OS's (from a critic)

Okay, I got one of the response's I was looking for. An "I hate Microsoft Windows" response. I was kind of hoping for a "I hate Macintosh" response too, but there just aren't that many Windows users that actually dislike Macintosh. They just think it's a silly little box.

Now my own comments on OS's (from a geeks standpoint, always looking for a new toolbox):

Windows

Pros: 1. XP is by far the best OS that Microsoft has published. Built on NT, it can actually be secure (unfortunately, in the name of "user friendliness", it is stripped of it's security teeth by most folks). And it's 100% more stable than any prior (I have personally never seen a BSOD in Windows XP, although I have heard of them).
2. (Yes, Virginia, there are more than one Pros for Windows) Flat out numbers...something along the line of 95% of desktops use Windows. Makes it easy for a software publisher to justify writing software for this OS. I mean, why try to sell to a 4.9% market share or a 0.1% market share when you can get the rest of the shares?
3. Due to number 2. above, really slick programs...very nifty games, probably some of the best financial software out there, a decent office suite. Again, it goes back to money. People are drawn to money (like I said, programmers have to eat too).

Cons: 1. Well, (Evil) Empire says it best. I really dislike tyrants, so this is a bit of a personal dislike for Mr. Gates, not so much Microsoft Windows, so it's not really a con, more of a personal statement.
2. Due to the stripped security of most users (they don't know or don't care about their own security), it's a wide open to hack OS. Not good. Plus, with the numbers Pros above, goes the numbers cons: why hack and steal from 4.9% or 0.1% of the market when you can hack and steal from 95% of the market?

Question to all of the philosopher types out there, because this question is difficult in my mind: If the creator of something is evil, does it automatically make the thing created evil? Is the reverse true? In other words, if the thing created is evil, is the creator evil? Hmm, that one will take a bit of noodling for me to even understand the question, I think.

Mac OS X

Pros: It works...it just works. Rock solid stability and good security. Part of the good security is also one of it's cons.

Cons: 1. Numbers, this time on the low side. Why write software (or hack/virus/spyware) for only 4.9% of the market when you can write it for 95%? Not quite as many nifty pieces of software, but what there is follows the pros for Mac OS X - it just works!
2. Expensive, expensive, expensive...I alluded to this in my excited first geek post. If you want to use Mac OS X, you have to buy Apple hardware. Well, that's just freaking silly to me. Why buy a box that is SLOWER and NOT AS CAPABLE as one I can get for approximately $500-$700 cheaper? That's just crazy talk...seriously, it's crazy! But hardware sales is actually where Apple was making a lot of its money before iPod and all of the iPod derivatives out there. And unfortunately, where they will continue needing to make their money even after the Intel shift. So they will still be more expensive.

Personal comment about iPod and derivatives thereof: Jobs has learned a lot from Gates' business plan. Lockout competition and you'll do well...I'm not sure I'm so impressed by Apple's business plan anymore.

Finally, Linux

Pros: It's free. Yep, 100% free. Great for servers, including game servers. STABLE. SECURE. Did I mention it's free? Due to one of its cons, the missing software, programmers have had to come up with things like WINE and CEDEGA so that Windows programs can be run in Linux (not through emulation, but through using, well, let's just say it works without emulation). AWESOME, and I do mean AWESOME community! Yes, you may get flamed when you ask a question, but you know what? It's just kidding, not so much the nasty stuff you may get elsewhere. You know how I know that? You also get the answer you're looking for with the flames!

Cons: Well, there are a lot. I keep alluding to 0.1% market share - well that's Linux. Not as many people writing software, not as many really cool and pretty pieces of software. But enough to function (i.e. Mozilla backs them up, so Firefox and Thunderbird are fully compatible). It is more difficult to use than either Windows or Mac OS X, but when you figure it out, it's really not that bad. But the first trips are interesting...

I'm sure I missed a couple of pros and cons (I'm not perfect, just like any of these OS's).

I have other rants from my geekiness, but my final comment is this - all of the major OS's out there have pros and cons. All of them work. Which you choose to use should be based on what tools you need to have. Me, I like having all the tools (even though I may never use them - HA!).