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Why do you use your particular operating system?

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Calum:
Here's the full document that my quotes are drawn from.

I was just wondering why people chose to use the OS that the chose. this is open to windows users, BSD users, DOS users, whatever.
Let's hear your actual reasons for using the software you use, or not using the software you don't use.

To let you know my reasons for using GNU/Linux, i will have to quote Richard Stallman:  
quote:Around the same time, another non-free GUI toolkit library began to gain in popularity. This was Qt, from Troll Technologies. Ultimately Qt was used in a substantial collection of free software, the desktop KDE.

Free GNU/Linux systems were unable to use KDE, because we could not use the library. However, some commercial distributors of GNU/Linux systems who were not strict about sticking with free software added KDE to their systems--producing a system with more capabilities, but less freedom. The KDE group was actively encouraging more programmers to use Qt, and millions of new "Linux users" had never been exposed to the idea that there was a problem in this. The situation appeared grim.

The free software community responded to the problem in two ways: GNOME and Harmony.

GNOME, the GNU Network Object Model Environment, is GNU's desktop project. Started in 1997 by Miguel de Icaza, and developed with the support of Red Hat Software, GNOME set out to provide similar desktop facilities, but using free software exclusively. It has technical advantages as well, such as supporting a variety of languages, not just C++. But its main purpose was freedom: not to require the use of any non-free software.

Harmony is a compatible replacement library, designed to make it possible to run KDE software without using Qt.

In November 1998, the developers of Qt announced a change of license which, when carried out, should make Qt free software. There is no way to be sure, but I think that this was partly due to the community's firm response to the problem that Qt posed when it was non-free. (The new license is inconvenient and inequitable, so it remains desirable to avoid using Qt.)

How will we respond to the next tempting non-free library? Will the whole community understand the need to stay out of the trap? Or will many of us give up freedom for convenience, and produce a major problem? Our future depends on our philosophy.
--- End quote ---


 
quote:The worst threat we face comes from software patents, which can put algorithms and features off-limits to free software for up to twenty years. The LZW compression algorithm patents were applied for in 1983, and we still cannot release free software to produce proper compressed GIFs. In 1998, a free program to produce MP3 compressed audio was removed from distribution under threat of a patent suit.

There are ways to cope with patents: we can search for evidence that a patent is invalid, and we can look for alternative ways to do a job. But each of these methods works only sometimes; when both fail, a patent may force all free software to lack some feature that users want. What will we do what this happens?

Those of us who value free software for freedom's sake will stay with free software anyway. We will manage to get work done without the patented features. But those who value free software because they expect it to be technically superior are likely to call it a failure when a patent holds it back. Thus, while it is useful to talk about the practical effectiveness of the "cathedral" model of development, and the reliability and power of some free software, we must not stop there. We must talk about freedom and principle.
--- End quote ---


The whole document is worth reading, but that sums up my attitude quite well. Anybody else?

[ May 12, 2002: Message edited by: Calum ]

ravuya:
I like the Mac OS mostly because it was my first computing experience, and it's just so damned easy to use. That, and it seems to have user interface standards, installer standards, and it doesn't mask the system internals behind a layer of garbage from you like Windows does.

Only problem? Hm, can't think of one other than the lack of games, but, hell, I'm too busy to play games. My machine's working on making me money.

psyjax:
I personalay use Mac OS X because I truely belive it is the best OS around. OS X is breaking new ground for GUI's amd OS's. It brings forth many new concepts in user interaction with the computer as well as adding an incredibly powerfull underlayer of Darwin. Ironicaly OS X is based on UNIX and manages to still be simpler and more intuative than the origional MacOS.

Apple has allways been a company I respected ever since I was a kid. Something about them, the honesty, and sincerity in their products. It has allways given me the impression that they actually care about what they are doing. Apple is allways moving forward to advance their cause, to make computers simpler, better, and more accesible to everyone.

Say all you want about Windows acomplishing that goal, It's the Mac they have to thank for every "inovation" along the way.

jtpenrod:

quote: Let's hear your actual reasons for using the software you use, or not using the software you don't use.
--- End quote ---
Here's what I use: Mandrake, Red Hat, Slackware. As to why; at first it was simply that it wasn't M$, there's no WPA, no spyware, no nagware. There was just no way that I was going to do XP. Since then, I have a system that's a good deal more reliable. I've yet to have any of the Linux OSs do a hard crash, and I think that I used XKill on perhaps three occasions since last November, as opposed to doing the M$ Three Finger Salute that many times in one day. Even more importantly, I've learned more in a few months with Linux than I ever learned in years with Winders.
_____________________________________

Powered by Mandrake Linux and Freedom

If software can be free, why can't dolphins?

Scotty:
I have to admit that I used to be a long time winblows user. I can assure you guys/gals that my frustration and anger grew with every so called new release of winblows but I didn't have enought intrest to search for alternatives. Finally XP was the last straw on camels' back. I couldn't stand that Orwellian situation where m$ would actually own me, if I had used xPiss.

I had considered moving to Linux or Mac for a year before I finally did it.. never been happier  :D  .  
For me linux is a breeze of free and fresh air and
I've been 'hooked'   :D   ever since I installed it.  

The reason I won't use mickeyware anymore is that winblows isn't OS compared to linux,freeBSD or mac.

[ May 13, 2002: Message edited by: SingleMalt ]

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