At the risk of stirring up a hornet’s nest, I simply have to ask this question: why go to Linux? I’ve read a number of threads on Tech Republic recently, and I can see NO reason to swap over from Wintel or Apple. Let me tell you why:
I run a small business in New Zealand supporting Wintel and Apple PCs, some in a small business setting, some in a graphics/design environment. I have found both platform reasonably fraught with glitches, bugs and problems. And before you Mac “weenies” start huffing and puffing, the hardest and “dumest” problems in the last 2 weeks have been on OS X 3 / 4!! I have often wondered about Linux, and have heard much bragging about security, uncrashability etc. However, these are the problems I have thinking about Linux:
1) Will my customers, who run apps from CAD, to Office, to Photoshop, to Garage Band, REALLY be actually better off on a pure-linux machine? Why?
2) Why is it that all the discussions I see about Linux talk about this distro and that distro, looking for drivers, typing commands lines and such? The “beauty” (if I can dare use that word…) of Win XP Pro or OS X 10.4 is that it is one “distro”, in one place (i.e. comes in a single box), with all the drivers normally needed for most devices (given that any new system I build on a PC comes with all the necessary drivers for the motherboard, video card etc). I don’t have the time to learn a whole “programming language” (which is what the Linux command line looks like: is that right?): I just want the OS I am installing to work “out of the box”. Now don’t go spouting off about how Win XP doesn’t necessarily work that well “out of the box”: it does 99% of the time for me, and I don’t have to spend copious unchargeable hours trolling thru websites looking for drivers to do basic things like play DVDs.
3) Compatibility: As with the driver thing, neither I nor any “average” computer user wants to waste hours having to “piece” together basic computer functions by having this emulator for Office, and that compatible program for Photoshop, and another to play this game, and another for creating PDFs etc etc: computers are supposed to be about ease, not hard graft. When I started in computers 20 years ago (a ZX Spectrum with 48KB of RAM), “hard graft” was par for the course. GUI’s are supposed to take 99% of that work away, not just be window-dressing to make command-line work less frequent.
4) Compatibility 2: In a Mac design environment, it’s tricky enough getting a full post-script environment that works with Freehand MX and Adobe Creative Suite (and why that is I don’t know… aren’t Macs supposed to be “king” of the design enviroment?) – what sort of nightmare could my design clients be in for in a “cobbled-together” Linux environment?
5) Standards: Following on from 4), it has taken the likes of Adobe et al 10 years+ to get a “postscript” environment that is reasonable seamless, robust and “consistent” across various printing presses, image setters, large format printers etc: has Linux got this? If yes, how much time and effort (web trolling again?) is it to “mimic” a full design environment in Linux?
I hope all of you reading this see where I’m going with this: I’m no computer newbie, and have quite a lot of experience in general computing and system builds (as well as 9 years as the production manager for an advertising company, that included tech support for 18+ Macs). But all I see in Linux is a massive amount of endless trolling, updating and general farting about, just so I can say “I use Linux and don’t get viruses”. Well, I already don’t get viruses, and neither do any of my clients, ‘cos I show them how not to (standard recommendations are Avast! and SyGate Firewall). So, without getting onto very high soap boxes, will someone out there please explain, in plain, calm, ordinary English, why I or any other “average” computer user should REALLY want all the hassle of Linux? No smart-cracks about Windows etc please (there’s enough of that going around to fill several large septic tanks), no xenophobic rants: just tell me the hard FACTS. Let’s face it, if you can really convince me, I might just turn into a Linux convert and start “evangelising” this part of the world… 😉