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Linux is not Ubuntu. Linux is a part of Ubuntu.

Linux is not the only 'alternative' OS around. Even for the x86 architecture.

Try these: FreeBSD, DragonFly, Plan9, BeOS, Chrome OS (who is another Linux distro btw).

Moreover, every linux distro should be considered different than the other. for instance Ubuntu is clearly heading towards GUI fonctionnalities. ArchLinux is still a DIY operating system.
rahmu wroteWindows grow old very easily. Granted, this is probably due to bad usage by unaware users, but Windows becomes slow after a few months of use. Not saying that other OS are perfect (far from it), but I don't think they're as bad as Windows
This is probably the main reason that would make think of replacing Windows (I cannot though, yet). I hate it when I have to recover/format my laptop! I lose all of my updates, all of my preferences, EVERYTHING! I do back up my data but not my windows and application updates (at least I do not know how, honestly).

Best feature about Linux: 4 Desktops in one! You've got enough space for everything :D
xterm wroteI've yet to be given a decent argument as to why Windows is bad.
I cant talk for everyone, but from my perspective, as a Windows and Mac user:
- It is less reliable
- It necessitates anti-virus (and occasional manual maintenance work)
- It necessitates downloading drivers for the hardware (this pertains more to the Microsoft business model then Windows itself) and sometimes these are bad quality
- I don't like the interface themes (and I think I'm not the only one)
- The interface is less efficient and elegant (too many pop ups and disorganized navigation)
- OS X contains some features such as Spotlight or Network Location which are pretty stupid features which I came to like but are not well implemented or nonexistent in windows.
- OS X is BSD so you get some of the command line good stuff.
- Windows Explorer would sometimes time-out or even crash on some basic operation, without a visible cause. I found this to be very frustrating.

So far, that's what I can come up with. But it's more a case of why I prefer OS X then why Windows is bad. I used to do most of my work on windows until my installation got corrupted, last week.

EDIT: Yes, windows grows old very quickly. You might spend days customizing it, then something would happen and you would need to reinstall, or need to upgrade to run some software. Plus you will get bombarded by tons of updates. That is not the right way to treat customers, I want my computer to be my tool, not vice-versa.
rolf wroteIt necessitates downloading drivers for the hardware (this pertains more to the Microsoft business model then Windows itself) and sometimes these are bad quality
If you're a Linux fan don't even dare to talk about drivers! Linux falls down the hill when it comes to drivers and hardware support! I tried a few distro's on my P4 computer and ONLY Mandriva 2010 worked. The others failed miserably.

Windows is not really a bad OS. It just requires a lot of unnecessary maintenance, that's all. Oh and you cannot run Windows without Kaspersky being the first thing to install on a fresh installation, otherwise you're risking too much :)
Flexibility and customizability (if it's a word) comes at a cost.
It all depends on what you want/need.
You want something completely flexible, go for Linux, but you'll have to get your hands dirty.
Want something somehow flexible, go for Windows.
You don't care about flexibility and don't mind not having many options and being "told" what and how to use your computer, but prefer having peace of mind and something that just works out of the box, go for Mac OS.

It's all a question of what you need.
a Toyota Prius is not as fast as a Mercedes S-Class which is not as fast as a Ferrari. It doesn't mean that any of these cars is better than the other.
Do you want low running cost fuel efficiency? Comfort? Or speed?
battikh wroteYou don't care about flexibility and don't mind not having many options and being "told" what and how to use your computer, but prefer having peace of mind and something that just works out of the box, go for Mac OS.
Sure the interface is less flexible, and you have a less choice of software, but as a whole I don't think that OSX is really un-flexible.
All i can say is that the switch from Vista to 7 is like Windows to Linux.
All i can say is that the switch from Vista to 7 is like Windows to Linux.
You gotta be kidding... Have you tried a Linux distro before?
I personally have never used the Mac platform before nor that iam trying to avoid it but i have never gotten the chance to. So basically i cannot argue if either windows or mac is better but one thing came to my mind is the Gaming industry.
Windows has always been the main platform for gaming and gamers everywhere, if mac is that good why doesn't mac try and directly compete with windows and allow their software to be used on custom hardware.

If its that stable i wonder why doesn't it attract developers to develop exclusively for apple ? Wouldn't it lure apple to port their software to other hardware so they can compete with windows ?

I really don't get Apple's strategy.
Flakk, business is business, they're not doing it because they can't, they're doing it because they don't want to.
If analogies between cars and computers hold, then we should be by now going to the moon, circling the sun, back and force, on a daily basis.

Really, what does all this argumentation lead to?
- You're a user, well you should really only mind your own preference and not shove it in someone else's throat.
- You're a developer: you should study your audience's platform preference, weight the cost to develop across that spectrum versus what the competition is doing (sometimes this fact allows small times to develop for left out platforms, a match made in heaven: you can create a Mac game and be sure to have buyers!)
- You're an administrator: this is a tough one, but you can't really be blamed for going the windows way here. Linux would a balls-move. Mac would be well more on the stupid side, financially - unless you're feeding a graphic designer frenzy.
- You're an OS developer: you really should be speaking here instead of myself :)
All i can say is that the switch from Vista to 7 is like Windows to Linux.
This is complete none sense. Windows vista and 7 may have some differences but that does not mean their difference is remarkable to an extent of the difference between two complete platforms(Windows and Linux in this case) because the difference between platforms such as Windows and Linux is in terms of supported architectures, device drivers, partitioning, boot loaders, accessibility, customization, downtime, recovery, process scheduling, memory management, OS integration, software compatibility etc... where such differences cannot really occur between two versions of the same platform i.e. windows. I have to agree with Kassem, it seems you never tried any Linux distro before, I don't mean any offence but simply you don't know what you are talking about man.
kareem_nasser wroteAll i can say is that the switch from Vista to 7 is like Windows to Linux.
L O L !
@arithma:

The reason we (linux fanboys) are so vocal about it is simply because a lot of false ideas are spread. Many users have the wrong impression about it (if they heard about it at all). Linux has suffered a lot from Microsoft spreading Fear Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) about Linux systems. Google examples.

Inherent to the open source nature of Linux, the higher number of users it gets, the better it gets. Exponentially.
Flakk wroteIf its that stable i wonder why doesn't it attract developers to develop exclusively for apple ? Wouldn't it lure apple to port their software to other hardware so they can compete with windows ?
Simple: market logic. If you develop for windows you have a market that is 5x times bigger, that's all. I dont think windows is a superior platform. Maybe the IDEs and APIs that it provides are easier to start with though.
As for the hardware question, I think that apples sees the OS, hardware and peripherals as one thing. Whereas Microsoft sells you an Operating System, Apple sells you a "computing solution", and that makes up part of the attractiveness of Apple.
Flakk wroteI really don't get Apple's strategy.
Apple always tries to define itself as the "better option" and also tries to innovate and create new markets, as with the iPhone.
If fact the will to define themselves as the "better option" may be a limiting factor, one that reduces creativity and limits potential.

Would be nice if Apple could release a fork of OSX (with different branding) for distributing on PC hardware.
Übergeek Kareem_nasser do you know what is a *LINUX* ?

Hint: it is not edible .
i am a mac user i use to use windows vista (7 is way better) MAC OSX is faster then windows even my macbook air 1st gen(1.6 core 2 duo) is faster then my acer laptop 2.0 core 2 duo 3 gigs ram and 512 mb nvdiea video card
but windows is good for the average user because the average user only used the computer for nothing demanding except for gaming and the web designer -graphic designers and video editors use MAC OS X because its good under demand not like windows that slows down and crashes. by the way Microsoft dont make most of the money from windows they develop the software of the army including helicopter and tanks. I think the only company that can hurt apple is google.
First let me say that we, here on lebgeeks, are not average users, we don't think like those people.
The average user doesn't care about his OS nor his hardware, the only thing he wants is getting his work done the easier way. He does not care that mac OS has a linux shell, not that linux is more stable, nor that microsoft ... (a lot can be said for the 3 OSes but that's not my point).

The average user does not want to see past his UI, he won't understand what's happening, and actually he doesn't want to. This is one important factor as to why the iPhone had a lot of success: for me its a phone oriented for non-geeks, wanting simplicity, average users. I have an iPhone, and even after jailbreaking it, got me very bored. I prefer to have a N900 now, where I can really tweak it with anything I want.

The point is, this debate gets you nowhere, specially if you're debating about which is the better OS. All depends on the kind of people you're talking about, and one thing to remember, geeks are not the majority of users out there, something to think about :)
crazy wroteFirst let me say that we, here on lebgeeks, are not average users, we don't think like those people.
The average user doesn't care about his OS nor his hardware, the only thing he wants is getting his work done the easier way. He does not care that mac OS has a linux shell, not that linux is more stable, nor that microsoft ... (a lot can be said for the 3 OSes but that's not my point).

The average user does not want to see past his UI, he won't understand what's happening, and actually he doesn't want to. This is one important factor as to why the iPhone had a lot of success: for me its a phone oriented for non-geeks, wanting simplicity, average users. I have an iPhone, and even after jailbreaking it, got me very bored. I prefer to have a N900 now, where I can really tweak it with anything I want.

The point is, this debate gets you nowhere, specially if you're debating about which is the better OS. All depends on the kind of people you're talking about, and one thing to remember, geeks are not the majority of users out there, something to think about :)
The debate was not about 'what is the best OS'. It's about why people, dismiss windows as a good OS.
mac OS has a linux shell
o_O

Really?