Operating System Battles: Not what we think?

I recently moved to a Macintosh for my major home computer.  It does everything I need it to do, comes with my preferred web development language and server I can use for development, and lacks a lot of the problems I got tired of with Windows.  Simply, after evaluating everything, I realized I wasn't going to count on Windows 7 to fix issues, and liked the consumer-electronic focus of the Mac.

Of course, I also use a Windows Netbook from Asus that, as readers know, I quite adore.  Its small, fast, and efficient, and was very cheap.  Since I don't use it for excessive amounts of activity (mostly travel and writing), I keep it set up for limited use, with plenty of security, to avoid problems with Windows.

Then there's my cell phone, and I'm looking at Android . . .

The point of all this?  I think the idea that people are "dedicated" to one Operating System of any one kind is ridiculous, and is probably going away.  OK Hopefully IS going away.

I can move files from my Netbook to my Macintosh.  I can send assorted things through email in relatively universal formats.  The PHP I program with can be used - and developed on - a variety of servers.

I think, yes, the various Operating System wars (part of the Everything Wars) are important, they affect things.  But I think the point that's often missed by people analyzing them is that people don't HAVE to be dedicated to one operating system, and in many cases aren't or can't be, or just don't care to.

Sure I have issues with Windows, but the Windows notebooks are cheap and I know enough about setting them up to limit their usage and make them secure.

Yes, Macs are pricier than Windows, but the ease of use and support means that on my high-powered must-use machine for my home office I have a lot of confidence.

Sure iPhones are pricey and Android is probably cheaper - but that's going to also depend on other factors.

The Operating System battles are important economically.  Companies will be affected.  But in all these events it's easy to miss a lot of us are "Multi-system" anyway.  Some OSes and hardware just work better for specific tasks and people.

So when placing your bets on your career as, say, a programmer, or on the technology you support, or use, keep this in mind.

I'm using everything but Linux at home.  And those Droids do seem tempting . . .

- Steven Savage

Comments

[Kouban]

sigh, stupid having to captcha comments and not noticing it until I've already hit reload. Anyway...

I think you should take this prediction to Fourcast. :)
Personally, I sorta wonder if it will end up like video game consoles, where 10+ years ago it was nigh-unthinkable for someone to own more than one, and nowadays everyone feels like they need all of them just to keep up.