I got talking with Angalee the other day and got to thinking. This is usually dangerous for humanity, but then again, I tend to over exaggetrate myself.
I got talking with Angalee the other day and got to thinking. This is usually dangerous for humanity, but then again, I tend to over exaggerate myself.
One of the most common reasons people move from Windows to Linux is they’re sick and tired of how buggy and crappy Windows runs. Hell, I got tired of my computer just up and rebooting itself for no explainable reason.
Yet, given all the complaints, people don’t give up on it entirely. Wine HQ.org works on helping programs written for Windows run on a Linux system. I, myself, am guilty of this. I use Microsoft Money 2004 to keep tracking of my finances and spending, more or less eliminating a need for a checkbook, save for the checks which I use twice a month for rent and my utilities.
The question ends up being “Why?” I thought it a bit ironic that people are working so hard on using something they’re trying to get away from until I realized something completely odd: If it crashes, it’s only the program, NOT THE FRIGGIN’ COMPUTER!!! In essence, they’ve improved on Microsoft’s base. Heck, whenever I have a problem with my Debian setup, I can kill the program causing it and not have my PC decide to jump off a cliff.
I’ve had a few people ask me just what the whole point of Linux was, anyway? The answer is Open Source Software or, in common terms, free. Many programs for Linux systems, including the kernel, are made and developed using this standard. As a result, for example, I have a complete operating system that can be easily updated, complete with firewall, anti-virus, web browser, e-mail client, and an office suite (OpenOffice.org to be specific on that last one) all from a nice desktop environment called KDE, at no financial cost, other than the electricity and DSL which I’m paying for anyway. And if I want to modify or redistribute those programs, I can do so with ease.
So why isn’t everyone jumping on the bandwagon? Linux and its different varieties (called distributions) are not exactly for the faint of techno-heart. You have to have some understanding of the basics in most cases, though there are some that promote themselves as being as user-friendly as Windows. This is why I don’t completely dump on Microsoft. If it wasn’t for them, there probably wouldn’t be as many computers in the world as there are now in people’s homes. They’ve made using a computer to be considered a common skill nowadays, whereas about 20 years ago, it was considered a tool for universities, businesses, and sometimes to play games on. Now, we do shopping, dating, idle chit-chat, crime, justice, partying, worshipping (there are a lot of religious sites out there, you know?), education, business, finances, and so much more all from the quiet of our own home. (And, yes, I know of how lucrative the porn industry is, but there’s more to it than that despite what some people say. Now go have a laugh and quit bugging me.)
In the end, in boils down t what you want to do with your machine. If you need it for a specific purpose, you’d be custom building it anyway. As for the home user, the are plenty of options to explore and have fun with, from Windows-based PCs, the Linux boxes, to Macs. I had to mention Macs, because if it weren’t for the Apple II’s I used in school so many years ago, I wouldn’t have as much an interest in computers as I do now.
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