Thread: Unix Popularity
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Old 7th July 2008
drhowarddrfine drhowarddrfine is offline
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I will still argue that Windows is a consumer operating system while Unix is the professional system. The argument is not based on who uses which or what software runs on either. The thought behind the argument is that Windows was created for the every day user. Made simple for the every man user at the expense of functionality and stability. Sure, many top-notch professional, scientific programs run on Windows because Windows is everywhere and people think Windows is the only computer to design programs for. Windows desktop is not designed for the professional environment. I mean, just look at it! But even as Dr. J has said, people who know how things work do not like Windows as an OS. Windows, in fact, becomes an eventual destination for marketing reasons alone, whether for money or because people look at you funny if your program doesn't run on Win. The reality is, Windows is more difficult to code for, is more expensive to code for (cost of tools and the OS), and it's a moving target (OS changes, documentation changes, documentation moves and can't be found!).

Sorry for the lack of paragraphs but I'm bouncing between things to do today.

As far as the aforementioned poll goes, I think it should be carefully worded. Do we count professional IT people who only use FreeBSD as a hobby as a hobbyist? How do you rank someone who can outcode Brian Kernighan but is a carpenter by day?
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