Linux or Windows

[dpcatkins1983]

Hi everyone, hope everyone is ok today? just thought i would post a thread about Linux or Windows.

Currently i've got Window 8.1 on my Lenovo T430s Laptop i used to have Ubuntu on and loved it ( i am a linux fan by heart but do love Windows 7 but not 8)

do i keep with windows 8 for now - but hate the Metro look or do i go back to Linux, if so which one? CentOS looks good, so does opensuse and Linux Mint, do i stick with Ubuntu?

What do you use on your PCs?

 

[KM-Tiger]

I actually use Debian/XFCE, but you would find that hard work compared to one of the 'out of the box' distros.

I ditched Ubuntu when it started thinking it knew better than me, and the built-in spyware was the final straw.

If I were you I would choose a Debian-based distro. apt is far superior to yum/rpm.

 

[SuffolkDesigns]

but hate the Metro look

Why not install something like classic shell and get the windows 7 menu back again. No need to use the metro interface at all then

 

[faradaykeynes]

Have dual OS (windows and Linux) together on one machine, you can even run exe files in Linux

 

[lynxus]

I think a Dual boot is the better option.

Ubuntu / Fedora are good for desktops. Some stuff still doesnt work well under linux. So having the windows option on boot is handy ( or run windows in a VM while in linux.. )

 

[Levi]

We used linux mint for all of our call centre agent pc's, lightweight, pretty and stable - also much much easier to lock down than windows.

CentOS is more of a distro for the server environment - as are most RHEL distros.

Ubuntu is the one with the most support / biggest community.

 

[ubuntu1]

Its Ubuntu for me. It just works, has good support and the regular updates ensure that you have an up to date OS at all times. (I do have Windows on a partition for those few occasions that I have to use it).

 

[matt.chatterley]

I mainly use windows (Microsoft stack developer), but our servers are mixed - some run Ubuntu for clients who are on WordPress (etc).

 

[dpcatkins1983]

Nice to see that people are using different OS rather than sticking with Windows, No one has said anything about ChromeOS, good OS? anyone used it?

 

[DigitalDaz]

Depending on your needs there are some great ARM devices out there nowadays that will suit many purposes, maybe not as the main workhorse PC. Have a look at the Odroid U3 only $59 plus the postage.

 

[pjperez]

One of the eternal "holy technology wars" like Emacs vs Vim or Android vs iPhone

Desktop:
Between those two I personally prefer Linux because I do a lot of terminal/shell/bash activity, but Windows 7 and 8 are great operating systems.
I've got different computers for different uses running all of them although my main laptop runs Mac OS X which is by far one of my favourites, just because it has more commercial software than Linux while being able to run any other Unix software.

Servers:
Linux. I haven't got the expertise to manage Windows servers as an expert, while I do have it for Linux so that's a no-brainer for me.

My vote went for the three options

 

[Lentinus]

I switched to Mint after XP support terminated. I still have dual boot for 3 bits of SW I cant run under Linux/Wine so back in windows once a month.

 

[leemason]

I used Linux for servers and my laptop. I use Windows running in a VMware Player virtual machine if I need Windows for the odd bit of software.

 

[sglobal]

Try out Linux Mint with Cinnamon, I absolutely love it!
I ditched Ubuntu because I didn't like Unity at all and since then I've been a fan of Linux Mint. I like XFCE so I keep on trying Xubuntu. But I think Linux Mint is best for productivity.

 

[DavidWH]

We run Macs for graphic design.
Windows for software that runs only on that OS.
Ubuntu on our servers.

All have their uses and places.

 

[Excel Expert]

I keep meaning to make the leap to Linux but (a) my work (VBA programming / Excel spreadsheets) keeps dragging me back to windows and (b) there is nothing I really need on Linux that I dont have on Windows.

However I will be setting up a dual boot PC machine in the house because I want my grandkids to grow up knowing that their are alternatives to Windows and iOS. This will give an opportunity to learn more about Linux and its uses.

 

[kokospoko]

I love Linux, but don't have skills to use it properly to unleash its full potential... That's sad

 

[Video_Production]

MAC all the way!

 

[sglobal]

I love Linux, but don't have skills to use it properly to unleash its full potential... That's sad

Linux without doubt has a steep learning curve and that's probably the primary reason it hasn't become as popular on desktop as it is on servers.
For me the biggest factor is not having Microsoft Office for Linux. LibreOffice is good but its not 100% compatible with MS Office docs/excel spreadsheets which is a pain in the backside for me.
Also Java doesn't play very well with Linux!

 

[Advanced - Repair]

i have used both Operating system's , i have to say linux is a very good OS if you know what you are doing with it . on the other side i love using Windows 8 on my Asus transformer i have to say that it is definitely a tablet Operating System , Window's 8 has to be the most practical Os I have every used

 

[sjr4x4]

In the office for lappies/desktops, windows. It's familiar, a temp or new employee could start tomorrow and be productive in 30 minutes, and if it falls over, a reboot normally fixes most known ill's.

For website hosting, (for us) it has to be Red Hat Enterprise (Linux). Efficient, dependable, practical and not a GUI to be seen

 

[S-Jack]

I use windows on my laptop and computer for business reasons I can create applications and share them with the team (admin panel and custom pricing ones are most used) and then I have Ubuntu on a tower and CentOS on nearly everything else

 

[derick32]

I personally use Windows and to be specific Windows XP and it works great for me. However, Microsoft won't support XP in the long run so I use windows 7 now. I also tried tried LINUX and I find it complicated to use but some say it work best for them.

 

[ssh]

I personally use Windows and to be specific Windows XP and it works great for me. However, Microsoft won't support XP in the long run so I use windows 7 now. I also tried tried LINUX and I find it complicated to use but some say it work best for them.

Linux doesn't have to be complicated. It all depends what distro you have tried out.

 

[webhostuk]

Have worked on linux for years so my vote goes for Linux ,easy command prompts to understand things on SSH makes life easier than windows, only thing they miss is recycling bin like windows , so when you delete anything delete carefully .

 

[KM-Tiger]

... only thing they miss is recycling bin like windows

You don't get a recycling bin at a command prompt, but most desktops, eg Gnome or XFCE do have a 'wastebasket'.

 

[zaen__]

Windows and Linux both have their disadvantages and advantages. Just depends what you're going to use it for

 

[Peanut Butter Man]

I think a Dual boot is the better option.

Ubuntu / Fedora are good for desktops. Some stuff still doesnt work well under linux. So having the windows option on boot is handy ( or run windows in a VM while in linux.. )

This isnt the best option at least for me. I have Ubuntu and have VMware installed which means, without having to reboot, I can switch seamlessly between Linux, Windows (any version) and Apple if I wanted it. All operating systems are insulated from each other, so get a virus in the windows, all other OS are fine.

I use the windows for those programmes such as Adobe that just dont work well in Wine

 

[TechbeastUK]

Windows, I work with computers all day every day, I cant stand Linux, mac books apples and what ever else is out there.

 

[Ethicsandprofits]

Windows hands down... I find it a bit crappy, BUT you are not limited in your actions unlike other systems. You can run/do anything you like.

 

[leemason]

It's strange. I see things in exactly the opposite way. I've used Linux as my operating system of choice on laptops for many years. I've just started working on a Windows 8.1 system and have a strange feeling of working in a straight jacket. There is something incredibly restrictive about the whole experience and I can't wait to see if I can install Ubuntu onto the thing and get some real work done.

 

[Ethicsandprofits]

It's strange. I see things in exactly the opposite way. I've used Linux as my operating system of choice on laptops for many years. I've just started working on a Windows 8.1 system and have a strange feeling of working in a straight jacket. There is something incredibly restrictive about the whole experience and I can't wait to see if I can install Ubuntu onto the thing and get some real work done.

Well this is a surprise, maybe I should try it. My experience with Ubuntu is short, I should really give it a long go

 

[easidoo]

@dpcatkins1983 For stability, reliability and longevity reason, I would suggest Linux.

Did you hear about the latest Nokia phones on sale by Microsoft are using Google android (Linux). Given the company making windows is using Linux on their latest products that, I think, sums up the answer to your question.

 

[paulWW]

but whats the issue with the windows 8? why do you hate live tiles ?

 

[Deepanshu Gahlaut]

The best option is virtual machine if you want to use both on your system. For me, Windows is the first choice.

 

[Cloudcandy Sales]

I always love to use Ubuntu though I think a Dual boot is the better option.....

 

[Dediport]

Mac OS in the office and Linux on all our internal servers

 

[carlahinds]

Both Windows and Linux uses for different purposes. They both are good. Its all depends on the users prospectus

 

[charlespe]

I think it eventually comes to your personal preference, I use both operating systems in two different devices for different tasks

 

[LeoHarris]

It really depends on what you want to use it for. Windows obviously comes at a higher cost, but has more software written for it. If I had already paid for Windows 8 then I would probably stick with it. There is not that much difference between windows 7 and 8, unless you are using Hyper-V etc.