Which operating system would you choose as a developer?
Which one is better and is there any OS we can pick up as “the best one”?
These questions have been in developer’s minds since there
come different choices for programmers and developer to choose the best
operating system.
Just as other different decisions we make in life and choose
one option over the other one, operating systems have different advantages and
disadvantages, too.
By that I mean there is no “one for all” operating system
with which all of the developer could get along. So what should we do?
The best solution which a developer could come up with, is
doing research about advantages and disadvantages for making use of different
operating systems. Then, considering their goals and programming languages they
want to work with, they are able to choose the best operating system more
easily.
Hence, at first we are going to give you a brief explanation
about the operating system itself, and then we will take a close look on
different operating systems and their options.
What is operating system?
As you know, we humans and computers cannot understand each
other’s needs and orders, unless there is some kind of interface which works as
a link between human and computer.
These kinds of interfaces or links, are called operating
systems. In other words, the goal of an operating system is to help user have a
more convenient and efficient program execution, providing the proper
environment.
In fact, existence of an operating system in computer is
necessary, because it is responsible for allocating all resources like Memory,
CPU and storage to other programs running in computer.
One of the most important duties of OS, is to enable
multitasking and provide an easy computation. When the desktop has been loaded
completely on device, this considerable element provides this possibility for
user to interact with the software components and as a result, hardware
components allow the operating system to analyze all of the information.
Is There Any “Best Operating System” for Developers?
Till now, we found of what exactly an OS is and we checked
out its main jobs. But now we are back to our first question: is there any best
OS for developers?
The answer to this question, is actually “no”. As you know,
different developers and programmers develop different apps and software, and
that’s why there is not a single best operating system which meet all of the
developers’ need.
The most important tip here, is to pay a close attention to
your own need and see what apps or software you intend to develop as a
developer.
After you asked yourself that question and actually found
out about your needs and applications for an OS, read the next part about the
most 3 popular operating systems and see which one is suitable for you.
The Most Popular Operating Systems
There are three operating systems which have the most users
among developers and programmers. Actually if you ask a developer to name the
best operating system, they will probably mention one of these options we
talked about below.
Linux Kernel, Linux Mint, and Ubuntu
The first OS most of the developer recommend, is Linux and
actually it can be referred to as the best operating system for developers.
There are a number of reasons for Linux being the most
common OS among developers, but its main feature for being the go-to OS for
developers is its high speed.
And as you probably know, as the world is going digital day
by day, the factor “speed” in any field is very important and this situation
has made Linux a better option for developers.
Besides, developers and software engineers believe that
Linux is the most remarkable and efficient OS for individuals who want to start
software developing.
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The Linux operating system is actually considered to be
faster than Windows and even some of the macOS systems.
It also should be noted that Linux Mint is the best option
for beginners. After a while using Linux Mint and getting to know it, you can
go for Ubuntu.
Here are some advantages of considering Linux as the best operating
system:
- Install Modules Easily: Installation of different and
complicated modules in Linux OS is a very elementary job. So using this
operating system, you are able to install modules and packages easier and
faster than the other operating systems.
- High Security: The benefit of having high security is
another option which comes with Linux. Ubuntu and Linux provide the possibility
of encrypt your drive and they are also highly operative with network security.
- High Performance: Basically, Linux OS is highly efficient,
fast and lightweight. The other big option is that scripts and source codes
process faster in this OS.
- Reliable: The Linux OS high reliability would never
interrupt programmer’s work tree.
- Open Source: Last but not least, software developers are
able to use Linux for free.
And let’s look at some disadvantages of using Linux as the
best operating system:
Unsupported Software: Beginners may notice lack of software
support in this operating system. For instance, Linux does not support Microsoft
Word or other alike utility software.
Errors: As we mentioned earlier, Linux comes for free and
this feature could be referred as both advantage and disadvantage because it
contains some unresolved errors which cannot be found in Windows or Mac.
Limited Tech Support: The other downside of using Linux OS
is their limitations in reaching out to tech support, while Windows and Mac
users do not deal with such a problem.
Accordingly, the Linux is referred to as best operating
system in spite of having three major downsides.
Let see what are the pros and cons of using other operating
systems like Windows and Mac that Linux is still the preferred one over them.
Mac OS
The second operating system which is considered as the best
operating system in some other developer’s opinion, is Mac OS.
This operating system comes with a wide range of built-in
UNIX-type development tools. These tools also provide users with a good support
most of the times.
There have been always an argument of “Linux or Mac” between
developers who prefer Linux and the others who believe that Mac OS is a better
choice. The major bone of this old argument between them, is the open source
approach of Linux and the “walled garden” approach of Mac.
Let’s look at the pros of using Mac OS as the best operating
system:
Easy Installation: Users can install packages, apps and
development tools and this process requires them no extra effort.
Facilitates Multitasking: Another special feature of Mac OS,
is its amazing multitasking. This option enables Mac to run multiple tasks
together and makes transition between them smoothly.
High-tech Features: Here is one of the biggest advantage of
Mac over Linux OS. Users are able to take advantage of different high tech features
using Mac OS, like Siri and DaVinci Resolve.
iOS Development: Another advantage that comes with Mac OS,
is that this operating system is the best option for developers who want to
develop Apple products.
Cons of using Mac operating system:
Unaffordable: One the major downsides of this OS is its cost
that is not so affordable that the majority of users could buy them easily.
Not Recommended for Gamers: If you are developing gaming
applications and the big part of your activity includes working on games, this
operating system is not recommended for you. In such cases, it is better to go
with windows OS.
Windows
The third operating system we are going to introduce, is
Windows. Although this operating system does not get a good reputation most of
the time, it is usually an ideal choice for some certain situations.
As you probably know, most of the users make use of Windows
as their operating system and it is considered as one of, if not the, most
popular OS for users all around the world.
It also should be noted that if you intend to target
businesses, Windows has a big market dominance and must be catered to.
Besides, this operating system is considered as the most
user friendly OS in most of the developers’ opinion and takes advantage of a
wide range of efficient software. It is also referred as the best operating
system by many software engineers.
The most recent version of this OS is Windows 10 which we
are going to discuss its pros:
Antivirus: Most of the users and developers have this severe
misconception that Windows OS is more vulnerable, but there is no credible reason
for this belief. In fact, Windows operating system is consisted of many
efficient built-in antiviruses.
Affordable: the other benefit of making use of this
operating system, is the costs and price. The Windows OS is so much more
affordable in comparison to Mac OS. Of course the Linux is the most affordable
one (almost free), but Windows is the best value for money.
Software Support: Unlike Linux which does not provide a good
software support, Windows OS supports a wide range of software and hardware.
Easy Upgrades: If you are that kind of developer who is always
concerned about upgrades on a regular basis, Windows OS is a better choice for
you.
Disadvantages of Windows operating system:
Forces Updates: One of the biggest cons of making use of
this OS is that if you don’t update it, the system will stop working. So
updating this operating system is kind of mandatory.
Speed limitations: In comparison to Mac and Linux, Window is
slower in terms of running scripts and transition between tasks. So if taking
advantage of high speed is considered as a vital factor for you, it is better
to choose either Linux or Mac.
Mixed Drivers: Most of the time, providing many drivers with
the possibility of working together could lead to big system crushes.
Conclusion
All in all, choosing the right operating system has a big
importance for developers, because depending on the field of activity and the
software they want to work on, making a right choice is vital.
Thus, as we mentioned earlier, there is no “one for all”
best operating system for all of the software engineers and each of them must
make their choice depending on their needs.
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