Windows is the best operating system?

[FastGame]

Is Windows the best OS?

Technically no, not for any purpose what so ever.
Mac OS is the best desktop OS - it has an excellant user interface and a brilliant security model.

Not true, for Games there's no OS better than Windows. Sure Linux is getting better but it has a long ways to go.

I'm a hardware guy so I need code to run the stuff, an OS, which OS doesn't matter as long as its efficient in the area's I use my PC.

My PC isn't used for work, its mainly used for gaming, music, movies. In this area I feel that Windows XP is the best OS. XP has the best hardware/game support bar none

For people that mainly surf the net, online shopping, email and chat, I think they would be better served using Linux.

On the windows security issues ? I'm not one who blames MS, instead I blame society.

Contrary to popular Myth> MS security problems aren't the result of dummies who write crappy code. MS security problems exist because its the target of a society that raises children to be lying, deceitful, thieving scum bags who lack respect for fellow man !

[Conan]

Nice post FG!

[Aloone_Jonez]

Not true,

It is true - Linux is a technically superiour OS to Windows.

for Games there's no OS better than Windows.

Exactly, it depends on your perspective, mine one is a technical one and yours is a purely practical one. If you want to play games Windows is a more suitable OS than Linux for that particular application but it doesn't make it better from a technical perspective.

Sure Linux is getting better but it has a long ways to go. I'm a hardware guy so I need code to run the stuff, an OS, which OS doesn't matter as long as its efficient in the area's I use my PC. My PC isn't used for work, its mainly used for gaming, music, movies. In this area I feel that Windows XP is the best OS. XP has the best hardware/game support bar none

I agree but why do you think the game developers and hardware manufactures choose to develop for Windows over Linux/Mac?

Because Windows is more popular.

Remember:

Linux is in a bit of a vicious circle at the moment, people often don't use it because their hardware doesn't support it and neither does some of the Windows only software (for which there isn't a Linux equivalent) they use (mainly games and engineering software). Some hardware and software vendors don't start support Linux because (in their oppinion) it doesn't have a high enough user-base but how will it ever gain enough users if the industry doesn't back it?

I agree, I use Windows over Linux because it's compatable with the engineering software I use and you'll never catch me saying Windows is better than Linux. If MS didn't hava a monopoly over the market then developers would release games for Linux but this won't happen as I've described above - you should complain to the developers about this as it isn't Linux's fault.

For people that mainly surf the net, online shopping, email and chat, I think they would be better served using Linux.

Linux is better in general the only reason people who know better use Windows is due to hardware and software issues.

On the windows security issues ? I'm not one who blames MS, instead I blame society.

Contrary to popular Myth> MS security problems aren't the result of dummies who write crappy code. MS security problems exist because its the target of a society that raises children to be lying, deceitful, thieving scum bags who lack respect for fellow man !

Good point and I'd like to agree but unfortunately this is the society we live in and MS haven't done a good job of protecting us from these people, in fact they're part of the problem by trying to dominate the market. In an ideal world we'd all use a mulitude of differant platforms, people could choose between Windows, Mac, Linux and BSD without having to worry about software and hardware support.

Well, I am using Microsoft OSs for 9 years now, I started with 95, ME, and now XP, I think it's the best so far,

I agree Windows XP is a vast improvment over the DOS based 9x/ME series, I remember when my PC used to BSOD every hour or so - very frustrating.

I mean I used Linux too, but it's isn't much of my kind, I mean it is a lot more complicated, and it's not made for casual users.

That does vary a lot from distro to distro.

Windows, by far is the simplest OS. So that is the main reason why people like it.

Windows? simple?
I can see your point but it isn't if you want to tweak it, just look at the registry and all those nice keys full of AEFE34D codes this is why people end up resorting to 3rd party software to fix problems. Linux might have a slightly steeper learning curve (yes I'm still cimbing it) but at least it's fully documented.

Now, a lot of people loooove Mac, but because of the price, they have all moved to Windows.

Now the Mac, now that is easy to use, I've only used one once before but it's very easy to pick up, shame about the price though but I'm told it's worth it because you get top quality hardware too - something I've been considering for a while.

In short most of the disadvantages people associate with Linux are due to its low market share but these won't go until the market share increases which won't happen due to the disadvantages created by the small market share - vicious circle again go damn it.

[egghead]

I would like to comment that I am waiting for a big game company to start releasing bootable game cd's built from linux.

i feel these new bootable cd's will be dedicated and built around the game and will offer insane frame rates on todays hardware.

quake 4 should have lead the way but instead opted to release quake 4 linux version install only

[Aloone_Jonez]

Now that would be very cool.

Also I've neglected to say that friends of mine have found Linux to be faster games wise, sadly I haven't found this to be the case since my graphics card doesn't support Linux properly - it's unaccelerated in Linux.

[Curio]

Contrary to popular Myth> MS security problems aren't the result of dummies who write crappy code. MS security problems exist because its the target of a society that raises children to be lying, deceitful, thieving scum bags who lack respect for their fellow man!

OOOoooh that is sooo true!!

I have said it before and I will say it again, check Secunia for advisories on Linux/Unix and you will see that it really isn't that hot on security after all. People percieve Windows to be the insecure OS because it's what they use and the issues can and do affect them.

Even the cut down OSes they use in phones have been found to have plenty of holes - Security and Function are oposed. The more function something has the harder it is to secure.

[egghead]

nice debating going on in this thread

very interesting'

well done everone

[Aloone_Jonez]

OOOoooh that is sooo true!!

Yes society is primarily to blame, in an ideal world we wouldn't have to bother with security, you wouldn't need to lock your front door or car but welcome to the real world. MS should do a better job in protecting us we shouldn't have to run anti-virus or compromise the functionality of Windows in order to configure a secure system. Come to think of it we should be able to choose which operating system we use without having to worry about software and hardware incompatibilities.

I have said it before and I will say it again, check Secunia for advisories on Linux/Unix and you will see that it really isn't that hot on security after all.

It depends on the application, take a server for example BSD will be the best, and Linux and Windows server 2003 are about the same but this is totally differant if you talk about the desktop/comsumer market.

People percieve Windows to be the insecure OS because it's what they use and the issues can and do affect them.

Yes, Windows isn't inherrantly insecure, (I've posted these links before but I don't see any harm in reposting them) Windows has been Vandalised by MS in order to keep backwards compatability with old programs by giving XP insecure default install options. Windows XP can be set up with a reaonable level of security, I've done this before and I didn't even need anti-virus but often this compromises functionality - some programs require the registry and folder persmisions to be tweaked before they will run if at all.

Even the cut down OSes they use in phones have been found to have plenty of holes - Security and Function are oposed. The more function something has the harder it is to secure.

Windows CE maybe?
Seriously, security doesn't all come down to the operating system being run a lot is to do with the configuration, if you surf the net as root in Linux then expect to get owned and the same thing goes in Windows unless you have a darn good anti-virus and firewall. You're right about functionality vs security (the latter often compromises functionality too) , a well designed OS (UNIX) can be configured to be secure while remaining functional and a poorly designed OS (Windows) tends to compromised one over the other.