Discussion on:

Ten words or less: I choose my Operating Systems based on ________

In ten words or less, complete the following sentence: "I choose an Operating System based on _______"

OK, I'll open it up a bit: use as many words as you can!






typo

Opening it up to "as many words as you can" makes it difficult to distill a response down to the most important points.

By the way . . . what's your answer?

My first job out of school was an ad agency with an all-Mac network. I couldn't do much of any work from home (I had an old Win95 PC), so that meant the deadline crunch was spent in the office.

TR is an all WinXP/Office 2K3 shop, so when I bought my latest computer two years ago, I made it a point to buy software that would run the approved VPN client. That meant WinXP, and MS Works.

I write as a big part of my job. That means non-negotiable deadlines, so being sick/snowed in isn't doesn't always result in a a sick day/snow day, so I must be able to minimally link in from home. It also means I'm one of the rare guys that uses almost all the online collaboration/templating/document tracking features in MS Word. That means I have to run true word, not a ported facsimile or open source equivalent.

TR should provide laptops so you can take that home and not need any influence on what OS/ software is utilized on your personal PC?

Besides, it would be more secure to only allow corporate VPN access from 'corporate' owned systems. IMHO.

... are the standard here. As is everything else, nothing gets added to the environment without engineering and testing followed by QC.

I can understand why you might want to but there are other options, surely.

Dawg

A little corporate slave who installs what the boss says.

We discuss it as a department, but I'm in implementation. It's his decision, not mine.

At home? I run whatever version of Windows came on the system. I'm comfortable with it, it's already installed, and what little existing software I have is compatible.

It's more fun to use OO (sory George) and save to Word.doc than zip it to _____. I love it when they can't see those revisions that they expect. it makes life interesting.
(edited to fix what big fingers on those little keys did)

To many apps require Windoze.

You're stuck in a vicious circle; if you start with a different OS, you end up with different apps, but the same functionality.

There is nothing you can't achieve functionally on a Mac that you can't also do on Windows; there is nothing you can do on Windows you can't functionally do on Linux - the only place the platforms differ is in performance for different tasks, and the quality of specific applications.

While knowing how to use an application to it's best is a good idea, getting your skills tied to a single app isn't a good idea.

1 Stability
2 Security
3 Customisable
4 Cost
5
6
7
8
9
10

or, out of coffee?

the idea behind the ten word is ten words or less.

so I used less.

Mr. Efficiency!

Needs,

My needs
Client needs
Company needs

As an old mechanic always used to tell me "use the right tool for the right job". He used to tell me this every day (I once worked at a petrol station).

I use Linux 1. Because I am a geek 2. Because it doesn?t fall over if set up properly. I use windows for games (Mainly because I haven?t had time to try cedega).

As for client's, I give them windows mostly (I try to convince them to get XP Pro) but I will give Linux to an adventurous client with an instruction to install it on a separate computer/HDD.

And finally for work, were an MS partner (AHHHHH) but I am trying to bleed in some Linux.

for the job at hand.

If it is a web server, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that linux will always be your best bet for dependability, scalability, security, performance, and price.

If I am setting up a workstation for one of my (l)users, for now it will be winXP. Because of system requirements for Vista running Office, you can bet the bank that we will be on linux workstations. Throw that much hardware at an OS just to have a word processor? Have they bummed their friggen heads?

Application servers. Depends on the application. If I am required to run a windows application, it MAY run on a windows server. I currently have two windows applications running under SAMBA on a Redhat server.

For our Symantec server, it is on Windows because that is all it runs under. In another month with that contract runs out, we will be switching over to AVG corporate.

Cost is a factor all the time.
Dependability. A *nix server, you put in place and forget about it until there is a patch or update of software/hardware.
Security. Only a complete fool will still believe that linux is more secure because it isn't a target, as it has always had the biggest footprint on the net for webservers.
System requirements.

For now it is *nix for 95% of the server applications and Windows for about 90% of the desktops. That is changing.

1. Reliability/Stability
2. Ease of Use
3. security
4. what my needs are at the time
5. Cost


Yes i dual boot:
WinXP Pro for games(live check to check, so no extra $ for Cedega)
Linux for everything else...too bad Neverwinter Nights Diamond edition doesn't work under linux, i'd consider ditching Windows completely.

That's an awfully long word and encompasses
a lot of ground. Having programmed in just
about every language, COBAL et al. The first
consideration has to be the end users needs
and what's the best platform for those needs.
Functionality then becomes the buzz word, and
sometimes multiple OS has to be available to
allow for the best reliablity. There are no
hard and fast rules as each platform is very
unique, right down to each driver and patch
required for each slight change in hardware.

those using and maintaining it. Then I look at the security.

Security, stability, and scalability.

/ I also choose it on price for home use and for hardware support as well, but that whole mess didn't fit into 10 words...ya so I'm over, wanna fight about it?

Administration Tools
Availability
Community Support
Cost
Customizable Installation
Documentation
Enjoyability
Flexibility
Freedom
Hardware Support
Performance
Price
Productivity Enhancement
Quick/Easy Installation
Scalability
Security
Software Availability
Stability
Standards Compliance
System Requirements

There's probably more, but that's what occurs to me off the top of my head.

It just works.!.

Ever Since Bill and the boys began handing out floppies with all the little games and so on, it's always been Microsoft. I started when Microsoft was just Dos and have always stuck with it. That's why I'm still there, although now you're left with the impression that Microsoft is trying to move you on. On to what? With the advent of Vista, you need and entirely new Computer [At least I do] I'm only 2.8Gb AMD CPU and 2Gb DDR PC133 400mgz RAM, not six months old. Do they really think I'm going to spend even more of that kind of money in order to have the pleasure of forking out another ton of money for Vista itself? They must have us figured for fools.
I'm not at all impressed with Microsoft right now and am thinking of moving on and they can stick thier bloated, top heavy, toyish looking piece of extravagant over the top XP where the Sun doesn't shine.
I'll live my little XPPro till I die.
Regards
Aaron

Here's your link to the Vista requirements.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista
/evaluate/hardware/vistahardware.mspx#EAB

But with XP, you'll be fine! Unless you NEED Vista, don't get it! Wait 12-18 months, let them sort out the bugs, and then IF it is something you gotta have, buy a new 64 bit go-fast upgrade of a box, (you know you'll want to!) and be happy!

BTW, PC133 RAM isn't 400MHz unless you are WAY overclocking it....maybe you meant PC3200? Or 266MHz? No biggie....

It's only because of those cute little stuffed Penguines

Screw anyone else, I'm in it for myself.

If the customer uses it, I'll use it (or something close). If it's my option, I choose it based on application support for the OS and tool support for what I want to do. Software compatibility is nice too.

Personally I try to get my hands on as many OS's as I have platforms to support them...study, study, study...OK and play too!

In a corporate environment you have to consider the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) over the life cycle of the product. This includes the up front HW and SW as well as the ongoing support cost including but not limitted to: Pricing, expandability, supportability, training (both for administration as well as users), reliability (downtime cost $), legacy support, product support (applications), vendor support (over the life cycle), compliance with industry standards (clients industry), and security.

The Microsoft and Apple proprietory offerings as well as the *nix offerings are mature enough in a stand alone, or near alone environment, but the inclusion of a new OS into an established environment can be a complex decision based upon supportability and inter-operability and is not to be undertaken lightly.

Just my ten cents if not words worth.....

I Choose an Operating System based on stability, security and availability of programs and applications that run on it.

I love my Mac (use it every day because it's cool, a snap to use, well integrated and seems lke it was designed by users for users), use Linux (various flavours because it's fun to explore new stuff, see where there are overlaps with other OS's and to see what it might do better) when I want to feel nerdy and find Windows OK for the drudge of work (because they supply one at work and I have to use it and don't get all pedantic 'cause I used more than ten words):-)

Ease of use and flexibilty

....at the flea market.

Because it works!

Security
Reliability
Ease of Use
In that order
(ten words)

Intuitive with all the bugs out and hardware friendly.

...

I choose an Operating System based on maturity: that is, it's been around a long time, was always stable, dependable, robust (now I sound like a Microsoft Press text book), flexible, forgiving, well adopted by developers, by now bug-free, and the icing on the cake: no validation required, copy as many time as you want, install as many times as you want, still get current updates, and it's as reliable as an old hunting dog. Of course I mean NT5, also known as Windows 2000, I just blew away my XP installation and put this back on after having several applications blow up on me.
Can't be beat!

...it meets the needs of whatever I am trying to accomplish.

Duh

Because I shift between Contract W2 and Contract 1099, I frequently have to provide my own equipment. I use a Dell D600 with XP Pro and Office XP. That doesn't mean that I like it- just that I use it because my clients use it.

The next machine I purchase will be a Mac running OS X. I can partition the drive to contain a Linux install if I want or just open the terminal window, su to root, and play all I want. I prefer a Unix/Linux environment over Windows. The value for me is that I can also use Boot Camp and run an install of XP on the same machine.