Why I've given up on Windows OS...

[Alpha]

I have been using Windows since 3.0. It's been a long time, but in the last few years I have been working more with Macs, and I must say it's night and day for me. Today, I have 2 computers with Windows 7 and Windows XP, and both drive me crazy.

 

First and foremost, we got to deal with a boatload of Malware and Viruses. And honestly, I blame this on a new generation of men still living in their momma's basements who can't get pussy if their life depended on it. Hence, they get orgasms by the idea of another person's PC getting infected by their worms. Sounds delightful, no?

 

Second, I am tired of having to constantly do a million updates every week for Windows, Adobe Reader & Flash, JAVA, Anti-Virus Scanners, Firewall, etc.

 

These 2 reasons alone and the amount of time I have spent having to troubleshoot Windows computers have made me believe it's an operating system not worth my time nor money. I originally have never been a fan of Apple computers, but the mere notion of not having to update every week, and not deal with the constant new strains of malware infecting perfectly "safe" websites makes you think. Hell, it also makes me think how many neighborhood Windows computers are most likely infected with a virus.

 

And yes, Apple may get a plethora of viruses and malware in the future, but it will never compare to Windows. It also reminds me why I love Ubuntu and that the Mac OS shares the secure Unix backend.

[VT-Vincent]

To be honest, I actually don't mind Windows as much as the ecosystem that surrounds it. Malware is one of the biggest issues on the Windows platform but UI and general design sensibility seems to be lacking from most applications these days. On the Mac side, most dedicated Mac applications have better UI design. While Microsoft has actually tried to curb their developers in the right direction with UI guidelines, everyone just seems to ignore them. Unfortunately when it comes to the malware issue, all Microsoft has really done is implement UAC and release MS Security Essentials. Both are essentially just band-aids for the gaping wound. They need to fundamentally rethink the way applications interact with the OS to fix this problem.

 

The Mac side is an interesting beast. I have the unique position of working in a school district that uses Macs almost exclusively so I have had a lot of hands-on time using and troubleshooting the platform. One of the biggest issues that bothers me about OS X is the performance hit. The OS feels much less optimized for the hardware than Windows and is noticeably more sluggish in just about every task. Pair this with mediocre specs on their computers and it's clear that they are not the platform for performance. Another gripe I take with the Mac side isn't really Apple's fault, but there is a lack of 3rd part support. Most applications that are dual-platform are superior on the Windows side. Trillian Astra and Microsoft Office both being great examples.

 

The toughest part for me over the years has been choosing between the two and I really haven't decided to pick either one over the other. I switch between the two and use both sides for different reasons. It's certainly nice to see another viable consumer OS on the market though.

[Hard Core Rikki]

Linux might be for you then, but Mac is close enough to fit the bill for you, I suppose.

 

LinuxMint should easen management a lot, especially with its backup and restore utilities.

Ubuntu jumped the shark with its late netbook-centric interface, so unless you tweak that, you might find it a pain.

Also, MacOS's interface can be replicated on linux systems, which essentially makes them just as visually pleasing and comfortable to do work on.

Edited December 16, 2011 by Hard Core Rikki

[Agozer]

I'm quite fond of my current Windows 7 laptop. A muxch needed thep up from XP and definitely Vista. LibreOffice is a very good alternative to Microsoft Office for one, and Paint.NET does a good job as an image manipulation program. As far as MS Security Essentials goes, I'm very pleased with it, and serves my needs just fine. I haven't used Adobe Reaser in ages, switched to Foxit.

 

The only thing my Windows 7 updates daily are the Virus Definition Updates. Windows Update is mostly automated anyway and doesn't really bother my daily activities even if it does something in the background.

 

Of course, I'm also a fan of Ubuntu, although I'm not an active user (Live USB/CD or otherwise). I don''t really have an option on OS X and Macs in general.

[Kloplop321]

Woo! Unix-like for the win

[miskie]

The only windows system left in the house is the arcade cabinet - and even then its a stripped to the studs XP X64. It only runs what I need it to run to make emulation workable. However, I will boot my desktop occasionally into XP for Photoshop or music related work. Other than that its Ubuntu.