OS War of Operating Systems

[thornofcarrion]

Lets talk about your experience with the operating system(s).

Andriod
Apple iOS
Symbian
Microsoft
Bada
RIM
Linux/UNIX

 

[kkck]

Well, at the moment I have somewhat limited experience with the different OSs however I do think I have some input.

I have tried the iphone's OS a number of times. It is simple and easy to use but I do have a huge issue with it. I can't change anything even if I wanted to, there is no damn way or personalizing a single aspect of it. That would be passable in most scenarios as I personally don't do that much of it anyways however it is an issue when I have a problem and the available settings seem to be thought for mentally retarded customers and do not actually allow me to change anything at all or at least anything that would indeed make a shred of a difference.

In turn that is not an issue when it comes to android phones. If I have a problem with those I could just go to the settings and find a number of things I can change which could or could not fix the issue. It actually allows me to do changes I want when I need them.

I have only tried microsoft 8 and RT at stores however I did like what I saw. It was a bit different however it also was the only OS in tablets and laptops which I could do anything with that would take more than 3 seconds. Usually when I try other OSs at stores, in particular tablets, it takes me about 3 seconds to do just about everything I can do with a standard android or apple tablet however with the windows 8 I admit I was there a decent bit. I liked being able to read headlines in the life tiles and having office incorporated into it. I forgot to try that thing with the multiple apps open at the same time in the screen though, that was a shame. I liked the idea that microsoft had of making a tablet which could actually replace a laptop but of course that is not something which everyone wants or even needs.

Tablets are objectively speaking bad computers and one way or another jobs was a genius for being able to find out people would buy computers which could not perform more than one task at a time however that shows that people to begin with did not need laptops or personal pcs. Most people use their computers to write emails and browse the internet only. In that regard people simply do not need expensive laptops which lots of speed, ram and memory. Safe for the writing thing tablets are what people actually needed instead of full fledged computers with more power than what they were even going to use. Of course the issue here IMO is that most tablets are not actually cheaper than a laptop.... Well, the 7 inch tablets would indeed be cheaper but once you get to the 10 inch ones you are talking about at least 400 dolllars and up to 1000 or so if you get all the crap you can get those with which is not in any way cheaper than a normal computer.

I have heard good things about windows 8 being able to make older laptops work a tad faster however and I have seen it myself however I have not yet decided to make a change with my current laptop. I have windows 7 which I am confortable with already so I really do not see the point of changing to an OS meant for touchscreen if I do not have touchscreen. Hopefully by the time my current laptop is obsolete enough for me to buy another one there will be a more decent hybrid laptops out there.

As far as rim goes, I own an old blackberry and I hate every square inch of it. It makes sense though, my blackberry is 3 years old and I have no idea of how to give it some maintenance or rather it is too slow already for doing so to be worth it. I am definitely looking forward to BB 10. There is a lot of hype around it and I would love to see every bit of it being true. Once the new OS and devices are up I will definitely switch my phone to one that I do not want to smash against a wall. If I had to pick one now I would definitely go for an android or windows phone. I don't like not being able to do stuff with iphones nor the fact that I would have to pay more for one.

 

[Knifeshade]

I will never understand the hate some people have for Windows 8. While I don't have it on my main rig at home, I think it's a nice OS from the times I've played with it. For the most part, the meaty bits are all under the hood changes, as an OS it's actually better than 7, but I guess people just have a hard time looking past the radical UI. Which I don't think is all that bad. It's a much more dynamic Start screen than the previous iterations imo.

And in my humble opinion, I think Microsoft has the best foot going forward right now (compared to Google and Apple) when it comes to the convergence that's happening right now (and will continue to happen down the road).

 

[kdowns]

It's because windows 8 was designed for Microsofts Tablets, There is a reason why the hate is there, it runs much slower than Windows 7 on main desktops or laptops.

 

[M3J]

Windows 7 is quite awesome. I think I'd probably put it like this: 7 > XP > 98 > Vista

Android's customization makes it a great phone OS, but the one thing it lacks that I think iOS has is security. Apparently ever since Instagram started being available on Android, it's gotten spam as well.

 

[Pat]

I haven't tested Windows 8 yet, I'm satisfied with Windows 7 and I don't see any reason to upgrade. I don't see any benefits except a revamped UI which some people call a major headache. From what I heard, there's not a big performance difference between these two and possible software incompatibilities outweighs the benefits of new improved OS code.

One of Android's major weaknesses is also its strength. Android uses Java as its programming platform whereas iOS uses Objective-C. Java software runs in a virtual machine which requires more resources and runs slower. But it's easier to control the behavior of such applications because they run in a more controlled environment. Objective-C produces native code which directly interacts with the hardware. OS can still restrict what an application can do but the code, in theory, has better chances of taking advantage of security vulnerabilities. Apple checks all applications submitted to App Store manually which provides additional security but it comes at a cost and application developers pay an annual fee to Apple. It's also debatable if it's possible to give a thorough check to all these applications, especially with their ever increasing numbers. Android is a more convenient platform for distributing free applications, developers don't even have to use official Android market (Google Play) to distribute their applications but it's always a good idea to use applications from trusted sources.

 

[benelori]

It's because windows 8 was designed for Microsofts Tablets, There is a reason why the hate is there, it runs much slower than Windows 7 on main desktops or laptops.

Quite the contrary...the innovation is that windows 8 encompasses PCs and tablets, so you can't say it was designed just for tablets...the hardware requirements are lower for the win8 than for win7, consequently win8 uses less resources(in many cases far less) than win7 does...so I don't know where you ran your win8 that was slower, but if true than your case is quite rare...

In terms of design...some say that it's counter intuitive to use the Metro UI with keyboard and mouse, and that it doesn't fit...of course this is until you get used to it...so perhaps this can be the reason for the hate, and this is mentioned the most as well...

So yeah, from technical point of view win8 is superior, but they could improve a lot with the presentation...

That said, I won't upgrade, because I don't have a machine that is equipped with technology that is exploited best by win8, and I don't know if I have the freedom to meddle with the OS as much as with win7...

---------- Post added at 10:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:42 AM ----------

I also use Linux on my laptop, and it's quite cool so me turning to win8 will happen in the distant future

 

[kkck]

Agreed, there is no reason for windows 8 to run slower than 7. I actually saw someone's old laptop which ran on windows vista run more smoothly with windows 8.

The issue people have with windows 8 and RT is twofold IMO. One is that there actually is a learning curve which is not quite the case with other OSs. The windows RT can do more things than either android or iphone OS however that also means people have to learn how to do those. Its not the look people have gotten used to with iphone OS and android as far as phones go and the life tiles do result in a messier UI than the standard desktop which people see in mac computers or older windows software. Then there is an issue of perception. Mac in particular has for years been making campaigns on their products being overall better than the competition and it has paid off. Regardless of how much difference there is between products, a mac product in the end is made to have a great (and perhaps better) first impression than other products at a store. I am not one to be sold a product based on weight alone however even I was surprised by how light and the feel of an ipad mini when I first held one. So you have macs ability to make things seem objectively more awesome than what they are when you first see them coupled with people's perception of mac and the competition along with microsoft trying to convince people that their products are not lower in quality than apple's which means you have to pay the same for either. People go to the stores and just have to wonder why pay the same for apple and microsoft products in regards to phones or tablets in particular (that would not be that much of an issue with laptops as there is more variety in terms of price and brands though).

I have read plenty about the learning curve in RT or windows 8 but I am never sure of how seriously to take this. I mean, just how steep is the learning curve? And even if it was hard to use, why would that be an issue 2 weeks later? There are plenty of good reasons to buy an apple product however I have trouble believing someone in this time and age should have a problem with unless the learning curve requires a full blown textbook. Ultimately anything we know today is likely to be obsolete in a few years anyways.

On a personal level I have not changed to windows 8 though. I would love to however being practical I have little reason to spend 40 dollars on it. I have windows 7 which runs smoothly on my 2-3 year old laptop and my current laptop also has no touchscreen capabilities which kinda beats the point of windows 8. If my computer at any point gets sluggish or I find out the actual performance difference can be substantial I will consider it.

Has anyone tried a hybrid laptop with windows 8? I admit the idea of that is appealing to me. As much as tablets are overall poor computers (except for apparently the surface to some extent) I do appreciate the convenience and comfort of one so a hybrid is the closest thing to no compromise between the two.

 

[BASED Shinigami]

I haven't had much experience with the other operating systems aside from the iOS. However, I recently switched phones and have the Jelly Bean 4.1 system. I must say I do prefer it over the iOS system, it just feels like the much more smoother, convenient, and noticeably a lot faster operating system IMO.

 

[Charlie]

One thing that constantly bugged me over the years apart from windows 98 was the feature to change your folder colors.
Its small issue but its been a constant pet peeve of mine.
It doesn't seem too much to ask for and I recall in vista or 7 there was some third party programs that offered but I never got it to quite work out.

In windows 98 - you had the view page as webpage feature which, once you edit the file for it even allowed me to run a script prompt asking the user for a password as well as change the folders bg.

 

[0Xellos]

Linux FTW. Arch especially.
(Oh, I know so many jokes about Linux distros, like "Ubuntu = I can't configure Debian" )

 

[Charlie]

Linux FTW. Arch especially.
(Oh, I know so many jokes about Linux distros, like "Ubuntu = I can't configure Debian" )

Linux is pretty nifty and free
I don't use it much anymore.

 

[thornofcarrion]

I got a copy of Windows 8 (from Office) for cheap. I have been using it for over a month till recently. The start-up screen is a waste for PC users. It may be a good feature for tablets but for PC, I could not get used to it or see any need. Last week, I switched back to Windows 7, which I find is the best offering by MS so far.

 

[Charlie]

I got a copy of Windows 8 (from Office) for cheap. I have been using it for over a month till recently. The start-up screen is a waste for PC users. It may be a good feature for tablets but for PC, I could not get used to it or see any need. Last week, I switched back to Windows 7, which I find is the best offering by MS so far.

Well for the users that are used to the previous versoins of windows - it will take a bit of time to get used to. If it didn't grab you by a month - chances are it wont.
I switched to W8 - havent used W7 since then.

 

[zelllogan]

Android: Only available for tabs or smartphones, it lacks compatibility with personal computer. And it's also missing a good browser. I'm using dolphin which has IMO the best interface but it's still failing from time to time.

Apple iOS: Good but Overpriced. I just don't like the fact that if you want to fully enjoy an "apple" experience, you need everything "apple". The fact that I don't have a very good opinion of Steve Jobs is not helping.

Microsoft: As long as you want to use a pc for gaming, you don't have a choice. It's windows. I don't really like the new recent interfaces & for me the old classic windows xp is still the one with the best interfaces. New versions take people for morons.

Linux/UNIX : Very good to use at work (be it on AIX, Sun Solaris or Linux systems). Stable & logical. I used ubuntu personally for one year but as a gamer you need a windows.

 

[thornofcarrion]

In terms of handheld devices, I have used Android, Windows, iOS and Linux (in Motorola sets). My choice is Android without any hesitation. iPhone never impressed me. Its the operating system I am not too fond of.

 

[M3J]

I agree with thorny. Plus, I love the Android's ability to customize. Before I updated to fucking Jellybean, Flikie allowed me to let it automatically change wallpapers (I have about 200, at least). I don't get the hubbub over iPhone or iOS anymore, considering it has great competitors now. Ever since I've had SGS3, I've been immensely happy. It's fast for me, good battery (even better with the battery I bought), and I can use it with one hand fairly easily.

Of course, I'm not a fan of Apple... at all.

 

[thornofcarrion]

Well for the users that are used to the previous versoins of windows - it will take a bit of time to get used to. If it didn't grab you by a month - chances are it wont.
I switched to W8 - havent used W7 since then.

I installed Windows 8 once again. I sometimes play COD MW and MW2 online and so I had them installed too. When I was playing the games, it felt like the game was jerking. I used jerking because it wasnt the lag. I consulted Microsoft and the reply was hilarious. They said, Windows 8 isn't good at gaming. Especially, games like COD MW because its relatively old game. I pointed out to them about the problem I have for MW2 and one of the recent game, MW3. To this, they simply gave me an unsatisfactory reply. Anyway, doing a little research it seems Windows 8 isn't the best platform for games. What a disappointment....back to Windows 7.

 

[Charlie]

I installed Windows 8 once again. I sometimes play COD MW and MW2 online and so I had them installed too. When I was playing the games, it felt like the game was jerking. I used jerking because it wasnt the lag. I consulted Microsoft and the reply was hilarious. They said, Windows 8 isn't good at gaming. Especially, games like COD MW because its relatively old game. I pointed out to them about the problem I have for MW2 and one of the recent game, MW3. To this, they simply gave me an unsatisfactory reply. Anyway, doing a little research it seems Windows 8 isn't the best platform for games. What a disappointment....back to Windows 7.

I had to laugh at Microsoft's reply though. I suppose you can alway go the route of duel booting? Best of both worlds....

 

[thornofcarrion]

Thanks Charlie. I know, right? I was like WTF is this reply. Anyway, I am back to Windows 7 and all the issues have magically disappeared. I have duel booted my system with previous versions. This time around, I think I am staying with Windows 7 and I am one of those people who try to stay with the technology and changes. In terms of interface or performance Windows 8 isn't much better. Plus, I was never a fan of the new startup style. So, staying with Windows 7 seems to be a better choice for me.