Biggest gripes about current OS's and biggest wants for one.

However I programmed a GE-210 and really like what we have today. There are folk that are just starting out and don't know the history so they'll lack perspective.

On top of that, if you don't like these OSes, you can make your own!
Bob

avail themselves of a fraction of their potential. In reality, operating systems don't do much more than manage hardware and control the traffic on one's PC or other device. I'd think most gripes would be limited to inadequate hardware and software applications. Between the hardware and software ends, you get to be in the middle of finger pointing game that might not have many winners.

and to be well organized on finding things of similar nature. I like operating systems which supply LIVE DVD's which can be used quickly if the installed system is corrupted, currently seems only Linux based supply such. I don't like patching against some new exploit every other day. I don't want large antivirus program pulling on the system, if a smaller one will do. I like using safe third party software, already tested and qualified to be virus and exploit free, available from a central site or repository, rather than taking chances searching it out across the internet and maybe download and install from an untrusted site. I don't want backdoors. I don't want "call home" system. I want freedom to make hardware changes to my system without worry of having it lock up on me due to some activation checking software. I don't want to have unnecessary software loaded and running which checks constantly to see if I have a right to use it, then make a mistake sometimes and shut me down anyway. I don't want an OS from those who distrust their users, but from those who encourage them. I want a system I enjoy contributing to, instead of being coerced to do so, or else. Basically, with Linux, I have all that. I do want to thank Vista for sending me in that direction, I've not regretted it at all.

one time I did a test. I had two computers the exact same model - both were low end cheap walmart emachines. One I installed linux mint and the other I installed windows 7 from a full version retail disk. I also installed libre office, gimp, vlc, firefox and chrome. For security, linux did not need any, windows needed an antivirus and antimalware. To get everything installed and updated in the linux mint computer, it took almost two hours, to get everything installed and updated in the windows computer, it took over 12 hours mostly downloading, installing updates and drivers with all the reboots in between.

If you have a linux computer, you can pull the drive and move it to just about any computer and run it, you cannot with windows - with windows, it will only work if the computers are similar but then there is a good chance it would be declared non-genuine for a license violation.

linux can be ran from a cd, windows cannot.

I just want to be able to do what I need to do on my computers without nothing fancy, without worrying about security, without the need to purchase updated programs because of some update. at this time it looks like linux fits the bill.