Linux poll

[Alsrir]

Well i've been thinking about getting linux for about a month now and I wanna know is it all that good? Just answer the poll questions i'll get it from that I guess

[chatterbug89]

Heh, it all depends on what you do.

 

This computer is a multiboot system but i'm usualy in XP more than I am in on Slackware simply because I have no hardware acceleration (it's a real pain getting Dri drivers to work) and I use a ton of software which isen't made more linux (I do have Photoshop and some other things on linux but things like Image Ready won't work and I need them...).

 

Basicly, windows and linux each have their good and bad points. Thou I do perfer working in linux over windows.

 

However, nothing beats linux as a server ^^ My linux server runs great and i'ma bout to make another linux server using LFS. May even have a ragnarok server thou i'm not sure if I willa actualy spend the time making NPC's and what not for a small group of friends...

 

EDIT: I shoudlen't say nothing beats linux as a server...but no question about it it beats windows as a server any day...windows is just a pain sometimes...and those stupid \'s... i'm so use to /'s lol.

Edited March 7, 2005 by chatterbug89

[Malaclypse]

I came to linux back in 1993 because the TeX distribution I used there was in need to create fonts with more than 8 chars in their filename, which was not possible then with windows (3.11) That's where I kept, with the exception of the time from 2000 to 2003 where I was in need to use a dual boot system together with w2k/winxp.

 

Whether you use linux or window is to some extent a matter of taste, but it depends much more on what you expect from an OS and what you want to do with it.

 

Some thoughts I have on this topic (just my personal opinions, and don't take them too serious ):

• * If you want to invest into the future then use linux
  * If you want maximum control of your OS and your computer hardware and don't avoid to take quite some time into learning and accepting a steep learning curve, then use linux.
  * If you just don't care much what happens with your computer, and don't want to invest the time and work to figure it out use windows.
  * If you are lazy and used to windows for so much years, stick with it and don't waste your time learning a whole new OS
  

Btw. I voted for the third point.

[chatterbug89]

* If you are lazy and used to windows for so much years, stick with it and don't waste your time learning a whole new OS

 

Heh, somethign that takes me an hour to get working on windows can take 3 minutes on linux ...so linux can be for the lazy people you know.

[Kirianthis]

Hehe... you may not get a very impartial answer here as most people that just use Windows only do so because that's what the computer came with and they're too scared to do anything about it, and those that do use Linux instead of Windows, obviously do so for their own reasons

 

Personally I still use Windows instead of Linux because it's easier to set up and use in my opinion. Most Linux versions (if not all) give a greater freedom of customizing your installation, but it can be quite confusing most especially if you don't know all the text based commands.

 

There are a lot of places where you can learn all the commands and what they do (in most cases, just see the help files) but.. meh.. the argument goes in circles. Basically, if you like three extra tweaking that text based commands offer, get Linux. If computer speak confuses you, then use Windows.

[Malaclypse]

I find it generally much more easier to install linux then to install windows. But windows comes pre-installed most of the time. Also the installation is completely graphical. You don't need to know any single command. Additionally you install linux once and run it for years, while you need to install windows at least once a year (at least if you seriously take care about of your computer) to ged rid of all the garbage that windows accumulated and savely stored in registry during the last 12 months . This is even true for windows server versions, that don't get installed and uninstalled hundreds of proggies over the time.

[Lachesis]

If everything is working fine, both OS don't make much of a difference to me. But if something goes wrong or you want to change something that you don't like Windows lets you alone, no way to do that. Linux may require you to get some skills before you can but if you have them modifiying and repairing is essentially simple in most cases. That's why I love Linux

 

With regards

Lachesis

[Placid]

I came to Linux around 1997. Used to mess around with installing different distro's on my 486 (only 16 MB, which was so impressive, Windows hated it!). I then wandered around on development in Windows, and started really using Linux around 2001.

 

Personally, I like Linux because of its lower level and advanced features. I can have much more control over my computer, which is what I need. I want stability, power, flexibility and something new; which is what I get from Linux.

 

Sadly, There is a huge divide over what to use: Windows or Linux (or both). People get confused by this, and really dont understand what the differences are and what is needed to run either. There are plenty of efforts to make Linux user-friendly, but all-in-all, you just need some decent knowledge to really hinder its power.

 

Im a bit of a Linux obsessive (), i'm sick of the image of technology and computers in general being tarred by Mircosoft's mistakes and poor effort. Which is why im so Anti-Microsoft.

 

I'd say, if you want to go the Linux route, understand your hardware, and read some books (whatever you like, User-friendly or not ), but really persevere, and take a logical approach.

 

 

Rather offtopic, but I can see this thread going on for a VERY long time (roll on Leeloo et al! )

[Ulrih]

It's just different...

Edited March 7, 2005 by Catz

[Specter]

I hate window and all their FUD. Plus linux is just user friendly....for me I dont know about you

[Grum]

If everything is working fine, both OS don't make much of a difference to me. But if something goes wrong or you want to change something that you don't like Windows lets you alone, no way to do that. Linux may require you to get some skills before you can but if you have them modifiying and repairing is essentially simple in most cases. That's why I love Linux

Amen to that. This is exactly the reason that I love Linux so much.

 

I'm not anti-Microsoft or anti-Windows. If that's what you like, and you're happy with it, by all means stay with it. Me personally, I have reached a point where I no longer feel comfortable with the windows interface. The fact there's only one desktop and the moronic click-to-focus policy really put me off. Besides that, I really like the Unix command line, which lets you string different elementary commands together to form a really powerful big command, which is something you cannot do on Windows.

 

Of course there are downsides to Linux. Hardware support is usually lagging somewhat, sometimes non-existant. If you're not already familiar with Unix, you will have to learn some new stuff (though the current desktop environments have reached a point where you can put a total moron in front of them, and he will find out what to do within 5 minutes).You will have to install it yourself. In it's default configuration, it's usually somewhat slower to boot. Not every program behaves in the same way. But all in all, I find Linux easier to use. And I didn't even mention the stability

[crusadingknight]

Hehe... you may not get a very impartial answer here as most people that just use Windows only do so because that's what the computer came with and they're too scared to do anything about it, and those that do use Linux instead of Windows, obviously do so for their own reasons

 

Personally I still use Windows instead of Linux because it's easier to set up and use in my opinion. Most Linux versions (if not all) give a greater freedom of customizing your installation, but it can be quite confusing most especially if you don't know all the text based commands.

 

There are a lot of places where you can learn all the commands and what they do (in most cases, just see the help files) but.. meh.. the argument goes in circles. Basically, if you like three extra tweaking that text based commands offer, get Linux. If computer speak confuses you, then use Windows.

How do you manage to find a distro with text-based installation?

 

And, anyway, at least I find an initscript easier to edit than some system registry

Edited March 8, 2005 by crusadingknight

[Placid]

How do you manage to find a distro with text-based installation?

 

And, anyway, at least I find an initscript easier to edit than some system registry

Technically CK, Gentoo could be called "ba$h-it-out to a pretty background"

 

Grum, i'm pretty much like that too. I dont like having to point-and-click to fix something. I really enjoy the unix command line and being able to query something quickly, and thus fix something. I know almost all windows shortcuts because I dislike using the mouse

[Wytter]

I prefer GNU/Linux as it's simply a better platform for me to work with than Windows. With my needs I can do more, faster and better with linux and that's definately enough reason for me to use linux.

 

Right now I'm on a Windows machine, and to be honest I really feel uncomfortable with the interface - I prefer my command line, and I use it all the time since it's simply faster than using the mouse cursor.

[immerentis]

i use linux because im lazy:)

 

seriously

 

heck i love the added security , but as someone who spent the latest two years of university specialising in network security ... lets just say that security is a fine dream and we try to do our best

 

but best is actually quite not enough

 

 

i also love the added stability uptimes of months thats quite dandy, but i could somehow survive without them on my personal computers and not on my servers

 

 

I love the sheer eye-candy married with efficient design of some window managers for linux but if were only for that , i could also make that extra step and live without it.

 

 

no... my biggest number one reason is sheer lazyness have one billion things to do with your files? a quick 3 lines scripts and its done... want to do 20? write them on the console separated by "&&" press enter and go along

 

the incredible marriage of console and ghraphics won my heart , what is faster to do graphically i do graphically , what is faster to do on console (hint hint 98% of things) i do on console and is SO quick that hurts

 

I spent years on windows machines and and now everytime i NEED to use one i just find myself bored with the lack og good command line tools, good online manuals , quirky interface (thrust me after some years in linux you will cry going to windows and trying to using the middle button to do loads of things instantly)

 

the thing is , after you learn your way out linux is SO easier that you lazy side will made you stick with it

[SirKillAlot]

Linux is for hackers.

[Alsrir]

Sounds good, i'll probally get the n00b form of linux I guess

[The_Pale_Elf]

Linux is free, Windows costs money. So it's no fun to pirate Linux.

 

I use Windows, it did not come with my computer, I built my own computer, I've used Linux before, I like it a little less than I liked Macintosh. Linux was the slow, painful, hard way of editing and recompiling and taking six hours to do simple tasks. I prefer being able to completely hose my W2k3 system with just a few clicks of a mouse, and wonder for weeks what I could possibly have done wrong???

 

Think about it though. If Micronopoly borders on being a monopoly, they must have a reason for being on top of the market. And typically, ANY company that becomes big descends to a customer service hell.

[immerentis]

they must have a reason for being on top of the market.

agressive marketing skills

 

if you were erring into the very common misconception of "if its the leading brand it must be somewhat good" er...

do you believe that britney spears is the pinnacle of music?

or maybe titanic was the best film ever made?

or ford make the best cars?

 

 

quantity of sold copies unfortunately is no guarantee of product quality (i SO wish the world worked like that...)

[rebootedrock]

I use SUSE 9.1 at school and I have it on my computer with windows xp home.

 

I was brought up on windows, I know how to change every aspect of it.

 

I can use linux aswell.

 

I personally prefer windows, without all of its pre-installed apps.

 

for windows media player I have Quintessenntial media player

for Internet Explorer I have FIrefox

for everything it comes with, I have a different app.

 

Windows is good for regular people and people who like looking better than other people

 

Linux is for hackers and for people who like to customise everything and to laugh at windows ad ware/spy ware/virus -ware(lol) infections.

 

Downsides for windows is bad security unless you know what your doing (65% windows uses are STUPID.)

Downsides for linux is a vast majority of things to learn on how to do things, install things (Im serious, I need a damn forensic team to install jack on suse)

 

Sayonara.

[Kinger]

[

they must have a reason for being on top of the market.

 

Well, its really a long story, and really, I can't remember much. But it first started out more or less with a fight between microsoft and Mac. BEfore, Mac. Were the first computers, and the ones everyone used. Of course, this meant they were much more expensive. Then, along came BIlly Gates, and stole a few computer ideas from other guys, and had them work for him. He started releasing free hardware, if I remember correctly, along with his operating system. So here was mac. They created internet, and to use it, of course you had to use their buy browsers. So of course, Microsoft copies, and has their own browsers, that are free for a while, but of course you need to use windows. There kept being similar occurences, with Microsoft always cheating to get ahead of mac, until most of the poppulation, being the idiots that we all are, being dependant on microsofts stupid software. UP go the prices! AWAY goes the free stuff! However most people are like stupid crying little babies, and waste tons of money buying these buggy, far from safe operating systems, because hey don't know any better. Bill Gates and his cronies basically created a computer monopoly and got everyone dependant on windows. So, of course, since the human being has this habbit of not caring to learn new things, they waste all their money on crappy products, and Bill gates is rolling around in his filthy money, just because he stole peoples ideas and got to the top by cheating.

 

Linux is an honest Operating system. Eaasy at times, complicated at others, depending on what distribution u use. It is free, and much more safe. No viruses, no spyware. I suggest that anyone that wants to convert to Linux use a Live cd, which is basically a mini-dostro of Linux, that you pop into your cd drive and run the computer on when starting up.

 

Now that I have given you this huge post, mostly insulting insulting Microsoft, I will leave. I think Bill Gates is at my door, with a couple of guys with gunss... hehe, but its a free country, right? freedom of speech! and not only was that speech. It was truth.

Edited March 9, 2005 by Kinger

[Malaclypse]

they must have a reason for being on top of the market.

They created internet

Neither M$ nor Apple created the internet. The internet came out of the arpanet, which was created in 1969(?) maybe a few years earlier. At this time, neither ms nor apple did even exists.

 

The reason why they are top of market is imho their aggressive distribution of windows with new computers. It's really hard to get a (complete) new pc without windows. I remember when I bought the computer before the one I am now using. It was in 1997 and I would have to pay 100$ extra if I don't(!) want the pre-installed windows that came with the machine

 

If it wouldn't be pre-installed since the very first beginning, people would have thought twice if they want to pay some extra hundred dollars for their operating system or better choose a cheaper one.

[crusadingknight]

they must have a reason for being on top of the market.

They created internet

Neither M$ nor Apple created the internet. The internet came out of the arpanet, which was created in 1969(?) maybe a few years earlier. At this time, neither ms nor apple did even exists.

Not to mention that MS took easily 4 years after the first Unix web browsers appeared, and a year or so after Mosaic (first graphical web browser, and cross-platform) was created.

[Wytter]

Well, it just shows that the wellknown "e" is still known as "The Internet"