I’m not a regular Linux user, but, every time there is a new release of Linux, or any of its distros, I’m one of those that “happily” goes to check it out, and many times actually install it, just to come away, again, disappointed. I’ve tried, since 1995, to see if whatever new release comes out, is the one to finally convince me that, it’s the one that can actually replace Windows. Every year, I keep hearing that, “this is they year of Linux”, only to be disappointed every time.
Sorry, but, you and others like you, will continue to preach the benefits of Linux, but, twenty years from now, you’ll still be doing the same, and Linux on desktops and laptops, will still be at around 1% of the market.
Linux needs to get away from trying to be “the replacement for Windows” and come up with new ideas about it should be the OS for computers. Trying to be like Windows, or the replacement for Windows, is not how Linux will evolve into an OS that will be adopted by a bigger set of consumers.
Linux is a moving target, with perhaps hundreds of distros and versions of those distros coming out in the last few years. Linux needs to settle down, without the geeks driving the development efforts, and without the geeks touting the benefits of the distros. There needs to be one major center for driving the development of Linux and the distros, with the functions of marketing and sales being the major concentration. Yes, I said, “sales”, because, most people still have he perception that, “free” is not as good, and not supported, and could be gone tomorrow. Linux needs to have credibility beyond the geek and development community. It needs to have direction, and that can only come from a major business entity, dedicated to the OS and all associated software. Am I talking about a Microsoft-like entity? Yes, because, that’s the only way that Linux might have a chance beyond the “1-percenters”.
Even with my disappointments, I might have decided to use and develop for Linux, if it had been a product with the major backing of a respected software house, which would also be responsible to marketing and sales. Sure, there are some of those out there, but, none as big and respected and known as Apple or Microsoft or Google or IBM or Dell or HP. Now, with Windwos 8 having come out, Linux will have to play more catchup, and though it has a presence of sorts with Android, it’s not because people wanted it; it’s because it’s packages as a device where people don’t distinguish between the device and the OS within.
I am sick of Linux talk, open source and free-ware crap. Almost every kid (under 35) that has worked for us over the years whined and cried about us having to buy licenses for MS products or compatible tools, they can do it better with a download from “yada yada” or it will run faster on Linux. It was always an integration experiment, full of dozens of downloaded plug-ins to make the last downloaded plug-in work that they read about on some blog, that failed and junior moved on to his next big gig touting his open source/garage programming skills.
When a Linux based (or any other non-MS OS) can run all the software that Windows can and still be faster, I’ll try it. If all you do is design webpages and social media crap then by all means try open source stuff, but with few exceptions enterprise apps run on MS servers and were designed on desktops/laptops running Windows, hate them or not.
Just like the people who think desktop and laptops will go away, try doing serious debugging from a phone or tablet screen.
Funny, on a push from the younger generation my company recently went to Macbooks running VMWare to host all the MS products we use to develop. So I ask the rhetorical question why don’t we just use Apple stuff or someone else’s? Then I say “duh” they are none, silly me.
It really depends on what you mean by replace. If you want to use it for email, Word Processing, Net Browsing, listening to music, etc. It is fully competent. I run Linux as my main box at home - and the above is what I use it for.
At work I have a Win 7 box that I use VNC to talk to Linux servers to engineering work.
If you want it for gaming - not the right platform. If you want it for video editing - not the right platform.
Finally - if you want Windows functionality - then use Windows! I’ll admit that Win 7 is the first reliable version I’ve seen since Windows 3.1! However, the guy was talking about Windows 8 - which is a NEW Bird altogether, and the advice to stay away from it for a year is well advised!
Lastly - something you ignored is that there is at least one version of Linux that your arguments mostly fall down on, and that would be Android ;-) It has 1 BIG Guy behind it, it has a stable interface, and the development platform is stable as well. Consequently - for total number of “seats” as it were... Linux beats Windows just because of all the phones it’s installed on ;-)
I guess am somewhat of a power user in Windows (95/98SE/Vista and now XP), but I have tried most all the Linux major distros, and think it has much potential. I sometimes spent much time trying to get it to do some of the things I quickly could do in windows (including getting printers to work or finding scripts for obtaining full R/W to all drives) or with supported freeware, but the time and energy to do so was overall too much when other things needed attention, or the software was not available (or would not run right under WINE).
And i would have to pay for certain codecs i need for video processing.
But i do have Puppy on a couple old rigs, which is good for, and for just doing surfing and word processing Linux need not requires much learning. I think Ubuntu and Linux Mint among others have helped in that. Yet the forums reveal the proportion of users who need to learn to do more complex things.
As for Win/8, most of the reviews have been negative, and i think for Windows desktops and laptops Win/7 will be the main OS.
And I am a big advocate of proven freeware, from Firefox to OpenOffice to and Bible programs to things like to AutoHotKey and PhoneTrayFree (works thru modem to give pop up called id and a record of calls, plus ability to zap telemarketers),
But may all be “online” with Jesus, and operate according to the Holy Spirit “OS!”