Posted on 01/12/2003 7:54:22 PM PST by new cruelty
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Bought the latest whiz-bang personal computer, but don't know what to do with your older, fully functional PC?
One option would be to try breathing new life into it with Linux (news - web sites), the software standard that is presenting itself as an alternative to Microsoft Corp.'s (NasdaqNM:MSFT - news) Windows operating system.
With better stability, security and pricing in a desktop operating system with a look-and-feel similar to Windows, Linux advocates say they are getting ready to take on Microsoft, which dominates the desktop market.
Since Linux is free to be copied and modified, unlike proprietary software from Microsoft, it is cheaper to obtain.
For less than $100, most versions of Linux offer a package of software that lets users send and receive e-mail, surf the Web, write documents and use spreadsheets. Microsoft's Windows and its Office productivity program can together cost several hundreds of dollars.
The cost of obtaining Linux software from a variety of distributors, such as Red Hat Inc. (NasdaqNM:RHAT - news), SuSE, Xandros and Mandrake, mainly goes toward service agreements that provide regular updates to the software, manuals and customer support, as well as the software on a CD in a nicely packaged box.
Once confined to the desktops of technically savvy users, Linux is becoming easier to install, operate and maintain for the average user.
Xandros Desktop, one version of Linux, requires only five clicks or less to get the operating system up and running.
Red Hat, the most visible Linux distributor, offers a package of programs that includes instant messaging (news - web sites), programs for managing digital photos, sounds and video, as well as plenty of games.
Many personal files, documents and pictures used with a Windows system can be transferred and used on a Linux system. Some Windows-based software programs, such as older version of Microsoft Office or its rival, Lotus Notes, can even be installed to run on top of a Linux system.
For those who don't want to take the plunge and switch to a Linux-only system, using an older PC is a good way to test the waters, said Xandros co-chairman Frederick Berenstein.
"Everything just works," Berenstein said.
For those who want to start using Linux on their current PC without sacrificing their Windows programs, nearly all of the major Linux versions offer something ingloriously called a boot manager, which lets users choose between Windows and Linux.
Because Linux can be modified so easily, each Linux distributor creates its own version of Linux with different features and designs. Since Linux software developers can all copy from each other in their quest to create a better product, Linux advocates argue that innovation is an inherent part of the Linux operating system.
"Linux will create a renewed climate of competition and innovation for desktop applications," said Mark de Visser, vice president of marketing at Red Hat.
"Today most of the applications for Windows are Microsoft applications -- there just is no level playing field," he said, referring to the advantage Microsoft has over other application developers since it also makes the basic software platform.
LINUX -- NOT JUST FOR GEEKS
Developed just over a decade ago by a Finnish student named Linus Torvalds (news - web sites), Linux was created as an open-source alternative to proprietary Unix (news - web sites)-based operating systems, which lets users see, modify and copy software source code -- the underlying blueprints for programs.
Graphical and icon-based versions of Linux have come a long way from the unfriendly command-line based operating systems that only geeks know how to use. These harken back to the pre-Windows era when Microsoft's MS-DOS was standard on PCs.
Figures are hard to come by, but most experts agree that Microsoft software runs on well above 90 percent of PCs, with Linux making up a minuscule number of the total. Yet Linux already has a 15 to 20 percent share of the market for servers, which manage computer networks.
Now, Linux developers have created a variety of graphics-based desktops that offer a dizzying array of options for users who never want to see a command line.
Users can customize their desktop, screensavers, fonts and devices connected to their PCs by navigating through menus.
Tapping into Linux distribution Web sites allows users to access an ever-growing collection of applications -- for free.
Some versions of Linux can switch between languages nearly instantly, while Microsoft creates different versions of its operating system for different languages.
And for those who want to stick with a Windows-style system, the Xandros desktop is deliberately designed to look like Windows, with a similar file system and a task bar that sports a button that pulls up a menu like the "Start" button.
"What we offer is ease of installation and familiarity," Berenstein said.
The standard edition of Mandrake Linux, a popular Linux platform, costs $33 while a beefed up version with more than 2,000 applications costs $70.
The latest personal edition of Red Hat Linux costs $30, and the personal edition from longtime Linux developer SuSE costs $27. Xandros is available for $99.
"It is early to call this a threat to Microsoft and Windows, as the percentages (of users) are still low. But the numbers are growing, and at some point users will be able to buy computers with preloaded Linux, printers and other devices that come with Linux drivers, and desktop applications that come in both Windows and Linux versions," said Red Hat's de Visser, "Once that happens, the threat to Microsoft Windows will become very real."
You've had much better luck than I.
I bought all the hype about how Linux doesn't need much in the way of resources, how it had better performance than Windows, yada, yada.
Five distros later, including a newly purchased Mandrake and a newly purchased Red Hat, I say baloney.
Before someone points out that I should have read more, I read four books on Linux, including Linux for Dummies. I also read (and printed) several Internet articles about Linux installations on the very same machine. I'm savvy enough to get the same computer triple booting DOS 6.2, Windows 95 (the OEM OS) and Windows NT, with nary a problem.
But Linux was another matter. Regardless of the brand or type of installation, performance was VERY slow. X-Windows NEVER installed successfully, which on a plain jane 1024 X 768 display is ridiculous. But running command line only (terminal) interface, I was still left highly unimpressed with the glacial performance and the silly unix convolutions and mindset.
This was on a 150 mhz Toshiba Pentium laptop. Toshibas are noted for ruggedness and compatibility.
Granted, I got disgusted after a day or so of playing with each distribution. But I think that any installation program that can handle 800 X 600 perfectly should be able to handle 1024 X 768. They couldn't.
We're talking mainstream people here, who just get what they see in CompUSA. They don't know any better than to pay the bucks. And there's millions of them, so your offer to mail the CDs, while generous, is not very practical IMHO.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.