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In my view, when talking about desktop usage, bringing present day Android into the discussion is somewhat non-sensical as no professional would seriously consi

In my view, when talking about desktop usage, bringing present day Android into the discussion is somewhat non-sensical as no professional would seriously consider replacing their current desktop with an Android device if they could help it. However, since you bring up the mobile space, Android is another way to prove one of my points. Like Windows in the desktop space, Android has a somewhat overwhelming market share (globally), and similarly to Windows has the highest percentage of dispassionate technology users, where they care more about using their social media or payment processing app than what OS their device is running. Also, I disagree that my usage of Windows is self selecting, it’s actually more selected by device manufacturers and the developers of the software I use. Between Windows and Linux, I’ll have way less driver issues on Windows. For commercial desktop software, the vast majority is built targeting Windows. I choose the OS which is most likely to run the hardware and software I need with the least amount friction. ChromeOS may one day become the dominant OS (it also may not), but today, outside of using a web browser, I don’t think it’s unfair to say to say it’s the “poor man’s” choice of OS in the desktop space. As a final remark, it feels like you’re taking my appreciation of MS’s present day offerings as some sort of attack against your preferences. If you’re happy using non-MS stuff, great for you, but that doesn’t in any way detract from my being incredibly happy with my choice, which just happens to be different.

aragilar 3y ago
I agree with replacing a desktop (or laptop) with an Android device for professional work is nonsensical (I hate having to type on a phone), but the majority of people are not professionals. For a not-insignificant proportion of the population (which heavily overlaps with the dispassionate technology users), media consumption on a mobile device covers their needs (and for things like 2FA, not having a mobile device is an issue), so their laptop/desktop (Windows or Mac) ages out of support and eventually is no longer used (and given the costs of mobile devices, they're not likely to buy a replacement laptop/desktop). Some might use a work/school device, but now what they get is based on their work/school provides (and if ChromeOS is good enough and much cheaper to run, then users won't have a choice). Also BYOD policies generally work against Windows, as a sufficiently large Apple contingent will push moves away from systems that only work on Windows. I would be expect Windows usage to settle to at least 3 times MacOS usage (given Window's better legacy and meeting the needs of white-collar professionals more, and desktop gaming), but my feeling is we're going to see less traditional general-purpose systems (which is somewhat sad), and a bigger divide between those who use desktops/laptops and those who don't. I would still suggest you have self-selected: if the programming languages and the tools you use (and the kind of projects you work on) are effectively Windows-only, naturally you're going to be happy on Windows (and there's nothing wrong with that). But it's worth remembering that for other ecosystems (e.g. Python since you brought it up), running those ecosystems on Windows is second class (whether that's caused by Microsoft or by the ecosystem), or, because Windows is not UNIX, practically not possible at all (and some of the UNIX software I run for work predates the NT kernel, to be clear). My only issues with Windows are: 1. how much random junk there is now (advertising in the start menu, really?!?), which I feel is a negative for Microsoft (let Google do that, and catch the flak for it); and 2. having to use it (and wasting time on it) when it's obvious it's the wrong tool for the job (e.g. trying to use an ecosystem where Windows is a second class citizen). Finally, I do think it's somewhat sad that there's less interaction and knowledge sharing than there could be between Microsoft's ecosystem and those ecosystems outside of it, both could benefit from it (e.g. I hear about Blazor, and it sounds cool, but how would I use it from (C)Python).

aragilar 3y ago

I agree with replacing a desktop (or laptop) with an Android device for professional work is nonsensical (I hate having to type on a phone), but the majority of people are not professionals. For a not-insignificant proportion of the population (which heavily overlaps with the dispassionate technology users), media consumption on a mobile device covers their needs (and for things like 2FA, not having a mobile device is an issue), so their laptop/desktop (Windows or Mac) ages out of support and eventually is no longer used (and given the costs of mobile devices, they're not likely to buy a replacement laptop/desktop). Some might use a work/school device, but now what they get is based on their work/school provides (and if ChromeOS is good enough and much cheaper to run, then users won't have a choice). Also BYOD policies generally work against Windows, as a sufficiently large Apple contingent will push moves away from systems that only work on Windows. I would be expect Windows usage to settle to at least 3 times MacOS usage (given Window's better legacy and meeting the needs of white-collar professionals more, and desktop gaming), but my feeling is we're going to see less traditional general-purpose systems (which is somewhat sad), and a bigger divide between those who use desktops/laptops and those who don't. I would still suggest you have self-selected: if the programming languages and the tools you use (and the kind of projects you work on) are effectively Windows-only, naturally you're going to be happy on Windows (and there's nothing wrong with that). But it's worth remembering that for other ecosystems (e.g. Python since you brought it up), running those ecosystems on Windows is second class (whether that's caused by Microsoft or by the ecosystem), or, because Windows is not UNIX, practically not possible at all (and some of the UNIX software I run for work predates the NT kernel, to be clear). My only issues with Windows are: 1. how much random junk there is now (advertising in the start menu, really?!?), which I feel is a negative for Microsoft (let Google do that, and catch the flak for it); and 2. having to use it (and wasting time on it) when it's obvious it's the wrong tool for the job (e.g. trying to use an ecosystem where Windows is a second class citizen). Finally, I do think it's somewhat sad that there's less interaction and knowledge sharing than there could be between Microsoft's ecosystem and those ecosystems outside of it, both could benefit from it (e.g. I hear about Blazor, and it sounds cool, but how would I use it from (C)Python).