I think you can get applications of both categories for both OS. Since you are asking for the number, I can estimate it's clearly Windows

32-bit Windows?

Well the reason I asked was because I bought a cheap secondary laptop w/only a 64gb ssd drive. I cloned and overwrote the supplied windows 11s installation, presently have lubuntu. I can apparently install a 2nd nvme ssd, which is really nice. I don't need a lot of primary storage, I could add a 2nd ssd, 256gb say, and habe both os's. This way I'll be able to do whatever comes my way. And leave windows 11 there only for certain applications, never the internet. **** you Microshaft.

with a linux distro you could just apt-get install all the things and be set. The apps are mostly covered, though it's really down to a distro's downstream telling you what to use, which means for some architectures/distros there's no Seamonkey, and a full dist-upgrade may have the risk of taking something away.

I didn't know something like lubuntu had a vast s/w repository. Or does it just use Ubuntu's? Debian has an online repository. You can't even get debian anymore without a torrent. Too damned big.

I had a second desktop that had Windows 10 but decided to shift it to linux partly to see how far I could get from Windows given that I have fairly limited (or so I thought) specific needs other than games. Answer: not far. I chose debian because I've used it on and off since potato.

The debian box is brilliant for running certain servers over my network for access from various devices, and I was pleasantly surprised that DaVinci Resolve runs fine on the machine (although I don't actually use it much). But certain proprietary software I do need doesn't have linux versions or indeed suitable equivalents for linux, and Wine and related apps dont work well enough with them so that concluded that side of the experiment.

I think Linux has a lot of nerdy and popular software.
Or more precisely, the stuff that people are assumed to need.

Enter the world of lots of dependencies, scripts and half-finished projects, forked multiple times.
If you install, compile all flavors, you can use them, each one which essential is the same program, but for another purpose. 😉

Windows 32-Bit has/had very specialized software made by minorities.
Especially from the heydays of Visual Basic Classic, VS C++ 6 and Delphi.
Obscure stuff, you know, from hobbyists with niche hobbies.
Unfortunately, Windows Vista/7 and especially 8-11 broke lots of things in the meantime.
So an emulator or VM running Windows 98/2K/XP is nice to have.

Mac OS 9/X is or was sort of in between.
Less "see how far you come all by yourself" software (Linux) and more professional software (Windows).
Unfortunately, ports originating from Windows weren't as feature complete or compatible sometimes.
Plugins were missing, the compatibility to Windows formats weren't complete etc.
Still, the GUI interface was more consistent and less quick&dirty was code underneath.

Edit: Picture added.
Edit: Yes, Linux has lots of stuff that's free, but so is STD.
Anyway, Linux has its place. Just needs users with patience. And a fast internet connection.

Dinner and drinks aren't free.

Ok so windows is sort of a necessity. Wine is fine for 32 bit apps, no? Wondering if it's even possible to i stall a 32 bit windows on raw hardware these days. Of course when I tried thr answer was an emphatic no. If for no other reason uefi. And a host of other reasons.

chris2021 wrote on 2022-07-20, 21:16:

Wine is fine for 32 bit apps, no?

Sure, it has both a 32-bit and a 64-bit component in the official distributions. You can configure different windows environments for it. Or just execute the windows program, and if you are lucky, wine will just run it like that.

chris2021 wrote on 2022-07-20, 21:16:

Dinner and drinks aren't free.

Except at the railway mission! 😁

Ok, that was a lousy joke. 🙁
Perhaps I need to train my humor skills much more.

chris2021 wrote on 2022-07-20, 21:16:

Ok so windows is sort of a necessity. Wine is fine for 32 bit apps, no?

Yes, generally, yes. In the past, 16-Bit support in 32-Bit WINE was fine, too.
But some specialized features like serial port pass-through seem broken.
Never got my serial devices to work properly through WINE for some reasons.
Even after fixing permissions, setting up aliases and so on.
Maybe Cedega or the other WINE ports are more complete/compatible. 🤷‍♂️

PS: Maybe hotdog OS is interesting for you.
It can look like various vintage OSes and is Linux based.

Hotdog Linux..

WINE maybe runs on it mot sure.

chris2021 wrote on 2022-07-20, 20:10:

I didn't know something like lubuntu had a vast s/w repository. Or does it just use Ubuntu's? Debian has an online repository. You can't even get debian anymore without a torrent. Too damned big.

You get the extra software using the official Ubuntu or Debian repositories. You can even install/use third party software, compile from source or use FlatPack or similar to install other software.It is a as simple as. Like most Linux distros these days.

Jo22 wrote on 2022-07-20, 20:57:

Edit: Picture added.

About that picture.
What I really was not prepared for when toying with Linux in the past two years, is how updates can affect things you don't expect and don't like. A partial update can make a Linux system unbootable, because certain parts of the install then need different library versions. Libraries like Windows dll-files. So apparently I was not the only one affected, because later I noticed partial updates were no longer allowed, for that exact reason (Solus Mate Distro).
With a full update all the curated packages generally keep working, but afterwards my own compiled projects may nag about library mismatches, and wine pre-configured environments+starters may fail.

Then again, I am told Windows 10 also did things like that with updates.

I may have heard the term, but didn't know what the RM was. They're obsessed with data collection like so many others these days. Also wasn't aware they setved drinks.

ratfink wrote on 2022-07-20, 20:32:

But certain proprietary software I do need doesn't have linux versions or indeed suitable equivalents for linux, and Wine and related apps dont work well enough with them so that concluded that side of the experiment.

yes.

(quoting because it's turned linux evangelizing already)

gerwin wrote on 2022-07-20, 21:45:

A partial update can make a Linux system unbootable, because certain parts of the install then need different library versions. Libraries like Windows dll-files. So apparently I was not to only one affected, because later I noticed partial updates were no longer allowed, for that exact reason (Solus Mate Distro).

I've recently had a Raspi OS update get bricked by a release upgrade so that risk is also true (and also broke steamlink without warning). Even worse is when it plays smart and uninstalls your preferred deprecated wlan daemon because downstream doesn't have it anymore leaving you stranded while they only support this archaic wpasupplicant thing made up of confusingly pathed delicate text files.

Also the desktop settings always reset to the same unreadable bright grays + thin fonts because of 'branding packages' 😀

leileilol wrote on 2022-07-20, 21:47:

ratfink wrote on 2022-07-20, 20:32:

But certain proprietary software I do need doesn't have linux versions or indeed suitable equivalents for linux, and Wine and related apps dont work well enough with them so that concluded that side of the experiment.

yes.

(quoting because it's turned linux evangelizing already)

Well I haven't noticed it at all.

Bit of a strange comment when members are just trying to help the OP.

Least costly method is make sure to get used computer with windows 7 Pro or Windows 10 Pro COA already bound in the motherboard's firmware by purchasing HP or Dell business computer. Usually runs about 200 to 300 CAD computer ready to go and save some more later and upgrade these.

Cheers,