Over the past year, I have gotten to interact with Windows, Linux and Mac OSs (operating systems). I’ve had moments of satisfaction and disappointment with all 3. 

Updates

When Mac’s new OS update, Catalina, came out, I had the bright idea to click ‘install update’ in the middle of my work task. I assumed it would not take too long. Well, it did. For just over half an hour I had to read one of the daily’s to keep myself busy as I waited. Since I couldn’t d anything else while the updates were installing.

Despite all this, Mac’s update installation is better compared to Windows. 

Windows has the annoying habit of installing updates on its own, without being prompted. And it picks the worst of times to do it. For instance, have you ever had your laptop install updates just before a presentation, or when you intend to complete something with a crucial deadline? I have, and it is hands down the most infuriating experience. As if things couldn’t get worse, those are the moments it takes the longest to finish updating.s

Linux does not update on its own, thankfully, however, it is not always as straight forward as the other two. There are cases when updates need to be done from the terminal with the command: `sudo apt-get update`. 

In the case of a newer Linux version, it offers a prompt and the user has the option to choose whether or not to update. 

Unlike Windows and Mac, I never really know what new features or bug fixes I’ll be getting, if any.

Applications

What I look for in applications are user experience and a beautiful user interface. Mac and Windows have that down to a T. The applications I commonly interact with while on my computer are code editors (VS Code), word processors, browsers, music players and to-do list apps. 

I am so not okay with the look and feel of applications on Linux. In a word, they look bland. The entire UI of the system. Also, some applications do not work on Linux, like VS Code and iTunes. However, I think this is because when the OS was being built, one of its goals was to provide a way for the user to have access to behind the scenes functions. A feature that Windows and Mac do not provide. 

Command Line /Terminal

I like being able to perform some functions from the terminal. It’s faster. Though you have to know these commands by heart to enjoy this benefit. Running commands on Linux and Mac is easier than on Windows. 

Mac’s terminal commands are almost similar to Linux’s or Linux’s are similar to Mac’s. Either way, using the terminal on these two is easier than on Windows. 

Others

Unfortunately, some hardware functionalities change when you switch your laptop’s OS from Windows to Linux. For instance, my Bluetooth drivers stopped working, or the keyboard lights couldn’t come on after I switched my OS. Also, why is the Linux calendar never in English?

Conclusion

All 3 have their strengths and weaknesses just like anything else, but if I were to rank in terms of preference, then I’d go Mac, Windows then Linux. 

Linux comes lowest because I’m for a seamless user experience. There’s not a huge difference between Mac and Windows, because it changes depending on the day. 

My weapon of choice at the moment is Mac:)