1. Linux is Behind the Times
One comment heard often is “Linux was five years behind XP, and it's 10 years behind Vista!” Well, here are some facts:
- Windows began separating the basic user from the administrator account by default in Vista, over 15 years behind Linux.
- Windows added a firewall in 2001, over seven years behind Linux's 1994 addition of ipchains.
- Linux was the first operating system with x86_64 support, beating Windows XP Pro x64 by two years.
- Windows added an attractive 3D accelerated graphical interface in Vista, a full year behind Linux's XGL.
- Linux's package management system can install, uninstall, and update software from one interface. Everything installed from Apache to OpenOffice and Quake 4 may be updated with one press. Windows has nothing like this on the road map.
And Linux isn't slowing down. The Xen project has added an incredible level of virtualization to Linux, with more work going into the kernels development to add enterprise ready virtualization built-in. Microsoft promised built-in Xen-like virtualization in Windows Server 2008 next year, but has announced that feature has been delayed and should be available sometime after launch, possibly in SP1, meaning Linux will lead with built-in virtualization by at least a couple of years before Windows catches up.
2. Linux is Hard to Use
Many have never realized they were using Linux, and haven't used it on a desktop. More troubling is the fact that lots of technically inclined persons tried Linux during the hype of the dot-com bubble, wrote it off and never revisited it. These along with other factors have left many thinking Linux is hard to use.
Well, enter the modern Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu. Ubuntu has an easy to use graphical interface that'll remind Macintosh fans of OS X. Optionally many other interfaces are available ranging from Windows XP duplicates to interfaces focused on certain areas, such as low system requirements or high-end graphical effects. Beyond this many common tasks and features, ranging from system updating to system wide indexing, are all handled automatically by default.
This all extends to every level of Linux use. Novell's Yast for example provides an easy to use GUI for everything from installing and updating software to managing DNS, email, and web servers, and basically anything else an administrator could think of. No command line or configuration files, unless desired.
To top it all off the installation is world class. The Ubuntu installation is done from within a fully functioning environment allowing web browsing, game playing, or or even the writing of a report all as the installation wizard ensures the install goes off not just without a hitch, but in a manor where the user doesn't need to know anything beyond how to click next, unless they want to.
3. Linux isn't Compatible with Anything
Everything from Maya and Oracle to Firefox run on Linux natively. Games ranging from the Doom, Quake, and Unreal Tournament series to smaller gems like Darwinia all run native on Linux as well.
Beyond native applications free (non)emulation software called WINE, as well as commercially supported options like CrossOver and VMWare, allow users to run everything from iTunes to MS Office and Photoshop, and the $5 a month Cedega lets gamers play hundreds of Windows only titles, from Battlefield 2042 to World of Warcraft.
Finally alternatives to Windows only software can replace current systems with little to no extra work. Apache can run ASP code, OpenOffice can read and save Microsoft formats, and every major distribution can join a domain, or just browse Windows file and printer shares, with ease.
Hardware support is equally incredible, in fact Linux supports more hardware than any other operating system. From hand-helds to mainframes and everything in between, including equipment considered legacy and no longer supported by Windows, the chances are if connected to a Linux box it'll just work. Despite popular belief this does include a vast majority of consumer equipment as well, from digital cameras to iPods and 3D accelerators to wireless cards.
4. Linux isn't Enterprise Ready / No One Uses Linux
Amazon and Google, would disagree as they've built their technology off Linux. PSA Peugeot Citroen, the second largest car manufacturer in Europe, also announced earlier this year they'll be moving not only their 2,500 servers over to Linux, but also their 20,000 desktops. Other companies like IBM and Novell have reinvented themselves using Linux as the base, and government deployments from Brazil and India to China and others promise to add tens of millions of new users to the Linux community.
This isn't even including the countless smaller government deployments like the city of Munich, the Indiana school system, or the U.S. Army's Land Warrior program. Paired with millions of users via the One Laptop per Child initiative and massive academic deployments, this means that outside of the United States the world is positioning Linux to be the foundation of computing for their children.
Of course Linux works fine outside of the enterprise. Whether it's browsing a website, chatting on a cellphone, checking email, getting cash from an ATM, or even just kicking some anti-lock brakes into action, there's a fair chance Linux is in control.
Then again Linux also accounts for an estimated 70% of the super computing market. That means Linux has huge footholds in the embedded, server, and high-end market, leaving the desktop arena clearly in its sights.
5. Linux isn't Professionally Developed or Supported
It's true Linux started at the hands of a single college student, but that's not true today. Linux is now a multi-billion dollar global technology. The vast majority of code is now contributed by professional programmers. Over the last year major code modifications have been submitted by IBM, Intel, Novell, VMware, and countless other big tech players. Beyond actively developing code others, such as Dell, have begun pushing vendors to develop higher quality Linux software. And this isn't even going into the academic or government development, such as the security patch set developed and deployed by the U.S. National Security Agency for internal use, but available to anyone who wishes to use it, SELinux.
Support has taken on the same level of professionalism. Countless forums, IRC channels, and wikis are of course still available. But beyond that help can be sought from one of many books, certifications, or by contacting any one of the major players from IBM and Oracle to Novell and Red Hat. If 24/7 global support in a dozen different languages is needed, it's just as available as free community support
11 comments:
Linux is best OS... I had used it for more than a year and Latest PCQ Linux is awesome....
you forgot to mention that the french parliament also moved to Ubuntu this year
http://fridge.ubuntu.com/node/814
If people need a decent introductory book on Linux, I recommend David Brickner's Desktop Linux Pocket Guide.
And don't forget about Oracle
There can be no doubt anymore that Linux is THE Desktop OS of choice. The only problem is that almost nobody knows about it due to a total lack of Marketing due to it all being Open Source! Although we in the Open Source Community generally could care less about whether Linux beats M$ on the Desktop or not, I think its important that people be made aware that an alternative is out there. Afterall, Microsoft's major competitive advantage is the very fact that Linux is not widely known about nor advertised, and trust that they bank on that fact to sustain their profit's. Since its in their key interests to keep the FUD out there about Linux, it will only continue, and we in the Open Source world will ever be in denial and defensive mode about it. Its way past time we ALL step up to the plate and represent the Penguin wherever we go!
Cedega only plays a few of my dozens of games.
Need For Speed, Splinter Cell, Halo and other games working with cedega too.
Talk about "Marketing" - Linux on Desktop...
Word-of-Mouth will beat any BIG advertising and martketing campaign.
This article is heavily biased towards Linux. That's clearly obvious as there are no arguments going against Linux or in favor of Windows.
Some of your statements don't even make a lot of sense, e.g.:
"Hardware support is equally incredible, in fact Linux supports more hardware than any other operating system."
That's more than untrue. Ever tried to install a lesser known printer or a web cam?
Or: "Finally alternatives to Windows only software can replace current systems with little to no extra work."
That's just ridiculous. Even the well respected OpenOffice cannot satisfy MS Office power users.
...
This article is simply fanboy marketing for Linux and doesn't demystify actual prejudices against Linux.
I'm not saying Linux isn't an alternative to Windows, but this article isn't very helpful.
Hey Mathies, why the crap do you care so badly?
The critical value of Linux/OSS is choice.
Choice is also its key hurdle. There's so much platform choice that vendors are hesitant to support it.
Then there's Richard Stallman, who has forgotten his humble roots - that he build EMACS on Unix systems - developed the heart of GNU on closed-source platforms, and now he is ungraciously backstabbing the very vendors that reared his ugly head... This man has become a severe liability to the cummunity and I fear it will only get worse.
In a way, Ubuntu/Debian Uber Alles may be the best thing happening to the OSS community from an adoption standpoint, because it is providing a somewhat unified platform that vendors can support and that [unlike RedHat] average users will enjoy. And with mass-adoption comes mass coding talent.
Windows is a great OS for the people whom it targets: those who are afraid that they are not smart enough to use a computer and are willing to pay large sums of money to have those fears alleviated. Microsoft is not the ubiquitous platform that they once tried to be.
With Vista, Microsoft finally started to display some honesty with their marketing and pricing, demonstrating that they are built from the ground up to extract the largest amount of money from their users' wallets rather than to fulfill their needs. That is what sets them apart, rofl.
Myself, I did my best to stop paying Microsoft Tax in 1995. Despite that, I have purchased Win95, Win98, WinXP, WinXPPro, Vista licences without any desire to do so thanks to vendor bundling.
I've replaced every instance with Linux of one flavour or another. I replaced Vista with Mandriva 2008 for my Mum to make her computing experience more functional, easy, beautiful, and maintenance-free. No firewall, no antivirus, and I can remote admin it even though she's behind 2 hardware firewalls. Try that with Windows, lol...
I'm not a fanboy. I just like freedom. Windows deprives me of it, with intent. I can't like that, no matter how good the gaming support is.
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