We have all heard the age-old debate of what is the best operating system user prefer. Windows or Mac? Linux or nothing. The funny thing about this question is that in many places of business, the user does not get a choice. You are handed a laptop when you start and may be stuck with whatever is preloaded onto the machine. In some cases, you're not even allowed to run something else in a virtual machine.
Real-world usage numbers for various operating systems can be hard to come by. According to Statcounter.com, the current market share for desktops looks something like this:
- Windows – 77.21%
- OS X – 16.79%
- Linux – 1.79%
- Chrome OS – 1.59%
But of course, this may not paint an accurate picture of your place of work. For example, Linux-based Chrome OS about a 60% market share in K-12 classrooms in the US. And of course, the server and mobile markets are something different entirely, where Linux-based operating systems are quite dominant.
Stats aside, we want to know what you use at work. Linux, Windows, Mac? Something else? Let us know by voting above.
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About the author
Tyler is the Sr. Community Manager at Enable Sysadmin, a submarine veteran, and an all-round tech enthusiast! He was first introduced to Red Hat in 2012 by way of a Red Hat Enterprise Linux-based combat system inside the USS Georgia Missile Control Center. Now that he has surfaced, he lives with his wife and son near Raleigh, where he worked as a data storage engineer before finding his way to the Red Hat team. He has written numerous technical documents, from military procedures to knowledgebase articles and even some training curricula. In his free time, he blends a passion for hiking, climbing, and bushcraft with video games and computer building. He is loves to read and enjoy a scotch or bourbon. Find him on Twitter or on LinkedIn.
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