I actually have tried Ubuntu, it was the Feisty Fawn edition. I dunno, it was probably the decade of using Windows and being so used to it, but stuff just didn't feel right. It was also such a hassle to find the software to do the things I wanted and were already so accustomed to in Windows. Yes, there is GIMP for Linux, but it is still no Photoshop. Yes, I can use WINE, but I can just load a disc on Windows and not have to worry about any compatibility issues. However, I do appeal in Linux. It is efficient and I do appreciate the supportive online community, constant updates and already included suites of basic programs (OpenOffice, Firefox, etc). But the other side to that is that there is already an established ecosystem in Windows for gamers and other people that it's just not that easy to give up on.
Although Vista does suck for several reasons, bad timing and just sloppy coding, advertisement and quality control, Windows 7 fixes much of that. There is a reason it looks so much like Vista, fundamentally Vista was a good OS, but Microsoft just piled so much crap on top of it that it collapsed upon itself. I have a good feeling that Windows 7 will regain much of the market share that it lost to Mac and Linux due to Vista. But it's very unlikely that it will regain the amount of market share that it had with XP back in the day. Vista was a fatal mistake for Microsoft and hopefully they have learned from it.
Oh and Mac isn't perfect either. I really hate when people default to saying that the Mac OS is impenetrable to viruses, trojan horses and the like. That's simply not true and is due to Apple's admittedly very good marketing and advertising. It's not that the Mac OS are impenetrable, its just that previously the Mac OS market share was just too small to target. Why target a less than 10% market with a virus when you could hit 85%? Simple math.
And in fact, in a recent hacking competition, PWN2OWN, it was the Mac OS that fell first due to Safari, which comes with the OS. So much for the "Mac is more secure" rationale.
http://www.channelregister.c o.uk/2008/03/28/mac_hack/ All OS's are venerable to exploitation just as long the proper incentives are there, including Linux, Mac or Windows or any future OS.
BUT, while it is not as bulletproof as Apple would lead its customers to think, it does have its benefits. Among them, great user interface, standardized hardware (which kills customization but improves stability and in turn, user experience), solidly built hardware (Aluminum unibody design, awesome xD) customer service (Apple Stores are actually nice places and most Genius Bar staff are actually knowledgeable and not some clueless kid in a Geek Squad uniform charging $50 for a defrag), a complete ecosystem for their products (everything from hardware, software and maintenance is maintained by Apple so it ensures a more "even" and controllable customer experience) and many more. Just make sure it's right for you.
Basically, everyone's needs are different and those needs are reflected in their choice of OS. Each have their merits and each have their faults, so let's stop the "My orange is better than your pear!" arguments
They are all different beasts, designed for different users. Just do your homework and research the one that's better for you and end it at that.
And yes... let's get back on topic HAHA which I have now just contradicted myself on. Something about reading forums at 5:15 am makes me more irritable and chatty as you can tell by my overly long reply... Oh well, laptop maintenance anyone? Oh and I just noticed something that wasn't in the article. Defragging. Defrag your hard drive once a month, it really helps with performance!
and is rock solid.
