operating systems

[dan]

Does anyone use a pc with something other than windows? I currently use a mac... think some of the new pcs are nice and reasonably priced... but don't like microsoft.

Any unix, linux etc users that can comment?

[nalgas]

Does anyone use a pc with something other than windows? I currently use a mac... think some of the new pcs are nice and reasonably priced... but don't like microsoft.

Any unix, linux etc users that can comment?

As far as Linux goes, Ubuntu is very popular these days, and it's been doing well. It's pretty easy to get going with it, it supports a lot of stuff, and there's a decent amount of easily available software. It's come a pretty good way in a few years compared to how Linux was before. You can actually try it out on your Mac before buying a new PC, if you want, since Ubuntu will run on the G3, G4, and G5 Macs (most non-Intel stuff from the past several years).

If you're set on getting a PC and don't want to use Windows, that's what I'd recommend. Most other Linux distributions have higher learning curves or smaller communities with less support (although it really does depend on what you're looking for, which I don't have much of an idea about at all), without that much in return except for specific niches. That becomes even more true with different Unix variants. BSD is great and everything, but I don't want it as my main desktop. A Solaris desktop would make me cry, and frequently did at work. Well, not really. I bet it's at least less obnoxious now than it was then. I at least want to tell myself that.

As desktop OSes for actually getting work done (important disclaimer: I am a computer dork, and I don't need Office or Photoshop or stuff like that, and by the "doing work" comparison I mean navigating the system and ease of doing tasks I have to do all the time and just general productivity level), I'd honestly have to say that in order, I'd take OS X, some flavor of Linux like Ubuntu, Windows, and then everything else, but I have historically always been annoyed by a bunch of things about Windows, and before that, DOS. However, without the restriction of "getting work done", I end up with having an OS X laptop and a PC that'll probably end up with both Ubuntu and Windows (for games). Heh.

[null0trooper]

Does anyone use a pc with something other than windows? I currently use a mac... think some of the new pcs are nice and reasonably priced... but don't like microsoft.

Any unix, linux etc users that can comment?

Linux at home (Debian) and on some systems at work (RedHat). Microsoft does better inter-application stuff in their application

suite, but if you don't need that, there are alternatives for linux. There are some nightmare issues with linux configurations

under Debian and RH, but Windows can be nasty as well.

[Velvet Elvis]

I bid windows goodbye over five years ago and haven't looked back. My only cavet with ubuntu is that they try to be too cutting edge. By putting a new release out ever six months they don't leave enough time for beta testign and bug squishing, particularly with less common hardware. It's worth a try, but may get anoying if you want to settle down and just use your computer after a while rather than updating it over and over again.

Take a look at kanotix as an alternative to ubuntu if you want a debian + training wheels style distro. It's easy to convert it to pure debian later.

If you really want to learn from the ground up, nuts and bolts under the hood kind of stuff, slackware is the way to go. It might take a few weeks to have a graphical display but after a year of makig yourself use that you'll be able to use anything. A lot of people who start with redhat or debian just know how to use redhat or debian. Slackware is barebones with few distrobution specfic tools to hold your hand. If you learn to use that you'll be able to sit down at any unix terminal on the planet and find your way around. That's what I did but I was well aware that I was diving in to the deep end.

I'm not a big fan of redhat based distros, but the most recent fedora is a suppoed to be a big return to form them so it's worth a loook.

If you want maximum hand holding without being treated like an idiot, see PCLinux

http://www.pclinuxos.com/

[Dee]

Despite being a geek, I have never had the patience to become proficient enough in Linux to be able to do support or troubleshooting, so I'm still a Microsoft girl. I've used it, installed it (a few versions) and know basic commands, but it ends there.

I hated working in NOC at an ISP because we used nothing but Linux on our computers. My coworkers made fun of me for being a Microsoft loser, LOL.

I admire those that know Linux or Unix inside out.

[zsandoz]

Despite being a geek, I have never had the patience to become proficient enough in Linux to be able to do support or troubleshooting, so I'm still a Microsoft girl. I've used it, installed it (a few versions) and know basic commands, but it ends there.

I hated working in NOC at an ISP because we used nothing but Linux on our computers. My coworkers made fun of me for being a Microsoft loser, LOL.

I admire those that know Linux or Unix inside out.

I'm not a UNIX expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I work mostly in MacOS X and Linux. Especially because of work, it forces me to use Linux because its easier to run my programs on that platform (and they can cluster together systems cheaply). But as far as design goes, I love the Mac.. you get everything you need for this kinda work, _and_ its easy to use.

edited: i dont endorse redhat (EL4 or what not), but thats what the university makes us use on all the machines. if it was my call id use freebsd..