Posted on 05/29/2015 3:37:12 AM PDT by markomalley
I might be wrong, but I get the impression that my Windows friends — which would be most of the people I see on a daily basis — think of Linux as this incredibly geeky system from another planet. I think most of them don’t understand why I use it and why I don’t just stay in the known world — which to them would be Windows. Paradoxically, however, they do get why some folks use Macs.
Quite simply, most of us use desktop Linux because it’s superior to all other brands, including Windows and OS X — even including Unix and the BSDs. This is a fact, not an opinion. There are reasons why Linux runs a majority of the world’s servers and powers most big enterprises, and in an example of where the trickle down theory actually works, those reasons trickle down (or up — depending on your viewpoint) to the desktop.
Of course, just sticking your nose in the air and claiming superiority isn’t enough to convince most people, so here’s my list of five reasons to use Linux:
Well, I’m not a coder either, and never will be. But this is still near the top of the list of the software freedoms that I cherish. Why? Because each and every day, people are modifying Linux for one reason or another, usually to meet their own needs, and sometimes those changes find their way upstream and get incorporated into mainstream Linux, improving everyone’s user experience.
To sum up the notion of software freedom in a nutshell: Free softwre such as Linux is yours to do with as you like, with no restrictions placed on you by any licensing agreement. The only thing you’re not free to do? Restrict the freedom of others.
The days are long gone when you had to be a computer expert to sit behind the wheel and run Linux — even though computer knowledge comes in handy no matter what operating system you’re using.
As for security, any Linux distribution, take your pick, is more secure out-of-the-box than either Windows or OS X, even without running antivirus software. It’s not completely free of security issues — no operating system is — but security holes in Linux are usually not as severe and get fixed quicker than in the name brands.
Plus, Linux users get most of their software pre-vetted through software repositories and don’t have to put their trust in some download site operated by who knows whom.
What’s so special about FOSS? Well, it’s free, easy to use, usually stable, and secure and versatile — the same things that make Linux special.
The Windows desktop is pretty much a one-size-fits-all proposition. Not true with Linux, where there are many desktops from which to choose. And these aren’t merely skins or themes, offering a different look but with exactly the same functionality.
Linux desktops are all completely different from one another, each offering its own user experience. Working with a old machine with a slow processor and not much memory? There’s are desktops for that. Do you have a modern computer with plenty of resources? There are desktops for that. Do you like a lot of whistles and bells and want a computer where absolutely everything can be configured to your liking? There are desktops for that as well. The list goes on.
This is just my list, and it’s nowhere near complete. Maybe you think I’ve left off something important — I probably have. What would you add to this list? Feel free to comment below.
I cant say enough about how great Linux is. I’ve put it on 3 laptops that were using XP but were not suitable (financially or technically) for Win7 upgrade.
Feeling confident,I tried to install Unbuntu on my new Laptop alongside its current Win8 and the hard drive crashed. Just wondering if anyone else had a problem similar to this??
Actually, most people do email and web browsing. There are countless old people using computers to only do that. Linux is perfect for them.
That's correct.
Versatility is being able to run on PCs, phones, mainframes, supercomputers, watches, cars, Rasberry Pi SoC, TVs, DVRs, and just about anything else that requires an OS--with or without a UI.
Welcome to Linux.
“Feeling confident,I tried to install Unbuntu on my new Laptop alongside its current Win8 and the hard drive crashed. Just wondering if anyone else had a problem similar to this??”
Never saw your problem, but once I screwed up a dual boot install one time, but all it meant was that Windows was not bootable. Having said that, I never underestimate my chances for screwing something up so I always do a full backup before installing an updated OS.
Although I actually agree with you, I expect that Linux's market penetration within that particular demographic is remarkably low. I know a lot of old people who struggle with Windows and Microsoft Windows or Outlook. Too complicated. I fully recognize that Linux would be no worse and may actually be better -- but convincing some old folks may be challenging.
“Versatility is being able to run on PCs, phones, mainframes, supercomputers, watches, cars, Rasberry Pi SoC, TVs, DVRs, and just about anything else that requires an OS—with or without a UI.
Welcome to Linux. “
In fairness, you could extend that welcome to include FreeBSD
Agreed, but the topic is Linux. :)
Great. Thanks!
Good Hunting... from Varmint Al
Yeah, a 'niche' market, like the vast majority of database, DNS, and webservers on the internet.
Free Republic is Perl running on Unix.
If you want to play a game, use windows. If you want to do real work, Unix just works.
Yeah, everybody would be more productive with a Unix server on the desk.
For the most part, if they took the opportunity to learn the tools it comes with.
I often have to deal with massive numbers of files, text, and data. I couldn't imagine trying to do what I do in windows. Something that is a 5-minute affair with unix, would be an all day task, if not more in windows, because it just doesn't come with the kind of basic tools for manipulating data that are standard fare in any Unix.
What basic tools would those be, and what would be the advantage for the vast majority of people who don't often have to deal with massive numbers of files, text and data?
I think an impediment to learning/uptake is terse/ridiculous command names and switches.
Yes, I knew if I screwed up one laptop it would be my new “first team” computer.
Actually, they're better off with a Chromebook--a laptop that runs on Linux but its interface doesn't require you (mostly) to access the Linux kernel at the lowest level with command-line operations.
Some others would want something to manage photos from their camera. Plenty of tools for that. Some are actually pretty good from an organizational standpoint.
Other folks would have a large MP3 collection they'd like to manage. There are more options for this than you can shake a stick at. There are also several servers you can configure to stream audio to your local LAN that doesn't take much knowledge to get working. Biggest drawback for this is no itunes support. I think you can make that work, but I've never had the need or desire.
For me, the fact that windows doesn't have anything near as powerful as sed, awk and grep is a deal killer, but then, my computer does actual work as opposed to playing games.
OTOH,. If you dig games, you can always use Steam.
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