Regarding software development, the point that you brought up had crossed my mind, especially regarding OS-X. In the case of Windows, I believe there are significant differences between free and non-free versions of Visual Studio.

I am an Electrical Engineer. The tools that I mentioned are for IC design. In general, all of the tools that I have used over many years have been targeted toward Linux, HP-UX, Solaris, etc. The proliferation of Linux and powerful PCs created an opportunity for our industry to be free of expensive Sun workstations and other proprietary systems.

Our tools are oriented toward the CLI and scripting. Programming and scripting languages are a big part of my tool set on a day-to-day basis.

I am an OS agnostic. I have no ax to grind with Microsoft. The only real issue that I have with Windows is that it tends to be prone to malware, at least right out of the box. These issues are manageable, but sometimes it is hard for me to imagine how the non-technical user sets up a secure Windows box without some expert help. This is especially true if their online habits tend to expose their computers to email and websites with a lot of boo-boo nasties. At the risk of inviting controversy, I have to say that I generally have not seen those types of problems with either Linux or OS-X.

It never ceases to amaze me that people whose bread and butter apps only run on Linux never weigh in on these debates. Try running Cadence or Synopsys tools on Windows or a Mac. The other thing that I never see mentioned is that all development tools for Linux are completely free. I use Windows, OS-X and a couple of different Linux distributions on a daily basis. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. I have no idea why this topic becomes emotional for many, however, their motivation is not my concern. Can't we all just get along?