamebait>

[gimbal]

As a gamer I value Windows 7 (a lot, Microsoft did it right this time around). As a tech geek I value Linux. I like an OS where out of the box you can just start developing away in a myriad of environments. But all these years of working with Windows has turned me into a GUI addict and that is the one thing that Linux fails to satisfy for me. I don't like either Gnome or KDE; no matter how configurable the look & feel just... blows.

I've long been hesitant towards MacOS, but I wouldn't mind giving a more recent release a spin since now even Microsoft seems to agree that Apple had it right when it comes to UI design. If only Apple wouldn't charge an arm and a leg for their gear

[kappa]

Personally these days my computer use is mostly in the browser (Chrome, Firefox) or with Eclipse, as long as the underlying OS stays out of my way it doesn't really matter which modern OS I'm on (Win, Linux, Mac) the end user experience feels pretty much the same to me.

[davedes]

I used to be a Windows user. Then I tried Mac OS...

[PaulReeves]

I agree with Kappa on this. These days I spend most of my time in a browser and eclipse. Linux, Mac OS or Windows let me do that just fine.  The key thing I want is for it to work and not have to spend any time fixing problems.

Having said that I currently use Ubuntu.

[Cero]

Windows 8 is...weird. Colored tiles? 

Its just Metro, you can use Windows 8 just like normal, like the other ones
of course, since Microsoft releases crappy products they focused on polished turds / on graphics instead of functionality and kernel
well its also for commercial reasons, as stupid users dont know which software is BETTER the only SEE how it LOOKS
its sad =)

[Jimmt]

Windows 8 is...weird. Colored tiles? 

Its just Metro, you can use Windows 8 just like normal, like the other ones
of course, since Microsoft releases crappy products they focused on polished turds / on graphics instead of functionality and kernel
well its also for commercial reasons, as stupid users dont know which software is BETTER the only SEE how it LOOKS
its sad =)

Well, at least the startup is quick.

[Cero]

true, I did hear that...
well windows 8 also needs fewer resources. all performance upgrades are nice
Well, at least the startup is quick.

[StonePickaxes]

A few weeks ago I lost my C:/ drive and couldn't recover Windows 7, so I installed Ubuntu. My main beef with it was the trouble I had trying to get Java working for applets and applications simultaneously. OpenJDK wasn't working right, either. It was just really frustrating. I got Windows 7 again to fix my frustration.

I've never tried OSX, but I've heard really good things.

-Nathan

[gouessej]

Windows 7, I don't use Lion enough to comment on it. I have never used Linux, what kind of advantages does it have?

Actually, there are several "flavors" of GNU Linux, we call them "distros". Lots of them are free of charge, some of them aren't (Red Hat, some versions of Mandriva, etc...). I use Mageia Linux 1, this distro is a community-driven project lead by a foundation, I like this kind of organization. Ubuntu is nice but not good for beginners because it breaks too much habits, using Mageia Linux with KDE is less difficult, it is really what should be Ubuntu, a Linux distribution for human beings, not only computer engineers. As far as I know, there are about 45 viruses targetting GNU Linux whereas this number is closer to several hundreds for Mac OS and hundreds of thousands for Microsoft Windows. GNU Linux is not a black box, it respects your privacy, it doesn't allow Microsoft to look at the content of your hard disks; if you use it properly, it can be a lot safer. It often just works as expected, I feel just better under GNU Linux   I never forget that lots of contributors like me participate to several free open source projects because they really think it is fair, they like sharing, they like this kind of organization, this way of doing things. There aren't 2 distinct categories, we work together and lots of people consider that computer science should not be understood only by a few people but rather by the whole mankind. I really think that we don't need bosses and managers, we are able to organize ourselves and GNU Linux is a partial evidence that it works. I only use GNU Linux and I advise everybody to use it, just choose the proper distro if you don't want to spend most of your time in fighting for making everything work, avoid Ubuntu if you don't want to have a completely different desktop. User-friendly distros require a very little effort.

A few weeks ago I lost my C:/ drive and couldn't recover Windows 7, so I installed Ubuntu. My main beef with it was the trouble I had trying to get Java working for applets and applications simultaneously. OpenJDK wasn't working right, either. It was just really frustrating. I got Windows 7 again to fix my frustration.

I've never tried OSX, but I've heard really good things.

-Nathan

Sven is going to fix that problem with applets and JNLP support.

[Cero]

I only use GNU Linux and I advise everybody to use it.

Believe me, I would really like to.

But I need an OS where all my production stuff "just works".
The whole Adobe Suite, Autodesk Software like Maya and 3dsMax; Sony Vegas and Acid. - These are examples of software which has to work. I have no time or motivation to learn alternative software like GIMP instead of photoshop.
Also if you have skills in Adobe software, thats something to brag about if you're looking for a job.
Companies don't give a shit about Gimp skills.
Bottom line: this software just has to be ported or work perfectly with WINE or whatever.
Another personal example is simple stuff like DVDVideoSoft for downloading videos from youtube and converting audio/video formats - In this case, its a very nice tool and I could use an equivalent

Linux Mint at least makes it easy to install all kinds of media codecs, which is nice.

[Roquen]

GIMP is nice enough...but it's no Photoshop.

GNU Linux: Mr. Stallman's imaginary pet OS.  I assume that it'll disappear when either he grows up or HURD is finally usable.  Current projection Q4 2112.

[Jimmt]

Well, GIMP is good enough for my games...and for Skyrim texturing.
It's a hell of a lot better than Paint.

[gimbal]

As to getting Java up and running on a Linux distro, IcedTea is the place to be.

http://icedtea.classpath.org/wiki/Main_Page

[sproingie]

I'll tell you one thing Phil Greenspun can't do, and that's tell a joke.

[ra4king]

I hate them all. Might hate MacOS a bit more than the others. Not sure.

Cas

What do YOU want in an OS?

http://philip.greenspun.com/humor/eecs-difference-explained

Cas

Hahahahaha I love it!

[Mads]

I run Windows 7, which I enjoy. However, I am cleaning my computer with a fresh reinstall of Windows as well as Ubuntu, as fast as I can tear it apart and put it back together. So. Much. Dus.t T_T. 

[davedes]

But I need an OS where all my production stuff "just works".

Creating a cross-platform workflow depends on your software. 3ds max and Vegas aren't really good choices. Here's my suggestions:

Programming: Eclipse/NetBeans/IntelliJ
Modeling/Rigging/Animation: Maya
Surface/Texturing: Photoshop
Editing: Final Cut Pro (not the newest "X" version...) or Premiere
Foley/Score/Audio: Ableton Live
Foley/Voice: ProTools

All of these "just work" on Mac and Windows.