It's a Windows world: deal with it

Tom:

"and gives you as much or as little freedom as you want"

So MS will give you as much freedom as you want? What a crock of crap.

justthething84:

I love this article and I love you for writing it.

I dont think there's a happy linux fanboy in this forum and its hilarious. You people who take this sort of thing so serious are SO far from reality it is pathetic. I must admit im one for the ps3/xbox 360 debate so yes I may be people like you (less pathetic of course). Its hilarious to see you guys muscle it out over whats best.

In this arguement however, the clear winner is Microsoft and I guess theyre gonna be the only company to provide the most popular OS in all of our life times. Why worry about which OS is best, its what does it for you. People who like to tinker would probably like linux more. In my case its definately Windows. I cannot be bothered getting linux to work/be compatible with my hardware so I choose the option that works (windows).

As for Apple, well I absolutely hate the Apple company. This is not because of Macs but because of ipods. I owned one and bought it for $500 and sold it for $200 3 months later - why? Because it was the WORST thing ive ever bought (now that says something!)

Bernardo:

One of the reasons I prefer Linux is so that I *dont* have to tinker with my computer all the time.

When I was running Windows, I spent far too much time maintaining my system, protecting it from viruses and other mal-ware, making sure I was on top of the current security situation (and work-arounds to stave off disaster until a patch was (hopefully) finally released, and fixing things broken by patches), and even re-installing periodically just to maintain reasonable performance.

My Linux box is so maintanance-free that I often need to look up quite basic things again -- things that I've forgotten because it's been so long since the last time I needed it.

A bit of extra time configuring new hardware (if I need to) is a small investment in ease-of-use. You think that "Windows just works!"? I think that "Linux just keeps working!>

justthething84:

You obviously have a lot of time on your hands because with my experience in using Linux its been nothing but a WASTE OF TIME.

What's the point in merging to another OS when I already have one that works? Thats the problem with Linux - it doesnt offer the REGULAR user anything different compared to Windows. When Linux does finally offer something innovative that sets it apart from the rest (in a big way) maybe more people will use it. As far as I'm concerned I just find it useless. Dont mention the BOOTING TIMES for Linux - they are incredibly pathetic for this day and age.

I have gone through the install process for Linux and every single time it's just been for no reason - why - because within a day or 2 I have pissed it off my hard drive cause it doesnt get used. Who even uses it? APC editors, and some IT people. The general public couldnt give two hoots about Linux and it's complicated ways. When someone who's been using Windows all their lives using Linux is like learning to use a computer again. Who wants to do that? As for viruses if your Linux OS was actually popular you'd hear about it's virus problems in the media more - but people just dont care about it :)

*slammed*

It's a Windows world - Deal with it.

MoNaRky:

Mwaa..ha..ha.. a hum.. Quite a belly laugh there. Windows World! hehe Especially since in the real world of computing power. Linux rules Supreme!

Let's take a trip to the top first. Super Computers where some 80+% of the Top 500 run on Linux. Any super computers run Windows? Any? No! Then we have HPC Clusters growing at a phenominal rate World Wide with literally all of them running Linux and maybe a few running Windows HPC OS (came out just last July '06, noobie land for old farts). That's millions of nodes on thousands of HPC Clusters worldwide running the best HPC software available! Yes it's Open Source and some of it is free as well. What does M$ have to compete in this Linux dominated new world? Not much, not much at all!

Next we have Servers and yes Microsoft still enjoys an edge here along with desktops, but with a growing population of users in both China and India choosing Linux for Servers and home use, the numbers for Microsoft Windows Install Base is dwindling in a soon to be free fall at least in China and with India, the majority of the future computer literate.

One thing people the world over can't resist is Free and when people have Open Access to their own data in a free environment is where you'll see Linux Rule the World with India and China representing near half the Worlds Population. Still uncomputerized for the most part too! Great market opportunities for Free and Open companies like Google!

But not for long and one, only need check the rate of growth of the many varieties available in China to realize that the Linux in names like "Red Flag"! Don't forget that here, an old M$ Open Source n Free adversary named Google are working on buying and and or rebuilding a Linux distro to embarrass the pants off Microsoft once again in soundly whipped defeat. Yes you can expect Steve (Monkey Man) Balmer to once again be tossing chairs in anger over Google. LOL

Contrary to the moronic view that a switch to Vista is unavoidable and quite simple, the real world is proving that, that switch is much more complicated and tramatic for the average user than switching to a good fast free interface such as Sabayon 3.2 Linux, PCLinux, Ubuntu or SuSE 10.2!

Personally Vista is much more complicated to run and do the things that are simpler to do in even Windows XP. So in the long run, it will be a colder day in hell than was the switch to XP from Win98SE. Which is still going on, I might add. As an IT and Networking Professional, I can tell you very few people in this country are ready for the tramatic leap into Vista in the near future. My guess today is to start pulling your money out of M$ stock before it crashes even further down it's long history of high's and Low's to the basement.

More Linux Potential users are born everyday in China and India than all other countries combined. The Chinese People after being controlled by a heavy handed Government, want nothing to do with a system that first of all costs money, and secondly has come to represent Demonic Corporate World Powers such as Microsoft and their monopoly is viewed in their eyes! How Many? How about half the world's population if you want to count numbers.

So sorry Bud.. but no! Short term Windows may grow, but long term World Leader will be Linux the Open and Free Way! ;D

justthething84:

Your post was huge i must admit im not really that stocked up with knowledge on which os is better but the os name that sticks in most peoples heads is windows.

its got to be the most widely used os in the world regardless of what any linux geek says. thats why microsoft is the RICHEST COMPANY in the world. giving away os for free is not going to make money.

google is a good innovation but it doesnt seem like a stable company (being relatively new and only pretty much web based). so i wouldnt bet all my money on it (dotcom crash anyone?). microsoft has already come up with an alternative for google and thats windows live search. one thing i find fascinating about google is the significance of the results it provides: usually after the 2nd or 3rd page most of the results are pathetically useless. yeah its quick but quick at giving you the results you need: no. people rave on about it but really its not the bees knees. user assisted search is the only way us HUMANS will ever find something, a computer server doesnt have an ability to understand what we are searching for.. yet.

whats google got to do with os well u brought it up.

and it is a windows world in general. people in the real world couldnt give two hoots about supercomputers and what software runs them.

Nick:

It's funny you admit you know nothing about operating systems, and then try and justify your hypothesis from a financial common sense approach. Not a bad idea except for the fact you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about at all. I guess if you were using almost any other browser you could have googled it quick from the top right corner, but IE must be better because it has more market share right? Microsoft isn't the richest company in the world by any measure, it's not second or third in fact it's thirty-first. That's right 31. We all know to find the highest quality products in the world you go to Wal-Mart because it is the tenth "RICHEST COMPANY IN THE WORLD" oh I got chills you are so right putting things in capitalized letters really drives your point home.

Google unstable? How can you be so out of touch with reality? "Google" has been added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary as a verb it's so popular! "microsoft has already come up with an alternative for google and thats windows live search" Well in that case hold the presses! How could all of us overlooked this! You mean to tell me that some other company has a *gasp* search engine? I guess Yahoo!, Ask.com, MSN Search, and dozens of other search engines before google weren't alternatives? Google is simply better than all of them. Really it's great I suggest you google "richest company in the world" (in all caps if it strikes your fancy) and maybe you won't come off as a total moron everytime you use your keyboard.

justthething84:

As for you with your response that was less than perfect: i didnt say i knew nothing about operation systems. do not misquote me. I still know which os is the most popular and why the case is for that. It seems your response was to firstly misquote me and then to go on and make out like everything i said was incorrect. As it stands we were both incorrect in providing information (and I can happily admit that mainly because I don’t really take this seriously). The list for the companies that are the richest in the world is at the following link: http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/18/06f2k_The-Forbes-2000_Rank.html As for google being unstable, who knows when another search engine comes along and knocks it off its perch? What other SERVICES can google offer that will keep it afloat when this happens? nothing, zilch. What google earth? Maps? Please. Microsofts got that already. As for microsoft, its extremely unlikey that any os is going to come along any time soon and take over the market. there are so many search engines out there with so much competition in that category that it would be easy for google to be booted. that said, google is extremely profitable and currently is doing well. what im saying is it is unstable because the only real service it provides is searching, and that can be matched by microsoft, yahoo, or any other search engine. Remember how famous yahoo search was back in the day - well now its been taken over in the race from google. well the same thing could happen to google if microsoft live search kicks off. Now do your research before accusing anyone of being less brighter than you. Silly silly *gives u a wowwy pop*

james:

arguing what os is best is like arguing which pickup truck is best, (which is chevy btw)... anyhow the point is this, Linux will continue to rule the communication industry because of how many unix systems are already in place and because of the cost. Now, conversly what microsoft is doing, is offering free education (virtual labs and documentation), free development platforms (express editions of visual languages), and slowly becoming more interoperable (through service oriented architecture, wcf, webservices etc). While the cost of linux is free, the cost of people who know how to use linux is monumentally more expensive than a microsoft fanboi like myself.

In my experience:
Music and AV industries will use Macs (mostly) (i think because they're quiet and notoriously compatible with MIDI and other automation)

Telecom and Government will use Linux/Unix (because as said before it's stable- when i say stable, i mean stagnant, not prone to much change/updating, and telecom and government are the least agile development worlds because they have a lot of "process" before they write code)

MidLevel/lowerlevel businesses with lower IT budgets will use microsoft (because theres a HUGe variety of easily installed solutions out there via vendors)

gamers will use microsoft. (because it has the largest selection and hottest titles in gaming)


why? because the OS is ONLY as good as the software that's available for it.

pppqe:

"do your research before accusing anyone of being less brighter than you."
was that a joke?
lolololololol
Besides, he did his research, it was in fact you that was incorrect all along.

justthething84:

yeah i know he was wrong.. what the point..

Mr. Wizard:

PET PEEVE: the way people seem to think that hardware, software and networks are somehow discrete elements of computing systems that can be effecively dealt with as if they are independent and isolated from each other.

Google is extermely aware that that kind of thinking is crazy. Microsoft would have you believe that if you aren't running Vista with MS Office, you are missing out on something other than high prices and frequent malfunctions. Believe me, you are missing nothing but headaches if you avoid Vista. Vista is easily the biggest, buggiest piece of overpriced bloatware most people will encounter these days. Vista makes the US government look efficient and economical by comparison.

It isn't as if Microsoft actually provides any sort of quality tech supoprt, even to those foolish enough to pay hundreds of dollars per "incident" for said tech support. Most people would be better off spending the

There are good, free alternatives to MS Office and MS Winblows. I'm finding that recent releases of many flavors of Linux running OpenOffice will run quite nicely on very generic hardware -- there is little reason to pay extra for a Mac, Dell, Gateway, HP, etc. logo on your computer. Likewise, when one is shopping for an ISP, one should look for reliable connectivity, high bandwidth, and low latency. ISPs that require one to use proprietary broadband/DSL modems, their own proprietary installation packages and/or Internet portals, or that restrict your full use of the bandwidth you are paying for are to be avoided.

Google (while not exactly perfect) does have a clue. Google works on all modern computing platforms (any system running Linux/Unix, Winblows, MacOS and a functional modern Web browser such as Firefox or Opera...even Netscape, IE or Safari, although the latter three tend to be dysfunctional, IMHO). Remember, with VMs, you can often run software meant for "foreign" OSes on your machine, assuming it is reasonably powerful and not bogged down by a pig of an OS such as Vista.

People are keeping their computer hardware for longer these days, for many reasons. Legacy applications and/or FOSS are increasingly viable alternatives to paying through the nose for the latest commercial programs from major vendors. There are more choices in high speed Internet Service Providers available to the consumer than ever before. You'd have to work to put together any sort of realistic modern computing platform that won't work with Google's free products (services). Google has a clue as to the future of computing.

bennyf11:

Microsoft Windows is the Most Popular OS in the world. Its a fact that even stubborn people like you need to realise. High end servers and servers DO NOT run Microsoft. But what do the computers that connect to these super computers, the MOST USED computers in the world run.... WINDOWS. Whilst I think windows is shit and someone should do something about it, it is inevitable that people will continue to use windows.

It's like trying to ban alcohol or smoking in all the world. many millions of people are used to it, so it would cause mass chaos. I know, from using Open Source Shit, that it is nearly impossible to maintain it and deploy it. this coming from a Computer Administrator Managing an entire school on his own. If I tried to get Linux on one of the computers, I would be out of a job. They can't run any windows programs, cant access 3/4 of the internet because they dont use IE.


Hope that helps

KRowe:

I know allot of non technical people may be reading this so just to let those people know--being the administrator at a school is entry level computer administration at best. Most schools don't have a much money so they get the cheapest they can find. Often times these guys don't even have a college education. I know a guy from my graduating class at the local community college that had a job administering not one school but a whole district. And he was one of the biggest stoners I ever knew. He doesn't even really use his computer except to get sports stats. So don't be fooled into thinking this guy is some sort of expert.

The reason he would be out of a job when he tries to install Linux on a PC at work is not because Linux is inferior in any way. It is because for the entire time he was at that job he has probably done nothing right and they just need a reason to fire him; it doesn't even need to be a good one. Not to mention he has no idea about how to do it right. Here's a hint, rsync + terminal sessions = maintain + deploy. Here's another hint, the reason you are single is because you are a loser don't stress it--just accept it.

I don't know where he got his info about 3/4 of the Internet not being accessible from Linux but that is pretty funny because about 3/4 (or more) of the Internet is being served from Linux right now. Do you really think that MS has some sort of magical wand it waves and stops Linux from writing its own browsers? About the only thing that doesn't work in Linux is ActiveX. But that doesn't work in Firefox either yet most people don't have too many problems with that these days since most webmasters are starting to learn that E doesn't stand for Internet (if you don't get what I mean; stare at your desktop with our eyes crossed awhile and the answer will magically appear AND you will probably look smarter too).

The fact is that nearly everything comes out in Linux before it does in Windows and almost without exception it is in Linux far before it is distributed with Windows. That is because Linux has more programmers by far; I mean allot more. If by some weird turn of events Microsoft did come up with something good before it was made for Linux; Linux would probably have it within a few months. As I have said MS can't possibly compete aside from spreading lies by infecting the stupid with their marketing hype.

About the only thing he got right is that Windows is probably the most popular OS in the world (it isn't the most used however...read on). But, like a previous poster has said, that is only for now.

I'd like to add what he said though by saying that once Linux reaches desktop dominance in these other countries I would also predict a strong increase in the use of Linux on the desktop in countries where Windows is currently dominating the desktop market.

Why?

For one, right now most programming is done through outsourcing to these other third world countries for many of the same reasons most other things are produced in those countries. Since they are\will be using mostly Linux it will mean they will be more likely to make these programs work in both Windows and Linux.

More importantly it will mean that Linux will have legions of new programmers with new and bright ideas. Windows can't compete with the amount or quality of code Open source generates now. As huge portions of the world are adopting Linux these days it is utterly hopeless for MS in the long term.

He is right about high end servers and super computers using primarily Linux. He didn't mention that nearly every network device which has an OS also uses Linux as well as most cell phones and hand held devices.

The fact is that most of these 'regular users' that people like to talk about already use Linux all the time (cell phone, ATM, websites, FTP, Usenet, land line telephones, kiosks, POS terminals, etc, etc, etc) and don't know it. Linux is so easy to use that when an end user is using it they usually have no idea. This is because Linux isn't trying to sell itself but it is also because Linux just WORKS. Your cell phone doesn't 'crash', your ATM doesn't have 'blue screens', if you can't see your website...its probably because of something on your end. Get it?

If you can't figure out Linux it is also because of something on your end. It is funny how nearly every Windows user can burn a DVD but hardly any of them can figure out how to burn a Linux distro. These days Linux basically 'just works' on your PC just like Windows does. Don't believe me? Try out this distro: www.kubuntu.org

You don't even have to install it to use it. Just burn it onto a CD and restart your PC. Linux will be up and running in about the same time Windows does off the hard drive except you didn't have to install anything! That is just one of millions of reasons Linux IS the best OS. It really isn't a competition it is a slaughter and it is happening right under your noses yet you can't see it.

But to be honest I don't care if idiots use Windows they are probably better off there. I mean, do we really want them on our forums Linux users? The problem is usually when others try to make us use Windows or they write something that makes us get out our Windows emulator. It is very hard to go back to Windows once you get used to Linux.

A good way to explain it to a Windows users is to imagine that you went to work somewhere and they gave you a typewriter to work on. Yeah you could get the crap they were asking for done but you know you are being held back and you know that they would be much happier if they would only let you use a PC but for whatever reason they have circular typewriter logos in their eyes. Then they all congregate on these lame ass websites that have jacked up servers which only actually make the post 1 out 5 times you press submit. And talk about how their stupid worthless typewriters are the bee knees.

A message to anyone who may be thinking about posting a comparison of Windows to Linux and says anything other than Windows is a worthless piece of crap and Linux (or some other open source OS) is the true ultimate OS:

You are a complete idiot, the only reason you think that way is because you know nothing, you are nothing, and you'll probably never be anything--other than a mindless sub-human parasite feeding off the intelligence of others.

The only hope you have is to either quit using computers all together or maybe, just maybe, someday someone will come along and explain it all very slowly to you in a way even a moron like yourself can understand.

I hope the writer of the main post got a good laugh from that. He can laugh his way to hell for all I care...ohh wait he uses Windows, I guess that is punishment enough. And to the rest of you Windows users, you better hope I never get access to your computers. If I do I'm going to turn you in for all that software you are stealing--then who will be laughing.

Remember, I don't hate you because you use Windows. I hate you because you are stupid.

mdhoover:

Crikey, you must be some Computer Administrator, or you just haven't used linux in quite a while (get a copy of ubuntu and apt-get my friend).

In the enterprise, pretty much ALL windows servers I see are run from VMWare ESX server (which is, guess what, linux based) as it is the only way to maintain your sanity and moderate system stability (due to the common hardware interface).

As for OSS, even the custom systems I have totally built from source require minimal attention, and with the free VMware player I can run windows under linux for the windows apps which dont work under Crossover Office or Cedega.

Fair enough, I dont believe linux is ready for the non-technical, but thats why there are macs.

Personally though, if Solaris x86 worked on more hardware I'd be using that over the rest...

crustymonkey:

to quote: "They can't run any windows programs, cant access 3/4 of the internet because they dont use IE" That is simply one of THE most ridiculous things I have read in a long time. Have you tried a browser other than IE in the last 5 years? All my desktop machines run linux and I rarely have a problem using any web sites, even those with Flash or Java applets. The fact of the matter is that, with Firefox's growing adoption as the browser of choice (even for the people running winblows), you would have to be a monumental idiot NOT to write cross browser code. And let me tell, as a former web programmer, it's a bitch to code anything for IE 6. Be it javascript and especially CSS since it doesn't even fully support the CSS version 1 spec in a time when CSS version 3 is being implemented. Oh yeah, if you do happen to run into one of those horribly coded websites where some idiot is still trying to use non-standard javascript/css or has committed the cardinal sin of using an Active X object of some sort, you can always install "ies4linux": http://www.tatanka.com.br/ies4linux/page/Main_Page To sum things up, pull your head out.

helios:

"...The general public couldnt give two hoots about Linux and it's complicated ways."

One sentence out of your post tells most people what they need to know about you. You are pathetically ignorant of Linux Distros and Human Nature, AND...you along with many others here fit the definition of quisling nicely.

It's all in the distro dude...I have 12 year old kids and 84 year old grandmothers using Linux, and many of them did the install themselves.

Between the two choices I name above, I would guess you are an even mixture of both. "Normal" computer users are flocking to Linux left and right...
I know, I do their installs. Sure, MS has market dominance, but at the cost of being liars and thieves. You and others howl in outrage at the oil companies, but defend MS with your very reputations.

Did I leave Idiot out of the choices?

My bad.

dabooch:

You're funny. I don't know if your tongue's in your cheek or not, but either way, you're funny.

It won't get the attention for a long time, but Linux is making major inroads on desktops, a person at a time, and increasingly working its way down the adopter sophistication curve. Technology adoption, even in conditions like this where market forces play a huge role (and Microsoft continues to try to leverage that to the utmost), is an understood sociological phenomenon, and Linux is crossing thresholds in that adoption curve, including having people like me (moderately technical, but not interested in spending lots of time on computers) move our whole family to Linux, simply to save time.

There will always be individual cases of people having difficulty installing it ... but the bell curve is shaping up nicely, w/ the vast majority NOT having significant issues w/ the latest releases of Linux.

The mindset change is more of a symptom than a cause.

att:

Actually booting time are faster with linux.
I have a Pentium4 1.7 ghz with 700+ mb ram with Ubuntu Linux installed.
I also have a Athlon 64 X2 4500 with 2GB ram and Windows Vista. Both computers booted up in same time give or take a few sec.

BatWing:

Fair enough. But it doesn't mean that one OS is worse or better than the other. I know that you are possibly not suggesting that but some people do get into this silly debate over nothing. Perhaps they are OS Zealots and that is a way of trying to be popular? Can only guess.
That is good that you find your linux box works for you. But the reality is different thing suit different people. There shouldn't be a one size fits all product. I mean who would want that? We have choice, so just make a choice and relax and enjoy your computers people. And most importantly enjoy people. Personally I prefer a nice female but some of you might just like a smoke and a pancake.
Good Day Sir. BatWing

Alicia C Simpson:

As of right now, it is easier to get the average Linux distro to run on your computer than Vista. I guess you will be switching to Linux because you can't be bothered trying to get Vista to run.

Actually the only time you will have a real problem with getting Linux to run is if you have bought a high end PC, like Dell, where they have tweaked the hardware to run a smidgen faster than everyone else. Proprietary systems will be everyones downfall.

Open systems are best!

Mr. Shovel:

The only real difference in all operating systems is how well they were designed. I switched to linux because I WANTED to tinker more. I found quite the opposite. Linux is easy, well designed and only distributions like gentoo require you to install stuff with the command line and most distributions such as Ubuntu and Fedora, require less forum searching, tinkering and shady patches. Windows has great wizards and stuff like that, but is really horribly designed. Solitaire and all those other crap games is still part of win32 for example.(I confirmed that myself with Windows xp Pro. Please tell me if this is not true with vista.) Windows is slow and there is no way around it. Period.

AnonymousX:

Look up, 64bit drivers ahead.

I'll grant you everyone needs to buy new computers to make the jump to Vista anyway, but discarding any old hardware without 64bit Vista drivers... ...I've seen dual core intel 64bit systems running 32bit XP cause there are no drivers for the AU$1000 graphics card...

How long do you have to 'tinker' to do a traditional install of Vista, patch & upgrade, OH YEAH, almost forgot, get one of those licence key thingies & then store it somewhere, find & install 64bit drivers, install the rest of the system software, install productivity software & secure the system? :-p Welcome to the nineties.

...show me identical releases of Vista that'll boot from a live CD on a legacy PC, an amd64 box & a new mac on most hardware with DRIVERS & basic productivity apps installed & running, security locked down in a non-offensive way... ...glitzy 3D desktop, transparency, blur, dropshadows, wobbly windows, etc (on the old box too)

Now look at upgrading an office to Vista, even with ghost. You need practically identical hardware to ghost windows & you'll need to re-image systems reasonably regularly (per virus) to make even a passing attempt at security. Do you know anyone who's upgrading to Vista? Might be time to upgrade your MCSE for an ADVANCED course in rebooting & reinstalling.

oohms:

Seriously... anyone who has issues getting windows to work is a complete noob.

Sure, i can dabble with linux all i want, and have given it a shot, but it just takes so much time to do any given thing that is more involved than the gnome/KDE gui allows me to change quickly.

Apple guy:

Yes I agree, complete crock of crap. Yes Microsoft has a huge market share, the main reason being they allowed all the computer manufacturers to use their product and tied in a load of extortionate licensing fees. At the end of the day people have to start asking themselves whether they want a decent operating system on their computers. MAC OSX leopard may have it's bugs for the time being but these will be ironed out and when they are I think you'll find Leopard to be an incredibly powerful OS; which might I add caters for both the home users and power users. You microsoft fanatics also have to ask yourselves about the security aspects as well as the user friendliness of Vista. I am not against microsoft, XP was a good product. Vista sucks. Mac OSX is awesome and their computers are like the Bentley's of the computer hardware world. Linux is too awesome. If anyone knows all this, I do as I work in all three operating environments for a living. Please will people who don't have a clue of what they are talking about not post comments. I think a lot of people here will agree with me. I don't hate microsoft and I am a UNIX fanatic. I just wish people would get their facts right.

bartek:

funny, but so untrue

Linux is almost at the point of doing everything a regular user wants it to do.

Windows will stay on top for at least the next 5-6 jears but the market will go to Linux, simply becourse it's free, stable, no viruses, ...

Have fun paying lots of money for Windhose ...

Anonymous:

Linux is the OS of the future...and it always will be.

Geeks don't know anything about marketing, or even about human beings. My Linux pals love messing with their computers, but they simply don't understand that the rest of us do NOT love messing with computers, we'll just take the path of least resistance. Although I abhor most MS products, Windows is, thus far, a very satisfactory operating system. When I plug stuff (peripherals) in, they work. Easy as pie. Not so in Linux.

I've heard about Linux for years, but the fact is that it's never quite "ready" for average users, and the promise of Linux has therefore lost all credibility. You can only BS about something for so long before people won't believe you at all, and if the day comes where Linux is genuinely usable for the majority of the market, nobody will believe it anyway, since the false promises and clueless geeks have annoyed us all to no end.

Easy Speed:

Anyone can install Linux; all the current flavours I've installed do so without any problems. Linux can do anything that windows can do except for one thing the same one thing that Apple cannot do and that is play all the latest games. Until Linux and Apple can do this then windows will rule.

mdub:

LOL. Seriously. "It just plugs in and works" has been a mac catchphrase for years because, well, it did.

Anyone who seriously can claim Windows > Mac for ease of use and plug and go has clearly not used a Mac for a few years.

If you want a reliable computer that just works, get a Mac.

Patrick Moon:

Actually your right. Today windows rules and next year too. But your old...and windows is for old people. The next generation, the generation of "the pirate bay" fighting **AA is comming. They don't want to be stuck to a lame OS. They want the freedom that is implied from growing up in an world network.

Thomas:

Guess the Linux "fanboys" includes Dell

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39273865,00.htm

justthething84:

as far as im concerned dell is a crap company. ive bought a monitor off them thats been replaced 3 times. a dell laptop i had refunded due to LIGHT LEAKAGE and poor quality build.

dell is going down the gurgla. they claim to have top notch customer service and seem to rave about it but to my experience its been really annoying having to try and translate what they are actually saying to you. so to put dell in the same basket as linux is correct - they are both crap so it makes sense to associate the 2.

Buster Crabb:

Yes, it IS a Windows world (for now) and we ARE dealing with it...by changing it. You can sit there in willful ignorance and Tory cynicism, or you can make yourself useful. With or without you, the revolution will go forward. Soon enough you'll be running linux yourself, and hoping no one remembers the drivel you penned today.

chucklehead:

so you're singlehandedly porting over every major software to work with linux/unix? because aside from that, theres no way you'll ever get linux in the hands of the mainstream american end user. End users want compatibility with everything they've already used, files, games, music, movies, internet without installing emulators etc. Additionally, you have the HUGe .Net programming languages out there... rapid development = more software, faster, and better quality.

For linux to make a chip in the main stream market share they will have to do these things:
1) run all microsoft software, .net framework, directx, ole, and odbc...
2) create rapid development ide like visual studio
3) interoperate with all existing platforms
4) find a common ground between all of the hundreds of kernels floating around and unify into one standardization.
5) provide education freely to the public, the way microsoft MSDN does.

and honestly, with all of that for them to have to tackle... if i were them i'd just give up and use windows. :P

some unix geek:

1) run all microsoft software, .net framework, directx, ole, and odbc...

Microsoft Office can be supplanted with most of its functionality in abiword, gnumeric and openoffice. Most of the functionality and _file compatibility_ is already in place. All but the most ardent server distros package these apps.

2) create rapid development ide like visual studio
Eclipse as the java runtime development environment exists. It's not bad. Most developers in linux stick with gnu suite, which whilst not the prettiest, is still the most powerful set of tools for c and c++ development.

3) interoperate with all existing platforms
The Linux kernel can talk tcp/ip, ipx, appletalk, token ring, smb, windows active directory, domain controllers, windows for workgroups, afp, appletalk, etc etc etc... Linux is a better network glue than any commercial offering out there.

4) find a common ground between all of the hundreds of kernels floating around and unify into one standardization.

There is only one kernel. There are multiple distributions. Pick one. They either use Gnome or KDE. Pick one. Standards ? The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to pick from. As long as the UI is intuitive, people can pick it up in 20 minutes.

5) provide education freely to the public, the way microsoft MSDN does.

All of core linux is free, including the documentation. Go to www.google.com/linux and just search away. The software is available for free. Ask a buddy. It's for the people by the people...

greg:

Typical winblows brainless user, windows does not give you what you want, it goives you what MS wants.

When ma and pa kettle start getting subscription charges for the privilige of getting flooded with viruses MS will take a hit.

Have you seen vista? every gripe people have against linux/mac (tooo hard, bad driver support, promptomg for password etc etc) is there. Your'e argument is flawed.

On top of the "security enhancements" in vista there has already been security patches released (also released fo XP so does not look like it got the 'new code base")

Keep windows - and its primitive interface and problems

James Bannan:

It's still funny - today's revolutionaries are tomorrow's dictators, so all these comments about freedom, change and revolution (which sound like pre-teen sociology arguments, to be frank) will, in time, be bounced right back at you.

Isn't history a bitch?? :-)

AnonymousX:

where do I sign?

Con Zymaris:

"It’s a Windows world: deal with it"?

In the immortal response of the 101st Airborne, when surrounded by the Germans at Bastogne, on the eve of D-Day and pushed to surrender, my comeback to you is:

Nuts!



Better luck next time ;-)

Fred Smurflet:

"today’s revolutionaries are tomorrow’s dictators"

Oh, so you HAVE seen The Pirates of Silicon Valley then James?

"all these comments about freedom, change and revolution (which sound like pre-teen sociology arguments, to be frank) will, in time, be bounced right back at you."

But not by you, because you are a Windows fanboy and don't have the requisite knowledge to rebut said arguments. If you did, your piece would have had some substance, rather than simply saying "Nyah, nyah, Windows has the biggest marketshare so there!"

Mike:

Who's blind? anyone can see the guy in the picture have devil's eyes.
The nature always finds best equilibrium in earth, it won't take long before nature clean this mess.
Seriously I think Playstation 3 will make linux famous and wanted on every home.

James Bannan:

Hey Fred - actually no I haven't, but it's on my to-do list... :-)

So fanboys don't have knowledge, is that what you're saying? Hmmm - interesting assertion. And fascinatingly, I don't see YOU trying to rebut any arguments, other than by saying "Nyah, nyah, you're a fanboy so there!"

Roy:

Some people felt the same way about IBM as you do about Microsoft. They were wrong. Times change. I make a living programming Microsoft stuff (Developers, Developers, Developers, right), and I'm looking at other stuff. And I'm no one special-There are probably more just like me.

Fred Smurflet:

"And fascinatingly, I don’t see YOU trying to rebut any arguments"

What arguments, little Jimmy? You haven't suggested any facts beyond "Windows has the biggest marketshare."

How about this: prove that this will be the case forever, as this appears to be the proposition that you are making. This might mean that you have to, I don't know, do some research, use some other platforms and such.

The fact that you have said...

"They DON’T want to spend an hour trawling through techhead forums searching for that one line of code to get something installed."

... indicates that you haven't used Linux for a very long time, if at all, thus rendering your opinion so irrelevant as to be useless.

Asses for the Masses:

Come talk to me when Linux can run on my laptop at 1024 x 768 (which Windows can handle), whereas Linux/FreeBSD. etc. can only manage a blurry 800 x 600. The interface is crap and according to a few studies that I've seen online (non-Microsoft) Ubuntu as well as Mac OS X have twice as many bugs as Windows. Microsoft just bothers to publish fixes more proactively. The reason people perceive Windows to have more bugs is because it runs on more than 90% of the world's desktops. Security by Obscurity is no security at all. Thank your lucky starts Linux and Mac OS X have less than 10% market share combined. And oh, if Microsoft is anti-competitive for disallowing OpenGL and SDL to run on Vista, why don't I hear you all screaming this label at Apple for disallowing Mac OS X to run on Intel x86 machines? It's a corporate world. Deal with it. Do you wanna fly in planes made my amateur hobbyists?

Anonymous:

Boot up Mepis Linux or the wonderful Puppy 2.10 Linux on your computer and see what happens.

FredT:

Suse installed and runs great on my Toshiba. It (Suse) came pre-installed on my new Lenovo (Thinkpad) and on my new HP desktop.

I've been using Windows since Windows 286 and have now switched. Why? Because it is ready for the desktop. So while it may be a world dominated by MS, it is sure nice to have something different that IMHO, I think is better.

chrome warrior:

Are you ignorant ?

Windows is a multibillion company !

Linux is done by free thinking people who have a very limited budget!

Windows has a massive legal team paid for by Microsoft !

Linux only makes money from server fixes !

Linux desktop is all free not a money making machine !

If India and China have all their kids on Linux programming :)Microsoft will have a monster of a population who hate Capitalists.

Apple was an innovative company in PC world so stop diggin into them ass well !

Each has its positive side and its bad side , it a free world but people who complain are not allowed to express themselves.

People who use their own minds instead of a package that does it for them.

All are unstable not one OS out there is stable for long something man made or man made third party puts stresses into all OS on the planet.

Cheers to a happy 2007 it ok to complain its ok to express your opinions , when you are not allowed ,look out for an army of people with guns in your faces.Many countries dissaprove of our freedoms so look after them.A PC is a freedom of expression by a stoke of a pen it could in the future cost you your freedom and your life.

Chrome Warrior

KRowe:

Come talk to me when Linux can run on my laptop at 1024 x 768.

Linux can work in any resolution your monitor+video card work in the same as Windows. Most distributions don't really cater to people who don't even try. Use a different distribution like Kubuntu or Puppy Linux they are a little more friendly to half asses.

Truki:

"we are the Microsoft/MSN/Hotmail generation"

Sorry I use Windows at work but not MSN and Hotmail. The most used web portal is still Yahoo! and Hotmail is crap.