Favourite OS
My OS of choice is Linux, my favourite distro would have to be linux mandrake release 8.
Personally i find Linux a better designed operating system.
All the tools are where i want them, and I don't have to waste any time downloading or purchasing software,
to make the OS into a useable state.
That's pretty much what you end up doing when you run a Windows based operating system.
And the Linux Community is much, much more laid back then the windows software
development community.
With a lot of Windows Development circles, you usually end up finding your self around money hungry/greedy people.
And well, i didn't like what i was listening to or the people i was around.
And another good reason to run linux, is that you have access to teh source code of the operating system.
with this, you can learn more about the way your os works, and actually SEE how the code lays out.
In a windows environment, we just get a book like Inside Windows 2000, and see how teh author describes teh system.
That's nice and all, but it's nothing compared to seeing and being able to actually modify the code of the os and run it
and see how everything works out..
Tools
Well, Windows doesn't have better development tools over linux for say. But, in a windows environment the gui's
front ends for the tools are really nice. Linux has some nice front ends as well, but you _HAVE_ to purchase
them. I have searched everywhere on the net and haven't been able to find a place where i could get them for free.
With Windows Dev Tools, you can find them laying around everywhere on the net. this IMHO IS A FAVOR TO MICROSOFT.
For example, a lot of people don't want to even try Linux cause they can't run something like vc6. Obviuosly,
those people didn't purchase vc6, cause if they did, they would have been willing to buy codewarrior for linux and the
transition would have been very easy... if there any metrowerks employees reading this and you want sales of CodeWarrior on
Linux to increase a bunch. Please consider starting up an ftp server or forward a copy of CodeWarrior to some of the bigger
sites that support warezed software.
This surely will increase the number of copies sold of that version of
CodeWarrior. More linux based companies would be willing to purchase your software, because from tehre home development.
They have gotten accustomed to your software tools. And when a company hires, all the employees will just now that 1 dev
env. You will fill a niche basically. Windows Developers _NEED_ vc6. In theory you could gain that type of market share in
a linux based env. you just have to get the ball moving.
Sorry for going of on the cycle of software sales
I'm quite vocal when it comes to that topic ;)