1.The user interface
No matter how perfect it looks the feel is not the same. Until everything works and looks 95% the way XP application do there is no chance a windows user will migrate.
2.The lack of drivers
Yes there are a bunch of them but try to find the exact match for your hardware. What a headache.
3.Lack of great applications.
There is no doubt there are a lot of great applications for Linux but come on. Companies having thousand of people working on a a single product will never have trouble with the alternatives you found in Linux : graphic , multimedia or development.
4.Lack of a great Messenger Application.
GAIM tries but let’s face it.It’s so rudimentary.Until something better rises a big no no there.
5.Lack of great Games
How can you have a computer without games ??? There are some good things on Linux but gaming is not one of them.
6.CODECS
OMG – it takes so much time to install the exact codecs for all the movies you have.It’s really crazy.
7.The way fonts are render
No doubt there are a bunch of tweaks one can do to improve this but most of the application are really a mess when it comes to fonts.
8.Terminal
Linux = terminal window. Type Type and Type.You have to make this almost useless for a windows user to convert.At this point is really a must in order to make things work
9.To many bad alternatives.
How can you find a great thing is everybody is giving a 10 to every crappy applications it finds.You have to take each of them and test it yourself.In the end you will say : damn , i really miss Windows.
10.Emulation is not perfect yet
You need a windows application : Wine everybody say , well it’s not really that great. You can make some small application run with no problems but when you try with the big boys : head’s up for trouble.
10 Reasons a Windows fan can't convert to Linux
Dec 11th, 2006 by admin
Posted in XP Operating System
12 Responses to “10 Reasons a Windows fan can't convert to Linux”
Leave a Reply
-
Recent Posts
Categories
- Addictive Games (5)
- All about Blogging (2)
- Applications (20)
- challenge (1)
- Cool Urls (3)
- Database (1)
- Development (4)
- Digg Nation (10)
- Drivers (3)
- Funny (2)
- Gadgets (1)
- GOOGLE News (5)
- How To (18)
- Linux OS (9)
- Multimedia (10)
- Networking (6)
- Other (12)
- Php World (4)
- Productivity (2)
- Remote (1)
- Resources (11)
- Scripts (13)
- SE Firefox (7)
- SEO World (2)
- Site reviews (4)
- Tips and Tricks (11)
- Tutorials (5)
- UBUNTU Operating System (6)
- Uncategorized (2)
- XP Operating System (3)
There have been some comments about my grammar : I apologize for that. My understanding of Linux is not very profound I understand that , but how can one become a good Linux user and how can one really appreciate it , if it gets frustrated every time it tries to do even simple tasks ? or when every application there is available doesn’t have all the great features you find in windows applications ?
i’m about to debate every point you just made, but before i do, i’m wondering, what distros of Linux do you/have you used?
1. The UI and the way most programs react is similar if not exactly like Windows…Gaim, Firefox, OpenOffice, Skype, Azureus, Limewire, VLC…they all act excatly the same between Windows and Linux…and if you like the XP UI, you can always download and install the window manager XPde which looks and acts almost EXACTLY like Windows XP.
2. There’s a difference between lack of drivers and some hardware support…for example, i have a PCMCIA wifi card, in Windows, i have to install drivers and do a bit of work to get it to work, in Linux, all i do is stick it in and it works perfectly, no configuration needed. Yes, some wifi cards and very few pieces of other hardware aren’t supported, but if they aren’t natively supported, you can use NDISWrapper (which you can find a GUI for) to use the Windows drivers.
3. Lack of applications…i guess you’re leaving out the fact the the Ubuntu and Debian apt repositories have over 18,000 applications in each…and even more you can convert from RPM’s…and even more you can install from source…really, i think there are more Linux apps than Windows apps out there…and installing Linux apps couldn’t be easier…via terminal all you have to type is something like: apt-get install kde or whatever app you want or you can use Synaptic Package Manager to search for and install multiple apps at once…plus, there’s an update manager to update your sofware almost automatically when there’s new versions.
4. Really, i agree that Gaim doesn’t cut it as a good IM app…but Kopete is.
5. For gaming, there are quite a few cool, open-source or very Linux friendly games, but if you still want to play linux games, you can choose to dual-boot your system or install Cedega in Linux which will play most Windows games fine (and possibly better than Windows).
6. there are no massive codec headaches…or at least not as many as with windows…all you have to do is install like 3-4 codec packages (like 2 gstreamer packages and w32codecs) or VLC to be able to play every media file on the internet.
7. i really don’t understand this one so i can’t comment on it, but it seems like a really minor deal.
8. Linux DOES NOT = terminal window. 95% of the stuff that you’ll do in a terminal, you can do in the GUI as well…and usually for terminal-based stuff, there are plenty of walkthroughs online that make it literally a job of copy and paste.
9. What do you mean too many bad alternatives? Everything on linux is faster, more powerful and more secure than Windows, no wonder it’s going to be better…and yes, there are sometimes 50 apps that can do the same task, but it’s more or less so the user can find one he’s most comfortable with…there’s none of that with Windows…
10. If you use a combination of Wine, Cedega (for games) and Crossover Office (there’s a free version and a pay version which you can find on the torrents), you will never run into a problem running any Windows app…and 90% of the time, if you can’t run a Windows app, you can find an alternative just as good that’s Linux native (example: i use uTorrent for torrents on Windows, and i use kTorrent for torrents on Linux because it looks and works almost exactly the same.
And in this whole thing, i didn’t bring in the updated more often, more secure, faster, more stable and open-source sides of Linux though they are very important…
Apparently from this review, you went into it with a closed mind and didn’t try to see the other side…or it’s possible that you’ve never used Linux and just know what you’ve seen on the web and in that case, you’re possibly the worst reviewer i’ve ever seen if you did that.
Thank you for your review. I didn’t expect such a elaborate response. Most of the comments were really to obscene to accept and this is the first comment worth posting.
I have been using the Ubuntu 6.10 distribution for more then 1 month. I was very pleased with the way things evolved from 4 years ago when I played with some other distri.
I didn’t just made up an article to make linux fans angry.I wanted so much to use Ubuntu 100% of the time but there is a learning curve I don’t think an average windows user is prepared to undertake.
I won’t try to justify my answers ( only if you insist ) but I can assure you all of them are a result of my own – personal – experience.
I like some of the tips you describe ( I must confess I wasn’t really aware of some of them ) and I will surely try them and maybe publish another positive review based on them.
1. Someone who expects Windows will never be satisfied with anything other than Windows. This is a no-brainer. Of course, whenever Windows updates, they’ve got to get used to a new Windows that wasn’t what Windows was before. Null entry.
2. You clearly haven’t been paying attention to Linux in the last three years. They may not have all of the latest drivers, but I’ve installed several flavors of Linux and Windows on older and newer systems, and the Linux distributions uniformly beat Windows hands down in driver support.
3. Windows doesn’t have that many great applications. It’s just that people are more familiar with them. Linux has other applications some that directly correspond and some that don’t. On the whole Linux has more applications that would be a credit to Windows, but aren’t.
4. Funny. I use GAIM on Windows as well as Linux. Kopete is also excellent, and there are more options for instant messaging in Linux just as there are under Windows. Again, null entry.
5. No argument that companies aren’t writing games for Linux. There’s some excellent emulation going on for some of the more popular games (WoW runs better under my Ubuntu system than my Windows), but the support just isn’t there. That’s a change we need to support loudly.
6. I’ve had less trouble finding and installing CODECS under Ubuntu than I had for Windows. Just FINDING the codecs under Windows is harder. Thank you for playing, please try again.
7. Nit-pick. I love the way Linux fonts render. I don’t see your problem.
8. Terminal rules. I can do things quickly in terminal that I have to hunt for in GUI, be it Windows or Linux. Windows tried to kill the command line and failed. Deal.
9. Windows has no fewer crappy applications than Linux. Your Mileage May Vary, always. There are Windows applications that work better than Linux equivalents as well as the other. The problem is less the operating system than the programmers of the individual programs. At least Linux gives you more options to try, and with a little google search and a minimum of research, you can find some excellent things you never thought possible under Windows.
10. Emulation is not perfect and water is wet. What’s your point? Apple programs don’t work well outside Macs, Windows programs don’t work well outside Windows and Linux programs…um…translate everywhere. Hmm….
With the exception of the gaming argument, your complaints don’t hold a lot of water. Try more research, first.
My biggest problem with Linux is exactly hardware compatibility. I have not had a single ditribution of Linux install without problems on any of the notebooks I have had. It is just bad. Manufacturers don’t bother to provide Linux drivers expecially if hardware is creted “in the house” for a notebook computer.
JD – You say that “95% of the stuff that you’ll do in a terminal, you can do in the GUI as well”. I don’t know where and to find it or how to install it. Most learing you do around the Windows is by clicking around, you dont have to learn to program in C before you start learing to use Windows, big difference in learning curve.
See .. this is what I’m talking about : this is your average Windows USER.
The title of the article is not : WINDOWS is better then LINUX. GOD no.. i would be a fool to think that. The thing is a lot of us have been indoctrinated and we are breathing Windows and we MUST compare it every time. I really hope this will change but only if more people like you will come around , start explaining WHY not start screaming : believe it , linux is the king.
I would personally reboot my computer and go Ubuntu style again if you give my the answer for 2 applications I MUST USE every day
- an alternative to Macromedia Suite ( I’ve tried emulating but crashed 50% of the time)
- the name of the codec that will make all my WMV/MPG files work
Ronald – i don’t know about the Macromedia apps cuz i don’t use them, but the codes that makes WMV/MPG files work…just get w32codecs and all the gstreamer plugins (gstreamer-ugly, good, bad and really bad)
TheDuck – Notebooks are not 100% supported yet, but that’s because they use a lot of proprietary parts…let me guess you’ve tried Linux on only Dell laptops? If you want a laptop to run Linux will with no hardware issues, it’s a known fact to get either a Toshiba or IBM laptop. Also, you don’t need to know how to code C to use linux, if you have to compile something from source (which is rare if you’re a normal user) all you have to know is these 3 commands: ./configure, make and make install…that’s all
Michael – good points…
Ronald – forgot to say this in my last comment, but i think Macromedia apps run in Crossover Office…email me if you want a copy.
i agree i would prefer to use Linux over windows any day, but like to day ive been searching for programs that works on Linux like Diko thats on windows and its gave me a headache, ive just installed Pclinux and found out it only lets u read ntfs drives not write to them,another headache…
and i would say the messenger program compared to msn are limited,i don’t like msn the best of times because its crashes or does something stupid,but unless there is one that works like it,lets u customize your silly smiles , n still lets u play the online games, people ain’t going to swap in a hurry…
if i could find a good version of Linux that, lets me write to an ntfs drive,has an explorer similar to windows explorer or like opus,and can convert Avis and visa versa easily with out saying ive goto type an essay just to get things working it would be a start for me lol
i agree with ronald. ubuntu is not a good competitor for windows. ms windows is far ahead of ubuntu. ubuntu lacks basic day to day core applications like backing up data etc. i lost my linux installation becoz i had to reinstall windows. linux is not stable as it is assumed.
the only thing thats great about linux is its the best for data storage as there won’t be data loss since there wont be much human operations (esp in the server side).
windows still rules !
I use the macromedia studio 8 on Suse 10.2 with Wine. I have had no trouble. The only thing is the installation must be performed one install at a time using the exe files in the FSCOMMAND folder of the CD.
I have tried many distrobutions and Suse seems to be the best transition from Windows. It has a “reconstructed” gnome desktop that really helps with the transition.
The only big thing I can’t find a replacement for is Premiere, and I just came across Cinelerra which I have had no time to test.
Heh. I came here just like that but it was great experience because almost every point in this article is already outdated (except gaming). It took less then 5 years and Linux (especially Debian family) turn from OS for specialists to OS for every one. I’m good example: about 15 years of using Windows family systems and now (with no bigger problem) I came to Ubuntu. More then that: I saw great things on Ubuntu.