Posted on 10/30/2005 6:08:37 AM PST by Halfmanhalfamazing
During the last month, we conducted a survey of readers who use Linux. We asked them why they switched to Linux and received a plethora of answers. Surprisingly, anti-Microsoft sentiment had less to do with the choice than one might imagine.
Could the pundits have it all wrong? Is it possible that Linux stands on its own merits? Most Linux users would yes. Use of Linux does not represent a rebellion against Microsoft and Linux stands on its own as a user preference.
(Excerpt) Read more at oreillynet.com ...
Microsoft, well, I am not sure why I even want to use it except as a means to support a device that I cannot manage to get a Linux or BSD box to handle (a number of manufacturers are still poor at providing Linux device drivers), or if I need an application such as optical character recognition where open source software is weak --- GOCR and OCRAD are just not as good as the PC software out there.
But just for web browsing and email, aesthetically I think Firefox, Thunderbird, and Evolution on X now look better than on Windows, and certainly I find it pleasant to not be worrying about the enormously proliferated malware infecting so much of the Windows world.
I've been using Red Hat 9 (which is a couple of years old) on one computer recently and Firefox is noticably faster on Linux than on W2K. The lack of software is a bother, though, especially something like PhotoShop (GIMP does a lot but is harder to use than PS).
The multiplicity of sources for Linux probably means greater stability of design as there isn't a single source who can change everything at will.
Isn't Adobe coming out with a Linux/Unix version of Photo Shop and Illustrator? My biggest gripe is my favorite game (Age of Empire) will not run on Linux or any of the emulators very well.
Odd. I've had occasion to run some large multithread applications under both RH9 and Cygnus under W2K. They did noticably better under Cygnus, must have something to do with how it handles threads.
Single thread apps do run better under RH9 though.
ping
The one that is increasingly getting my attention is solaris.
Nah, it'll be a while before adobe makes it's flagship products for linux. The token acrobat reader is just that. A token, a test.
Linux'll have to gain more than it's 2 or so % userbase before adobe will invest the kind of money needed. I'd say linux would need at least 5 %, as we already have GIMP. Chances are they see us... not as pirates.... but as cheapskates.(which technically, they're probably right)
I don't deny that photoshop is better. But for it's +600 price tag.... it isn't that good.
http://transgaming.org/gamesdb/ratings/view.mhtml?game_id=2408
It's playable.
Often times I've heard people say that windows games play smoother on linux. I find this ironic.
^^^^^^^^^^Also how accurate is that 2% figure^^^^^^^^^^^
It's kind of hard to gauge. It's all based on estimates. But both IDC and Gartner place linux usage above the mac, which is just under 2%.
http://www.macobserver.com/article/2002/12/19.13.shtml
IDC thought it happened in 2003.
http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,64504,00.html?tw=wn_story_related
Gartner says 2005. I'm more inclined to believe Gartner. I'm curious how the intel/mac thing will work out. I don't believe it'll be enough, Apple has lost the #2 spot for good.
Try googling around for additional info if you'd like.
Money talks. I'm sure that they have a photoshop version running somewhere in the bowels of their facilities. But they won't put emphasis on it until there's more userbase for linux.
Because they are too cheap to buy a MAC.
I agree.
It's a classic chicken/egg situation.
Linux needs more software titles in order to gain marketshare.
Linux needs more marketshare in order for software makers to see a reason for them to port their softwares.
Reason I switched to Linux:
I like my computer to be working, rather than to be working on my computer.
My uptime record is 62 days without a restart, and then, I only had to reboot because of a power failure.
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