So I did the Windows reinstall dance again....

:/

 

Consider yourself lucky takeshi385. In my experience Linux doesn't like a lot of hardware but I was playing with distros several years ago. These days they've got drivers to handle a lot more hardware than they once did due to reverse engineering of Broadcom chipsets (amongst others) which opened up a lot of WiFi hardware.

Go out and buy tomorrow a CPU, mobo, and video card that were released just in the last month or three. If you can get everything working out of the box without any tweaking you are very, very lucky.

 

I just happen to got a Win98 pentium II with original install, it was only re-installed for SE, so about 13 years? Works perfect, takes a little while to boot but it's responsive and plays old games very well. It's the pc I made most of my Dreamcast stuff on, selfboot pack included. If you treat your OS well it's gonna works for ages.

The only Windows re-installs I had to do were my own fault, either messing with registry, catching a virus in a crack or dropping the laptop thus breakign the hdd...

As for what OS is the best, I really think it's a matter of taste, I use linux myself (ubuntu), as I spend most on my time coding python and writing latex (and windows is horrible at both because of freaking encoding issues). I also really appreciated the windows management and workspaces available with linux.

My main concern with OSX, which can do pretty much the same as linux, is that apple laptops cost way to much for their specs. We all like shiny objects, but they are really taking their customers for millk cows.

My main concern with windows is that you don't (easily) have as much control as with linux over the OS (could be a pro or a con though), and Microsoft take weird choices you're forced to accept! (metro anyone?)

My 2 cents...

EDIT:

@ APE, Linux nowadays is pretty good driver-side. OFC it's not like Windows, but i7 and i5 already work, nvidia optimus too, etc. This is especially true for ubuntu, as canonical puts effort on that side.

 

installed deep freeze 4yrs ago over windows, never had another problem, never will.

 

Mainly because of nouveau

 

I was referring to bumblebee, which, unless I'm mistaken, is separated from nouveau. In fact I think nouveau doesn't support optimus... but bumblebee can be used along the nvidia or nouveau drivers.

 

The "optimus" didn't actually register in my mind. Optimus doesn't work under nouveau, but lots of other gfx cards do

 

Still running Win 7 since I installed shortly after it came out... It underwent two hardware upgrades without having to reinstall/repair the OS, just install the drivers, etc. and re-activate.

 

Anyone running Windows 8 yet? Toying with the idea of getting the cheapo license upgrade to the "Ultimate Windows 8" edition since I run 7 64 bit Ultimate on both my main machines.

 

Until Microsoft gets rid of Metero...no Windows 8 for me. Following the Every other rule, Windows 9 will probably be the good OS.

 

I am running Windows 8 and its fantastic..... if you install start8 to get your start menu back and make metro optional.

Even with how much I am liking Windows 8 - it goes completely out of the Window without start8, I just cant use it.

Very fast, some great improvements - just shame about metro.

 

What the hell? Format and reinstallation every 2 months?
What are you guys doing to your PCs?

 

That Metro front end seems better suited for tablets anyways...

 

metro is awful to use on a desktop or laptop for that matter.

feels like a gimped java frontend GUI from 10 years ago.

don't like the mobile version either. now tonight im going to set about rebuilding my computer fun times!

going to be : windows 7 home premium 64bit, Ultimate Edition 3.5 64bit(Linux based on ubuntu) and BlackOpal 64(again a ubuntu based os diverged from Ultimate Edition) all booting from 160GB hitachi deskstar

1TB Data drive will be re-arranged gonna take a while. may also screw sides panels back on main pc n give it a good dust out.

 

I really like porn

 

I say go for a SSD. You can find 60 GB models for dirt cheap now and that should hold all the OS partitions. My grandma got a 90 GB Kingston model last year for like $70 new in box from Amazon.

 

i was looking at SSDs the a few days ago, but not for the same machine, don't think the benefits are worth it just for quicker boot times, i'll probably use SSDs when i put together my next system

 

I for one got a six years old laptop that had a second live (life?) thanks to a new SSD. Everything is jsut so snappy, gimp opens in under 5 seconds, everything compiles quick, it's a charm if you're messing with lot of small files! Gave my laptop another 2 years at least! 100$ for 120GB ain't that bad also!

 

Not on my dualboot yet. Though I hear its really freaking glitchy. Actually I am still content with windows 7 for my windows needs.

 

Same here. New machine will have an SSD, at least 500 GB of HDD storage(maybe more if some of my 2.5" drive cooperate better...), and probably multi boot. Plan to run Android x86 (planning to try development in that area...), Windows XP (yes, it will have a dedicated partition...), 7, and 8, some kind of Linux, and maybe Mac OSX.

Gonna need at least 120 GB of SSD for system partitions alone...