Quote:
Originally Posted by netjunkie
Wow! I mean WoW! It's good to go over the strengths and weaknesses of each OS before making a decision about which to install.
What do you think about the point that Linux distros are free?
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Well, as a technologist but not a Linux guru here are my thoughts about Linux both in the workplace and the home...and my thoughts reflect/include my peer's views too (some of which are CIOs at large companies as well as IT directors):
Work:
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1)The big problem with Linux is there is no support...well, I should say there is no support like coming from a single vendor like Sun or Microsoft or IBM (for IBM's mainframes)...Linux vendors over the past few years have begun to offer pay-for-support for their enterprise class versions, but the problem is that it's still wishy-washy...since nobody owns Linux and everyone owns Linux, the phone-support people you talk to STILL need to post the problem to linux boards/forums to get the answer...unless the problem (rarely) is specific to their particular distro. Companies don't like this...they want to know that if they have chosen Linux to be their app server or other type of "server" for mission critical or even somewhat critical applications, that they can have problems resolved in hours...not days or weeks.
2)It's great that it is free and there are plenty of options...but you feel a bit on your own because everyone offers Linux.
4)Generally speaking...very generally...Linux is just as good if not better than Windows for enterprise stuff like acting as a mail server or app server or j2ee container or what not. It typically has a smaller footprint than Windows and generally does not need to be rebooted as much when patches are applied.
5)Most people have thought (still think) that Linux is just Unix's little brother...but there seem to be quite some major differences (don't ask me for the details)...so there is a bit of miscommunication out there.
Personal:
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1)I think Linux was on a good roll to beating Apple at home marketshare and shot their own foot...it's like Linux got 92% of being "user friendly" and then all the developers quit. I am a techie...a diehard techie...have been since 1979...yet I, as a consumer, find it hard to install applications on Linux...I posted my example earlier yesterday. I mean, come on, people are going to want to install their favorite game or utility or cd burner software or whatever. People like my dad or sisters or even somewhat technical people aren't going to understant what a terminal window is, what "bash" is, why they need to alter the file they downloaded to be "executable", why they need to be logged in as a user with enough credentials to INSTALL...and then later RUN. This is my #1 reason why I think Linux has spun down from a Category 5 hurricane to a tropical storm.
2)Installation is a snap...just as easy as Windows (actually Windows 2008 is the easiest OS I've EVER installed...wow...try it out sometime if you want to see easy)
3)User Interface is very similar to Windows...get used to their version of the "Start Menu" and you are golden.
4)Help could be better...how about some sections like "I'm a Windows guru...how do I do these 25 popular Windows tasks in Ubuntu"? Load them up with screenshots. The Help also seems to think you have been using Linux for over a year and are familiar with the terms...wrong.
5)Ubuntu has great support for hardware...I don't get into Bluetooth and some of the other bells and whistles but it sees my network, monitor, USB drives, and cd burner just fine.
Overall I think Ubuntu and other similar Linux distros have a great opportunity to capture more marketshare than Apple. I don't think Linux will ever replace Windows simply based on the fact that nobody owns Linux and there are 900 flavors of it. People want consitency...they want to know someone is there to help them if their $800 purchase doesn't work.
Linux has to step back and look at this from a private company's point of view:
1)How do we price this attractively?
2)How do we CONVINCE people to nuke Windows and install Linux? (This has a lot of sub-questions and answers)
3)How many other competing Linux vendors are there? Will they purposely or accidentally cause confusion or dilute the Linux brand recognition or scare people away from trying Linux?
Currently I think Microsoft is more worried about Apple getting 10% of personal computing OS marketshare than Linux...but if Linux played its cards a bit better, it would easily have more marketshare than Apple...maybe as much as 30% by 2012.
-Eric
p.s. let's see if Windows 7 is a fiasco like Vista. I doubt it, but we'll see.