Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Most people use computers to run applications on, not because they prefer one operating system over another, and it's perhaps easy to overlook this in our "enthusiasm" for an o/s.
Sure, if you're just buying a computer for web browsing, email, and word processing (which studies have shown is all that many computers get used for), you can use pretty much any o/s you like. If, however, you have more specific application needs, then that drives the choice of o/s.
Eg, I'm a keen photographer, and I'd be lost without Adobe Lightroom, so that constrains my choice of o/s to either Windows or Mac, and my personal preference is for Windows. I'm sure that there probably are Linux apps that can do most of what Lightroom does, but I don't want to have to learn how to use a new app. I'm happy with what I have.
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If you have a specific use for your computer -- yes, buy the one that does that job. When folks ask me about Linux, the first question I ask them is, "are you a big game player?" If they yes, I tell them they probably would want to stay with Windows -- or at least plan on dual-booting. If you're one of the few who needs AutoCad or Photoshop, by all means, get a PC with Windows (in the case of AutoCad) or choose a Mac or Windows PC for Photoshop. But to say Linux is only good for web browsing or email is simply not true. There are a lot specialized software packages for Linux. Not many commercial ones -- but that doesn't mean they're not good applications. (With Steam you can even play a lot of the big PC games now -- at least that's what I'm told. I've hardly ever played games on my PC.)