This is a classic gPress post, originally uploaded April 30, 2022.
There are three mainstream families of operating systems (“OSes”) for regular users in modern computing: macOS, Windows, and Linux (which includes Google’s Chrome OS).
Each platform has pros and cons. I hope to inform less experienced users’ decisions. If you build software from source, this post is not addressed to you.
Table of Contents
macOS
Windows
The Linux family
• Chrome OS
• Debian
Conclusion
macOS
Your choice regarding macOS is made when you buy your computer. It runs on and is designed and licensed for Apple hardware, and since the chief advantage of a Mac is the operating system, it makes little sense to buy one and then run another OS full-time.
Macs are marketed as being easier to use than their alternatives. An influential IBM study found that Mac corporate users were more productive, more satisfied, and saved money compared to Windows users. Apple’s customer loyalty is recognized in the computing world. Modern Macs offer the advantage of being part of the so-called ‘Apple ecosystem’, offering superior synchronization with iPhones and other iDevices.
There are two downsides to the Mac as a platform. The first is that Apple has control over your system. I don’t mean this in the Orwellian sense, but in that your ability to customize or upgrade your machine is limited. If you don’t like the way it comes out of the box, or if something gets changed in an update, you’re stuck with it. If you have a problem, you’re left to Apple’s mercies to fix it. If it works fine, then sooner or later Apple will drop support for it, with the expectation that you will immediately replace it with a newer model.
Macs also tend to have a hefty up-front price, although the least expensive Mac you can get directly from Apple as of this writing (6/15/2025) is $509 [1], not including shipping. Used Macs retain their value quite well. You can save money in the long run, but the entry cost may be prohibitive.
Windows
Windows has been the market share leader in desktop operating systems since the mid-90s, and has usually been ‘good enough’ for most people.
Microsoft has a record of being concerned about legacy applications [2]. You can still run some early-90s programs on modern Windows PCs, which stands in stark contrast to Apple’s regular forced abandonment of old software.
If it is not the most customizable system, it is still very much so. If it is not the most stable operating system, it is more stable than it is given credit for, and harder for users to mess up than a system that assumes competence. If it is not the most intuitive system, it’s intuitive enough; the chances are that after 25 years, you already know your way around it.
There is something to be said for being consistently no less than second or third-best, but Windows is also first-rate in several areas. Windows has the largest community and support base of any desktop operating system. It is the #1 platform for computer gamers, with a catalog larger, better-supported, and better-performant than the alternatives. “Quantity has a quality of its own”, but with ready access to cutting-edge graphics hardware, you don’t have to choose between the two. Driver support is as good as it can get on the PC’s ‘open architecture’. Generally, for any third-party software that you can name, Windows receives top development priority. These are all perks.
The problem with Windows is Microsoft. Their monopolistic practices have survived to this present day, and they have an atrocious reputation for user privacy and security, underscored by their recent introduction of action-tracking AI onto users’ computers. They also have picked up the habit of spontaneously making changes that no users asked for, sometimes to benefit themselves, other times apparently for no reason but to see things change.
The Linux family
There are dozens of operating systems, but Linux distributions are the only ones that regular users would find easy to take full advantage of. I’m going to select and recommend two of them here, a corporate distribution and a free one.
Chrome OS
Chrome OS is a simple and lightweight Gentoo Linux-based rival to macOS and Windows. Chromebooks have conquered the educational market, which used to be key Macintosh territory, because they are both easy to use and inexpensive. In addition to the standard ‘web applications’ most people are used to, new Chrome OS devices offer passable support for standard Linux programs and Android apps.
There are minor problems with Chrome OS, but its ultimate issue is that it is from Google. It emphasizes cloud storage because Google is a cloud storage provider. You cannot expect privacy because Google is an advertising and search company. Whenever your personal interests and Google’s interests diverge, you have no reason to doubt that theirs will win out. Google seems more competent than Microsoft in their implementation of software, but that is not reassuring if you believe that they have nefarious intent.
Although true Chrome OS installations are built into the eponymous ‘Chromebooks’ (or Chromeboxes/Chromebases), you can deploy a Chrome-like operating system to your own Mac or PC via Chrome OS Flex. Some hardware is better-supported than others; check their list to see if your machine is certified.
Debian
In the past, I wouldn’t have peddled Debian to new users. But after applying my listed standards to recommendations, I’m short on alternatives. Besides, my continuing experience with modern Debian suggests that it has become accessible, when you are willing to learn, or can get help.
As the upstream source for most of the Linux world, Debian has an established community and has stood the test of time. It comes with little inherent bloat, is both configurable and well-supported, and should be reliable for the foreseeable future.
Depending on your machine, you might find hiccups with driver support during initial setup. For example, older Macs are known for requiring wifi drivers that need to be installed separately. Check in advance to see if your hardware has any special needs. If your machine does have trouble, someone has likely already walked someone else through a similar difficulty on a discussion forum somewhere.
Conclusion
Now that I’ve evaluated the traits of each of these platforms, I will give synopses of why you might use them.
If you have money, and either 1) own an iPhone, 2) don’t play many video games, and/or 3) view your computer as an appliance, get a Mac.
If software compatibility is important to you, including but not limited to gaming, you might go with Windows.
If you have a low budget, don’t have extensive processing needs, and/or don’t despise Google, try a Chrome device. (If you have an Android phone, you don’t despise Google.)
If you value customization, and freedom from ‘big tech’ and artificial end-of-life dates, decide for Debian.
If you have questions or comments to make about this list, feel free to drop a message by my address!
[1] This price was for a refurbished M4 Mac Mini. In Sept 2023, a M1 Mac Mini was $469, and a new low-end M2 was $599. In 2022 they were $589/$699 respectively.
[2] Windows 11 breaks some things and makes computers obsolete, but I suspect it is still better than alternatives.