Windows for running hardware and doing experiments, linux for running computer models, and macs for generating articles and figures.
There is just not much support for other OSes for the vast majority of experimental hardware- load frames, cameras, data acquisition, Simulink, Labview, etc. This is especially true with smaller companies that sell very expensive equipment with custom software- it is almost always winXP and maybe win7.
Chances are good that when your students are running a small model then the OS doesn't matter, they will be using a common language that is available on all (java, FORTRAN, matlab). If it is a large, complex model, then they will be forced to use linux because the cluster they buy time on will require it.
If I am post-processing data to generate figures, articles, presentations, and reports, I use a mac- they are still the most productive OS for creativity, IMO.
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Windows for running hardware and doing experiments, linux for running computer models, and macs for generating articles and figures.
There is just not much support for other OSes for the vast majority of experimental hardware- load frames, cameras, data acquisition, Simulink, Labview, etc. This is especially true with smaller companies that sell very expensive equipment with custom software- it is almost always winXP and maybe win7.
Chances are good that when your students are running a small model then the OS doesn't matter, they will be using a common language that is available on all (java, FORTRAN, matlab). If it is a large, complex model, then they will be forced to use linux because the cluster they buy time on will require it.
If I am post-processing data to generate figures, articles, presentations, and reports, I use a mac- they are still the most productive OS for creativity, IMO.