Ask HN: What is your favourite operating system?

ozzythecat 2021-08-17 06:31:00 +0000 UTC [ - ]

MacOS. Works well for me from a usability standpoint. I work in software, and using iTerm2 with Zsh and a bunch of custom configuration increases my velocity for actual work and things I explore and learn on the side.

I think the UI is very elegant, and some of the software is fantastic. I use Omnigraffle and Omniflow for design work and tracking my agenda items. No complaints whatsoever.

I hook up an external monitor, and maybe the OS isn’t completely responsible for this, but I get buttery smooth 144hz. It’s joyful to work with.

Everything just works. I don’t have to solve 10 other problems to solve the problem I actually want to solve.

kleer001 2021-08-17 15:05:21 +0000 UTC [ - ]

MacOS, once I learned how to use its particular flavor of terminal. Man, good, damn good. Too bad it's tied to the hardware and vice-versa.

approxim8ion 2021-08-17 11:04:25 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Linux. I have never been able to afford Macs (they are already expensive and command hefty premiums in my country), and Linux performs way better than Windows in almost every one of my use cases.

I enjoy the customization and don't mind the occasional hiccup that needs some searching and wiki-ing to navigate. Finally, I guess I'm lucky to have used devices with very good compatibility out of the box so I've never had to fiddle too much to get things to work. I don't really have any reason or incentive to look elsewhere at the moment.

quickthrower2 2021-08-17 07:50:25 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Windows due to familiarity. Although I am less keen on the UI after XP and esp. Win 8/10 but I just want something that is out of the box. I’m sure Mac is the same but I don’t have much experience with that.

atsaloli 2021-08-17 03:51:46 +0000 UTC [ - ]

I liked using VAX/VMS in the early to mid nineties because of the built-in file versioning and the completeness of documentation (the grey wall of manuals). And the soothing amber glow of the VT terminal.

mikewarot 2021-08-17 06:03:05 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Not to mention "evaluate polynomial double precision" in assembler... that was always amazing that it could be a single instruction.

account-5 2021-08-17 09:45:51 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Linux, hands down, I like to experiment with different distributions.

I like windows because I like portable applications. Since I'm forced to use it at work along with Office I like autohotkey and VBA because of the ability for automation. I wish there was something, maintained, like autohotkey for Linux. I know there's bash but with autohotkey I can automate most software I need to use day to day.

throwaway889900 2021-08-17 17:57:47 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Isn't xdotool the equivalent of AHK for Linux?

hansvs 2021-08-17 07:23:51 +0000 UTC [ - ]

ArchLinux

https://archlinux.org/

Something more esoteric: TempleOS (https://templeos.org/). I used it a few times years ago, very weird but with some interesting features (shell JIT'd all commands).

wizardofmysore 2021-08-17 11:37:02 +0000 UTC [ - ]

how is the arch gui?

hansvs 2021-08-18 10:08:58 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Personally I use i3 --- there is not default UI though in ArchLinux, there are lots of options though available through the package repos.

swiley 2021-08-17 12:17:48 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Arch is a distro so they only package other people's GUIs? Which one are you referring to?

swiley 2021-08-17 11:39:58 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Linux. (Alpine on most things with Gentoo on my most powerful computer)

When something gets messed up I can read the source or just rip it out and replace it (or worst case, re implement it myself.) I almost never end up "negotiating" with my computer when I want it to do anything now.

fender256 2021-08-17 09:09:44 +0000 UTC [ - ]

https://archlinux.org/

I love the fact that I can customize absolutely everything. The AUR (Arch User Repository) is also amazing and has probably every installable package on earth.

aynyc 2021-08-17 11:51:37 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Mac for work. Linux for deployment. iOS for daily life.

monsterisgood 2021-08-17 06:15:05 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Void Linux

https://voidlinux.org

Alpine Linux

https://www.alpinelinux.org

rman666 2021-08-17 02:50:38 +0000 UTC [ - ]

My Ohio Scientific C2-4P (4K RAM) had a really great 6502 monitor in ROM that was fast and easy to use.

2021-08-17 03:59:37 +0000 UTC [ - ]

throwaway234292 2021-08-17 12:40:42 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Linux - the experience is superior to Windows and Mac IMHO.

rvz 2021-08-17 02:25:47 +0000 UTC [ - ]

My favourite OS is the one that makes me the most money.

rvz 2021-08-17 11:31:46 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Downvoters: Care to comment as to why you disagree? Or do you like playing around with your OSes rather than making them work for you?

Just to disclose, I say this as a frequent 'user' of Ubuntu Linux if that makes you feel better.

(I may frequently use Ubuntu Linux, but it isn't the one that makes me the most money and is not my 'favourite' OS)

dnh44 2021-08-17 15:58:39 +0000 UTC [ - ]

>but it isn't the one that makes me the most money and is not my 'favourite' OS

Is it your favourite OS because it makes you the most money, or does it make you the most money because it's your favourite OS?

rvz 2021-08-18 01:13:34 +0000 UTC [ - ]

My use case for frequently using Ubuntu Linux is for 'Testing' my GUI app on it. Given there is little to no significant amount of users using or paying for my app, it brings in absolutely nothing even when you exclude paying for other costs.

When I target the same software to the macOS crowd, (which I also frequently use); they seem to be willing to pay for the software. I'm certainly not going to bother with 'free support' to users who haven't paid.

So the one that makes me the most money in my use case is macOS with the added bonus of how easy it is to support and target 100% of all supported macOS users consistently. Everything 'just works' and there is no need to play around with system files for it to work well. For development experience, the top comment says it all [0].

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28206816

inter_netuser 2021-08-17 11:43:16 +0000 UTC [ - ]

You just said the quiet part out loud, the greed makes the world go around.

Gotta learn to pretend to care about idk turtles, people, parents, kids, other such things.

wizardofmysore 2021-08-17 11:38:00 +0000 UTC [ - ]

I didn't downvote but could be because you didn't specify which OS makes most money for you and how.