We all know that the OS wars will wage on until the end of time. You’ll have the Windows guys unenthusiastically entering the battlefield in their suits and ties. The Apple guys staggering into the battlefield in rainbow gear smelling like hemp. And the Linux guys will be tripping over their pocket protectors.

OK, see, I just fueled the debate. Again! And purposely so, yes. [David reaches up and feels his horns. Yep, they're still there.]

I am now doing the weekly tech news for a local computer radio show. I was talking to the host and he wants to have me on in a couple weeks to basically have a shoot out in an on-radio argument about which OS is best. He asked me which OS I wanted to argue for. I told him I would argue for the Apple. Why? Because I use it.

But, it got me thinking about it. In that radio discussion, I’m going to have to pimp OS X like crazy (and I will). But, once I take my rainbow shirt off, I fully recognize that each OS has it’s own pros and cons. It would be more my style to have a discussion on the air where I talk about all three major OSes. But, perhaps another day. Here on PCMech, though, I’d like to give my opinion on this.

Let’s take them one by one.

Windows

Windows is the big kid in town, but not necessarily the cool one anymore. Using Windows is like being married - you know where everything is, no surprises and somehow it keeps just chugging along with some minor face slaps along the way.

Pros:

• Craploads of software availability because people pretty much assume you’re using Windows unless you tell them otherwise.
• User friendly (for the most part)
• Microsoft might not be fast at major updates, but they’re pretty good at patching Windows quickly when security issues arise.
• Is going to work with the widest selection of hardware, bar none.

Cons:

• Vista makes the Windows operating system look like it is heading into a dead end.
• Slow on major updates. Vista took forever. Windows 7 should come out sooner.
• Lacks the interface enhancements enjoyed by OS X and Linux users (using Compiz)

Who Should Use Windows? Enterprise, because Microsoft is king in that arena. As for consumers, does anybody really choose Windows? It kinda just comes on your computer. People who want an easy computer without paying for premium hardware are going to use Windows. Gamers are going to use Windows because DirectX just makes gaming easy on Windows.

Apple OS X

Apple, with their superior marketing, rakes Windows over the coals daily on TV. They want to be the new cool kid on the block. And in many ways, it is. If you go into an Apple store, there is almost a cultish feeling about it. Like you’re cool because you’re in the Apple store. But, at Kamp3r (a regular in our PCMech LIVE chat room) puts it, having Mac is like going into marriage with a prenup although the end result is the same and it costs twice as much.

Pros:

• Truly 64-bit operating system
• OS X software is generally better designed to match what works and what is easier in your daily workflow
• High degree of system stability (no doubt helped because Apple so tightly controls the hardware OS X runs on).
• Lots of software available (but not as much as Windows). But, you’ll never go wanting.
• Pricing of Leopard beats the crap out of Windows. You just get more for your money with OS X - period.

Cons:

• The hardware you run OS X on (the Mac) is more expensive than PC hardware. It is great hardware, but there is certainly a higher entry price. And Apple doesn’t offer a mid-grade tower system something I have harped on them for.
• Not as many games out there for Mac at this point.

Who Should Use OS X? If you are a person who wants a system that works and that you’re not constantly fighting, go Mac. If you’re not interested in building your own box, I’d recommend the Mac. If you’re a gamer, I’d recommend NOT buying a Mac. If you’re a cheapskate, you won’t go Mac either.

OS X is the one operating system that others try to emulate. You will not find software for the Mac to make OS X look or act like Windows or Linux. You will, though, find both Linux and Windows having add-ons to make it look and act more like a Mac. There is a REASON for that.

Linux

Ah, the beloved Linux. Last, but not least. Linux is like the Clay Aiken of operating systems - started out as the dork of dorks but keeps trying to be cooler by changing the hairstyle. Said in all honesty, though, Linux in many ways shares the benefits of both Windows and the Mac. It is getting really compelling. But, it also comes with its own set of cons, remnants from its nerdy history.

Pros:

• Truly free. Everything about it is open source and free. This means you can customize anything you want.
• Using Compiz, Linux is capable of eye candy that would make both Apple and Windows users drool.
• Pick and choose the distro and software that is right for you. You’re not confined by what a company makes available.

Cons:

• I don’t care what any Linux fanboy says, before too long, you’re going to have to go into the dreaded Terminal to get something done. That means the command line. Yuck. Every Linux distro I have ever tried, I was in the command line in less than hour.
• Hardware support isn’t up to the level of Windows or OS X. This means you’ll find yourself looking for drivers and, if you find them, will either have to use the package manager (if the driver can be found there) or (as I said) get into the command line and execute a mind-numbing series of gibberish commands to install your driver.
• Being non-commercial, some of the freely available applications simply don’t match up to their commercial counterparts. You’re depending on the open source community to create your software. This is both good and potentially bad at the same time.
• While you’ll be able to open any file format, you will be using software most others have never heard of. This means support is going to come from the community of Linux users.

Who Should Use Linux? If you have an old computer you want to get some use from, throw Linux on it. If you have an independent, somewhat contrarian spirit, by all means, use Linux. If you’re after the cheapest computer, use Linux. If you want a computer that you won’t have to fight, a computer you won’t have to spend hours in forums looking for answers, a computer that you can run commercial software on - then don’t use Linux.

As Kamp3r puts it, Linux is like getting married in a Catholic church by a Buddhist monk - sure it will work great but it just don’t seem right.

[David now braces for impact from the Linux fanboys]

Conclusion

Yes, I have laced this article with my opinions. I’m sure many will agree while many others will not. And so goes the nature of the OS wars.