I typically interact with X-many OSes per day:
Displaying poll results.27004 total votes.
Most Votes
- By the end of 2026, how useful do you think agentic/multi-agent AI systems will actually be in your daily work or personal projects? Posted on March 11th, 2026 | 3974 votes
Most Comments
- By the end of 2026, how useful do you think agentic/multi-agent AI systems will actually be in your daily work or personal projects? Posted on March 11th, 2026 | 28 comments
3 or 4 depending (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Android is as much Linux as Windows 95 is DOS
Re:3 or 4 depending (Score:5, Funny)
Except Linux isn't an OS, it's a kernel. You must be thinking of GNU/Linux. You didn't hear any heavy breathing behind you or see a shadow of a fat bearded guy with a sword or anything while you typed that, did you? Because that usually happens.
Yes, I saw him too, after I had typed two OS (Score:2)
Yes, I saw him too, after I had typed two OSs, one for Linux (inclusing Androi) and Windows.
I didn't realize what I had done until I read your message. Brrr.
How long will curses like these last? Until next reboot? Or do i need to wait for the next update? (Damn. I should have chosen Sid!)
BusyBox/Linx + GNU/Linux == 2? (Score:2)
If your initrd uses BusyBox (not an FSF "product"), and the desktop uses binutils/Linux does that count count as 2?
Re: (Score:2)
Right now on my desk, I've got an iPad (iOS), a Thinkpad Tablet (Android), a MacBook (OS X) and a Thinkpad (dual boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu Linux, depending on what I'm trying to get done). And, surprisingly to me, at least, I get real work done on all the devices, pretty much every day.
Oh, and my servers all run Debian Squeeze... but I haven't ssh'ed into any of them today. :)
Re:3 or 4 depending (Score:5, Insightful)
The question behind "depending" goes even further. Off the top of my head:
iOS 5 on iPhone / iPad / AppleTV 2
Mac OS X 10.7 on MacBook Air
Mac OS X 10.8 DP3 on Mac Pro test box
Windows 7 SP1 on Lenovo x220
??? on BMW iDrive controller in my car
FreeBSD on NAS device
various servers on the Internet (Windows, UNIX, Linux, etc.)
various embedded OS versions on consumer electronics devices (HDTV, digital receiver, etc.)
The world runs on software, whether you know it or not.
Re: (Score:2)
MacOSX, Win7, WinVista, WinXP, Gentoo, Fedora, Debian, OpenWRT, OpenBSD, PalmOS, and Cisco IOS. Some days add Ubuntu, Win98, Win3.1, MS-DOS and MacOS 9 to the mix.
VMware ESXi, 3-4 Linuxes, 2+ Windows, IOS (Score:2)
A bunch of the machines I use are really virtual machines on top of VMware ESXi (though some are on VMware Workstation on Win7 or Linux.) But I do actually interact with the VMware, not just the guest OSs.
Android is fairly Linuxy inside, but the Linux bits are all well hidden, so I'm really dealing with Android and HTC. Does it count?
And I do mean IOS, not iOS. I think all the CatOS is gone.
Sourcefire IDS has a Linux base that their apps run on top of, but unfortunately it's not running either Debi
2 Windowsws, a *Nix and an /OS (Score:2)
I'm counting Windows XP and WIndows 7 as just one, the other 2 I use are Linux and z/OS.
Re: (Score:2)
Oh shoot, I forgot different versions of windows counted more than once. That pushes me into the 5 or more category.
Re: (Score:2)
I counted XP and Win7 as 2, but I forgot to count the OS on my Android phone, TiVo, car, etc.
I'm guessing most people had the same oversight and the entire poll results are off by 3 or 4 (ie, "X = just one" should be "X = 4"; "X = 1" should be "X = 5", etc.)
Re: (Score:2)
Nah, I got my phone and xbox and dvr.
Re:2 Windowsws, a *Nix and an /OS (Score:5, Funny)
...and z/OS.
A real computer can crush a human like a grape if it fell over.
Re: (Score:2)
A real computer can crush a human like a grape if it fell over.
Dammit, I've been using facebook too long. The first thing I looked for after reading your comment was the "like" button. I've gotten used to seeing what comments people think are funny with that kind of upvoting.
Surprisingly many... (Score:5, Insightful)
So, surprisingly many. And I'm sure I've missed a few. I wonder what the CISCO VOIP office phone next to me is running...
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
"OSX on my wife's laptop"
wife? LOL
Re:Surprisingly many... (Score:4, Insightful)
On the average day, you generally use your own phone, and your wife's phone? And your home computer, and your wife's laptop?
It's not uncommon, around the house, for me to answer her cell phone if the kids have her occupied (or vice versa). And I'll often use her laptop for just a moment to check a map, a calendar, or a webcomic, as my home computer is a gaming rig in the basement.
And, of course, there is the ever present "providing-tech-support-to-family" angle, which covers both laptop and phone.
Re: (Score:2)
They run on Java
I thought Java was a software platform that ran above the OS to give OS-independent code execution. I haven't heard of it taking on OS responsibilities on its own. Can it double as an OS, talking directly to the hardware?
Unix & Linux & Windows & iOS oh my... (Score:2)
Everything from an old system running SCO OpenServer 5 to CentOS 5 and 6, Debian 4 in other legacy systems, Windows XP, Vista, and 7, iOS, Android from 2.2 to 4.0, OSX 10.6 and 10.7.
I do web development, though, as well as embedded systems, so my day job involves a lot of different machines and virtual systems.
Wait - what do you mean by "interact"? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
arcane ancient incantations (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Four (Score:2)
2, occasionally 3 (Score:2)
Three (Score:2)
What counts as an OS? (Score:5, Insightful)
Define "Interact" And "OS" (Score:5, Funny)
Define "interact." The bits that represent the letters I am typing into this field have passed from my iMac, through my router, through my cable modem, up through my ISP's machines, up until it finally reached the Slashdot data center, with all its web servers, load balancer, firewalls, etc.. How many different OSes were on the machines in the journey of those bits? Linux? Solaris? Windows?
And the numerous interactions only get more tangled when sending email, what with multiple MX machines, DHCP lookups, etc.
And what's an OS? Is my router running its own OS? My cable modem?
It could be hundreds without even talking about my iPhone or TV...
Re: (Score:2)
I interpreted Interact as "I do something with it, whether it is using it or developping for it. Having it hanging on the wall is not enough.". Therefore, I would not count network devices unless you are actually rewiring them or reconfiguring them.
I am usure what OS is but I still counted 5 of them for me: my phone runs android, my computer runs debian, I perform daily testing on windows and MacOS, one of the prototype computing card I currently work runs FreeBSD.
I was unsure at first whether to count linu
Quite a lot (Score:2)
I usually boot into Linux when I'm at work. Occasionally, I'll need to boot into Windows for a webinar that uses Silverlight. So that's "2" to start.
But don't forget mobile devices. I have an iPad at home, which lets me browse news over breakfast. But my smartphone is an Android device. That's 2 more.
And when I'm doing development work, I'm usually running an instance of FreeDOS in DOSEmu.
What about my programmer's editor of choice: does GNU Emacs count as an operating system? :-)
Re: (Score:3)
... does GNU Emacs count as an operating system? :-)
No, it lacks a good editor, although I've heard you can port vi over to it.
(Sorry, if I didn't say it, someone else would.)
The usual suspects (Score:2)
Lessee now...
Linux (CentOS, Slackware), Solaris, Windows XP, OS X (Lion), Android (Gingerbread), iOS
...laura
Ubuntu and Android (Score:2)
lots and lots (Score:2)
several instances of windows xp in physical and virtual boxes home work and school, windows 7 physical boxes for school and home, ubuntu on my laptop and at the school 12.04 (mate desktop) and 10.04 (gnome desktop) respectively, windows server 2003 at work, and windows server 2008 at school, android on my tablet, and ubuntu server on my home server i am working on, windows 98 vm for some old games, debian for the ftp server i use for my school work, dos vm's for very old games i play when board durring clas
Re: (Score:2)
Win 98 on a VM for running games? Just out of curiosity, what are you using to run it? QEMU doesn't even finish installing it. It also doesn't seem to like hardware acceleration on Virtual Box. Bochs maybe?
Re: (Score:2)
unfortunately i have to duel boot into windows seven and use ms virtual pc. I have heard vmware player has working graphics for it though so i am going to try installing it on that later. i tried virtualbox as well and didn't get very far as the graphic were horrible. i went to their forum to see if their was any fix and the devs were hostile toward anyone seeking windows 9x support. screw oracle i guess.
Hm... I have to count... (Score:2)
Windows (diverse variants)
Linux (Mainly SuSE)
SCO OpenServer (Beat me...)
RMX (Real Time Operating system dating back to the 1970ies)
Android (ok, this one should have been counted with Linux)
VxWorks (several embedded variants)
So, five to six.
Sounds like.. (Score:5, Funny)
Does "x=2" read as "I typically interact with too many OSes everyday"?
Three, just at work (Score:2)
I work on a Mac, but almost all of our users are on Windows machines - and most of our servers are running RHEL.
So I said three... although my phone is running iOS. So do I count that still as three, or as four?
A lot. (Score:2)
Even counting major OSs, not versions, 5+ is easy (Score:2)
OSX (macbook pro), IOS (personal phone & ipad), Windows (work), Android (work phone), Linux (work, home).
If you count versions, variations, and individual distros, the count goes way up, due to interactions with various virtualized servers.
Five (Score:2)
- Win 7
- Win 8
- iOS
- Whatever OS my Sony TV is running
Most everyone is lying. (Score:5, Insightful)
Do you drive a car? that's another OS.
Phone? Another OS.
How about your TV? That runs Linux. (Yes it really does, look at your manual.)
If you are a windows user, that is 4 for every person that owns a car and a LCD or Plasma TV.
I ride a Motorcycle and have 3 cars, so I interact with 7 Operating Systems every day.
Oops, forgot that the Copier here at work Runs QNX, That's 8.
Re: (Score:2)
At a previous job there was a co-worker who had built and maintained an MRP system which ran on QNX. It was a few months away from being discontinued when I was told the following snippet:
"Don't hit Ctrl-S when you're in this screen."
"Why?"
"It will erase the hard drive.
Sad to say, I would prefer that MRP over the one I use now...
It depends where! (Score:2)
At work, many with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux due to testings. This includes many versions.
At home, similiar but not so many (Mac OS X 10.5.8, Windows XP Pro. SP3, Windows 2000 SP4, and Debian stable).
I am only mentioning computers. :)
5? (Score:2)
Windows and Linux at work [1]; OS X at home [2]; iOS on my iPhone, iPad, and new Apple TV; and whatever iPod Nanos run [3].
If you get into versions, it's XP for all the Windows work; Redhat 4, 5, and 6 for Linux at work; currently straight Debian (I think Sid?) at for Linux at home; mostly Leopard through Lion for OS X [4]; and iOS 5.
Oh, and I have a dev edition of an Intel tablet I got for free that I've booted exactly once. I think it runs Maemo or Meego or something?
Do we count firmware? I'm pretty sure
Re: (Score:2)
Too good ones... one we all suffer from (Score:2)
X=1, mostly. (Score:2)
It was actually X=2 in recent months, but my new setup [slashdot.org] has given me such a hard time with Arch Linux and Fedora (for apparently common kernel-level reasons...audio works once or twice then the OS acts as if the devices were removed after one or two boots) that I'm ][ that close to canning those partitions and using Windows 7 until it EOLs or gets a proper competitor.
Games without audio are enjoyable, but so are tuna sandwiches and I can do far better than those too.
Exactly 4 (Score:2)
OSX 10.7 on all my physical desktops and laptops.
WinXP and Win7 in VMs for browser compatibility testing.
iOS on my iPhone and iPad.
Oh god.... I've crossed into being an Apple fanboi haven't I?
This number is on the rise again and I like that (Score:2)
Four: (Score:2)
Windows, Debian, NetBSD, Android.
Seriously, all Windows versions don't deserve to be counted separately.
I've been using NetBSD the longest. I miss the glory days.
It's all UNIX (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Let's see... (Score:2)
Win 7, Win2K, XP embedded, Android, OSX.
Is that 3 or 5?
Re: (Score:2)
2: Windows + *nix, just like everybody else :)
On the other hand, each computer has one OS on itself (sometimes more), so it could easily be 12.
so many... (Score:2)
Win7 on my laptop (with OpenSuSE 11.4, OS/2 Warp 4.0, OSX86, Android and xp guests)
xp and Android on my netbook
Dyne:Bolic on my HTPC
OpenSuSE 11.4 on my server
Debian on my cluster
XBMC and Dashboard 1.1 on my XBoxes
Busybox on my router
- almost daily.
(Poll didn't say anything about *level* of interaction).
Re: (Score:2)
I really really want to have a play with RISC OS 3.1, I miss that one from my college days... anyone know where I can find a Virtualbox image or some sort of emulator with the whole base package works?
Just an average day at the office (Score:2)
Basically just one, unless you count embedded (Score:2)
I haven't used Windows since Win95, and even that was just to launch games--I haven't used it for anything serious since 3.11. I haven't used Mac, period. I had a Solaris box until last year, but now I'm basically down to one OS, unless you count embedded.
Three. (Score:2)
1. Debian (linux)
2. M$ (xp)
3. MeeOS (LG cellphone OS)
A lot... (Score:2)
Aside from the machines I personally use, that is my work PC running Windows XP, and my two laptops at home running Windows 7 and Mint, each, my Android phone and my Android tablet (Gingerbread and ICS, respectively), I also use a lot of bootable tools at work (I repair computers).
I cannot answer correctly to the question! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Big 3 (Score:2)
One (Score:4, Interesting)
One: Linux
RHEL Linux, Scientific Linux, CentOS Linux, and Mandriva Linux at work; embedded Linux in car; Mandriva Linux, Mageia Linux, and Fedora Linux on home machines; TiVo Linux connected to my TV; Android Linux on my Evo LTE phone in my pocket and on my Xoom tablet; Tomato Linux in my router and Motorola Linux on my cable modem.
Pretty amazingly versatile
Aaaaargh! (Score:2)
Ambiguous question (Score:2)
The question itself is vague. To me it can be read in at least two ways;
1. How many different OSes do you interact with through their GUI per day?
2. How many different OSes do you utilize on a daily basis?
Considering the small numbers in the possible answers I interpreted the intent as meaning 1. The answer to 2 could be quite a few considering I use the internet a lot and there are a lot of different server OSs out there.
Some times statistics poles need a statistician to formulate the question.
I voted 2, but I think that should have been 4 (Score:2)
OS X and CentOS at work, Debian at home, Android on my phone. That makes for 4 OSes on a typical day.
3 ... but maybe more. (Score:2)
1. Windows. my desktop (XP, vista & W7..)
2. AIX. Pays my bills.
3. Linux, on my mede8ter mediaplayer & android phone.
I don't know what my watch, television and router are running.
Most importnly, my coffee machine, a senseo might have an OS, not sure what.
Hmm (Score:2)
I use four ... or five (Score:2)
It's a lot now.
This isn't counting the iPad or iPhone since Apple has a single CoreOS team that is at the root of all their products. This also doesn't count Windows XP; I have a VM I boot a few times a month for handling corporate BS that won't work on my Linux desktop. It also doesn't count the embedded OS that is inside my car stereo, the Wii, et
Windows XP and UNIX (Score:2)
My PC at home has Windows XP SP3 as does my wife's PC, which I maintain.
My ISP allows me to logon to my domain on its Web server in a secure shell (a la Telnet) in UNIX Korn. I use that to test and maintain my server-side include (SSI) scripts (which are also in UNIX Korn) and to perform miscellaneous maintenance on my Web site.
I am retired, so I have no work OS.
That depends (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Ultrix, SunOS, Irix, HP-UX, AIX, etc. (Score:5, Insightful)
I assume you are trolling, but I will indulge you.
Linux != cheap. Linux == Free.
As a Unix guy I think OSX is a lot like Unix in the following ways.
* It is over priced for what it does.
* Support is generally good if you pay for it, though it is not inexpensive.
* It is generally picky about what sort of hard it runs on. Often you don't upgrade a machine, you buy a new one.
* The people who are proponent of it will seriously not STFU about it.
Re: (Score:2)
time == money
free != not(money)
Re: (Score:2)
In fact, it you put any value on your time, Linux will become the chepest choice by a bigger margin.
Re: (Score:3)
Red Hat != Linux || Free != !(Money)
Re: (Score:2)
Hmmm, and here I thought Solaris 10 and 11 were both UNIX?
Re:Counting minor variations... (Score:4, Interesting)
At work:
- Fedora 8 and 10 on embedded development workstations
- Ubuntu 8.04 and 10.04 on servers
- CentOS 6.2 on servers and workstations
- Windows Server 2003 on servers
- Windows 7 on a development workstation
- OSX 10.5 on an iMac
- OSX 10.6 on a MacBook Pro
- Custom Debian derivative on custom ARM personal electronics
- Android 2.1 on custom ARM personal electronics
- Custom proprietary OS on custom ARM personal electronics
At home:
- Fedora 15 on a general use workstation
- OSX 10.5 on an iMac
- WebOS and Android 2.3 on a tablet
- Android 4.0.4 on my phone
This doesn't include the plethora of other OSs and machines at home that I don't use every day.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Your Answer should be:
Linux
Windows
OSX
Android
Re: (Score:2)
"Android"
#$%^!
I wasn't even thinking about my mobile devices.
Answer++
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
I wasn't even thinking about my mobile devices.
Did you think about the OS (eg. MVS) you are interacting with on your banking terminal (ATM)?
Re: (Score:2)
You need to decide whether you count different Linux distributions as one OS or different OSes. Listing Linux first and then later a specific distribution is redundant.
Re:Counting minor variations... (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't count Android as a distribution because you can't change any of the parts yourself, especially the kernel. Unless you hook up your phone to a debugger, you can't do anything at all with the guts. I consider it based on linux the way OSX was based on BSD.
Re:Counting minor variations... (Score:4, Insightful)
If you interact regularly with an ATM, then your answer should probably also include OS/2.
Re: (Score:3)
possibly, although these days Diebold at least likes to use XP...
Re: (Score:2)
I reckon for me day to day it has to be at least Linux & Android, I just realised that there is a Pos running win98 and another running windows CE that I use everyday too (pretty much just the POS apps rather than the OS) Windows other than the old 98 based system is usually only on other peoples systems usually sorting a problem for them.
IOS gets some use too but again mainly for sorting problems rather than use. There are a couple of windows mobile devices which I use occasionally too.
Re: (Score:2)
I figured an OS is defined by the kernel's heritage, and I only counted general purpose computing devices. Otherwise any answers to the question become answers to "how many computers do you use in a typical day?" So, that gives me Windows, Linux, BSD. If you loosen the definition in any way, I go into the 5+ category easily, as would most people here I imagine.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
OS/2 Warp 4.5 & eCS 2.x
PalmOS 5
IOS 5.x
OSX 10.5.x
Windows 95, XP
RedHat EL4, EL5, EL6
Fedora 15
Solaris (misc unknown versions)
AIX 4, 5, 6
VM
TSO
OS/400
Misc on Dish DVR, network routers, Oscilloscopes, and other misc imbedded devices...
Re:Counting minor variations... (Score:4, Funny)
So, you run a computer museum?
Re: (Score:2)
Lots of old test equipment at work still doing real work. A few test systems running OS/2 24/7.
Guess I left off HPUX now that I think of it.
Re: (Score:2)
Do you use both your wife's and daughter's computers DAILY though?
If I define "daily" as at least five days out of seven, I end up at ten; nine of them at work.
Re: (Score:2)
Wait, AIX is up to version 7.1 already? When I started in '01 I think they'd just shipped 5.0 or 5.1. When I left in '08 we were just shipping 6.0 (renumbered from the planned 5.4). What happened to 6.2, 6.3, etc? IBM was usually so conservative in bumping up the version numbers.
Re: (Score:2)
Ah, I found the relevant wikipedia article. I remember now that we never shipped a 6.0 (another marketing ploy since no one runs the .0 version) and jumped straight to 6.1. It seems that with the new clustering and such technology they jumped again to 7.1 instead of 6.2. The version numbering makes no sense! But that didn't change in the 7 years I worked there.