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290 Comments
- chazuk, on 10/31/2007, -67/+1571. Cost - I've already paid for Windws. What do i save now? It's like buying a car and getting the bus.
2. Resources - I've already built myself a nice spec pc.
3. Performance - Runs fine to me.
4. No bloatware - I'm not stupid to install that "free" app and infest my pc with spyware. Firefox helps in this respect too.
5. Security - Comon sense + AV helps keep my pc clean. I don't really want to open XXXSCREENSAVER.scr.exe do i?
6. Dual Booting - Why do i want to dual boot? My Windows install does the same as a linux distro, plus all my games work. Why waste the hard drive space?
7. Installation - Installing an OS is a pleasure now eh? No thanks.
8. Reinstalling the OS - So i have to run windows update eh? Is that really such a pain?
9. Keeping track of software - I manage to install all my apps. Typing in the odd cd key isn't too hard now is it?
10.Updating software - Firefox updates itself, Office 2003 updates itself (With MS Update), Photoshop updates itself.... What is wrong with that?
11. More security - I don't get this one. What does "Hard manual labour" mean? Insatall OS, Install AV make sure router firewall is on and don't b a fool with emaill attachments or warez.
12. No need to defrag disks - Yes, somethign that i run whilst I'm in bed is such a drain... The HDD's keep me awake....
13. A wealth of built-in utilities - Now here's a thought. If Microsoft decided to include a ***** of applications that could compete with the other progrmas out there would they get away with it? ***** no. Look at the trouble MS got in with including Media Player and IE with the OS. There's be antitrust calims and software companies would be sueing MS left right and centre.....
Why did I reply with this? Because I'm constantly being told how good linux is and the time i've played with it has been fine, but why should I change somthing that works for me? Would Linux let me use my XBOX360 as a media center extender? Would it allow me to paly all the games I've paid for on my pc? What about all the software I've already bought? - freexe, on 10/21/2007, -5/+50It's not the OS for everyone, but I find I'm increasing installing on family computers as it's far easy for them to use (read: not break) and it's free.
- Schpariel, on 10/19/2007, -21/+551) No, you just paid for a specific version of Windows, you still have to pay for the next upgrade
2) Your nice spec PC will be reduced to a low-spec PC in the next few years, and I doubt you'll be able to run the next Windows version because of the increasing resource demands
3) See #2
4) Yes, but you still have to worry about it, because Windows is insecure by design, and what about about modularity and customization?, can you change the GUI in Windows?, can you replace the kernel?
5) Linux doesn't need any kind of AV, but you can use AppArmor for increased security if you're paranoid
6) Vista need 20 GB of hard drive space, Linux can fit on 2 - 7 GBs (and even less than 64 MB), depending on distro, also you can easily install linux without a CD or a seperate partition: http://wubi-installer.org/
7) Installing Linux is still faster, I would have a working machine before you start hunting for drivers
8) Windows update can only install security patches and service packs, but can you upgrade to the next major release or have a rolling release system? no.
9) I don't have to keep track of my software, I can update all my installed software and even core components of the OS with a few clicks, thanks to package management, and you don't need any software key with free software
10) Can you update the NT kernel? can you update the shell? can you auto-update any other piece of software you have. This is impossible to do without centralized package management
11) See #5
12) On Linux I can choose my own filesystem, I'm not limited to the slow NTFS, we have Ext3, Ext4, ReiserFS and my others. All of them have good error correction and don't fragment
13) Linux is modular, so you don't have anything built-in really, everything can be replaced, removed, installed or updated. You can't replace IE with Firefox on Windows, or remove Windows Media player
Why did I reply with this? Because I'm constantly being told how Windows is good enough and the time i've played with it has been fine, but I'm tired of upgrading my specs for each major version and paying lots of money for upgrades & software to get a working productive environment, I realized that you can get the same (or better) on Linux for free. - ScottyMcBaggs, on 10/21/2007, -1/+26Some people actually use their computers for things other than games.
- puppy16, on 10/19/2007, -9/+30Who says I don't use Linux? Did you read the article? I've had SimplyMepis on my laptop for several months, have dragged all my files across from the Windows partition, I'm learning to use OpenOffice and Scribus ... what else do I need to do to walk the walk?
Kim - willemmulder, on 10/21/2007, -3/+24"No TextPad", come oooon.
There's a GUI for everything, Picasa just works, Quicktime movies work, for the others, there are replacements.
Have you tried Linux lately? - RoboDonut, on 10/21/2007, -10/+281. That equates to "I use Windows because Dell tells me to"
2. I absolutely hate this argument. Everyone always brings it up. "I have a nice PC, why should I worry about resource usage?" Because you spent good money on that nice PC, and you want to get every last bit of performance out of the hardware. You wouldn't buy a fancy car, then fill it with concrete so that it drives slower, would you?
3. Use Linux with Fluxbox and some lightweight apps for about a week. When you switch back to Windows, you'll be surprised at how much less responsive it is.
4. You've never had a driver come with useless configuration utilities and ***** to fill up your quick launch bar?
5. Security is more of an issue for servers, but Windows is still really bad. Common sense doesn't protect you from everything. Windows does a lot without your knowledge.
6. I agree, dual booting is stupid. Linux only on my desktop. I have all the powerful CLI utilities, all the usual media players, web browsers, IM clients, and games (yes, games) all arranged logically instead of that "***** GOES WHEREVER WE PUT IT. IT COULD BE IN THE PROGRAM'S FOLDER, IT COULD BE IN YOUR DOCUMENTS FOLDER, OR MAYBE EVEN THE REGISTRY! DYNAMIC LINK LIBRARIES GO EVERYWHERE TOO, A COPY OF THE SAME LIBRARY FOR EVERY PROGRAM! GOOD LUCK UPDATING THEM ALL IF AN EXPLOIT IS EVER FOUND" system that Windows uses.
8. Four hours and six reboots might not sound like a lot for a single system, but when you're managing more than one, it's a complete pain in the ass.
9. I don't think you've ever used Linux...
10. It's not centralized. It's a ***** mess with every program using their own system. 75% of Windows apps don't even have an update utility.
11. With those steps you still wouldn't be secure...
12. This whole time you've been saying "how much harder is it to do X?" If you add up all these little things, you'll see that Windows is considerably harder to maintain. Defragging a filesystem might not sound like much to you, a Window user who only has to maintain one computer at a time, but it's blasphemy to those old Unix guys who have maintained many systems at a time.
13. "Would Linux let me use my XBOX360 as a media center extender?" No, but it'll allow you to use it as a MythTV frontend, which is pretty much the same thing, but a whole lot better. "Would it allow me to paly all the games I've paid for on my pc?" Yes. I play Half life 2, Half Life 2: Episode 1, Half Life 2: Episode 2, Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Garry's Mod, Team Fortress, Portal, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind/Tribunal/Bloodmoon, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (with HDR lighting, parallax mapping, etc.) and Call of Duty in Wine, and I play Unreal Tournament 2003/2004, Quake 4, Darwinia, Defcon, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, and (eventually) Unreal Tournament III natively in Linux. That's only the games I play, though. There's many more.
Your entire post sounds like the ***** rantings of some kid who's never used Linux in his life. - dcherryholmes, on 10/17/2007, -0/+14I'm not really addressing the "walk the walk" comment, but since you are posting here, I just wanted to say thanks for the nice article. It's very easy for some of my friends to dismiss descriptions of positive linux experiences as coming from "zealots", so when a known Windows guy gives a review like this, I think it counts a little more.
My only criticism of your article: you talked a lot about installing linux. You might have mentioned that Dell is selling linux pre-loaded (not worldwide... yet), and Lenovo and several other companies are going to do the same very soon. Installation is a big barrier, so that might be valuable knowledge for some. - hassmaschine, on 10/18/2007, -4/+18I'm all for linux, solaris, windows, whatever you want to run, but God almight can we stop with the evangelical approach to desktop OS's?
- bowens44, on 10/21/2007, -17/+31No one is suggesting that you should change if you're happy with what you have. Why do Windows users always get so defensive when anyone points out that there are alternatives?
- NeonGod, on 10/18/2007, -4/+17Read the headline again.
- Melenor, on 10/17/2007, -0/+12Wine/Cedega run all my games just fine, from World of Warcraft to Half Life 2 to Bioshock. Compared to my Windows machine, I don't even see a frame rate stutter (unless compiz is running at the same time). I've never been happier on a computer than I am with Linux running, playing my entire game library.
In other words, no one makes games for Linux, and as far as I'm concerned, they don't have to. - Dylan47, on 10/19/2007, -1/+12linux doesn't defrag at all, it doesn't need it, it stores data on the HDD in order to begin with.
- crichton101, on 10/17/2007, -7/+18To be honest there is one thing that keeps me from getting and using linux, and that's the inability to easily play many computer games on it. That looks to be changing as time goes on, but currently it's not exactly an easy fix. I can download wine or another program that will help me but they're aren't 100%.
- linksus, on 10/21/2007, -4/+13It already is.
- willemmulder, on 10/17/2007, -0/+9You fool, I recently installed XP again, NOTHING worked out of the box on my laptop.
Installed Ubuntu, EVERYTHING worked out of the box. Yes, really everything. - cbrunet, on 10/17/2007, -1/+10Its obviously not for everyone, but to say you need to spend hours hunting down drivers is just you being ignorant. Ubuntu has made HUGE STRIDES in including compatible plug and play hardware. My MP3 works natively in Ubuntu, but I have the hardest time getting it running in Windows. It works both ways, I've had to track down my fair share of Windows drivers as well.
As for MAC, well, I hope for the price I'm paying it all works fine. Sweet science. - Schpariel, on 10/18/2007, -2/+11
Quicktime works with some work http://www.wine-doors.org/screens/ss-operaqt.png , iTunes is almost there ( http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iAppId=1347 )
Dreamweaver has good alternatives like Nvu and Quanta, and it still works on Linux to an extent ( http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=v ...
Textpad has good alternatives and also works with WINE ( http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iAppId=85 )
Konqueror and Krusader are much, much better than total commander and TC works on WINE if you're too attached to it.
There is no need for AutoHotKey, as everything can be automated using shell scripts.
Picasa has a native Linux port: http://picasa.google.com/linux/
GIMP(shop) can be alternative to Paintshop, depending on your needs
Half-life 2 almost runs on WINE as well http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=v ...
Most of the stuff you listed either:
1) Works with WINE
2) Has a good alternative
3) Is not needed under Linux (autohotkey)
So, even if you are attached to these specific apps, and won't accept alternatives, Linux still has a good chance of becoming your desktop because of native ports (hopefully) & WINE. I won't be suprised if all of that works after 1-2 years. - Waiting2awake, on 10/19/2007, -3/+11How is the general user going to break anything without obtaining "root"?
Everyone except three people I have shown Linux to have adopted it at least partially. Those others are the typical windows user like the parent(no offense), which comes down to - "It works for me" mainly because he uses common sense - however, how many of the typical windows users follow this? How many times have you repeatedly(after explaining all about how virus', worms, malware, etc infects computers) had to remove the same things from the same computer because the users simply refuse to understand common sense. ..
The average user will not change, because to them, all is fine and if their machine is a zombie - as long as they don't have to change their behaviour, they care not. Which is fine IMO, but when kids refuse to stop running with scissors, the least we could do is give them children scissors so they don't hurt themselves(and everyone else connected to the net) too badly...
- MiddleOfNowhere, on 10/18/2007, -14/+22Sorry for assisting the devil’s advocate here, but here are 13 reasons Linux is *not* on my end-user desktop and won’t be anytime soon:
No QuickTime, no iTunes (yeah, blame Steve, I know).
No Dreamweaver.
No TextPad.
No (current version of) FrameMaker or "Help and Manual" (Technical documentation authoring).
No FileMaker.
No Cubase (Professional Sequencer).
No Total Commander.
No Trados (Translation Suite).
No AutoHotkey (user-friendly macro recorder).
No Picasa, no Paintshop.
No Premiere (Elements) or other slick video editing apps.
No Outlook (and syncing tools for Nokia mobile phones).
No Half-Life 2.
(Yes, I own all these apps/tools and use them on a daily basis.)
And *no*, I can’t work with half-baked collections of tools that may have *this* or *that* subset of the features I need - and/or require me to learn bizarre GUIs. (I am not saying that all Linux apps are like that, but whenever I poked around bootable distros, this was the impression I got from anything beyond OpenOffice.)
And I find it tiring that platform advocates keep ignoring the fact that users do not work (at least not much) on operating system level. We don’t give a sh*t about the OS as long as it is fairly stable.
We work with apps. See above. - geoken, on 10/19/2007, -2/+10I read the headline, it says nothing about switching. It's simply an article saying which answers the question 'why should I use Linux". The article is obviously written for the person who's in the position of choosing an OS for their next system. If that wasn't the case then the price arguments would have been omitted.
- cbrunet, on 10/17/2007, -1/+9Ummmm...http://digg.com/linux_unix/Quake_Wars_Linux_Demo_R ... ...?
- airiox, on 10/17/2007, -1/+8Nice, this week I switched to Suse 10.3. I've always hated linux, there has been some growing pains over the past week, but fortunately I stuck it out and must say as of tonight I am loving linux.
Now just awaiting Epics UT3 beta to hit linux. - willemmulder, on 10/17/2007, -0/+7you obviously didn't ever try to find them as well.
There are a lot of them, including most Windows games via Cedega/Wine. - kingkilr, on 10/19/2007, -0/+7Number 1 reason? sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get upgrade
- andycr512, on 10/21/2007, -1/+8Really? I switched to Linux precisely for that reason - Linux works, Windows doesn't.
XP, after only 2 months of being installed, ate my partition table, causing it to bluescreen on every boot - including "safe" mode. To add insult to injury, the Windows install disc couldn't read the partitions, but Linux could (after complaining about them being messed up).
I do programming, mainly in C++ and python. On Windows, I had two major choices - Visual C++ Express or Eclipse/MinGW. VC++ Express is minimal, and they want thousands of dollars for the simplest of extra features (multicpu compiling comes to mind, and I've been told they don't even do that right after you've paid thousands). Eclipse on Windows buys me SVN, CVS, task-oriented development and multicpu compiling, among other things, but the debugger really doesn't work on Windows.
So, I switched to Linux. Eclipse and GCC work perfectly together, and the debugger works. I have all the features of VC++ and tons more, and out of curiosity asked a Windows developer with thousands of dollars of MS tools how quickly he compiled a given project we were both working on - both clean and in debug mode. His time was 1:18 - mine was 0:18 on a machine that was 50% slower. Needless to say, he was ticked off. I guess you don't always get what you pay for... - Schpariel, on 10/19/2007, -5/+12It actually does, how about reading the system requirements for Microsoft's site?: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsv ...
> 20 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space - Altotus, on 10/17/2007, -2/+9Good point. For some people, Windows is good enough. XP is a very good OS, particularly for games (mostly by virtue of so many games written for it, not for any technical reason) and some Microsoft apps (ironically, some MS apps perform better on non-MS operating systems). Linux mostly appeals to the novice and the power user, not the in-between "Windows is good enough" crowd.
Most non-profits and schools that use Linux generally cite legal reasons (simpler licenses, no issues with license accounting or transfer, no compliance auditing, no mandatory submission to BSA audits, etc.), customizability, and maintenance reasons (much cheaper and easier to centrally maintain). Most businesses either rely on it for server applications (better security and performance, more server apps, easier to customize and maintain), higher performance clusters, or for technical workstations (higher performance, more applications, better supports homogeneous environments).
Linux seems to appeal to the power user, the novice user, and the institutional user. However, for the experienced user of Windows, it's probably not worth looking into unless you're looking for a job that might involve working with Linux in a corporate/instituional capacity or might get involved in international business (where Linux has become the lingua franca of computing infrastructure). - duhblah, on 10/17/2007, -3/+9So steer clear of the Linux/Unix section.
- dcherryholmes, on 10/21/2007, -0/+6Some Windows problems lie between the keyboard and the forehead, sure. But there are many, many other ones that do not. Not every issue seems relevant to every person, but things like DRM, or Vista's hoggish nature, or vertical lock-in via non-standards, or virii and the need to piss away cycles to deal with them.... the list could go on and on, but I think you can see my point.
- RoboDonut, on 10/19/2007, -0/+6Did I say it was right for everyone?
I didn't.
I don't like forcing Linux on Windows users or Windows on Linux users.
What I can't stand is when uninformed people bash an OS they don't know ***** about. - Phocion55, on 10/21/2007, -13/+18Nice. I actually dugg you up....this is a well thought out comment with some content. Some points I don't necessarily agree on but whatever.
It's nice to see something other than the third grade level "OMGLOL no gamez in Linux so Linux juts sux lol" comments that plague these types of threads. - arbulus, on 10/17/2007, -0/+5That driver argument with Linux is stale. I've NEVER had a problem with drivers. Plugging in printers, they work right away. If there is an accelerated driver for your video card, Ubuntu will find it automatically. Every single peripheral or PCI card I've ever plugged in has worked right out of the box, no setup, no drivers. Everything just works.
- andycr512, on 10/18/2007, -1/+6"No Half-Life 2"
http://i24.tinypic.com/256crk9.png (HL2 runs perfectly as well) - smunsch, on 10/19/2007, -2/+7So can XP and previous versions, with some scheduling. But vista's defragger is horridly slow (contig takes less than half the time to do twice the space) and our energy bill is already high enough without me leaving computers on overnight
- credence, on 10/17/2007, -1/+6Also a good many newer games are starting to see ports: Think Enemy Territory, possibly Steam related stuff (though that's blatant speculation at this point), etc.
- mckooiker, on 10/17/2007, -3/+8Ok, thats is for now a good argument (and one of the few good ones) to vote for windows. It is indeed changing fast with quake, UT and the older games (like WIII) that already run on linux.
- willemmulder, on 10/18/2007, -4/+9totally true. Dugg up.
- Gavagai80, on 10/21/2007, -0/+5If you don't encounter anything you dislike about your current operating system, then sure, keep using it. XP may well meet your needs, it just didn't meet mine. On the other hand, the people who spend their time complaining about their OS should give a few alternatives a real chance.
- aaronm67, on 10/19/2007, -3/+7...if you build a nice spec PC, there's no reason not to use it. Fluxbox is a minimal window manager designed for low end PCs, there isn't really any reason to run it if you can run a full featured window manager.
Also, Linux is no better about application installing (though it's getting better). Instead of "*****, where did that install to?" it's "*****, did it install to /opt or /etc? Were those config files in ~/. or the install directory?"
And...Linux has updates too, and you will have to restart for some of them.
And...it's easy to configure Windows to run maintenance automatically, just as easy as it is to configure automatic Linux maintenance.
And, finally...XBox 360 vs MythTV isn't a comparison. Most people buy an XBox 360 for the console games, and the extra features (like being able to watch files from your computer shares) are really nice.
You need to wake up. Linux isn't right for everyone, Windows isn't right for everyone. Some people have absolutely no reason to switch. - arcticblue, on 10/17/2007, -0/+4Your argument works the other way around too. Try sitting someone who has mostly used Linux (let's say Ubuntu for this example) and ask them to install a piece of software in Windows. My 13 year old brother started using Ubuntu on his own about 2 years ago after his 3rd time installing Windows due to viruses and spyware (he's a Limewire whore). He had no input from me (I'm in another country), had no problems installing it, and has had no problems using it. His computer is now Ubuntu-only and he is going to be upgrading to Gutsy tomorrow. I gotta say, he's a smart kid... I thought Windows was all there was when I was 13.
Your hardware argument is semi-valid, but there IS a list on the side of the box the hardware came in that says which OSes are officially supported. Same with games. If a piece of hardware doesn't work in Linux, then it is the hardware manufacturers fault for not giving specs.
Linux is still a little rough around the edges, but so is every other OS. In all honesty though, I think the heart of Linux surpasses just about everything out there, but what kills it for many people are the lack of specs for some hardware (leading to the lack of hardware support, or hardware only half-working), the lack of consistency and cooperation between developers ("MY way is better", "No MINE is better"...and then nothing gets done), the lack of really good UI designers (have you seen Rhythmbox? Gtkpod? Great apps, but an eye sore), and the evangelical part of the community (you know, the people who demand everything to be open and would rather rather drink their own pee than have to convert their OGG collection to the more widely accepted MP3 ) - RoboDonut, on 10/19/2007, -2/+6Tell me where it says "You must install Linux"
"Should" means that you can CHOOSE not to click the link if you are not interested in Linux.
Microsoft is better at forcing their stuff on people than some people on the interenet. - geoken, on 10/18/2007, -2/+6Lets see, we have a rational argument, honestly discussing the benefits then we have some guy who can't come up with anything better than "If you use Linux you're dumb". Hmmm, I wonder who the stuck up, close minded child is?
- dacheetah, on 10/17/2007, -0/+4No, as of Mac OSX, using the Mac OS is like using Linux (Or at least BSD Unix).
The Mac OS became a lot better when it switched to a *nix kernel, it's just about usable now. (Still a lot of things I dis-like about it, but it's leaps and bounds better than OS9.) - STKD, on 10/17/2007, -5/+91) No, you just paid for a specific version of Windows, you still have to pay for the next upgrade
You assume he paid... Fine. If someone has Vista installed now, they can always keep it. If not see you in 5-10 years. Not that much of a hassle.
2) Your nice spec PC will be reduced to a low-spec PC in the next few years, and I doubt you'll be able to run the next Windows version because of the increasing resource demands
Your nice spec Linux box has the same problem. You think Linux in 5-10 years won't need more resources? Ah of course, you can keep it. Just like Windows. The reason we have increasing demands is also that we have these things called "games". They're optional, as is upgrading to play them. Many of us choose to stay up to date with them, many don't.
3) See #2
See response to #3.
4) Yes, but you still have to worry about it, because Windows is insecure by design, and what about about modularity and customization?, can you change the GUI in Windows?, can you replace the kernel?
Can you change the GUI? Well, yes you can. Vista, Server 2003 (and 2008) and XP are all extremely tweakable. The difference is that unlike Linux, it at least HAS a consistent GUI in the first place. If you really want to go crazy, throw Stardock or something similar on there.
Why would I want to replace the kernel? We have drivers for new and old hardware and our kernel works just fine and shiny.
5) Linux doesn't need any kind of AV, but you can use AppArmor for increased security if you're paranoid
I haven't run AV software on my Server 2K3 or XP machines for oh, three or four years now. Hardware firewall, software firewall plus the always beneficial fact that I am not a moron. Viruses do not just appear without something stupid being done first, and complacency of having an OS you think won't be targeted won't help you either. Still if it makes people like you feel better to think there's some kind of epidemic...
6) Vista need 20 GB of hard drive space, Linux can fit on 2 - 7 GBs (and even less than 64 MB), depending on distro, also you can easily install linux without a CD or a seperate partition: http://wubi-installer.org/
Last try, I fit Vista into about 3-4. vLite does the trick. 2K8 Server takes up even less. Even Ultimate "only" requires 10-12. If you want to argue distro size, I have a custom 2K3 from a while back that's a 70mb iso and fits in 1-200mb HDD space. Or I could make a personalised livecd as I use on my laptop. I also remember hearing the problems reported last time there was a digg thread about wubi.
7) Installing Linux is still faster, I would have a working machine before you start hunting for drivers
Distro dependant, just like any OS install. Besides, us Windows users tend to rarely have to reinstall. Last I tried Vista it took barely 20 minutes. Then there's the fact our OS isn't revised every few months. :P
8) Windows update can only install security patches and service packs, but can you upgrade to the next major release or have a rolling release system? no.
Haven't tried myself but fairly certain Vista can upgrade exactly like that with a new key iirc. Bang goes that argument.
9) I don't have to keep track of my software, I can update all my installed software and even core components of the OS with a few clicks, thanks to package management, and you don't need any software key with free software
Yay. You can use the equivalent of Windows Update then. Well done. Extra software? Still have to install it just the same. If serials are such a problem to reuse once or twice every few years, you have far bigger issues. Still, Linux, reinstalling every few months. Now that would be a pain...
10) Can you update the NT kernel? can you update the shell? can you auto-update any other piece of software you have. This is impossible to do without centralized package management
No. Not that any of us has any need to anyway. I think I already covered this above. Oh... protip? You'll find just about every app these days will have an auto update system. This isn't something new.
11) See #5
See response to #5. What did you run out of arguments?
12) On Linux I can choose my own filesystem, I'm not limited to the slow NTFS, we have Ext3, Ext4, ReiserFS and my others. All of them have good error correction and don't fragment
Don't even get me started on that filesystem nightmare. Come back when you guys have consistency nailed. Incidentally if it's so much faster, why does OpenOffice still take *FAR* longer to open on a Linux install on the same hardware?
13) Linux is modular, so you don't have anything built-in really, everything can be replaced, removed, installed or updated. You can't replace IE with Firefox on Windows, or remove Windows Media player
Completely and utterly wrong. Check out vLite, or any decent tweak app, or XP "N" or.... I could go on. I will promise you a customised XP/Vista/Server is far, far easier to create with those than a custom Linux distro. Less chance of breaking it too. - Armitage2k, on 10/18/2007, -1/+5Wait, so now I have to write drivers for something that just works in Windows? Another benefit to Linux I guess... I get to learn to be a driver programmer!!
- immrlizard, on 10/17/2007, -1/+5I think that the point that many have missed is that the current version of windows will expire. The new versions take much more memory and do not deliver any better or more secure of a product. This is where the option for using a version of Linux comes in. As they have already mentioned, it may not be good for everyone, but it is more then a suitable replacement for most people. I personally have switched over a dozen people over to it and all but one are still using it without any problems. They are what I consider typical computer users. None of the are "gamers" so they don't even know a difference except they are using programs that have different names then they are used to using. All of them are 50+ years or older and not what I would consider exceptionally geeky. I don't buy the whole "it is too hard to learn argument" I got a couple of calls or e-mails for the first week or two and now it is like they have been using it all along. Those were mostly because they didn't remember what program to use for mail and that type of thing. Microsoft has put out some decent products in its time, but vista is not one of them. For those not willing to buy another crappy piece of software that was only put out there to make more money for the microsoft folks there is an easy and free alternative. If they try it and don't like it they can then go out and buy a new machine and take the plunge into the world of vista.
- andycr512, on 10/19/2007, -1/+5"The GUI is slower than XP,"
Maybe I believe you, though I certainly haven't experienced that - but it also does a ton more than XP. A more apt comparison would be Vista.
"the applications are not nearly as good,"
That is a matter of opinion.
"and it crashes more."
I call bull. Tip: Don't run betas. If you weren't running betas, well... I've -never-, in 4 years of using Linux, had it crash so badly I had to reboot. I had the graphics driver crash and not come back up -once-, causing me to restart, but I was pulling software right out of SVN so I got what was coming to me. - Waiting2awake, on 10/17/2007, -1/+5I fully installed a FC6 system on a PC that chugged on XP with SP2. A complete format, install, updates and running within 2.5 hours. Complete with all DVD codecs, MP3 support, etc, etc, etc, etc..
It found every peice of hardware I had, printers, scanners, camera's, my treo, etc, etc.... While all they also work from XP - I needed disks for the scanner, camera and treo. Not so with FC 6.
I believe you're working on a much outdated assumption. - Dylan47, on 10/17/2007, -1/+4I once hesitated for the same reason, but as i aspired for a career in programing i knew i had to get familiar with linux and playing games was placed as a much lower priority.
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