What Operating System do you use?

[neil.]

Just wondered what people run on their machines whilst visiting BCF and why you made that choice of OS. If you run more than one OS, please vote for the one you use most often.

Me: I use Ubuntu Linux at home, having settled on it after playing with various distros since 1998. My dad uses Linux, as does my partner and our kids. I love it because it's free, secure and reliable and it does everything we want. With Ubuntu, the community of users supporting is is absolutely fantastic and help is never far away. I actually spend more time using my PC than fixing it.

At work I use Mac OS X (Leopard currently) as our department works with media (imaging, music, video, etc).

I guess you could say I'm a *nix person.
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CBT February 2008 | A2 June 2008 | Yamaha YBR125 (written off) | Honda CBF125 (current)

[_Will_]

OS X is the main weapon of choice, although xp and ubuntu are also used, i lurrrve Vmware.
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Past -Honda qr50 | 2004 Peugeot Tkr s 50| | 1996 Yamaha XJ600s Diversion|

[CaNsA]

I use Windows 7 Beta, Backtrack, Ubuntu, XP, Server 2k8 and diff flavours of *nix on the xboxs which are servers n all

[ncrn]

I use vista 90% of the time. I don't own any computers with XP but that is the windows OS at my uni so I use it a fair bit there. I also play with linux, ubuntu and debian, but I don't get on too well with it. I like using linux for programming but I keep breaking ubuntu. I managed to shart the entire system simply trying to use a wizard to set up dual screens properly.
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Past: 55 Sym Jet, 91 ZZR250, 03 NSR125R. Present: 97 ER-5.
https://www.nsr125.co.uk - NSR Owners forum.

[cagiva gezzer]

Ubuntu was a very refreshing experience, but i broke it and went back to XP.

Dual boot XP / Ubuntu is back on the cards though.
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"because one stroke isnt enough and four strokes waste two"

[bladerunner]

Vista and have done for the last 18 months........Genuine version....last version of windows I bought befor that was 95 and it took 12 yrs of using hacked versions of MS before I would ever pay for it again. Love ubuntu from what I tried of it and use FF as my default browser..although explorer seems just as good now on version 8. I'll always support the free ware guys as the new ideas guys and I still hate the way MS try to screw you with things like outlook wont use hotmail accounts without paying etc.....tossers.


must say though for me...mostly XP was stable enough to use day to day...and vista added a bit more in the way of crude dvd writing etc so I've not had to fix my own system for a good few years now.....unlike the earlier versions that were just neat ball ache to use!!
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Current bikes...cbr929, KDX200's, Rd125lc mk2, RGV250's

[Fortuna]

XP and sometimes WorkBench

[JonB]

Windows 7 and Vista at the moment. They do what I ask of them.

Considering a Macbook as I no longer play games and any application that won't work on Mac can be launched via Bootcamp anyway.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[Barry_M2]

[Mal]

[The Artist]

Cross between xp pro when I have something to do and Ubuntu when im bored and want to fiddle round with it.

[chrisw]

At home I switched to Vista a year or two ago. I wouldn't go back to XP.

At work its a split between various MS OSs and various Linux distros(mainly SLES).

Linux FTL.

[smegbrains]

Linux. Don't use anything else apart from XP or Server 2003 at work.

I've got Windows 7 installed on a spare drive on one of my machines but I can't remember the last time I booted it up. I must get around to learning it sometime.
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Current Bike: Honda CBR 600F
Ex Bikes: Suzuki GX 125

[Dragonfly]

Vista and I like it.
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All the breast.
Muzza on Binge:
He's too busy beating the everloving shit out of Lizzie to notice this thread has taken a turn down Drama Avenue and stopped off at the popcorn shop.

[UnknownStuntm...]

Feel like a bit of a git voting that I use Linux, but meh. I don't really care what OS I use any more. I use apps, not an operating system.

[NSR Mick]

Mainly Server 2008.
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If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

[tykey]

use windows xp home at home, xp prof / 2003 server in work, installing ubuntu tomorrow in work to set it up as a router. configured citrix presentation server in work last week to test bespoke software on it in preparation for a move to citrix, really enjoyed doing that (sad i know).

[WildGoose]

XP Pro, as it plays all the games I want it to without hassle (I came from windows 2000 which was never good for games, and it made XP seem like a revelation), but with a direct install. Some of these games go back to mid 90's, i've got my favourites, and not so fussed about modern offerings.

I hate pissing about with dosbox, cpu killer and all sorts of other shit to trick games into working on newer operating systems.

Not liked vista at all on the computers ive used it on briefly, and been wary because of the amount of reported problems. Then the sharpish release of windows 7. Doubt i'll bother with that, unless forced.

As soon as XP is no longer supported, i'll likely just take that computer offline completely and keep it for a games machine.

I have several geeky books about Linux including various copies of different flavours, but have yet to find myself /that/ bored yet.
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So in other words, he stopped you for being flagrantly in posession of a motorcycle in direct contravention of the Hippies, Darkies and People Whose Face I Don't Like The Look of (Police Powers) Act. 1976

[bazza]

Linux/*nix for anything serious or which isn't a game, XP Pro for games - as befits its toy OS status.

I'm not far enough up my own arse to bother with any mac or apple stuff... https://tinyurl.com/37pzjx
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"That's it. You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college."
'98 Ducati 750SS, '08 Suzuki GSX650F ©2004-2014, Bazza's Harmless Banter

[el_oso]

mostly vista but am playing about with windows 7 as well and am liking it so far. also have ubuntu which i use regularly and very much like
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Duke 390
Previous: '05 XR125L | '96 XJ600S Diversion |'05 Suzuki GSXR1000 | '05 Honda CBR125-R | '97 YZF 600R Thundercat | '11 Honda CBR250
Car: Jeep Wrangler 4.0L

[stinkwheel]

I have a really old, shitty computer so I use Ubuntu. It would grind to a halt under the weight of all the antivirus crap otherwise.

If I decide to change to another version sometime or find a computer in a skip, I might give one of the really lightweight linux flavours a try. I had a fiddle with the Puppy live CD and it worked well, I think it would fly if I used it as the main OS.

Might even try using proper Debian at some point.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Chriss]

Ubuntu, my PC is 9 years old and people are always amazed as how fast it is.
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[DEN MONKEY]

64bit of vista and 7 on pcs and xp on the lappy.
Aint given 7 a good run yet but it does seem less resource hungry than vista.

Always wanted to try ubuntu but sounds like some effort may be required and I can't be assed to look into it.
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meh

[Kickstart]

[neil.]

Out of all the Linuxes I've tried, Ubuntu has been the easiest and once you get your head around the way you install applications via packages, it's very elegant indeed. From an installation standpoint, you only reboot once at the end of the install, and have a bundle of applications ready to go (an office suite, instant messaging, Bit Torrent client, graphics package, CD/DVD burning and more). Once you install the 'ubuntu-restricted-extras' package, you'll bring in all the goodies like Java, Flash, lots of codecs, MS fonts etc, that can't be included with the distro for licensing/legal reasons. Then it's ready to go for most users. Less than an hour to get going with a few steps to be made by the user. It's easy, it's all GUI driven - point and click. You can even install multiple additional applications in one fell swoop, rather than one at a time. Then keep the system up to date from one place. Did I mention that you can get a native 64bit version too, with all the same apps?

Contrasted with Windows, you install the OS, then dig around for the latest drivers, install those, rebooting after each one, then install your apps, one by one, possibly rebooting after some. Then comes your antivirus, antimalware, firewall etc(!) Plus software to look after a broken OS, like Norton or whatever. Hours of work to get a system usable and then regular checking all the application/driver vendor websites for updates... And keeping up with the regular maintenance like de-fragmenting, registry cleaning... No time left to use the computer any more!

Anyway you don't even need to install it to try it, just grab the ISO file of the live CD and boot right from it then play away.

The fun really begins when you want to try out a different desktop environment, like KDE, or explore the command line and so on. A geek's playground, but only if you make it so.
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CBT February 2008 | A2 June 2008 | Yamaha YBR125 (written off) | Honda CBF125 (current)