[Sweatervest]

/.ed

I thought this was pretty funny.

Click the link to get the actual article - it has links to the actual places where Microsoft says negative things about linux - its funny. Really.

http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS8124627492.html

Opinion: Five reasons NOT to use Linux
Aug. 29, 2005

I love Linux. I use it on my servers, I use it on my desktops, and I use it on my entertainment center, where it powers my HDTV TiVo and my D-Link DSM-320 media player, which turns my network into a media library with terabytes of storage. Heck, I even run Linux on my Linksys WRT54G Wi-Fi access points, which hook the whole shebang together.

But, Linux isn't for everyone. Seriously. Here are my top five reasons why you shouldn't move to Linux . . .

Reason number one: Linux is too complicated

Even with the KDE and GNOME graphical windowing interfaces, it's possible -- not likely, but possible -- that you'll need to use a command line now and again, or edit a configuration file.

Compare that with Windows where, it's possible -- not likely, but possible -- that you'll need to use a command line now and again, or edit the Windows registry, where, as they like to tell you, one wrong move could destroy your system forever.

Reason number two: Linux is a pain to set up

It's true. After all, with modern Linuxes like Xandros Desktop or SimplyMEPIS, you need to put in a CD or DVD, press the enter button, give your computer a name, and enter a password for the administrator account.

Gosh, that's hard.

On the other hand, with Windows, all you have to do is put in a CD or DVD, do all the above, and then immediately download all the available patches. After all, Symantec has found that an unpatched Windows PC connected to the Internet will last only a few hours before being compromised.

Unpatched Linux systems? Oh, they last months, but what's the fun of that?

Reason number three: Linux doesn't have enough applications

Really now. I mean, most Linux systems only come with secure Web browsers, like Firefox; e-mail clients, like Evolution; IM clients, like GAIM; office suites, like OpenOffice.org 2.0; Web page editors, like Nvu; and on, and on, and...

Microsoft, on the other hand, gives you Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, the most popular Web browser and e-mail client around -- even though they do have a few little, teeny-weeny problems. Of course, Windows also has an IM-client, Windows Messenger, which, come to think of it, has also had some problems.

And, Microsoft also has Microsoft Office, which -- oh wait, you don't get that with the operating system, do you? You also don't get a Web page editor either, do you?

Well, still, with Windows you get so many more choices of software, don't you? Like Lotus 1-2... oh really? I didn't know that. Or, WordPerfect... oh, pretty much dead too.

Still, so long as you want to run Microsoft programs at Microsoft prices, Windows is the operating system for you!

Reason number 4: Linux isn't secure

If Microsoft says so, it has to be true! So what, if you can scarcely go a week without reading about yet another major Windows security problem in our sister publication, eWEEK.com's security section! Who would you rather believe -- Microsoft, or your own eyes?

Reason number 5: Linux is more expensive

Are you calling Microsoft a liar? Those nasty Linux companies, like Red Hat or Novell/SUSE charge you a fee for support. Others, like Linspire sell you the product. How dare they, when you can download free, fully-functional versions of almost all the Linux distributions.

Your computer, on the other hand, almost certainly came with Windows pre-installed! For free!

Oh wait, it's not free? Windows' actually makes up a large percentage of your PC's price?

Hmmm. Well, still, it's already on there, and it has everything you need.

Right? Of course, right!

Except, of course, you might still want to buy an anti-viral program (Norton Anti-Virus: $40), anti-spyware software (McAfee Anti-Spyware: $25); and a full-featured firewall (Zone Alarm Pro: $35). But, hey, who needs those when you have a secure operating system like Windows!

And so...

When you really think about it, you can see why there are lots of reasons not to use Linux.

There just aren't any good ones.


--Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

[tex]

eh the price thing is kind of bullshit, its a different price for everyone. TCO is bullshit (my opinion)
the rest is pretty funny though

lol at some university they make people install antivirus on linux

[MSP]

Funny, but reason #1 is fucking true. I know people who are what I'd consider to be "power users" - install Windows themselves, build their own computers, set up high speed internet and small networks, etc, and even they don't have to use a comand line. My mother certainly never has, and she's been online for a decade. And never once have I had to recompile a kernal to install a display driver or any of that other bullshit I had to do when I was playing around with Linux.

It's fun and powerful and full featured, but it is NOT easy to use at all. Unless it's completely changed since my last install (two years ago).

[Sparky]

If you become familiar with the different terms, linux is a breeze. It's not like you were born knowing all Windows terms. You had to learn how to use Windows. Same with Linux.

Next school vacation, I want to set up a dual-boot again. I miss you Slackware.

[MaesterB]

I'm happy with Windows. Not going to switch to Linux anytime soon. Not even thinking of dual-booting. Why? Games. I know it's probably getting easier to find games that work with Linux but...why? Microsoft drives the world, and they can see it through their Windows.

[MSP]

If I were an honest person and actually paid for Windows I would take Linux more seriously, but as it is I don't. My daughter likes to play games, which [SURPRISE!] don't run on Linux. My wife does too, and I have a lot of shit like that too. Does iTunes run on Linux? Or my Netgear MP101 media server software? Or Napster? Or... Too many to list.

[Sparky]

What games out there can't run in Linux with Wine or Cedega? There is always gtkpod to replace Itunes. Some say that it's even better than Itunes. You can use TwonkyVision UPnP Media Server for your Netgear replacement. There are Napster Linux clients out there, or you can run it with Wine/Cedega (since you would have it installed for games).

Want to try again? There are very few things that you can't do in Linux.

[MSP]

I hear you Sparky, but how much is my time worth? All of the items you listed work out of the box and I don't have to fuck with them. Linux just doesn't work for me...

[crappo]

Originally Posted by Sparky

What games out there can't run in Linux with Wine or Cedega? There is always gtkpod to replace Itunes. Some say that it's even better than Itunes. You can use TwonkyVision UPnP Media Server for your Netgear replacement. There are Napster Linux clients out there, or you can run it with Wine/Cedega (since you would have it installed for games).

Want to try again? There are very few things that you can't do in Linux.

i've been raised on windows. it does everything i ask of it. why go through the learning, annoyance, and twonkyvision for something that does the same thing at the same price? doesnt make sense.

[Sparky]

He just asked if it cold be done. I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to. Hell, when I used Linux on a dual-boot, I didn't play games with it or run those crazy programs. I used it as a sort of learning tool with the console and configuration. When I wanted to do the other stuff, I'd reboot.

I'm not suggesting you go out and reformat your hard drive to try a linux distro, but if you're curious, then go for it.

[Sweatervest]

I agree with Sparky here - Linux does exactly what you tell it to. You "mess around" with windows. If you take a week and learn linux and the basics, its extremely easy.

[thadood]

Originally Posted by Sweatervest

I agree with Sparky here - Linux does exactly what you tell it to. You "mess around" with windows. If you take a week and learn linux and the basics, its extremely easy.

Not necessarily true. Some things just take too long to get working under linux.

[trancosrt]

Originally Posted by thadood

Not necessarily true. Some things just take too long to get working under linux.

True. Maybe is my stupidity, but I never got Linux to work well on any my7 rigs (heck, I tried 4 different distros on my current sys with no luck...) and Right now windows does what I want and I have a new Mac to fuck arouynd with BSD. Maybe once I figure MacOs out I'll be able to cope with linux...

[SoulAssassin]

Good to see someone reads slashdot.

[Coleman]

I had to reformat my computer a few months ago and have been using SuSE ever since.. its pretty lame. Linux is alright and all but I'm just too lazy to configure my speakers and sound car and all that jazz. I need windows again.

[hans5849]

i really need to get our linux PX running

[Eps]

The whole article is just FUD. Written by someone just to incite flames. But whereas the purpose was to promote linux, for me it only affirmed how bullheaded most linux users are. They can't even see how what they consider simple issues to be MAJOR problems for 99% of the population.

Originally Posted by Coleman

I had to reformat my computer a few months ago and have been using SuSE ever since.. its pretty lame. Linux is alright and all but I'm just too lazy to configure my speakers and sound car and all that jazz. I need windows again.

This was my biggest hurdle with linux, and eventually got me to give up on it. Want to use your sound card? Theres only 5 different ways to configure it, each with their own nuances and lack of documentation. It took me a good week to get it up and running. Once I got past that, I wanted to run WC3. Cedega took some work to get going, but not as much as the sound. Then I wanted to play WC3 on the internet. Well that one never got worked out.

I use windows, because things just *work*.

[tex]

Originally Posted by MSP

I hear you Sparky, but how much is my time worth? All of the items you listed work out of the box and I don't have to fuck with them. Linux just doesn't work for me...

you need to try mandrake. last one i did was 9, my mother can install it (literally)
it autoconfigs almost everything, the only real issue is getting opengl working (or some form of 3d)

game support is another issue

and who can learn linux in a week? thats some bullshit. ive been using it for a good year or two and i still have to look up a lot of shit. granted, you cant exactly learn windows easily, but for the most part i think linux is harder

and MSP - I don't remember how old your daughter is, but as long as shes not into anything fancy (ie full blown games like half-life, etc. not those little learning games), KDE comes with a ton of games in a package, and most stuff will install like a breeze on wine (3d rendering is the only big issue. and VB.NET i've still yet to get working)

[super_Chris]

I find that I can do everything in Linux that I can windows, Except game.

I can play Wolfenstien ET and all its mods, UT2k4, I had steam working(it b0rked somehow) and a few other older games. Cedega never runs as fast as running it(a windows game) natively in windows does, which is bad for say HL2 or source, but not so much for DOD or CS seeing as a 50% cut in FPS is still above 100FPS.

I browse the internet, edit photos (with PS and gimp) capture TV shows rip movies burn DVDs, pretty much anything I can do in windows, I can do in Linux, except play source or BF(BF, BFV and BF2 havent worked with cedega, for me at least)

[Stephen]

I've used Linux as my main operating system for a couple years now. I very rarely use windows now and I agree with the comments above.
On a lot of things Linux has been better for me than Windows, an example of this was when I bought a DVB TV card. It took me about 5 minutes to install it, on windows it took me pretty much the same time. Except on windows it was incredibly unstable which I later found out to be the driver and the software that came with it wasn’t very good. On Linux it just worked and the software I use to record programs did everything I wanted.

I never really play games on my comp anymore so that’s not a problem. I have an Xbox with loads of emulators so games are not a problem.

[NoseMaster]

I'm too lazy and I don'