I've used Linux, Windows, and Mac. (Along with a few text based OS's as well). I would have to say Windows, but only because it has the most software built for it. Mac and Linux certainly have some better features, however, since Windows is 90% of the market it gets all of the attention of software/hardware houses. Consequently it also gets all the attention of viral hackers. But that leads into an entirely different argument.

XP FTW so far.

Anything but Vista...Oh how I miss XP.

Depends on what you are doing.

For a Real Time OS:
VxWorks

For Desktops:
Any UNIX, I prefer OSX due to it's GUI and Cocoa/Carbon implementations (I like it better then X11), but any UNIX has the same advantages. Great Memory Management, lots of file systems options, preemptive multitasking (something Windows has never had, and still to this day is my #1 issue with them), unlimited user limits, real os level firewall options, outstanding command shells, the list goes on.

OS Before it's time:
NeXT

Oh, and to those who say Windows is better then a UNIX OS (OSX, Linux, Free BSD, whatever....), answer me this:

Why does Microsoft use a different code base for it's servers then it does its desktops? Why is MS "scared" to us XP or Vista for mission critical server applications? (They sell Server 2003/2008). These OS's are not the same, as there are applications that run on XP/Vista that will not run on a server (mostly games), and vise versa.

The same OSX that runs on a $499 Mac Mini runs on the highest end server Apple sells. They sell a version of OSX for servers, but its the exact same OS with additional stuff (mail servers, IT tools, etc). The same code will run on both OS's, as the actual OS is the same.

Same with Linux/Unix... When you make a great OS, you only need one.

On the MacBook's, if you touch the pad with two fingers and then click the button, you get a right click. if you drag both those fingers, it will scroll (no need to click the button for a scroll). It works left/right and up/down.

I find it a lot more intuitive then a traditional setup.

Linux*. It's free; it's faster, prettier and more usable than Windows; and it has one-click install of 20,000+ free programs that are as good as any pay-for Windows equivalent.

*Currently Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) Alpha 5 for me.

Windows XP.

* It's fast. I have no complaints speed-wise.
* It's secure. I haven't had a virus/trojan/whatnot in going on 5 years now.
* It's stable. No faulty start-ups. No failed updates knocking out key services.
* It's compatible. It works with just about everything. I don't need to ask if there's a WinXP compatible version of something I want because there is one.
* It's gamer-friendly. It has games. Lots of games. Lots and lots of games.
* It's user-friendly. The UI is consistent across most everything. I can count on a large number of functions always being in certain places.
* It's familiar. I know this OS and I know it well. If I need to do something, I know how to get it done quickly.

Bottom line: Windows XP fulfills all my needs in an OS.

Is there room for improvement? Sure.
Is there an OS that matches it blow for blow on all the features above? No.

I dare you to find me Linux equivalents that are as capable as Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and InDesign.

Windows really gets a bad rep that is largely unwarranted.

Could XP be more secure? Yeah. Could it do a few things better? Sure.

Is it a damned capable general-purpose OS? Hell yes. I prefer OS X, but that's because it caters to my personal needs. As an overall operating system, it's hard to fault XP.

All I know is setting up my sisters new laptop with vista was absolutely horrible.

So much crap came with it that I didn't know what to do with (bloatware) but more annoyingly there is some weird feature that I can't turn off, which brings up a message asking me to confirm that I wanted to open the program I just clicked on... WTF?


P.S. I was just wondering when setting it up... what do you do if you get a laptop/PC (non apple) that doesn't have Internet Explorer alredy on it?... I mean I downloaded Firefox for her, but how would I have done that had it not been a standard shop bought thing (all of which have IE)

You would have downloaded Internet Explorer or relied upon the Auto Update functionality.