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Vim Beats Emacs in 'Linux Journal' Reader Survey (linuxjournal.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the war-of-the-text-editors dept.

The newly-relaunched Linux Journal is conducting its annual "Reader's Choice Awards," and this month announced the winners for Best Text Editor, Best Laptop, and Best Domain Registrar. Vim was chosen as the best editor by 35% of respondents, handily beating GNU Emacs (19%) Sublime Text (10%) and Atom (8%). Readers' Choice winner Vim is an extremely powerful editor with a user interface based on Bill Joy's 40-plus-year-old vi, but with many improved-upon features including extensive customization with key mappings and plugins. Linux Journal reader David Harrison points out another great thing about Vim "is that it's basically everywhere. It's available on every major platform."
For best laptop their readers picked Lenovo (32%), followed by Dell (25%) and System76 (11%). The ThinkPad began life at IBM, but in 2005, it was purchased by Lenovo along with the rest of IBM's PC business. Lenovo evolved the line, and today the company is well known as a geek favorite. Lenovo's ThinkPads are quiet, fast and arguably have one of the best keyboards (fighting words!). Linux Journal readers say Lenovo's Linux support is excellent, leaving many to ponder why the company doesn't ship laptops with Linux installed.
In February readers also voted on the best web browser, choosing Firefox (57%) over Chrome (17%) and Chromium (7%). And they also voted on the best Linux distribution, ultimately selecting Debian (33%), open SUSE (12%), and Fedora (11%).

13 of 195 comments (clear)

  1. Oh boy! by Bearhouse · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's popcorn time!

  2. To paraphrase... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    vim is great because it's on all platforms is like saying anal sex is great because it works on all genders.

    1. Re:To paraphrase... by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And easier to use.

      Not easier to use. Just easier to learn.

      You can learn to ride a tricycle easier than a bicycle. But you aren't going to win the Tour de France on a trike.

  3. Well sure it does by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · · Score: 5, Funny

    Most of the Emacs users are still waiting for it to load so they can cast their vote.

    1. Re:Well sure it does by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 3, Funny

      Emacs, a good operation system. But it lacks a decent editor.

      Glad you now can run vim on (in) it.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  4. Well, then. by hey! · · Score: 4, Funny

    I guess that's settled.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    1. Re:Well, then. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yes, if only we'd thought of this sooner.

    2. Re:Well, then. by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yes, it's confirmed - Vim is the Bud Light of text editors!

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
  5. Re:Vim broken in OSX? by Anonymice · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Odd, have you actually checked there aren't any other default schemes available? On all of the OSX, Linux, BSD & Cygwin Vims I've used, it's always included a standard pack to choose from.

    http://vimcolors.com/

    https://github.com/flazz/vim-c...

  6. I've been using VIM for 20 years by Barefoot+Monkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've been using VIM for 20 years.

    I swear one of these days I'll figure out how to quit the damn thing!

  7. Re:Sigh by chthon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If only because the buffer and windows system from Emacs is still miles ahead of that in Vim.

  8. Re:Linux on the desktop by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 3, Interesting

    /sarcasm Because in order for Linux to succeed on the desktop you need to run some slow, bloated, shitty ribbon bar IDE right?

    It is obvious you don't deal with text day-in and day-out. Vim works because it becomes an extension of your mind once you learn how to use it. It is FAST. It can edit files of almost ANY size.

    * Linux won in the server space. 100% of the Top 500 supercomputers in the world run Linux.
    * Linux won in the mobile space. Linux runs on over 2 Billion monthly active devices.

    That leaves the desktop space.

    Guess what, no one gives a fuck that Windows dominates the desktop. People _already_ use Linux on the desktop. The only ones complaining about the "quantity" is you.

  9. Re:Ignores the same major issue as emacs: by menkhaura · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Every version is subtly different, and just because you can use the modern version doesn't mean you know the subset of common features that work everywhere."

    You are talking about the many vi clones that exist or existed (nvi, elvis, ex-vi, stevie etc). while the article mentions the One True Editor that came to rule them all, Vim, created by Bram Moolenaar. Today any *nix distribution is guaranteed to have vim available, and there is no such difference of common features anymore.

    --
    Stupidity is an equal opportunity striker.
    Fellow slashdotter Bill Dog