comprehensive operating system

[harrytherid]

I am considering building a desktop from scratch, or maybe not, if I can get one already built to fit my requirements.

However, I am becoming more and more tired of Microsoft and their apparent propensity to lean towards the Mac way of doing things, i.e. making stuff less generally compatible. I do not like win 10, it is on my wife's laptop and neither of us likes it and though it is better than 8 it is nowhere near as good as 7 which I currently use and she had on her old (pre tea spill) laptop.

My question is, really, is there an operating system that is compatible with just about everything and that has not got any annoying quirks. I realise that "annoying" is somewhat subjective but I am willing to spend some time reading reviews to sort the wheat from the chaff but have nowhere from which to start.

I shall want a machine whose principal duty will be video editing (I currently use Sony Movie Studio) and will be seeking advice as to graphics cards etc. once I am sure on the OS front.

Yours, Harry

 

[ComputerSecurityGuy]

Unfortunately no such thing as a perfect operating system without odd quirks. Windows is compatible with everything or just about but tends to have stability issues, odd bugs, viruses, etc. OS X has OK support but is a bit flaky outside Apple hardware and a pain to install in said non Apple hardware. Linux has great stability, upgrades and no viruses (everything Windows isn't) but requires command line proficiency to use and has worse support. BSD is like Linux just more so, from my experience. But my recommendation is to try Linux (in my view OS X is too much bother) and run Sony in WINE and see if it works well. If it does than you can use Linux, BSD or OS X to video edit if you want. If not you are stuck with Windows. As for GPU while I am posting, if I recall most Sony stuff is OpenCL accelerated and AMD is pretty far ahead on that front.

 

[harrytherid]

Well thanks for that comprehensive reply, ComputerSecurityGuy. I don't understand the reference to "command line proficiency" It sounds as though it might be a hark back to DOS with which I was fairly good in the dim distant past and which I still use in one of my computers to run an old but never bettered 2D CAD program with win 3.11 to file manage etc. Yes I am a dinosaur.

KInd regards, Harry

 

[synphul]

Linux is similar to windows anymore, it's not as command line dependent as it once was. Many of the newer flavors have greatly improved their interface with similar desktop icons, start menu etc. Sony Movie Studio may work but would likely have to be run through an emulator or virtual box which may still require windows to be installed somewhere.

There are quite a few live cd versions of linux that are lighter versions but can be installed on a thumb drive. Install the thumb drive and change the boot order so the usb is accessed before the hard drive and you can at least test drive a few different versions without completely formatting and uninstalling windows.

 

[harrytherid]

Linux is similar to windows anymore, it's not as command line dependent as it once was. Many of the newer flavors have greatly improved their interface with similar desktop icons, start menu etc. Sony Movie Studio may work but would likely have to be run through an emulator or virtual box which may still require windows to be installed somewhere.

There are quite a few live cd versions of linux that are lighter versions but can be installed on a thumb drive. Install the thumb drive and change the boot order so the usb is accessed before the hard drive and you can at least test drive a few different versions without completely formatting and uninstalling windows.

 

[harrytherid]

Thank you, Synphul, I reckon I shall just have to stick to windows. It all sounds too complicated for me.

Kindest regards, Harry