Linux of course. I don't invite Apple or Microsoft into my computer. Apple has good hardware though so I can understand using a mac.
Windows because I know how to use it.
Windows 7.
It was the peak of windows.
It was slick. It was fast. It was stable, and it was super easy to use. Never had a single problem with it, and unlike past windows OS's it didnt require regular reformats to clean house for stability.
Unfortunately its dead now, and Microsoft abandoned that approach and switched to a slow burn approach at walled gardening.
I use Linux now, have been for years, because I saw where microsoft was going when Win10 was in previews, and there was no way I was going to be part of it.. So I jumped ship as soon as EoL was announced for Win 7
I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're refering to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX. Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called Linux, and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project. There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called Linux distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux!
Linux because Linux
Mac OS
It’s pretty, functional, and has unix underneath so I can use it the way I really like to.
Debian. Been running debian stable on 99% of my servers at work. And debian testing on the desktop, and daily driver. What orginally made me switch from redhat 7 was how frequent i ran into rpm hell, and how difficult it was to do an inplace upgrade. When i could just dist-upgrad to debian woody and everything worked, with a few well documented tweaks, I was sold. And have been running Debian on everything since 2002 ish.
It is stable, reliable, and dependable for the most critical applications. Truly the universal operating system for me.Edit: forgot to mention that on the 3 desktop machines i prefer KDE. It looks and acts most similar to amiga os, that i grew up with.
Debian 12 runs all my servers. It's like the pinnacle of stability.
Debian Linux on the server: all the flexibility I need in a server OS.
macOS on the desktop: it just gets out of the way and lets me do my job
My answer isn’t unique, but Arch linux is just my favorite to use. I just really love the ability to assemble things exactly the way I like them during the installation process.
I also really like the idea of a rolling release distro, meaning no major upgrades. I just run pacman -Syu once a day and things have been great.
Lastly, almost any piece of software I could want is available in the official repositories or the AUR, and it’s super convenient to be able to install things right away from the command line.
Editing to add: My work laptop is a MacBook Pro and I love it. macOS is really pleasant to use and anyone who says it’s not is a liar. Apple’s user experience game is on point
I don’t have a favorite, use the best tool for the job.
Linux Mint. Just works. Zero hassle. Zero shitfuckery.
Linux by far because of the customisation abilities it offers
I used to use windows but recently I installed Linux Mint to see how Linux works and to get more performance for gaming from my thinkpad.
I use windows because what i do most is gaming and just browsing. Gaming is just easiest on my windows pc
But i use a mac for school and i run linux on my gaming pc, because i put it on my sons pc.
I prefer windows because i just know it. Been using it for decades. So its easier for me.
But linux and macOS arent bad. They are just different.
MacOS is a bit annoying though. And a lot of apps for it has a subscription.. lol
Will I get jumped if I say MacOS?
I'm just kidding, but I do like MacOS. I just find it more aesthetically pleasing than Windows and I find it easier to use and longer lasting than Windows. Like, I had to use my 2014 MacBook Air with 4GB of RAM for a week because I needed to repair my main Mac. Yes, it was slow, I couldn't have too many apps running at the same time, and I couldn't have my customary 20 tabs open, but it was certainly usable and not too frustrating.
Love how most of the responses are different distros of Linux.
1998:
Me: I’d rather be running Linux
Systems Manager: Linux is a day late and a dollar short. Novell is the future. Microsoft might be interesting too.
She went off to teach community college after she got laid off.
Windows 95 and Debian were my “holy crap this is cool” operating systems as a kid.
Windows slowly went to hell over the years, and Debian didn't, so now I mostly use Debian.
If it weren't for Solidworks and the inability to run it on many Linux installs, I'd be on Linux full time. I run a couple of lightweight linux servers (reverse proxy, load balancer, jellyfin, etc) on some jailbroken chromeboxes, and I use Raspberry Pi's for AI/voice assistant/HomeAssistant/Automation stuff. But I use Windows for Solidworks, Fusion360, VSCode (microcontroller programming), and other things.
I don't use MacOSX for anything, though I think if the world came around and migrated to it, we'd all be in a better spot due to it at least being POSIX compliant UNIX. I feel like it would be easier to develop compatibility layers and migrate the rest of the desktop world over to Linux from there if it ever happened.
If I needed to develop cross-platform applications, I'd essentially HAVE TO have a Mac, as it's the only one that can run all 3 OS's for testing purposes with the least amount of hassle. Though, that may have changed since the new ARM based macs.
I've been using Unix in one form or another since the mid 80s, so that's pretty deeply ingrained by now.
I was strongly biased towards Solaris & OpenBSD for many years (Solaris on nice Sun hardware, OpenBSD on small machines) but both began to annoy me a little bit recently, so I switched to Void linux. (Also, there was ONE feature of Linux that I REALLY wanted - extended attributes (name=val) in the filesystem. Love those.)
I'm fascinated by Multics & Control Data's NOS (70s mainframe OS's), but that's for historic study, not actual use.
Debian 11 for my personal server, openSUSE tumbleweed for my personal use. Debian for stability and openSUSE for the latest and greatest of KDE plasma desktop environment!
Arch Linux
So that I can brag about using Arch Linux.
Seriously though, I wanted to learn about Linux and chose trial-by-fire. I've used other (Debian based) distros but pacman + the Arch user repository are hard to live without now.
Though if I ever had to reinstall I'd probably save myself some headache and install EndeavorOS.
Debian Linux. Because it just works.
Runner-up: Mac OS. Same reason as above, but not free, so it’s #2.
Second-runner up: Free DOS because why not?
Distant last place: Windows, cause occasionally you need to call in your retarded cousin who is the only one that can do that one thing just right.
Linux.
But of course I need a desktop UI too so that alone isn't enough. I don't have a favorite though.
Windows has a decent core and good core UI, but makes it awful with win11 UI and product pushing. I'm being pragmatic, not enthusiastic, using it.
Ubuntu has or had PPA for selective more direct and up to date software, but I guess with the newer package distribution formats (flatpak and the others) I guess that's not necessary or a comparative upside anymore.
The UIs I tried or used on Linux I never really liked. It was reasonable or acceptable at most. I wonder if there's one I'd like out there.
Currently running fedora, because it is stable, easy to use and just works. Also, gnome is imo the best designed major, full-featured desktop environment that exists out there (even including windows or macos).
You might get a more tailored experience with window managers but im currently to lazy to set that up. I did use dwm for a time though, but it wasnt really flexible enough for me.
I use arch btw.
Gives me the flexibility to do what I want and contrary to the internet I haven't managed to break everything. I managed to break Ubuntu through
Void Linux. It was the OS that made me stop distro hopping
plan 9
I don't actually have the patience to run it, mind you. But it's definitely my favorite in principle.
Right now, macOS. Switched to it when I started uni and I'm never going back to Windows. The main reasons are:
- unix based
- generally easier to manage software
- the OS itself has most of the basic utilities already packed in and most of them with the right features. I rarely felt the need to install new software to cover lacking parts.
Also, generally stuff is packed fairly well, with care for user experience.
I will say, I'm dipping my feets in linux as well, and it looks like a lot of distro now are mature and accessible. If I ever were to buy a second pc I would seriously consider the penguin.
"arch linux" with EndeavourOs. Simple to set up, light weight, they seem to have good opinions on package choices. What I like about arch is that if something breaks, I know how to fix it since everything is so configurable and modular. If something breaks in Windows/Ubuntu I don't know how to fix it and the os/distro isn't designed to let you solve the issue yourself.
I'm glad you asked. How much time do you have?
My favorite OS is Gentoo Linux.
The main reason being that you have full control of the system, from the kernel, init (OpenRC or SystemD), to the different packages.
I've also found Gentoo to be very reliable. (I've had some bad experiences with distros like Void with KDE Plasma freezing/crashing).
It's a rolling release distro, but with more stable package versions, unlike ArchLinux. However it also gives you the option to use the lastest packages (By adding them to accept_keywords)
And if you want you can experiment with different setups, for example using musl instead of GNU's GLIBC, or using clang as the default compiler instead of GCC.
Qubes OS
The virtual machine workflow has made me completely rethink how I use computers, and there's huge security benefits of compartmentalizing your digital life through Qubes. Qubes OS successfully compartmentalizes your VMs and brings them together under one unified desktop, so even though you have several VMs running, you can see all of them at once because you see their windows as if it was a regular Linux desktop.
There are some issues with it though, such as lack of 3D acceleration for gaming, and its rather picky hardware support. Along with needing hardware that supports Linux drivers, you need a crap ton of RAM (I'm running 20 GBs on my Thinkpad T450s) for all of the VMs you run at one time. It doesn't take as much CPU power as you'd think, though, as it uses Xen's PVH emulation, instead of full-blown virtual machines like you'd see with VirtualBox.
However, if you have the right hardware for it, and you don't mind dual-booting or using another machine for gaming, I urge you to give it a whirl.
I'm mainly privacy and security focused when it comes to software. My first Linux distro was Whonix. It's like if Tor expanded from the browser into an OS. Its a bit clunky and outdated though, so not a great daily driver. My second and current distro was the KDE spin of Fedora. It's been amazing top to bottom. Unfortunately Red Hat recently started some drama, but Fedora shouldn't be impacted as its upstream. If Red Hat's greasy paws do mess things up, I'm thinking about running OpenSUSE Tumbleweed. Hopefully it's just me over thinking and Fedora will remain a stellar OS option for years to come.
Arch Linux all the way. I love the AUR, the Arch wiki (though it applies to a lot of distros) and customizable it is.
I’ve had a Mac for a few years, but the Linux « itch » came back and I couldn’t scratch it with macOS.
Now I see just how snappier Linux is compared to Windows or macOS on the same hardware and I really don’t wanna go back.
Server: Freebsd: simple, reliable
Desktop: Linux: Pop os distro
Ubuntu compatibility without any canonical garbage
Works and works well
Out of the box ready for most use cases
Competent engineers and support
I would miss Manjaro if it went away. I like how it (cliche alert) "just works".
Fedora for its stability. Arch for its customisability.
Between Linux Mint for its reliability and ease of use and Gentoo for just being really nice to use overall with a ton of the control linux is well known for.
RISC OS. It's quite unique, and the UI design is great. Want to save a file? Drag this icon where you want to save it. Access the menu? Middle button, oh and it's all context sensitive, directly under the pointer. Applications are just directories - there are no hidden files.
Fedora and Debian. It just works, can't complain. Need to use windows 11 on a notebook, absolutely hate it.
Daily driving OpenBSD for 1 year and 8 months now. The simplicity of it and its sane defaults make it much easier to configure than the Linux distros I've used in the past, and it has been more reliable than FreeBSD on my main system. On my X230, It Just Works™.
Opensuse Tumbleweed after the whole Red Hat situation i started looking for similar distros as i really liked Fedora went to Opensuse Tumbleweed had no issues almost as if i never switched distros (obviously package manager is slightly different but not too hard to get used to honestly) i mean i can even still install Rpms
Mint but replace cinnamon with sway. It just works, is reliable and has minimal bloat
I use Debian 12. I very recently switched to it from windows after using windows for about 10 years or more.
What do I like about Debian when compared to Windows?
I really enjoy using the terminal. Still a beginner. Yes learning the commands is tough but sometimes I just prefer using the terminal instead of using a gui.
Everything else about debian is also great.
I don't have a favorite. Every OS has its pros and cons, so it's "right to for the right job" situation for me.
I run Windows 10/11 on my desktops because some piece of software requires it (trust me, I've looked at alternatives.) unRAID on one server, and Ubuntu on a couple of other servers. They all have quirks that I absolutely hate, but there's no such thing as perfect operating system.
My favorite and the longest I’ve used was Antergos until they stopped maintaining it. At the time, it was the most popular Arch-with-an-installer distro. Before that, I was a fan of Peppermint OS simply because it was a beautiful looking distro. I’m currently running Mint because I don’t have time to maintain an OS and I just want something that works. It’s pretty good I’d say.
MacOS for the trackpad gesture functionality.
I prefer Carbon6 for my daily work. I'm considering going to Silicon, but it's just not user tested yet and I can't risk the disruption to my work flow.
Android, because between this one, Linux, and Windows:
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it's the one I need to care less about the OS. The OS (or how does swirling transition animations look better in your beloved distro GUI) should be just an invisible, unobtrusive tool to run your apps, not something that matters or requires babysitting nor tinkering.
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it's the one running the apps I use the most, FOR ME, as opposed of for work
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manjaro kde + bismuth for tiling
I've always used Windows as my main OS, but I have experience with Macs as school computers, and now I'm exploring Linux. I gotta say Linux is probably my favorite. It's so configurable and my workflow is so smooth now that when I try and use my Windows laptop instead I find myself trying to use keybinds from my WM lol. I miss my terminal! WSL is just not the same. I have to have Windows on my school laptop, and I still have it on my PC. My hope is that I can switch my PC to Linux when Win10 loses support. Hopefully Nvidia will play nice. But I do prefer Windows over Mac simply cause I've used it longer. I've only ever used Macs on a surface level, never had my own or was able to tweak settings and such. So idk I might feel differently if I had one. But I'm definitely liking Linux a lot more cause of the customization and no update badgering lol
So far I only ever used Windows and Linux Mint, but I'm happy with the latter so I guess I'll stay with it for a while.
If you did not recommend arch, you basically recommended poop on a stick
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windows
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because it was already installed
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Windows. Everything is straight forward and I can still make some custom or niche stuff work.
I don't like Linux, because a lot of programs don't work, and I don't want to create my own 3D application or DAW from scratch. Not worth my time.
I don't like Apple because the money I'd put into that I'd rather put to better use.
I've been a loyal System/MacOS/OS X/macOS user since System 6. From the first time I sat down at a Mac, it's the only OS family that allows me to forget that I'm using a computer and just do things.
Architecturally the Classic MacOS was a hacked-together mess (though I was pretty good about managing my extensions, and I put together some pretty impressive uptime with my old Power Macs), but the UI was incredibly fast and responsive. Even on my M2 Pro Mini I don't believe I can navigate my filesystem as quickly or as easily as I could on my OG iMac running 9.2. And I'd still love to visit an alternate universe where macOS evolved from the Server 1.0 UI rather than the Aqua UI.
OS X/macOS feels a little more cumbersome, a little less personal. I don't always love all the new features Apple pushes in its new releases. (IDEK with the new Settings menu.) And I really didn't love the hoops I had to jump through to get PHP running on my Mini (I could have gone with an all-Homebrew setup, but I wanted to keep things relatively uncomplicated). The last version of macOS I unabashedly loved was 10.14 Mojave. But in the end, I appreciate all the things that bringing Unix to the Mac allows me to do, and there's enough of the old MacOS DNA that I'm still mostly able to sit down, forget I'm using a computer, and just get my work done. That's what I look for in an OS.
Xubuntu
- Simple, somewhat retro interface
- Highly customizable
- Stable as hell
- Fast
- Simple to setup
- Regular OS versions upgrades
Gentoo. It makes me feel like I’m in full control of my system.
Windows because I have to use it at work anyway. Also it's simple, nearly everything works out of the box and it's still the best choice for gaming.
1? Linux 2? Freedom
My favorite is chromeOS because it requires zero maintenance and I can access all my data, apps, and preferences in minutes on any compatible device by just signing into my account.
