OSsssssss
In geek news. I just ordered a new desktop: core 2 duo, 4GB ram, big ass sata drives, nvidia something, etc... but.
I can't decide what OS to install on it.
I have never been in this position before, but there are actually now many more options than a few years ago all with their own positives and negatives. I was making a list for myself so I figured I might as well post it.
Mac OSX:
- my first choice
- not supported (maybe not legal) on non apple hardware
- will be very difficult to upgrade when 10.5 or any future version comes out
Linux (ubuntu):
- everyone and their tech cousin are using this now
- awesome tools for development
- free and potentially awesome
- could be a pain in the ass with some software (gimp vs photoshop yadda yadda)
Solaris 10:
- ZFS!!
- Great Java integration and development tools
- Intellij not officially supported, but should work
- will definitely be a pain in the ass with some software
Windows Vista Ultimate:
- comes pre-installed on machine
- 99% sure I will not leave as my primary os
- will run in some sort of virtualization for SQL server client tools.
Haiku:
- I wish
- Not a contender yet