Sell me on why I should use Linux instead of Windows XP Pro

[Ext User(Matt)]

Conor wrote:
> In article <hOc7k.4139$YQ5.130@fe103.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
>> Conor wrote:
>>> In article <CYZ6k.4545$lb3.3406@fe097.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
>>>
>>>
>>>> Please inform me of others.
>>>>
>>> CHINA as in the country of.
>>
>> So you're saying China or the Chinese government in some sense switched
>> to Linux and then switched back to Windows? I'd like to know about that
>> if you can manage more than "Google is your friend" or the equivalent.
>>
> You need to go back a few years but basically at one point, they
> dictated all institutions must use Red Linux over everything else.


So they never really switched to Linux.

[Ext User(Conor)]

In article <485d9a4e$0$4083$4c368faf@roadrunner.com>, Claude Hopper
(11) 5. ? says...

> They can't even run XP. Have you seen the microsoft help newsgroup?
>
At least they can run wifi. Have you seen the Ubuntu, Redhat, Suse and
Mandriva forums?
At least their OS doesn't try and kill their laptop hard drives. Have
you seen the Ubuntu, Redhat, Suse and Mandriva forums?


Considering Microsoft have basically a 90% market share, the newsgroups
are quite quiet in comparison with the Linux ones.

--
Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't
looking good either. - Scott Adams

[Ext User(Conor)]

In article <485d9a4e$0$4083$4c368faf@roadrunner.com>, Claude Hopper
(11) 5. ? says...

> They can't even run XP. Have you seen the microsoft help newsgroup?
>
At least they can run wifi. Have you seen the Ubuntu, Redhat, Suse and
Mandriva forums?
At least their OS doesn't try and kill their laptop hard drives. Have
you seen the Ubuntu, Redhat, Suse and Mandriva forums?


Considering Microsoft have basically a 90% market share, the newsgroups
are quite quiet in comparison with the Linux ones.

--
Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't
looking good either. - Scott Adams

[Ext User(Conor)]

In article <I1h7k.20848$WG2.18031@fe117.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
> Conor wrote:
> > In article <hOc7k.4139$YQ5.130@fe103.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
> >> Conor wrote:
> >>> In article <CYZ6k.4545$lb3.3406@fe097.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> Please inform me of others.
> >>>>
> >>> CHINA as in the country of.
> >>
> >> So you're saying China or the Chinese government in some sense switched
> >> to Linux and then switched back to Windows? I'd like to know about that
> >> if you can manage more than "Google is your friend" or the equivalent.
> >>
> > You need to go back a few years but basically at one point, they
> > dictated all institutions must use Red Linux over everything else.
>
>
> So they never really switched to Linux.
>
How stupid do you have to be to come to that conclusion?

You're 10 aren't you?

--
Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't
looking good either. - Scott Adams

[Ext User(Conor)]

In article <I1h7k.20848$WG2.18031@fe117.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
> Conor wrote:
> > In article <hOc7k.4139$YQ5.130@fe103.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
> >> Conor wrote:
> >>> In article <CYZ6k.4545$lb3.3406@fe097.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> Please inform me of others.
> >>>>
> >>> CHINA as in the country of.
> >>
> >> So you're saying China or the Chinese government in some sense switched
> >> to Linux and then switched back to Windows? I'd like to know about that
> >> if you can manage more than "Google is your friend" or the equivalent.
> >>
> > You need to go back a few years but basically at one point, they
> > dictated all institutions must use Red Linux over everything else.
>
>
> So they never really switched to Linux.
>
How stupid do you have to be to come to that conclusion?

You're 10 aren't you?

--
Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't
looking good either. - Scott Adams

[Ext User(Benjamin Gawert)]

Don't let fanboys confuse you. You should use whatever fits your
requirements best, Period. What most people simply ignore is that an OS
is not self-sufficient, it's part of a tool (computer system) to do a
certain task. Just follow this route:

1. What do you want to do with the computer? Sit down and define what it
should do for you
2. Select the applications that help you to do the task(s) best
3. After deciding for the application(s), check the operating systems
they run on
4. If they run on multiple operating systems (i.e. Linux and Windows)
check which one supports your hardware best.
5. If both operating systems support your hardware equally good then
check if you need ISV software support and if yes, see which operating
system(s) are supported.
6. If both operating systems are equally well supported think about
available knowledge (means: which OS do you know better? And for which
OS do you have knowledgeable friends/colleges that could help you in
case of problems?). And think about if you are willing (and have the
time and patience) to learn maintaining any for you unknown OS.
7. If you have equally available ressources for both operating systems
take the one that costs you less.

Linux has it's pros and cons as does Windows. Windows can be rock-solid
as can be Linux, on the other side Linux isn't crash-proof, too. The
advantages of Linux are that it's free and that it's open, but how much
this is an advantage for you is up to you to decide. Basically, Linux is
quite easy to use, but often enough you run into problems that require
falling down to the command line. Hardware support is generally better
in Windows, even when Linux now comes quite close.

The Linux community can be a bit annoying, though. The moronic parts of
this community takes Linux as a religion and lives in a parallel
universe where Windows permanently crashes and Linux Torvalds shares a
bed with them at night. If you're a starter you also could easily run
into personal attacks as the tone in most Linux groups is quite rough
for newbies.

Basically, if you have a system that does what it should do running
Windows, then just leave it as it is.

Benjamin

[Ext User(Benjamin Gawert)]

Don't let fanboys confuse you. You should use whatever fits your
requirements best, Period. What most people simply ignore is that an OS
is not self-sufficient, it's part of a tool (computer system) to do a
certain task. Just follow this route:

1. What do you want to do with the computer? Sit down and define what it
should do for you
2. Select the applications that help you to do the task(s) best
3. After deciding for the application(s), check the operating systems
they run on
4. If they run on multiple operating systems (i.e. Linux and Windows)
check which one supports your hardware best.
5. If both operating systems support your hardware equally good then
check if you need ISV software support and if yes, see which operating
system(s) are supported.
6. If both operating systems are equally well supported think about
available knowledge (means: which OS do you know better? And for which
OS do you have knowledgeable friends/colleges that could help you in
case of problems?). And think about if you are willing (and have the
time and patience) to learn maintaining any for you unknown OS.
7. If you have equally available ressources for both operating systems
take the one that costs you less.

Linux has it's pros and cons as does Windows. Windows can be rock-solid
as can be Linux, on the other side Linux isn't crash-proof, too. The
advantages of Linux are that it's free and that it's open, but how much
this is an advantage for you is up to you to decide. Basically, Linux is
quite easy to use, but often enough you run into problems that require
falling down to the command line. Hardware support is generally better
in Windows, even when Linux now comes quite close.

The Linux community can be a bit annoying, though. The moronic parts of
this community takes Linux as a religion and lives in a parallel
universe where Windows permanently crashes and Linux Torvalds shares a
bed with them at night. If you're a starter you also could easily run
into personal attacks as the tone in most Linux groups is quite rough
for newbies.

Basically, if you have a system that does what it should do running
Windows, then just leave it as it is.

Benjamin

[Ext User(Matt)]

Benjamin Gawert wrote:
> Don't let fanboys confuse you. You should use whatever fits your
> requirements best, Period. What most people simply ignore is that an OS
> is not self-sufficient, it's part of a tool (computer system) to do a
> certain task. Just follow this route:
>
> 1. What do you want to do with the computer? Sit down and define what it
> should do for you
> 2. Select the applications that help you to do the task(s) best
> 3. After deciding for the application(s), check the operating systems
> they run on
> 4. If they run on multiple operating systems (i.e. Linux and Windows)
> check which one supports your hardware best.
> 5. If both operating systems support your hardware equally good then
> check if you need ISV software support and if yes, see which operating
> system(s) are supported.
> 6. If both operating systems are equally well supported think about
> available knowledge (means: which OS do you know better? And for which
> OS do you have knowledgeable friends/colleges that could help you in
> case of problems?). And think about if you are willing (and have the
> time and patience) to learn maintaining any for you unknown OS.
> 7. If you have equally available ressources for both operating systems
> take the one that costs you less.
>
> Linux has it's pros and cons as does Windows. Windows can be rock-solid
> as can be Linux, on the other side Linux isn't crash-proof, too. The
> advantages of Linux are that it's free and that it's open, but how much
> this is an advantage for you is up to you to decide. Basically, Linux is
> quite easy to use, but often enough you run into problems that require
> falling down to the command line. Hardware support is generally better
> in Windows, even when Linux now comes quite close.
>
> The Linux community can be a bit annoying, though. The moronic parts of
> this community takes Linux as a religion and lives in a parallel
> universe where Windows permanently crashes and Linux Torvalds shares a
> bed with them at night. If you're a starter you also could easily run
> into personal attacks as the tone in most Linux groups is quite rough
> for newbies.
>
> Basically, if you have a system that does what it should do running
> Windows, then just leave it as it is.
>
> Benjamin


Your reply is moderate, and I am in basic agreement with you. But there
ought to be mention that there is evidence that the situation regarding
OS dominance is changing, as I tried to show in my list of (mostly
rather recent) Linux adoptions. This group's readers are more
technically inclined, so some here might want to get interested in an OS
that could well be dominant 10-15 years from now. Linux goes well with
homebuilding and system integration, and some among us could conceivably
be making fortunes five years from now helping people migrate to Linux.

[Ext User(Matt)]

Benjamin Gawert wrote:
> Don't let fanboys confuse you. You should use whatever fits your
> requirements best, Period. What most people simply ignore is that an OS
> is not self-sufficient, it's part of a tool (computer system) to do a
> certain task. Just follow this route:
>
> 1. What do you want to do with the computer? Sit down and define what it
> should do for you
> 2. Select the applications that help you to do the task(s) best
> 3. After deciding for the application(s), check the operating systems
> they run on
> 4. If they run on multiple operating systems (i.e. Linux and Windows)
> check which one supports your hardware best.
> 5. If both operating systems support your hardware equally good then
> check if you need ISV software support and if yes, see which operating
> system(s) are supported.
> 6. If both operating systems are equally well supported think about
> available knowledge (means: which OS do you know better? And for which
> OS do you have knowledgeable friends/colleges that could help you in
> case of problems?). And think about if you are willing (and have the
> time and patience) to learn maintaining any for you unknown OS.
> 7. If you have equally available ressources for both operating systems
> take the one that costs you less.
>
> Linux has it's pros and cons as does Windows. Windows can be rock-solid
> as can be Linux, on the other side Linux isn't crash-proof, too. The
> advantages of Linux are that it's free and that it's open, but how much
> this is an advantage for you is up to you to decide. Basically, Linux is
> quite easy to use, but often enough you run into problems that require
> falling down to the command line. Hardware support is generally better
> in Windows, even when Linux now comes quite close.
>
> The Linux community can be a bit annoying, though. The moronic parts of
> this community takes Linux as a religion and lives in a parallel
> universe where Windows permanently crashes and Linux Torvalds shares a
> bed with them at night. If you're a starter you also could easily run
> into personal attacks as the tone in most Linux groups is quite rough
> for newbies.
>
> Basically, if you have a system that does what it should do running
> Windows, then just leave it as it is.
>
> Benjamin


Your reply is moderate, and I am in basic agreement with you. But there
ought to be mention that there is evidence that the situation regarding
OS dominance is changing, as I tried to show in my list of (mostly
rather recent) Linux adoptions. This group's readers are more
technically inclined, so some here might want to get interested in an OS
that could well be dominant 10-15 years from now. Linux goes well with
homebuilding and system integration, and some among us could conceivably
be making fortunes five years from now helping people migrate to Linux.

[Ext User(Matt)]

Conor wrote:
> In article <I1h7k.20848$WG2.18031@fe117.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
>> Conor wrote:
>>> In article <hOc7k.4139$YQ5.130@fe103.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
>>>> Conor wrote:
>>>>> In article <CYZ6k.4545$lb3.3406@fe097.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Please inform me of others.
>>>>>>
>>>>> CHINA as in the country of.
>>>> So you're saying China or the Chinese government in some sense switched
>>>> to Linux and then switched back to Windows? I'd like to know about that
>>>> if you can manage more than "Google is your friend" or the equivalent.
>>>>
>>> You need to go back a few years but basically at one point, they
>>> dictated all institutions must use Red Linux over everything else.
>>
>> So they never really switched to Linux.
>>
> How stupid do you have to be to come to that conclusion?


Not at all.

So exactly what are your saying---that the whole nation of China
switched to Linux and then switched back? You seem to know a lot about
China's usage of Linux, so let us know the main points of their bad
experience with it.


> You're 10 aren't you?


In my experience, you are very prone to tantrums. That might be
alright, except that it may slow us down in understanding the problems
at hand.

[Ext User(Matt)]

Conor wrote:
> In article <I1h7k.20848$WG2.18031@fe117.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
>> Conor wrote:
>>> In article <hOc7k.4139$YQ5.130@fe103.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
>>>> Conor wrote:
>>>>> In article <CYZ6k.4545$lb3.3406@fe097.usenetserver.com>, Matt says...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Please inform me of others.
>>>>>>
>>>>> CHINA as in the country of.
>>>> So you're saying China or the Chinese government in some sense switched
>>>> to Linux and then switched back to Windows? I'd like to know about that
>>>> if you can manage more than "Google is your friend" or the equivalent.
>>>>
>>> You need to go back a few years but basically at one point, they
>>> dictated all institutions must use Red Linux over everything else.
>>
>> So they never really switched to Linux.
>>
> How stupid do you have to be to come to that conclusion?


Not at all.

So exactly what are your saying---that the whole nation of China
switched to Linux and then switched back? You seem to know a lot about
China's usage of Linux, so let us know the main points of their bad
experience with it.


> You're 10 aren't you?


In my experience, you are very prone to tantrums. That might be
alright, except that it may slow us down in understanding the problems
at hand.

[Ext User(Dave)]

>
> Your reply is moderate, and I am in basic agreement with you. But
> there ought to be mention that there is evidence that the situation
> regarding OS dominance is changing, as I tried to show in my list of
> (mostly rather recent) Linux adoptions. This group's readers are
> more technically inclined, so some here might want to get interested
> in an OS that could well be dominant 10-15 years from now. Linux
> goes well with homebuilding and system integration, and some among us
> could conceivably be making fortunes five years from now helping
> people migrate to Linux.


download iso for puppy linux, burn it to cdr, data, multisession
boot it

Now I've just shattered someone's dreams of making a fortune helping
people migrate to linux. :) -Dave

[Ext User(Dave)]

>
> Your reply is moderate, and I am in basic agreement with you. But
> there ought to be mention that there is evidence that the situation
> regarding OS dominance is changing, as I tried to show in my list of
> (mostly rather recent) Linux adoptions. This group's readers are
> more technically inclined, so some here might want to get interested
> in an OS that could well be dominant 10-15 years from now. Linux
> goes well with homebuilding and system integration, and some among us
> could conceivably be making fortunes five years from now helping
> people migrate to Linux.


download iso for puppy linux, burn it to cdr, data, multisession
boot it

Now I've just shattered someone's dreams of making a fortune helping
people migrate to linux. :) -Dave

[Ext User(Matt)]

Dave wrote:
>> Your reply is moderate, and I am in basic agreement with you. But
>> there ought to be mention that there is evidence that the situation
>> regarding OS dominance is changing, as I tried to show in my list of
>> (mostly rather recent) Linux adoptions. This group's readers are
>> more technically inclined, so some here might want to get interested
>> in an OS that could well be dominant 10-15 years from now. Linux
>> goes well with homebuilding and system integration, and some among us
>> could conceivably be making fortunes five years from now helping
>> people migrate to Linux.
>
>
> download iso for puppy linux, burn it to cdr, data, multisession
> boot it
>
> Now I've just shattered someone's dreams of making a fortune helping
> people migrate to linux. :) -Dave


How so? The money will not be in installing Linux. It will be in
helping people develop solutions that get the monkey off their backs.

[Ext User(Matt)]

Dave wrote:
>> Your reply is moderate, and I am in basic agreement with you. But
>> there ought to be mention that there is evidence that the situation
>> regarding OS dominance is changing, as I tried to show in my list of
>> (mostly rather recent) Linux adoptions. This group's readers are
>> more technically inclined, so some here might want to get interested
>> in an OS that could well be dominant 10-15 years from now. Linux
>> goes well with homebuilding and system integration, and some among us
>> could conceivably be making fortunes five years from now helping
>> people migrate to Linux.
>
>
> download iso for puppy linux, burn it to cdr, data, multisession
> boot it
>
> Now I've just shattered someone's dreams of making a fortune helping
> people migrate to linux. :) -Dave


How so? The money will not be in installing Linux. It will be in
helping people develop solutions that get the monkey off their backs.

[Ext User(Benjamin Gawert)]

* Matt:

> Your reply is moderate, and I am in basic agreement with you. But there
> ought to be mention that there is evidence that the situation regarding
> OS dominance is changing, as I tried to show in my list of (mostly
> rather recent) Linux adoptions. This group's readers are more
> technically inclined, so some here might want to get interested in an OS
> that could well be dominant 10-15 years from now. Linux goes well with
> homebuilding and system integration, and some among us could conceivably
> be making fortunes five years from now helping people migrate to Linux.

Just because some companies or governmental agencies switch to Linux
won't make it better for the average user. Companies usually don't buy
an OS, they buy a complete solution. Just because it works for them
doesn't mean it works for others. That's what I meant when talking about
choosing an OS after the task that you have to do and not for god's sake
or because it worked for others solving a completely different problem.
Not to forget that the Linux community with it's very small market share
in the desktop computing world really needs these press releases while
Microsoft with it's huge market share doesn't. And especially in the
corporate environment Windows has a huge stake because nowhere else you
find a collaboration/messaging environment that integrates so well as
Windows Server, Exchange Server and Sharepoint Server. Besides that, the
MS SQL Server has a very good reputation, too, and playing in the same
league like Oracle, IBM DB2 and Informix. With Linux not everything that
can be done with the MS products can be done, and what can be done
usually requires a lot of tweaking and fiddling and in the end doesn't
integrate as well as the MS products. Of course you can't read that in
Linux press releases.

And it also is pointless to migrate today just because Linux *might*
become the number one operating system in 10 or 15 years from now (which
is very doubtful, especially since MS is very unlikely to sit there and
see that happen. You can be sure that they learned their bit from
Vista). Even if we for the moment assume that this (Linux the major OS
in 15yrs from today) will happen, then the Linux in 15yrs won't have
much in common with todays Linux versions, it's highly unlikely won't
run on todays hardware, and it will be for sure much more user friendly
than it is today. And even if we knew for sure that in 15yrs Linux is
the most widespread OS (which we don't know, and chances don't look so
good) then there is still enough time to move over once it's ready to be
the best solution for the specific task. Recommending to move to Linux
today because it might be the leading OS in 15yrs is the same as if
someone had recommend to move to Windows 1.0 20 yrs ago because Windows
might become the leading OS 15 years later. There is very few common in
Windows 1.0 and Windowsxp (forget about Vista).

If you're curious and willing to try something new, then fine, give
Linux a try. But if you use your computer to do certain tasks and don't
have time to fiddle around or learn something new then I strongly
recommend to forget any Linux press releases or whoever moved to Linux
(and also forget these that move away from it) and concentrate on
choosing the OS following the specific requirements of your specific
tasks. A computer is a tool and no religion, and so is an OS. That sadly
get's forgotten quite often.

Benjamin

[Ext User(Benjamin Gawert)]

* Matt:

> Your reply is moderate, and I am in basic agreement with you. But there
> ought to be mention that there is evidence that the situation regarding
> OS dominance is changing, as I tried to show in my list of (mostly
> rather recent) Linux adoptions. This group's readers are more
> technically inclined, so some here might want to get interested in an OS
> that could well be dominant 10-15 years from now. Linux goes well with
> homebuilding and system integration, and some among us could conceivably
> be making fortunes five years from now helping people migrate to Linux.

Just because some companies or governmental agencies switch to Linux
won't make it better for the average user. Companies usually don't buy
an OS, they buy a complete solution. Just because it works for them
doesn't mean it works for others. That's what I meant when talking about
choosing an OS after the task that you have to do and not for god's sake
or because it worked for others solving a completely different problem.
Not to forget that the Linux community with it's very small market share
in the desktop computing world really needs these press releases while
Microsoft with it's huge market share doesn't. And especially in the
corporate environment Windows has a huge stake because nowhere else you
find a collaboration/messaging environment that integrates so well as
Windows Server, Exchange Server and Sharepoint Server. Besides that, the
MS SQL Server has a very good reputation, too, and playing in the same
league like Oracle, IBM DB2 and Informix. With Linux not everything that
can be done with the MS products can be done, and what can be done
usually requires a lot of tweaking and fiddling and in the end doesn't
integrate as well as the MS products. Of course you can't read that in
Linux press releases.

And it also is pointless to migrate today just because Linux *might*
become the number one operating system in 10 or 15 years from now (which
is very doubtful, especially since MS is very unlikely to sit there and
see that happen. You can be sure that they learned their bit from
Vista). Even if we for the moment assume that this (Linux the major OS
in 15yrs from today) will happen, then the Linux in 15yrs won't have
much in common with todays Linux versions, it's highly unlikely won't
run on todays hardware, and it will be for sure much more user friendly
than it is today. And even if we knew for sure that in 15yrs Linux is
the most widespread OS (which we don't know, and chances don't look so
good) then there is still enough time to move over once it's ready to be
the best solution for the specific task. Recommending to move to Linux
today because it might be the leading OS in 15yrs is the same as if
someone had recommend to move to Windows 1.0 20 yrs ago because Windows
might become the leading OS 15 years later. There is very few common in
Windows 1.0 and Windowsxp (forget about Vista).

If you're curious and willing to try something new, then fine, give
Linux a try. But if you use your computer to do certain tasks and don't
have time to fiddle around or learn something new then I strongly
recommend to forget any Linux press releases or whoever moved to Linux
(and also forget these that move away from it) and concentrate on
choosing the OS following the specific requirements of your specific
tasks. A computer is a tool and no religion, and so is an OS. That sadly
get's forgotten quite often.

Benjamin

[Ext User(Benjamin Gawert)]

* Matt:

> How so? The money will not be in installing Linux. It will be in
> helping people develop solutions that get the monkey off their backs.

How many consumers actually pay for Windows support? Exactly, close no
none. Why should they pay for Linux support?

Benjamin

[Ext User(Benjamin Gawert)]

* Matt:

> How so? The money will not be in installing Linux. It will be in
> helping people develop solutions that get the monkey off their backs.

How many consumers actually pay for Windows support? Exactly, close no
none. Why should they pay for Linux support?

Benjamin

[Ext User(Dave)]

> >
> > download iso for puppy linux, burn it to cdr, data, multisession
> > boot it
> >
> > Now I've just shattered someone's dreams of making a fortune helping
> > people migrate to linux. :) -Dave
>
>
> How so? The money will not be in installing Linux. It will be in
> helping people develop solutions that get the monkey off their backs.

Huh? I don't follow. Linux has everything you need, included,
usually. -Dave