Live free or Die.
It really pains when people tell me that Linux Operating System isn’t user friendly. I would feel happy when people say that it is “habit friendly”. When i used to talk to my colleagues and friends about how superior Linux is, I have heard questions like “Where is the C: drive?”, “Does Linux have a start menu? (Oops)”, “Can we install new programs on Linux”, “Can we play games on Linux” or worst still “Does Linux have a GUI? “. Have we become so “windows” that we are just blind to what is happening around us? Like this guy who says that Linux needs Windows to run?
But the “user-friendly” part generally comes from persons who have tried that old Linux in 2001/2002 and suffered (just like me) when they found that even their monitor didnt get detected. I really wonder how user-friendly was Windows 3.1, 95 and 98 and ME with their blue screen of death.
When it comes to hardware support, how many of us really know that Linux supports more variety and number of hardware than Windows Vista? And that Linux automated installers are much more advanced than windows? No virus scanners to eat up your memory. And that Linux is going to take over Mac as the second dominant operating system with 7.5% to 20% in 2008? (Mac currently holds 2-3% market share). I am just talking about the desktop market and NOT the server market where Microsoft had lost very badly in front of Linux long before.
The percentage is likely to increase with Microsoft doing the blunder of their lifetime in stopping to ship Windows XP (the best selling OS of all time) by the end of this year.
Microsoft came up with what is called as the SP 2 soon after some serious security problems that XP faced . And then? What happened to the long awaited SP 3? The release schedule of SP3 was moved from 2005 to 2006 to 2007 and now to 2008. And people say that SP 3 will have the same fate as the Windows 2000 final pack where they just said that “it is no longer needed” after making some security patches. And soon XP wont get supported???
Keeping aside their “strategy” (or money laundering or whatever they call it as) and our eagerness to have our hands on Vista, we just need to think over a few minutes about “freedom”. Aren’t we force converted to take up the new OS? Frankly, I can never go for an upgrade or buy a new system just because Vista doesnt run happily on my old PC. But MS, kind of wont allow me to stick on to the “old” OS.
The only advantage that Windows has is that it comes bundled with some complementary features. Viruses, spywares and trojans exists only on the Windows (you are the most privileged). Power saving in the form of frequent reboots. Occasional surprise reboots !!! Free defragmentation tool (Why doesn’t linux need defragmentation?) And now, a good reason to upgrade your system. Alternatively, you can also spend your income into something you can buy for free. (Free Linux alternatives for commercial Windows software)
I am not trying to draw any conclusion here. Just wanted to quote Margaret Head.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
We can. Let’s try.
