Mac vs. Windows vs. Linux

[Limey Packet]

Which do you think is best?

[Kaewin]

Ummm the one that makes my computer work.

[Nick]

It's so arbitrary to talk of "best" when we haven't defined criteria or a category for the superlative, but I would says Windows is overall the most pragmatic computer.

[Mister O]

I think Linux is certainly the most secure, and most practical if you aren't using proprietary software. Given the number of open-source software concepts available, and the fact that just about anyone with a brain can install Ubuntu and google solutions to problems, the need for an OS like Windows or Mac OS only exists because no one wants to take the time to figure out how why they can't run Program.exe or Program.app on Debian or whatever.

But, if you're like most people, you're probably using Windows-only software on your PC as opposed to open-source, which does, in turn, make it the most pragmatic of the three.

Cost-wise, nothing is more pragmatic than Linux, though.

[Beamswordsman9]

[Macrado]

The each have their benefits.

My view is that Macs are generally the most user-friendly as far as set up and configuration go. I don't have a lot of experience with them, so I'm certainly no expert. Macs are also generally more expensive, and are treated to small extent as a status symbol. Software lags behind compared to Windows.

Windows is not quite as user-friendly, but is still very easy to use. Software is the strong point on Windows, as a large percentage of software created is created for Windows first, and then Mac as an afterthought. An obvious con here though is Viruses. Just as most software is created for Windows, so are most Viruses. The OS is powerful, but not as powerful as Linux.

Linux is a powerhouse. Despite being easy to set up, the nuts and bolts are very complicated to the average user. Besides its power, the OS is free, as is most of the software. Because most of the software is free, you won't find nearly as many commercial programs, but instead, their free, open source counterparts, that are often good, but not as good as the original (Although there are exceptions, I'm sure). As a programmer, I like that it is based on the open source concept, because I like to read the source code for programs that I use a lot and figure out how they work.

For the average user, I have to vote Windows, as its main strength seems to be the software that is available for it. A strong case can still be made for using Linux with the average user. Though in my experience, the "Average" user wouldn't know where to start to find free alternatives to commercially available software. Either that, or they'd buy the Windows equivalent of the software and wonder why it doesn't work. So my opinion is Windows > Linux > Mac.

[Beamswordsman9]

http://comixed.com/2010/02/06/trilogy-of-awesome/

[Mister O]

The majority of Windows arguments that are centered around just how much is offered for the OS, in comparison to Mac OS, is something that depends very heavily on just how popular Mac OS becomes. Because, as Mac OS becomes popular (if it continues to) it could very well eclipse Windows as the dominant OS. Then more programs, and subsequently malicious programming would be written for it. Linux, by and large, is probably the best just because of the sheet difficulty involved in installing something, let alone anything malicious.

[Macrado]

http://www.duelinganalogs.com/comic/200 ... -im-linux/

[Nick]

Lots of lols ITT.