If you’ve read our article on Operating Systems, you’ll notice I look at each one in disdain, because as I mention there, Operating Systems at the end of the day are just things. They don’t love you back. Use the one that’s most suitable for you. Also like I’ve mentioned before, tech has no “absolute” best, there is only what is “best for your needs”. That being said, though, this article is about why Windows is best for your needs. I am assuming of course, that you are the kind of normal, average person who has neither crap tons of money to burn nor wants to spend significant portions of your life recompiling kernels just to run the computer the way you want (and that sentence serves as a short version of this article, too). So this is about how Windows is the best bet for you to keep your interactions with technology least complicated and most user-friendly. Yes, I know some will have differing opinions. I respect that. But this is mine. So let’s end the intro and just get to it like the semi-reasonable, almost-mature adults that we are, eh? I’ll do this by a numbered list, because numbered lists are awesome.

#1 – Windows Has The Most Variety Of Options For You To Choose From

There is an argument to be made that this is a downside, not an advantage, but I disagree. Windows has the largest selection of programs, is compatible with the widest variety of hardware, and it has the most comprehensive guides to get everything done on the platform out there on the internet. Anything you want to do on your computer, assuming it is within the realm of the possible, you can find the right hardware and software to do it and a guide (probably numerous guides, even to the more obscure stuff) to tell you in excruciating detail how to use that program to get it done.

#2 – Windows Is Just The Right Level Of User-Friendly

Mac users claim OS X is much more user-friendly, Linux users will admit that yes, Linux is more complex, but once you learn to recompile the kernel the right way, you can get anything you want to customized and done in your Linux installation. Now, don’t get me wrong, both claims are true, but Windows sits firmly in the middle of these two. It’s UX does have problems and you will need to put some effort into understanding the basics, but once it’s done, assuming you can follow simple instructions the base points apply to the operating system no matter how complicated a program you are running. Also, there are guides. Oh, so many guides.

#3 – Easy Upgrades And Updates

Macs cannot be upgraded. Period. Nothing to switch out, no hardware that can swapped for a better, newer model. Again, some believe this not to be a downside, but the fact that Windows has so many companies competing with each other to bring the next big thing for you as a consumer is actually a good thing. You get the best stuff for the best price. Some even for free. Better hardware gets you better programs. Better programs get you a better user experience. Macs cannot do this. Linux can, up to an extent – and that extent is your responsibility. You see, the “basic” Linux that comes available for download isn’t actually a fully-realized operating system, it is a kernel for an operating system. This needs to be combined with other user-created parts to bring you the whole experience, such as Ubuntu and Fedora. The good news is that this means you’re bound to find something that fits from somewhere, the bad news is that any customizations that you’ve done need to maintained by you. Hence why the whole “recompiling the kernel” thing. Try asking hard-core Linux users and they’ll tell you: they do this a lot.

#4 – Entertainment

Windows has the best entertainment, and I’m not just talking about games. Something as simple as streaming a TV Show can get messed up in the wrong Linux kernel. No, I’m not kidding. Windows, since it’s the preferred platform for any kind of media, gets most of the attention, and for that reason, it always gets the best stuff. And of course, video games are a factor. One of the main reasons consoles started getting popular is because for every developer, it a pain in the neck to make their game available in OS X, Linux, Windows, and at the same time keep it compatible with every combination of the graphics card, CPU, and Ram out there in the market. It also doesn’t help that something that runs seamlessly on one Linux environment can scream and cry like a baby on another. Things changed when PC lovers and third-party markets such as Steam made PC gaming more and more popular, leading to better support from Microsoft, and now here we are. If you want to play games, you need a Windows PC. No contest. Once again, Windows falls smack in between the free-forever Linux and the uber-expensive Mac. True, the price has become a lot more reasonable lately, but this will still cost you in the long run, since the system is both non-upgradeable and you can only buy pre-built rigs, which always come at a higher cost than your own assemblies.

Cons: Yes, of course there are cons. Let’s not pretend otherwise. The two that are most horrible are A) risk of malware, and B) Resource drain from being a powerful operating system. The first is because of its popularity, but some common sense can keep you protected even without anti-virus (I keep mine turned off most of the time since it auto-blocks a lot of stuff without asking), and the second is necessary to maintain its versatility. Long story much shorter: So yes, for the average guy out there, yeah, you’re using the right OS with Windows; there’s no reason to make a change. (Unless you believe all that stuff about the Microsoft Illuminati trying to control your lives, and let’s not get into that, just in case the overlord are watching.) Peace.
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