The Best Operating System?

[Vince53]

Part 5 CROSS-PLATFORM COMPATIBILITY

Don’t laugh. As hard drives get bigger and computers get more powerful, virtual machines and partitioning are becoming steadily more common. A growing minority of users have more than one operating system.

And Linux is the undisputed champ! Most Linux users are using a Windows computer, and Linux works fine on them. And although I haven’t tried it, Linux works well on Chromebooks. Installing Linux on a Windows or Chrome machine rarely causes problems.

But install Windows on a Linux machine, and you’ll have to go through a complicated process to re-enable Linux. Putting Windows on a Chromebook is a complicated process, and for a little more money you could have bought a budget Windows laptop.

However, sometimes an older version of Windows can be safely and legally installed on a Windows machine. I have a 32-bit version of Windows XP legally installed on my 64-bit computer, and it runs well.

Chrome cannot be installed on another computer. There is a freeware version of Chrome called chromium that I’m not evaluating here.

Linux gets 1 point, Windows gets a 0, and Chrome gets a -1.

Total Score:
Chrome 0
Linux 0
Windows 0

 

[skalle]

WHICH IS THE BEST OPERATING SYSTEM? Part 1 GAMES


This one isn’t debatable—Windows has the best games. Not only does it excel in high-tech games, but it has far more mid-level and simple games than the other two systems combined.

I find that while both Chrome and Linux have some excellent games, Chrome has more. Plus, many Linux games require installing an “engine” before you can play.

Score: Windows 1; Chrome 0; Linux -1

This is keeping in mind that Steam is available for Linux and not Chrome, right?

 

[Vince53]

Part 6 PRICE

Pesos don’t grow on cacti, and cost has to be considered.

Linux has a very attractive price:free. It is sometimes better to pay a small price to have someone install Linux for you, but it is still cheaper than Windows.

But someone cries “Foul!” You still have to pay for a computer before you can install Linux. But if you pay for a Linux computer, you must purchase EVERY version of Windows that you add to it. If you pay for a Windows computer, though, you can install several different versions of Linux for free. And while most newer versions of Windows can only be installed on one computer, a thumb drive with Linux can be used on as many different computers as you want.

My desktop has legal copies of XP, 8, and 10 ( in addition to Linux). Only XP can be legally transferred to my next computer, and I am legally required to delete it from my current computer first.

Chrome is free, but you have to buy a Chromebook. It cannot be transferred to another computer. On the other hand, Chromebooks are cheaper than Windows machines.

Linux gets a 1; Chrome gets a 0; and Windows gets a -1.



Total scores:

Linux 1

Chrome 0

Windows -1

 

[skalle]

I'm down with these scores.

 

[jacks]

Microsoft Windows ME. It keeps your brain active trying to get it to work!

 

[Vince53]

Part 7 DOING SERIOUS WORK

The newest version of Linux comes with Libre Office installed. It opens quickly and runs well. And once I figured out how to use Linux’s “Workspace Switcher,” I could easily switch between four desktops, leaving internet on one, and Libre Office on another, making it easier to type up my research.

The same Libre Office opens slowly on Windows 10. (Both operating systems are on the same machine). It does work well. And although I have never done it, Windows is the leader in high-priced and unnecessary word processors.

Chrome opens Googledocs quickly and it works well. It automatically stores my documents in the cloud. But its smaller screen, while still adequate, is not as good as Linux on a large screen.

Linux gets a 1, Chrome gets a 0, and Windows gets a -1.


And so my contest ends with this final score:
Linux 2
Chrome 0
Windows -2

 

[freezerman2000]

Concerning the four desktops.hoe do you get them to pop up?
On my Super X,all I have to do is bring my cursor to the lower right corner of the screen,and it happens.

 

[Vince53]

I have the icon on the launcher. I use the first desktop for adding software, the second desktop for writing, the third desktop for games. and the fourth desktop for Firefox. On the launcher, I simply click the desktop I want.

 

[Dave-W]

Part 7 DOING SERIOUS WORK

I would have liked to see some "serious work" that involved heavy processor usage. Office applications are fairly lightweight.

How about running programs that have a lot of visual rendering, generating machining paths for CNC mill work, (like with Autocad or Solid Works) or does Geo-processing like ArcMap. Those to me are the REAL test of how good a computer is.

 

[skalle]

How about running programs that have a lot of visual rendering, generating machining paths for CNC mill work, (like with Autocad or Solid Works) or does Geo-processing like ArcMap. Those to me are the REAL test of how good a computer is.

From this board's resident Linux shill: no way to test that, because those applications don't exist in Linux, for the most part. I find that the most processor-intensive stuff I do is compiling C/C++ and video/audio encoding.