What is the plural of OS?

[kleinma]

What do you guys think the plural way to write/say the acronym OS (short of operating system of course) is correct in English?

I have looked around and found some people saying the plural is:

OS
OSes
OS's
OSs

I personally always say it as if it was spelled like OSes or OS's, but I don't have to write it too often...

Based on a site showing the rules of when an apostrophe is used, it claims:
1) to form possessives of nouns
2) to show the omission of letters
3) to indicate certain plurals of lowercase letters.

But I don't really think any of those cases apply here...

[kregg]

I'd say OSes. or OS's.

[homer13j]

I'd say OSes. or OS's.

No. Misuse of apostrophes will draw the wrath of Mendhak.

OSes or OSs.

In the event that spelling out "Operating Systems" is too hard...

[kregg]

Well most of this forum cannot even begin to spell "Visual Basic".

Also,

[mendhak]

It's OSs or OSes (homer13j got it! It makes my heart feel golden rays of sunshine to see this)

It is a plural of an acronym and a simple s or es (whichever is less confusing) at the end suffices. So it's more commonly (or clearly) OSes and MOSSes and CMOSes and DOSes.

Rule of thumb: The apostrophe to denote a plural at the end of an acronym is acceptable if you're using dots (M.O.D's) or if the acronym/letter is lower case (p's and q's is right; Ps and Qs is right).

[zaza]

It's OSs or OSes (homer13j got it! It makes my heart feel golden rays of sunshine to see this)

It is a plural of an acronym and a simple s or es (whichever is less confusing) at the end suffices. So it's more commonly (or clearly) OSes and MOSSes and CMOSes and DOSes.

Rule of thumb: The apostrophe to denote a plural at the end of an acronym is acceptable if you're using dots (M.O.D's) or if the acronym/letter is lower case (p's and q's is right; Ps and Qs is right).

Shouldn't that be "suffice's"?

[Atheist]

I would just go with "Operating systems"

[kleinma]

But you can say it, so surely there must be a correct way to spell it.

[penagate]

Not necessarily — spoken language tends to differ from written language. Else we'd be writin' like this innit.

[mendhak]

'specially wif dem folk from up north dere, yous be surprised ta learn aboot it.*


*If you don't recognize it, then you clearly don't know this relatively invented English tribe

[mendhak]

Shouldn't that be "suffice's"?

[wossname]

Systems of Operation

[Foxer]

A gaggle of OS?

[MaximilianMayrhofer]

Windows:

A bloat of OS.

Linux:

A great steaming turd of OS.

Mac:

There are no words to express the horror associated with more than one Mac in a single location.

[kregg]

Linux:

A great steaming turd of OS.

But what a great steaming turd of an OS... Corr!

[penagate]

Corr!

That reminds me, I haven't seen BodwadUK around here for a while.

[wossname]

But what a great steaming turd of an OS... Corr!

Indeed, if there I had to select only a single great steaming turd of an OS to take with me to a desert island, then Linux would be it.

All the other OSs are just imitating.

[kregg]

That reminds me, I haven't seen BodwadUK around here for a while.

Yeah, he comes and goes very quickly.

[Torc]

Mac:

There are no words to express the horror associated with more than one Mac in a single location.

This would be a Mac Factory in the first phase of its life cycle,
followed by a shop of Macs in the second phase,
then finishing with either a rubbish dump of Macs;
or a recyling center of Macs for the more ecologically minded.

Please note that phase two is sometimes skipped.

[wossname]

I heard that Apple's next iteration of the iPod will be called the Hadron.

The LHC probably won't discover the secret of the universe but it will sound great.

[homer13j]

I heard that Apple's next iteration of the iPod will be called the Hadron.

[kleinma]

That green thumb just looks weird...

[MaximilianMayrhofer]

[kregg]

And there's me thinking the headphones should be in the ears.

[MaximilianMayrhofer]

yea well you just killed THAT one.

[kregg]

Now we all must use Ubuntu or otherwise this Microsoft-based forum is at risk!!

[dclamp]

What do you guys think the plural way to write/say the acronym OS (short of operating system of course) is correct in English?

I have looked around and found some people saying the plural is:

OS
OSes
OS's
OSs

I personally always say it as if it was spelled like OSes or OS's, but I don't have to write it too often...

Based on a site showing the rules of when an apostrophe is used, it claims:
1) to form possessives of nouns
2) to show the omission of letters
3) to indicate certain plurals of lowercase letters.

But I don't really think any of those cases apply here...

OI is actually the correct term.

Examples:
OS -> OI
Octopus -> Octopi
Cactus -> Cacti

[kregg]

OI is actually the correct term.

Examples:
OS -> OI
Octopus -> Octopi
Cactus -> Cacti

*slaps self in the forehead*

OS isn't a word, it's an abbreviation of Operating System. You can't say Operating Systemi.

Besides, in most cases (if not all cases) you need to have "ui" at the end to make it into an "i" for plural pronunciation, so even if OS was an actual word, it still wouldn't work.

[penagate]

OI is actually the correct term.

Only in Australia.

[visualAd]

Like 1990s

[kregg]

On Saturdays

[BillGeek]

*slaps self in the forehead*

This Thread Is Useless Without Pictures!

[kregg]