Why Linux should be taken over Vista
1. The price
Nice and simple concept, Vista ranges from $499 to $129. Ubuntu is free. Fedora is free. PCLinuxOS is free. You get the picture.
2. Pick what suits you best
Dozens of distros means that the end user can seek advice to find the best match for their needs. Then there's the whole Gnome/KDE decision so there's a whole world of options available meaning you can do computing whichever way you've always wanted to.
3. The CommunityThe Linux community is an active and helpful group of people able to provide advice, support and any number of tips. This means that if you're stuck or at a loose end - there's a massive group of people (for each major distro) on hand to help you out. This is not something Microsoft offers beyond a help section on their website.
4. Hardware
Make no mistake; your hardware of yesteryear is going to perform much more comfortably on Linux than it is on Vista. You're looking at 1gb of RAM for Vista for comfortable running. Linux should manage on 256mb. So no need to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on a new computer just yet.
5. Viruses
Slightly over-trodden ground but it's still as valid as point as ever. Everyone is concerned about viruses and malware and this simply isn't a real concern on Linux. Sure if you're being stupid bad things can happen but there's an exponentially reduced risk of this on Linux. So lest you be safe in your browsing.
6. Regular Updates
Get tired of things quickly? Well distros such as Ubuntu release a new version every 6 months allowing you to receive new features on a bi-annual basis. For free don't forget. So every 6 months you'll get a more stable, more user friendly, more compatible version of your operating system? Useful.
7. Digital Rights Management
Vista is looking to be fully supportive of DRM (meaning that the music you download/buy/rip has limited functionality depending on what you want to do with it). Most people like freedom and Vista is a movement in the opposite direction.
8. Genuine Advantage
Microsoft has already expressed a keen interest in monitoring your activities with the Windows Genuine Advantage tool. I, personally don't trust it because I don't like my software habits being broadcasted. Things are unlikely to become less invasive with Vista so that's a concern worth expressing.
9. Do you like being treated like a child?
Well Vista insists on doing so whether you're a power user or not. "Warning, you are about to do this" and "Are you sure you wish to do that?" are abundant. Personally I dislike too much hand-holding - I like assistance WHEN I request it, not every step of the way.
10. Customisation
Finally, because most things are done in an open source way, it means that dedicated members of the community can modify the code to create mash-ups or extra functionality. This means that whatever you want - it can be done (if it hasn't already) without having to pay for new software.
Just some thoughts on why average users should care about Linux. It may be less cuddly than Windows but there's a whole new world out there for free which I think some people don't appreciate.
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Showing most recent 20 of 26 comments [View all comments]
The cost though, I didn’t buy my copy of Vista Ultimate, I downloaded it aswell and spent $0.49 on a DVD-R at wal-mart. I also downloaded office enterpise and burnt it. All my music is torrent sites so I don’t need to worry about DRM (Pirates don’t buy these songs and then crack them, they just buy the CD for $20 which doesn’t usually have DRM (or at least, cracking isn’t needed as there are programs that do it legally).
I disable UAC, simple as pi (3.141592653589793238462643383279 50288419716939937510). Viruses don’t bother me, and with a little easy as pi (3.141592653589793238462643383279 50288419716939937510) hacking in the registry I can easily get Aero to work on my XP designed computer (geforce fx 5500 256mb pci).
It’s amazing, and i’ve been getting everyone I know to try it out. Out of the eight people I convinced to try Ubuntu, six of them are keeping it permanently.
They were amazed when I told them how fast updates come, what a great support community there is and how you can completely customize your installation.
Not to mention they quickly fell in love with OpenOffice ;)
The best part was probably when they asked me how much it all cost, and I told them nothing :D
If the Linux community was serious, they would all fall behind one distribution and all the programmers would work to support that distribution.
Instead, you see endless discussion about what distribution version users should load. What desktop to use, etc.
Wake up people.
2 - Installing applications for Linux, using PCLinuxOS, is easier than under Windows. You don’t scour the internet looking for something, then having to run thru install programs. This is a time-saving advantage all around, and also greatly helps out barely-computer-literate people.
3 - Key Windows apps can run under Linux with Crossover Wine, and some games can run 100% with the commercial gaming version of Wine. No hacking required. And yes, this does INCLUDE PhotoShop.
4 - You don’t have to use the command-line in Linux, with a great desktop distro, any more that you’d have to in Windows.
5 - Linux is NOT for folks who are stuck on Windows apps whose newest version won’t run under Linux. Also, it is NOT for folks who see breaking their computing habits as a huge hassle. The latter is understandable, but it in no way makes a distro like PCLinuxOS a hassle itself.
6 - Linux doesn’t have all the applications that Windows does. But Linux has plenty of open-source applications (it’s NOT freeware -- it has nothing to do with what you pay or don’t pay for) that don’t play catch-up to Windows apps. Linux is far beyond what OS/2 was in its prime.
Linux PDF Creator(FREE) - http://linux.softpedia.com/get/System/Archiving/Indexed-PDF-Creator-1071.shtml
Pixel(Photoshop Clone) - $39($79) - http://www.kanzelsberger.com/pixel/?page_id=12
Linux Flash Player - http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&P2_Platform=Linux&P3_Browser_Version=Netscape4
Who gives a crap about Adobe. There’s a TON of better alternatives. :)
And here’s the 1 reason I’m not switching:
Commercial apps aren’t available on Linux. Adobe apps, anyone? Flash IDE? Illustrator? Flex Builder? Until the Linux community learns to accept commercial apps, linux (on the dektop) will always be crap.
"And apparently you can’t be bothered to notice that you’re date is in the FUTURE."
You’re = you are. I think you meant YOUR. So I wouldn’t complain about grammar if I were you.
"Why Linux should be taken over Vista" was probably not the best name for the article, thanks for your concern.
[ 08-01-2007 ]
"And apparently you can’t be bothered to notice that you’re date is in the FUTURE."
How is it? 8th of January (1st) 2007. Not hard to work out. There are more ways than the US date/time format. In the UK we do DD/MM/YYYY.
So please, don’t swear on the site and don’t insult me personally - I don’t come to your hobbies and insult you, so don’t do it to me.
he uses the browser , checks his email
thats what the "average user does"
non average users download stuff burn stuff create software and graphics and play games. my isp stated that 94% of there users use less than 30GB transfer a month. based on 4 million homes you get the picture.
and the pricing on new computers doubled when vista came out literally and it wasnt new hardware , both dell and MDG both did it and when no one bought into ti they slashed prices to make it look as though you were getting a deal when in fact its the same hardware as 6 months ago and now its like 30% more in price.
mandriva powerpack isn’t a free desktop but for its cheap price you get all you need including the gaming and NON drm crap. plus what a full dvd a software.
its a lot easier to install i don’t get it. I actually showed my dad what he would have to do with windows versus linux and he said.
"these MS guys , they are not so bright eh?"
( from a 61 year old who has done quite well in life with business )
And what average person wants to buy a brand new anyhting when you can show them that for 100$ they can buy a 1ghz computer to do what the "average" person does"
chat
browse the net
get email
the above three are the common
next is download
music games and movies
and so being able to watch those
on windows i try and use apps i can also get for linux so if i have to show people i can get them into those apps.
Now if they can use those apps on windows what is your point about linux being harder? FUD.
its been a while since linux has been "ready"
and its now getting candy and look put to it.
the 3d menus on mandriva are neat and novel for advanced users but average user dont need them.
also that same dad has expressed a need ot get a dvd player
i stated you dont need one thats 100$ for your tv when you can get one for 20$ for your computer. VISTA (15% of computers wont be able to use store bought dvds) how is this easier for a consumer. Device revocation when it lands will be a hacker nightmare, mark my words. I can see a ton a law suits coming out of it. that 50 billion in the bank will be eaten up buy it.
And as for distros its a taste and feel mandriva aka mandrake has always been interested in a desktop 1st, while redhat Suse and even ubuntuu are going corporate servers 1st and there desktops second.
Linux is in the server area quite nicely and i gather they want to keep it there fine, however to make a true run at MS you need a mandriva like desktop.
btw i tried 3 differing installs a ubuntuu on vmware and NONE worked for the video display mandriva worked 1st time as did redhat enter prise and fedora.
everyone touts ubuntu i find if yah cant show the windows user on his windows box you will have a harder time migrating him off it.
Also i note that firefox runs WAY better and quicker on linux. and i ran mandriva on vmware on 160 meg ram and buy 180 it was smooth ola.
it bewilders me how they can say 2 gig for vista. greedy people.
What kind of moron posts with a grammatical error in his title?
[ 08-01-2007 ]
And apparently you can’t be bothered to notice that you’re date is in the FUTURE.
I didn’t get bother reading anything else. You’re obviously a fucking retard. You should be flipping burgers, not writing about computers.
1) It really depends on what you are willing to put up with: linux is free but it isnt really like windows where everything is essentially done for you, a lot of the time you do things yourself- good way to learn about your computer.
2) ya there are tons of distros, but only a few of them are known enough to really be noticed by newbies. [recommendations for instance]
3) it really depends where you go, the community varies- if you don;t like one, it is fairly simple to find another that is more friendly/knowledgable
4) people do buy new computers alot but what point is there to letting an older computer go to waste? put linux on it and done correctly it works fine.
5) that\’s true. windows has its problems but if you understand enough about it you\’ll probably be ok.
6) ya microsoft updates things after all hell breaks loose.
7) it shouldn\’t surprise anyone that the average users won\’t notice DRM\’s effects- most people don\’t even change their default home page in IE...
8) ok the windows genuine advantage thing is more annoying and creepy as far as the potential use of information gathering than scary.
9) ok which would you rather have: never being asked your password and getting virus\’/spyware or being asked your password and virus\’/spyware being a rare occurance? this is one of those things where it comes down to what matters to you- security or ease of use.
10) most people don\’t use [or are even aware of] anywhere near what their computer can do- if you don\’t need much use windows- if you like to tweak things use linux.
But, quit arguing about which is EASIER linux or windows.
Mac, hands down is the most user friendly computer to NON-powerusers.
my wife know NOTHING about computers and loves her MAC.
I actually have become a fan too. OSX kills XP and since it is based on the UNIX kernal, it is very similar to some builds of linux.
drop microsoft, go with a linux pc or Mac (or a linux mac)
Having said that, Linux is still not to the point where my wife and daughter (both non-computer-savvy) feel comfortable using it. Truth be told, neither am I (and I’m a Windows power user). It’s going to take me putting Linux on a computer I can afford to play with before I feel fully comfortable. But I feel that day is coming, ’cuz I don’t want to spend $300 on a new OS (and another $1,000 on a 64-bit PC to run it) just to write letters, manage my digital pics and music, and surf the Internet.
One thing Linux needs, though, and then I’ll switch: Full-up video editing capabilities. Not Jahshaka, which is a feature-poor ripoff of Ulead Video Studio, but something along the lines of Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere, or even Avid Xpress Pro or Media Composer. Once that happens, I’ll gladly switch.
\\\\\\\"9. Most people do prefer an easier computer. Ubuntu runs everything under sudo, so you do get asked your password a lot, too. Aside from that, ask yourself how many users want to edit an /etc/apt/sources.list file?\\\\\\\"
Getting asked a password on occasion is a lot better than the security risk of just allowing everything to run as root, and the sources.list file can be edited graphically with synaptic or adept. Editing files and using the command line is not a requirement, at least in ubuntu, most people who give instructions just find it easier that way.