Which OS do you like best?

[amk]

Which operating system do you like best?

[Orcmonkey]

Personally, 2k for me. Has what I want, doesn't have crap I don't want (XP) easy enough to tinker with and figure things out on your own, but complicated enough to allow some advanced configuring (networking etc...) Also have been playing around with freebsd on my other machine and I'm liking it so far.

[lil Jimmie]

My preferences are:
1. Windows XP Professional
2. Windows 2000 Professional
3. Windows XP Home.

[JagZone]

LoL, Windows 3.1 By FAR!!!!


J/K guys. I haven't used XP yet But I do like Win2kPro, then prolly Win98

[DrZaius]

My favorites.

Windows XP
Windows 2000
Windows 9x
Linux

[HAL9000]

Windows XP Pro/Home
Windows 98/ME
Linux is cool, my server runs great on it, but after 1.5 years, I still have to learn anything about it :D

[Statica]

1) UNIX
2) Linux
3) OS-X
4) Computer displaying message - "Missing operating system"
5) this u mite find strange: <b>WinXP that upgraded a previous Win2K system</b>
6) Win2K
7) WinXP

The rest on that list, I would not give a second thot to .. although Win 3.11 for Workgroups was awesome!

[glc]

2K by far.

[Statica]

The biggest thing I miss in 2K is multiple users being logged on at the same time. That is the only thing that has made us use XP in the computers @ work.

[Streams]

win2k pro and linux

[ssahl]

I almost didnt post this but what the h**l, it's how I feel.

1. Mac OS 9.X
2. Win 2000 Pro
4. Win XP Pro
4. Win 98_SE
5. linux
6. DOS 6.22

XP & 98_SE are to close to call right now, but XP has the potential to move up to #2 slot. 98_SE is where it's at because I know it so well, and also because it's been around for so long that I have made alot of changes modifications, and such to get it to run the way I want to.

[Computer Hobbyist]

I am really enjoying Linux and will probably install it on all but one of my home machines over the next few months. It is the OS I like best.

If I want to get anything done at the office, however, I still have have to know how to run several Microsoft operating systems, including NT, Win98SE and WinME. I really need to take the time to learn WinXP Pro.


CH

[Mr N8]

1. Linux Redhat 7.1
2. Linux Mandrake 8.1
3. Win2K Pro

I run windows 98se with Redhat and Mandrake on my home machine. I hate windows98, but I don't want to buy another OS. My wife doesn't really want to learn Linux, so 98 must stay for the time being. Oh well.

[WJWheels]

I'm still with Dos 6.2. You guys should experience PCMech in text format.

[Penguin]

My preference is 98 se. I have one system at home that runs 98se and one that runs ME. ME is ok, but a little quirkey.

[doctorgonzo]

Win XP Home.

[Orcmonkey]

I'm still with Dos 6.2. You guys should experience PCMech in text format.

Hehehe... I was just posting the other day from LYNX from the CLI on Freebsd! It was quite the experiance. I have X configured now though, so Mozilla works just a bit better ;)

[wolfie]

xp home

[Sauron]

Well I never did that (experienced the mech in that way) but I like 98SE and DOS 6.22 best of all the os' I have seen so far....:)

[lpc300]

Hi all,

Here's my list:

1. Win2k
2. Mandrake 8.1
3. Win ME
4. Win98SE
5. Win 3.1
6. DOS 6.2

I like Win2K best by far...it's on all my machines. Mandy is also excellent, though I'm still learning it. ME and 98 are helpful to use with some games that don't work on Win2K, but are generally too crash-prone. Win 3.1 and DOS 6.2 are there, sentimentally. I learned computers on them. XP is not on my list and I will remain off until M$ finishes working out it's bugs.

[alexmacdonald]

i use XP pro on all my machines, except obviously my mac which uses OS-X. OS 9 suked, thank got apple woke up. I also have a number of linux distro's that i play with as they come out to see if any major advancements have taken place but alas, still not ready for our user's desktops. OS-x is by far the easiest unix available and we could implement it through the company without too many problems, but the cost of apple hardware would kill us. I have also used a SUSE power pc disto on my mac, but it wasnt very good. So at home i'll stick with XP and at work 2000.

[mc2phat]

Another vote for w2k.

[Kassia]

I only have experience with Windows 98 se, so I can't really make an honest choice. I need to upgrade. :rolleyes:

[NicRic]

Windows Me . I will tell you why ! It came pre-loaded with WinMe in my frist PC , a Pentium III 750mhz 256MB RAM 30Gig H.D. Because Windows Me is so buggy , I was forced to come to web sites like this and others to make it more stable. I made alot of new friends and learned alot about computers and how they work. My PC runs smooth as a babies butt , I cant remember the lat time I had a error message or the BSOD. It was a enjoyable though at times frustrating exprience. I have come to love messing with computers so much , that Iam now going to try and build one from scratch. On my current system I add a graphics card a sound card, more RAM , installed a internal CD-RW and a slot fan for extra cooling . My next project is putting in a new 300W power supply to replace the 145W they installed . I love this stuff, if it was'nt for Windows Me giving me problems my curiousity may have never been raised ?

[mairving]

Most Hyped - Windows 95
Best improvement over previous version - Windows 95
Worst improvement over previous version - Windows ME
Best OS that never made it - OS2
Worst OS that made it - ME
Best Workstation OS - W2K Pro
Worst Workstation OS - Windows XP Home
Best Webserver OS - BSD, Linux with Apache
Worst Webserver OS - NT with IIs
Sexiest - OSX or XP
Ugliest - DosShell
Most BSOD's - ME or 95
Fewest BSOD's - Linux

[ktkendall]

WIN2000
XP PRO

[lpc300]

NicRic. Cool post. Great way to look at the 'positives' of WinME's instability. Speaking of stabilty, again touting Win2K, it's on my laptop and I haven't rebooted in more than 6 months.

[HAL9000]

Hmmmm... I have WinME on this machine and one at home. No BSOD's, no lockups, runs faster than Win98. I just don't see the "buggyness" that everyone else seems to experience. Sold plenty of machines with WinME too and the only ones that seemed to be buggy (and this isn't intended to be a flame war, it's seriously what I have experienced) are machines that have a combination of WinME, VIA chipset, AMD processor. They ran OK, they just did some strange things every now and then. Not in the way of crashes or anything, but you would go to do some task and it just wouldn't respond to your request or there would be unusual pauses. You would have to work around it. The workarounds were never a big deal though. One of my clients with two AMD machines, both WinME, one VIA, the other ALi, and one Intel machine on a VIA, only has strange things happen on the WinME/VIA/AMD system, usually in his audio recording program. Win98 works fine on it, but he wants the OS's to all be the same and just works around the strangeness.

[abomb7682]

Well the best operating system is slackware linux with the K desktop environment but I'm hearing rumors of underground programmers's creating FreeDos, or a updated multitasking version of Dos that seems interesting...

The only operating systems that compare to slackware are the Palm OS and whatever makes those infrared eye's on urinals flush when you walk away... love those friggin' things.

Far, far in the dust behind that is windows 3.1 and 98se.

Then there are the operating systems improperly named because they fail to operate under most conditions like Windows XP and Mac OS anything...

[Hot Rod]

XP Pro

[morriswindgate]

I am with HAl, I have one machine running ME and it has never had so much as one problem in 13 months. On the other hand my other machine is running XP Home and has all sorts of little glitches, like my Minolta Laser printer sometimes gets the data sometimes it don't, File views change back to the default large Icon view, the internet connection (cable) seems to slowdown the more time you surf or download and just a bunch of other little things that I hope they fix in SP1. Also XP loads up too many so called services that are not needed by most people.
I am actually thinking of going back to 98SE.

[mairving]

Asking what is the best OS is kind of like asking what is the best vehicle. Some people would say a Ferrari or something sexy like that. Well it depends upon what you are using it for. If your purpose is to transport large volumes of cargo, you need a big truck. If it is something to impress your neighbors, then pick the Ferrari. The same is true with OS's. Use the proper OS for the job.

[raftero]

i like windows 98,my wife has ml and she likes it but it does funny things and locks up now and then.i tried w2k pro on a new build had all new wk2 compatable parts, installed current drivers but never could get it to work without errors and lock ups,i am not very experienced and i'm sure w2k for the more experienced works great but w98 takes add ons easy and isn't tempermintal,so for me it is the best choice.the only thing is i have to reboot every 8 to 12 hours or it gets real slow,i've been intending to ask some of you smart people why this is but haven't got around to it.

[Lord Prism]

XP for ME

[ssahl]

Hal, I have heard you stick up for winME quite a few times. What kind of programs did you run on ME? You are one of the only persons that I know whose opinion I respect/trust that likes ME. I hate it myself. One of the things I didnt like about it was it seemed like after I had changes and settings all made, windows ME would change things without me knowing about it until some weird problem came up and I would have to do some snooping around. Theres another thing, troubleshooting with ME was also a real b**ch. It was also more picky about what you wanted to put on there as far as installing asorted programs. Now granted that could have been for the most part crappy written software, but that same software would install on 9 out of 10 computers that had lets say 98 on it, and out of 10 that had ME on it you would be lucky to get the same software to work on half of them. This was especially true on systems that were lower end. I have always felt that having a lot of RAM would make any given system more forgiving or lets say stop a potential problem from happening. One of the people that would call in more often then just about anyone else at where I work was using the software over a network that had a deadicated server that was running winME. There is more to an OS then just running fast alone, whens the last time you put 95 on a computer, I would never choose 95 as an OS on a computer of mine but if you put it on a system that has a 1000Mhz CPU or better and 256MB of RAM or more it runs smoking fast. Not to mention it only takes up about 100MB of disk space, ME needs at least 500MB and thats doing a custom setup and unchecking alot of the options it comes with (screensavers, themes, ect...) This of coarse is all just my opinion, and I'm just a pee-on, how I feel probably has alot to do with the fact that I have always hated for windows (or any OS) to do things automaticly, or in the backround, especially without me knowing about it, I can see where things of this nature would be usefull for something like a computer at work or a computer that you only have access to every so often, but mine at home. I want it to do exactly what I tell it to do, and not one single thing more. I will admit though that I probably never gave it a far chance (and probably never will with XP out there) but when ME came out I was dissapointed big time, when win2k came out, I was impressed. people are going to see this post and also the one where I said Mac OS was my first choice for an OS and want to go check out winME, especially being that you can get it for so cheap right now.

[cobra]

xp rocks

[RJ]

WinXP all the way.

I'm still wondering why Win98SE is always mentioned extra, like in this thread "Win98/98SE", although both are Win98, but it's never done with Windows 95. I can read here "Windows 95" instead of "Windows 95/95A/95B/95C" :confused:

RJ

[HAL9000]

Originally posted by ssahl
Hal, I have heard you stick up for winME quite a few times. What kind of programs did you run on ME?

Hmm... you just about name it, I've run it on WinME either at home or at work, or I have friends running it.

Typical Office Apps (Office 97 thru XP)
Custom Office Apps (stuff specifically written for businesses)
Web server software
Wed design software
All kinds of audio creation
All kinds of video editing
Various CAD programs from basic ones to the latest Autocad
Games from the oldies to the latest and greatest.

It would take forever to list everything by program name, but between me and my friends, I can't say that I can come up with anything that was a specific problem.

[alexmacdonald]

have to say i never had a problem with me either, not even with the pre release candidates

[HAL9000]

What I find really interesting is that this came right after the thread about Windows XP being total garbage that it's the one in the lead with over 40% of the votes and that Win2K which was touted as the end all best OS is sitting at a mere 5% above Win98, yet 20% less than WinXP. I guess one could argue that 59 votes is a small sample, but is it any smaller than the discussion of Windows XP?

[Orcmonkey]

I think in that other thread, people who supported XP were less likely to jump in then this one where the point is your favorite OS, not just bashing XP.

[GaryRouth]

For a new machine: Windows XP

For an older machine with not much horsepower: Windows 98 2nd Ed.

For a user who loves computers and has some money: XP, Linux, and BE.. networked with a Mac and a Solaris workstation (a lot of money)

For a user who loves computers and has no money: Linux

Actually, when I have time to carefully install and configure, I haven't found an OS that I don't like or doesn't work well. For folks in a rush, though, it's hard to find anything easier than Win98SE.
...Gary

[grasshopperbe]

the only decent windows ever was 3.11
98 is good enough for games.
dos was the best (it practically couldnt crash)

[KR0316]

98SE

[Redo40]

98SE for my older machines and XP for my newer ones.

[Charliey]

2000Pro, never crashes, works just fine, XP might be better, but theres no point, because 2k works for me, and i dont need the hasle of setting everything up again.

[HAL9000]

If you're on 2K now, I couldn't justify going to XP. It's kinda like going from 98SE to WinME, there isn't enough there to justify the change over, especially if you're happy with it already.

[Jomama]

I was a die hard 98SE fan until XP Pro was forced upon me. But it is very cool. and the interface is familiar. I can see the distint advantages with XP especially with configuration. It is more so than 98. (and just when I was able to set up 98 with half my brain tied behind my back.)
On the other hand I was the last in my office to convert to Win3.0 from DOS. and the last to convert to 95.
So my laptop died and they gave me this XP pro Satelite.
I like it better than 2K or ME(pew)

[whr2206]

I use Windows 98se.... Most of the glitches have been worked out for the most part except for the most recent problem.... I want Windows 2k, but I dont have money to throw around so I guess I'll wait windows 98se has been goo to me so far...

[Sus~]

Win98 for me, cause I find that every newer version of windoze allows you to do and access LESS, and on a CLEAN computer there are no crashes or freezes etc.

Win98 didnt hide all the MS backdoors as much, they are easier to find and shut. Over all.. win98 does everything, you just have to know how to access it and on newer windoze they hide more and lock you out of more. WIN98 is also more securable as win XP * gag~~* insists that you leave ONE MS backdoor open or else it doesnt allow you to connect to the internet.

I believe users have the right to control all the aspects of their own computers... win98 allows all this, and is still compatible with all programs & networking.

[casey]

Hi,
16 Business machines running ME and no problems at all. Had problems and lots of program hanging (often with printing) and also mouse related. This was when we had VIA 693/4 chipset PC's. Upgraded all PC's to Intel 815ep chipsets and good ram have not been happier.
Lotus Smartsuite, Office, ACCPAC, Quick Books, Photoshop, ECDC, Nero, CCD, Feurio & other specialized business applications ie. Agriculture. + Two gaming machines that run flawlessly.

[Black Ice]

I realy like Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 Professional . I never had any problems with either one.

[dave computer]

I'd go with 98 SE because thats all I've used.

[wintomato]

used to prefer 95 over 98 for it's simplicity, also found fewer problems, but win2k has it now..

[fugglestone]

xp home.
i had winME before this.

[TdM]

XP is excellent

[aym]

Linux is my fav, now Windows is left for games, most of my work is done under Linux.

[Markoman01027]

Here is my list:
1. Win XP Pro
2. Linux Mandrake 8.X(I havent used the current version yet, so it must be less than the current version.)
3. Windows 98 SE

Worst OS:
Windows ME

[nictrix]

I voted for linux, mandrake! However I'm going to be installing Windows XP for my new build. I'll get linux at the store for like $14.00 and test it out!

[Blakhart]

If linux would game like xp, linux all the way.
I have a dos install that just keeps running.
Pretty cool considering it is attached to a 100 watt hf rig that it controls for digital comms. The antenna being about 4 feet from the laptop.

[CaptTuna]

ME. Using ME now and it runs better on my AMD machine than it does on my Intel machine. Go figure.