Hello!

What OS do you use? Windows? Mac? Linux? Mobile?

Also, are you a player or an author? ( If you're an author, do you use Quest or Squiffy?)

I'm basically wanting to know how many of us are using Windows, and how many of us never use Windows.

Me?

I have Windows, but I prefer using Linux.

Fact is, I only use Windows for text-adventure related things (creating them and playing them), and, if I could create and play text-adventures without Windows, I'd never use Windows at all. Well... Maybe to edit a video in my 5-year-old version of Adobe Premiere Elements once in a blue moon, but that's about it.

I've never owned a Mac, but I hear they're pretty awesome.

Oh . . . and I have played text adventures on phones and tablets, but I thought it kinda sucked compared to playing on an actual desktop (or laptop).

EDIT

To be fair to Windows, I spent a whopping $45 to upgrade from 4GB to 8GB of RAM recently, and I am now much less inclined to verbally abuse my poor laptop whilst it tries it best to run anything that involves an editor. In fact, most of the programs I normally use run much better now.

Windows 10

Windows all the way (since 1.0) now 10 on both desk and lap. Tried Linux but couldn't understand it. Probably had something to do with the age I was when I tried. Never had an Apple of any vintage. Phones are too small for my fingers and my eyes.
Although I have used a few emulators mainly to see what should happen when I am translating to another, I prefer to use the target language if at all possible.

As for adventures - mainly a player (although I've become choosy as to what I play in my later years).
With writing, I've dabbled in Quest & Squiffy (but not Gamebook) as well as Inform 6 & 7, Adrift, BASIC (GW, QuickBasic, Q_Basic, QB_64 and some other Basics. Current peference is Inform6.

I mainly write to convert old BASIC type-ins to whichever language I think will suit it best.

There's probably more but I don't want to bore you all. I think these days we are spoilt for choice.

Linux here; but more often on the forum from my phone.

I had an Apple2e from about 8 years old to 14 (technically I still have it, but it's been in boxes for quite a while), then we got Windows 95, and I've been trapped ever since!
Trapped! Like a rat! A cold little rat, with no hair and one leg!
I'm still clinging for dear life to Windows 7 on my desktop. I got a Windows 10 laptop, thinking I would use it for RPGMaker. IT is now mostly just a portal for my kids to Zoom school on.
I feel like I'm caught in an abusive relationship I can't get out of. I wish I could escape from windows, but it's all I've known for too long. I have been annoyed, frustrated, and disappointed by every new version of Windows that has been forced upon me. I am perfectly happy in a mad scientist's laboratory with crazy junk all over the place, as long as I know where everything is, and every time Microsoft tries to make things more "simple" or "convenient" all I can think is,
"I don't believe it! There she goes again! She's tidied up, and I can't find anything! All my tubes and wires!"
I have one published Quest micro-adventure, 8 or so unfinished Quest projects, and a variety of games unfinished in other things, mostly RPGMaker. For playing, I was mostly a console kid, and mostly just Nintendo. With rare exception, I would probably rather play an old text adventure or NES game than any modern PC game.
(Sometimes I think I was born old, and sometimes my friends agree.)

Hi KV, to answer both questions:

1. I'm a Windows user and will probably stick with Microsoft.
2. I'd classify myself as an 'author' but I also play games from time to time. I've only worked with Quest and all games have been developed offline. I've also helped a few authors who have good ideas but gaps in their Quest knowledge. I have no projects on at the moment.

@DarkLizerd

Windows 10

DL in the house!

...and using Windows. (Word. Word.)

@R2T1

Windows all the way (since 1.0) now 10 on both desk and lap.

Artoo!

...using Windows since 1.0! Rock and roll!

Tried Linux but couldn't understand it. Probably had something to do with the age I was when I tried.

Yeah. You definitely have to relearn nearly everything if you work from the command line when switching from Windows to Linux.

Never had an Apple of any vintage.

Neither have I. I've never had any iThings, either.

Phones are too small for my fingers and my eyes.

I truly believe I was better off before I acquired a mobile phone.

(The pager was where I should have stopped "evolving".)

Current preference is Inform6.

I've tried to start writing a game with I6, but it's so much to learn . . .

I already know like 90% of Inform 7-ese. What could I do in Inform 6 that can't be done in Inform 7? Anything? If not, I'm not poking fun; I'm seriously wondering if it's worth learning a new (but old) programming language.

I mainly write to convert old BASIC type-ins to whichever language I think will suit it best.

Hey... You and DL are both BASIC people.

I dabbled in EXTENDED COLOR BASIC back in the day, but I mostly played Downland on that computer.

I wish I could say I played the Infocom Hitchhiker's game in BASIC on that computer, but it ran that under DOS. So, meh. I've never played a BASIC text adventure.

@mrangel

Linux here; but more often on the forum from my phone.

It appears that you and I may be the only two Linux users here, mrangel.

@TriangleGames

I had an Apple2e [ . . . ] then we got Windows 95, and I've been trapped ever since!

Hehehe.

I'm still clinging for dear life to Windows 7 on my desktop.

I can't bring myself to get rid of Windows 7 either. I have it on a machine which cannot connect to the internet.

I (mostly) liked Windows 98 SE. I didn't like XP or 8 at all. Windows 10 ... sigh ... It may not be the OS we need, but I do truly believe that it's the OS we deserve.

With rare exception, I would probably rather play an old text adventure or NES game than any modern PC game.

Same here. Well, throw in SNES in there, and same here.

@DavyB

I'm a Windows user and will probably stick with Microsoft.

I bash Windows a lot (all the time), but I will admit that, if I want something to work (and work as expected), I run it on Windows.

Everything in the Linux world is free (or mostly everything); so it's literally not worth a software engineer's time (unless said notable either (A) just likes to help people for free or (B) is seeking notoriety).

Windows 10, missing 7 every day.

@Pykrete
Windows 10, missing 7 every day.

Windows 7 just seemed so . . . well put together.

Windows 10 is like the unattractive friend of Windows 7.

Windows 7 has moved on, and Windows 10 is right here -- all up in my face. It sort of looks like 7, but it just doesn't look nearly as good. It sort of acts like 7, but it needs more expensive hardware to perform half as well as 7 did.

Sure, I still use Windows 10, but I don't love it. (I have needs. Don't judge me!) I'm just using it to feel like I'm doing something, and it's just doing the bare minimum while trying to get some more of my money every time I turn around.

But 7 is old now and has security issues. What's a guy supposed to do? Use Windows 10, or work things out manually?

Well, I was raised Catholic; so, working things out manually is against my former religion. Looks like I'm stuck with Windows 10!

My computer has woken itself up in the night two nights running. I cannot adequately put into words just how much I fucking hate Windows 10, to be frank. Unfortunately, Microsoft forced my hand by making a number of things Windows 10 exclusive.

The thing about Windows 10 is that Microsoft has decided it knows better than you. They have hidden away things like the control panel so trying to change your network setting, for example, takes far more effort; they force updates on you; the search option in Windows Explorer has everything hidden away apart from the basics. If you are just doing basics, it is fine, but try to do your own thing, and they make much more difficult.

Oh, and things change without warning when it updates.

I stick with it because I play games, and most are only on PC.

The thing about Windows 10 is that Microsoft has decided it knows better than you.

Well said.

they force updates on you

Linux does this, too.

Ubuntu's updating is just as bad as Windows 10's updating.

I don't even like installing things on Debian, let alone doing a full system upgrade.

Linux Mint is basically Ubuntu except the GUI layout is like Windows. Most importantly, the updates are somewhat different. It still uses apt like Ubuntu, but it's easy to ignore available updates in Linux -- and it just seems to go more smoothly when you do decide to update software in Linux Mint.

Arch Linux is a monster. It is bleeding edge, so it constantly has at least one software update available -- but might have 100 at any given moment. Any single update might break something. For instance, I get the Inform 7 GUI app (gnome-inform7) running in Arch after something breaks it once a month, every month. It worked last week. Updated. No more Inform 7 GUI. In Arch's defense, gnome-inform7 has to be installed by the user from source code. It is not included in any repositories.

...but, if you go more than thirty days without updating everything in Arch, it might not even boot once you do finally update everything. In Arch's defense, the user is warned about all of this.

Still, no Linux distribution I've ever used automatically updates anything. Everything except Arch Linux automatically checks for updates, but then you just get a notification that you should definitely get to updating stuff when you're not busy.

Windows 10 just takes it upon itself to run updates, and that's my biggest issue with it. Sure, you can go into the settings and change when updates are applied, but that crap just resets after the next freaking update! Grrr!!!

Oh, and things change without warning when it updates.

Linux does this, too.

Windows 10 likes to change my desktop background from Kate Upton in zero gravity to a solid hot pink color.

Linux Mint likes to change its desktop background to ... whatever the Linux Mint people think is cool that month, I guess.

Ubuntu wants everything to be purple. You can change stuff, but updates bring back all the purple. (I'm not a fan of purple.)

I stick with it because I play games, and most are only on PC.

Ah. I believe this is true with most people, unless they need it for work-related software.

My computer has woken itself up in the night two nights running. [ . . . ] Unfortunately, Microsoft forced my hand by making a number of things Windows 10 exclusive.

Game-related? Or work-related?

I do have to say (again) that I haven't really verbally abused Windows 10 since I upgraded from 4 to 8 GB of RAM.

With 4 GB, it took 1 - 2 minutes for my browser to initially open. Once open, going to a new url would take 2 - 4 minutes for the page to load.

With 8 GB, it might take 30 seconds to initially open, but it's smooth-sailing after that. With the same exact internet connection.

Also, running things like Quest and Visual Studio haven't caused anything to freeze up since the RAM upgrade.

It's almost like Windows shouldn't let people sell anything with less than 8GB of RAM with Windows 10 installed on it.

Windows 10, I think it is pretty good but then again I do not use other OS, so what do I know?
I am 90% author and 10% player, I like to play games but somehow I am really slow at reading, so I prefer to play those high action many cinematics console games, also in those games, I actually skipped most of the dialogues, so like my teacher always said, you lose what you do not use, I lost my brain haha.

I am an author and I use Quest, I like to think that I am successful, because there are hundreds of plays on my games, but recently I realized there are not much ratings or comments so perhaps my games are uninteresting in which I do not really care :P, I just need to entertain myself XD.

Currently using an entry Windows 10 laptop that can surprisingly hold it's own (main limiting factor is 4GB of ram). I've used a family member's Macbook before and the OS was pretty nice. It's a shame that the downloadable version of Quest 5 isn't available for it.

I play some Quest games but mainly work on my own, which will take a while to finish. I really like the downloadable editor but not so much the online version (downloadable just seems so much more cleaner and efficient, also no extra steps to make attributes).

Windows 10. Liked Windows 7 but one night a bunch of M$ goons broke into my computer room and forced me to upgrade.

Liked Windows 7 but one night a bunch of M$ goons broke into my computer room and forced me to upgrade.

Ha!

Those scoundrels! I heard about that.

Luckily, I didn't have an actual internet connection during that time. (I used my phone's hot spot.) So, I still have Windows 7 on that old Dell laptop, which is never connected to the internet because Windows 7 is no longer supported and is therefore a security risk. (I still use it sometimes. It's still smoother with 2GB of RAM than Windows 10 with 8GB of RAM! I also still have my old Compaq Presario with Windows 98 SE on it. That's what I use to play my Infocom games. Old school, baby!)

Dang, I missed the two posts before Bluevoss.

@daeun

If you play any games and/or use Quest, you definitely need Windows.

@OriginofSymmetry

Currently using an entry Windows 10 laptop that can surprisingly hold it's own (main limiting factor is 4GB of ram).

I hated Windows 10 until I upgraded my RAM from 4GB to 8GB. It's a whole new world now. Best $45 my kid ever spent!

I've used a family member's Macbook before and the OS was pretty nice. It's a shame that the downloadable version of Quest 5 isn't available for it.

Fret not. Quest 6 will be available for everything one day (or year) in the future.

Hello,

I use Windows and MacOS Only. They are probably best OS that I ever Used.

Hello.

I never used Linux until Windows 10. Windows 10 can barely perform with only 4GB of RAM, come to find out, but I didn't know that and just thought it sucked. I'm glad that happened, though, because I learned a lot about Linux and BASH! scripting these past few years. Now that I have enough RAM to run Windows 10 properly (and since I have GIT installed in Windows 10, along with WSL and VirtualBox, I have BASH! in Windows10), I only log into Arch Linux every so often to update it because there will be major issues if you don't keep Arch up to date.

I'm gonna get my hands on a Mac one of these days. I hear it's the bee's knees.

I'm glad that happened, though, because I learned a lot about Linux and BASH!

I love the etymology of bash :)

One of the most common unix shells was the Bourne Shell (sh) developed by Stephen Bourne, which gained popularity over its rival csh because it's a good scripting language as well as a command line interface.

The team behing GNU/linux wanted a shell like sh, but it wasn't free. So they rebuilt it, making a new shell that's fully compatible with Bourne Shell scripts but has interactive features like command history and tab completion.

They called it the Bourne-Again Shell (bash)

I was using ZSH for about a month. (I fooled around with Kali Linux for a very, very brief moment. It looks really cool. The technology is beyond me, but I liked the shell -- and the loading screen especially.)

I recently switched back to BASH!

PS

Windows 10 just pissed me off by changing all my settings (to include their malware) after an update again.

Back on Arch Linux, now; thank you, kindly.

Not updated my home one, but work PC and laptop suddenly got a thing on the taskbar with the weather and clicking on it brings up the news. Now disabled on both.

Not updated my home one, but work PC and laptop suddenly got a thing on the taskbar with the weather and clicking on it brings up the news. Now disabled on both.

Yup.

At least it didn't turn my background on my desktop to electric hot pink this time, but I'd rather have that happen than a new, unwanted, unapproved (by me) online connection to the news running in the background.

Plus, its the "news" from a Microsoft company, which is not quite as bad as FOX, but really, really close.

Someone (who is extremely awesome) got Quest 5.8 running in WINE recently, anyway. So, the only reason I need Windows is to occasionally use either Visual Studio or my old Adobe Premiere Elements video editing software.

Speaking of BASH! . . .

If you like text adventures, Tolkien, and BASH! scripts, check this out:

https://media.textadventures.co.uk/games/LW8O0_0jNUGWCUpMtnqOIQ/Release4/Hobbit-BASH.zip

I ported that from BAT to Inform 7 a few years ago. Someone had an I7 port online (which is where I found that the game even existed), but it messed up in the scene with Smaug. That is really when I first looked at any text adventure code; trying to figure out how to fix that error so I could finish playing the game.

I eventually found a mostly completed BASH! port on GitHub, and I thought the little game was fun enough to create a working version in Inform 7. While speaking with the author of the BASH! port on GitHub, that notable decided to finish that up so it could be included in the version submitted to this site.

I also emailed the two guys who originally created the game, and they seemed happy that people were still interested and cheerfully okayed the port.

README.TXT

https://textadventures.co.uk/games/view/-k6NIu0EtEeDowJ7ZP1mnA/the-hobbit-the-true-story-redux-directors-cut-2017-port

PS

I bet I can go back and find all sorts of things I overlooked in that Inform 7 port!

Hey, Pixie - how do you disable that weather icon? It gets in my way a lot and, hell, I've got a window right at my desk and I can see the damn weather.

There's no telling when Pixie might see this. . .

I right-clicked on the weather icon, then selected "Turn off" (I think it was "turn off", something close to that) from that menu. It seems to have disabled it.

What KV said.

I see a new Windows is coming out, so expect a lot of new features you do not want...

I see a new Windows is coming out, so expect a lot of new features you do not want...

What?!?! A new Windows?

Researching. . .

Windows 11 coming at the end of the year (or in early 2022, depending on which part of that page you decide to believe). It looks like it might be more lightweight (and I know looks can (and usually will) be deceiving).

I'll install it. It can't frustrate me any more than Windows 10 (said the fool).

My Real Issue with Windows

I don't really care if all kinds of crap I don't want is installed by default. I just hate all the extra stuff running in the background, slowing my machine down, and ruining my computing experience.

That includes software updates. I hate, hate, hate the automatic search for and download of updates. (We hates it, Precious!)

I understand that most Windows users need the automatic updates, but they should let us turn that crap off. (FREEDOM!!!)

Oh, man... You know what? Windows just got their first package manager working, too. I saw that last week. I think it's still in beta, but it is available.

Wow, I wonder if that means Windows 11 system updates are probably tied into that?

(Don't be negative, don't be negative, don't be negative!) Maybe it will be an improvement?

It looks like it might be more lightweight

Yeah, right

That includes software updates. I hate, hate, hate the automatic search for and download of updates. (We hates it, Precious!)

It is supposed to be better for updates, but I think that means doing it in the background. It has certainly been a trend towards taking control away from the guy who actually owns the PC.

Updates are the worst part of Windows. I swear PCs slow down when they have an update outstanding, and this is based on the behavious of numerous PCs,

I just hate all the extra stuff running in the background, slowing my machine down, and ruining my computing experience.

Because people do not lie to wait for a program to start up, when a lot do (pretty sure Office for one) is they load up ion the background when you turn the computer. When you double click, you are amazed at how fast the program starts, because all it has to do is draw the UI. the rest has been there in the background slowing the PC down for everything else.

Then there are all the programs running just to check for updates - not just Windows, but other non-MS programs too.

And all those svchost.exe programs, that could be doing anything, and you have no clue about.

Before Windows 10, the task manager would report how many programs are running. That does not happen in Wndows 10, I assume because it cannot count that high...

Ha ha ha! Yeah, it's so user-friendly the user can barely do anything.

I've been reading a bit about it in my TRAINZ forum. There seems to be a big emphasis on security controlled by Micro$oft. How true this will be in the final cut is mere speculation for now. There is mention of a test to check if your current PC will be OK. According to the test, a lot won't pass without major upgrades. All too much for me. I'll wait and see what happens to others first and then decide.
I just may need to learn how to use LINUX. ;-)
(That link should work even if you don't have an account for TRAINZ)

There seems to be a big emphasis on security controlled by Micro$oft. How true this will be in the final cut is mere speculation for now. There is mention of a test to check if your current PC will be OK. According to the test, a lot won't pass without major upgrades. All too much for me.

Yeah... I heard that you have to be fully vaccinated, and your computer has to be fully vaccinated, and, if you currently have Windows 10 installed on said computer, it has to be fully vaccinated, too.

I, myself, am fully vaccinated, but my computer is a hardcore anti-vaxxer. (It's also a flat-internetter.)

But seriously, I saw that Health Check thing to download and immediately knew my old machine wouldn't cut the mustard. It was at that point I imagined I could hear dramatic music blasting on an organ to emphasize my truly horrific realization: I am... dum Dum DUM!!!! Stuck with Windows 10, forever!

...until it dies in 2025, at which point I will tell everyone how much the 2025 version of Windows sucks, especially compared to good, old Windows 10!

I just may need to learn how to use LINUX. ;-)

If it comes to that, I would advise any long-time Windows users start with Linux Mint installed alongside Windows (which is called dual-boot). Its GUI is not unlike Windows. The main issue is you can't run most Windows software. Some stuff has good open-source alternatives you can easily install, but not everything (and not most of the good, new stuff).

If all you do is edit text, play text adventures, and surf the web, you'd be fine with Linux Mint. (You'd have to copy some BASH code from a recent thread on this forum to get the desktop version of Quest running under WINE, though.)

Had to dig for a bit - it was a level down but yeah, it's off. Thanks.

R2T1, there is a lot of information in that thread, thanks for that.

My PC will not run Win11, but I just checked, and it will be five years old next month, which I had not realised. I will certainly be getting a new PC before 2025 anyway.