The reason most people want Windows is because most modern video games are made for Windows only. There is also a lot of software that is Windows only too. If this was not the case, there would probably be a lot more people willing to move from Windows. Windows is also a lot easier for computer illiterate people to use.

I suspect that my preference for Windows is mostly based on familiarity (it's everywhere, it's the one that I have the most experience using, etc.) and that any other reasons I may have are just flimsy justifications to rationalize my bias...lol

I just know that whenever I do use a Mac, it just feels wrong to me... Like trying to work with a stranger vs. an old friend...lol

Maggeh wrote:

Edit: Also this poll forgot Linux :P

It happens. Apparently we hit the 1% mark for global users.

Chris-g1 wrote:

Stephen001 wrote:

Maggeh wrote:

Edit: Also this poll forgot Linux :P

It happens. Apparently we hit the 1% mark for global users.

Bright side: 1% of somthing is better then 100% of nothing :)

Just to clear up this part of the issue, I did not include Linux (and other Operating Systems) because it seems like the BIGGEST debate is between Windows and Mac. Think about it... Do any of you see TV commercials for Linux at all? Linux keeps more to itself, and is probably the most-used OS that's not advertised. Also, in a personal study I did of a few schools in my neighborhood, I was slightly surprised to find that roughly 1/4 of the people surveyed (which was roughly 200... I would've liked to have had more, but the schools weren't too thrilled by it initially) used Linux.

On top of all that, there's SO many different kinds of Linux, because its open-source. Calling an OS just "Linux" will almost always be inaccurate to a certain degree.

SuperSaiyanGokuX wrote:

The_Zergling wrote:

Just to clear up this part of the issue, I did not include Linux (and other Operating Systems) because it seems like the BIGGEST debate is between Windows and Mac.

Exactly... Just like a poll of Coke vs Pepsi shouldn't include OpenCola

And even more so, I hadn't ever heard of OpenCola until you posted that. :P

SuperSaiyanGokuX wrote:

Neither had I, actually...lol I was originally going to use RC Cola, but I guessed that maybe RC Cola's market share is actually fairly large, so I searched for other Cola brands, and that one hit me as the absolute best suited to my analogy...

Ironic how so many random things appear in our world today... Whats next? Pepsuse?

Jp wrote:

Programming with a real command-line environment and real tools built into the OS is so much easier than any fancy-pants Windows IDE.

Keep in mind this is my opinion, and not meant to be an attack based on what you said in ANY way, I actually prefer the Windows IDE and the extra tools that come with it. I do admit that there is a much deeper level of control when using the command line, but it's also VERY nice to have the abilities to easily place controls, code snippets, and other useful tidbits of programming goodness.

Jp wrote:

I've not yet used a GUI-based GUI designer that I've thought would be good for producing good code - rapid prototyping, yeah, but not the actual code per se. (I assume that's what you meant by 'easily place controls'?)

Perhaps you misunderstood - I don't go around programming by typing in a terminal. I use a simple editor (Generally gedit on Linux or Notepad if I'm on Windows for whatever reason), and then use the terminal for fancy stuff (Compiling, running, filtering output, that sort of thing).

Basically, my essentials in an editor are syntax highlighting, tabs, autoindentation. Anything else is bells and whistles.

I know you didnt mean the terminal. God.. That'd just be a pain... I figured the syntax highlights and all, and yes I meant I love the "bells and whistles" cause they are shiny and make noise when i compile.


ANYWAYS back to the debate. lol

The_Zergling wrote:

Jp wrote:

I've not yet used a GUI-based GUI designer that I've thought would be good for producing good code - rapid prototyping, yeah, but not the actual code per se. (I assume that's what you meant by 'easily place controls'?)

Perhaps you misunderstood - I don't go around programming by typing in a terminal. I use a simple editor (Generally gedit on Linux or Notepad if I'm on Windows for whatever reason), and then use the terminal for fancy stuff (Compiling, running, filtering output, that sort of thing).

Basically, my essentials in an editor are syntax highlighting, tabs, autoindentation. Anything else is bells and whistles.

I know you didnt mean the terminal. God.. That'd just be a pain... I figured the syntax highlights and all, and yes I meant I love the "bells and whistles" cause they are shiny and make noise when i compile.


ANYWAYS back to the debate. lol

Typically speaking I just use Eclipse on Windows, Linux and Mac. The projects migrate between all three with minimal issues, and as what you might call a "power programmer", it offers me more useful code-oriented (refactoring, code clean-up, testing and deployment) features via it's plugins than I've found available in any other IDE (Visual Studio's setup included). You do really have to learn how to get it to work for you, but once you have done so it'll make your projects much more enjoyable.

I'm a Linux user, mostly because the entire environment is geared to be playing around in a technical sense, without the $$$. I think unless Linux really falls by the way-side in terms of functionality I'd like (either they're implemented by a competitor or Linux is locked out of them), I'm not switching to Windows or Mac. Not to mention it feels like it's mine, I contributed to it's code etc.

Linux distributions do advertise, it's just they don't have the benefit of being a multi-national corporation that charges you for the product, so obviously their available capital doesn't really cover TV ad time.

I don't care what I'm using as long as I have enough space for music, program and game downloads and I'm able to access the Internet within a couple clicks.

I have no further use for a computer and Internet.