I attend a Computer Maintenance and Hardware Installation Course evening class once a week. Everything we do throughout the course is entirely Windows-based. I get the impression that the vast majority of the the class don't think that there is a computing world outside of Microsoft because they exclusively talk about 'Windows this, Windows that! I have on several occasions, mentioned that I use Linux to see what kind of reaction I would get. My statements have more often than not have been met with blank stare or an 'oh, right'. None of the class has actually asked me what Linux is like to use - it's almost as if it does not exist! The tutor has 'heard of it', but never used it! Although I love my Linux installs, I'm not a dyed-in-the-wood Linux fan, but it surprises even me that Linux is, seemingly, quiet unpopular/unfamiliar to most of the class. I just wonder if this classes' lack of awareness/interest is in anyway representative of the way the majority of computer users see Linux?
At university Linux is big. I can't remember seeing any Linux-based systems yet but they do like *nix and bought a load of brand new iMacs for programming Lots of people on my course have heard of Linux but not very many use it, a few people I hang around with use it seriously including one guy who builds his own Linux distro from scratch.
That's great to hear! It's good to have alternatives, so I'm glad to hear Linux is popular at your Uni. David.
Its seems strange people are "into computers" but have not used linux to any extent. Ive always considered it an important aspect of computing long before I even got the hang of windows.... Id never start a computer course without learning it!
A few of the students in my college computing class use Linux, although not many. I use it for the stability and SPPEEEEEDDD. Oh and I love the fact I have total freedom, which if you're a developer, is important to you.
It was the fact that you can do whatever you want with linux that pushed me into trying it. I hate having to look at stuff I dont need! Imagine if the Open Source community didnt exist!
well my head wouldn't explode, but i wouldn't be a happy bunny, having to use Win & crap like that - i'm very glad *nix exists, cos i love it fftopic:[ot]if fact i want Kubuntu to have my babies, LOL[/ot]
Good or not, I still think Windows is a relevant OS. It is however, good to have an alternative which is just as productive if not more and is absolutly free to any joe. Now, it is also as easy if not easier to install and use. The reason it does not feature on more ready made systems is that there is no money there for the big firms... At the moment, a Dell PC will sell better with a copy of Windows. Wouldn't it? 'cos if they sold it for £100 less because there was free software on it, they will lose out. Not to mention the vague expresion on the housewife's face.... Linux? WTF??? (she's from Harlsden... LOL, only joking :doh: ) I do not log onto windows anymore, unless when I get home, one of the squaters has it on. I am not that stingy that I will reboot only because the PC is running Windows. As far as I am concerened, Linux is out there and anyone with half a brain and quarter of interest in stable, secure and free computing would have heard of or tried it by now. Linux gets its advertising the way most good things do... through the community, not the billboards. By the way, all this is MOHO.
Theres no doubt about that, even if it was just to get the OS ball rolling. I was surprised how easy it was to install Ubuntu. I first tried Linux about 4 years ago (I think it was Vector Linux) I failed and gave up! You cant go wrong with Ubuntu.
Yeah, people have so many false stereotypes about Linux -- it's quite amazing to me how successful Ballmer's FUD campaign has been. But, let me set the record straight: Linux users are NOT cheapskates. My hardware at home is fairly nice, and I'm not averse to paying for commercial games and other software I feel is worth while. I even had a payed subscription to Mandrake Linux before it became Mandriva. Just because we believe in freedom does not mean that we are cheap. On the other hand, how many Windows users do you know who pirate software, or even their whole OS? Linux is NOT a crippled OS. I can do everything on my Linux box as I could on a Windows machine or more in my case. I do not feel I am sacrificing any functionality to use Linux. There's a reason most of the world's biggest supercomputers run Linux. If Linux can't do it, computer science simply hasn't worked it out yet. Linux users are NOT communists. I don't subscribe to any communist ideals, I don't believe capitalism is evil, and I don't think everyone should be "equally poor". If anything, Linux only helps capitalist economies and stimulates technological advances. And yes, you can buy & sell open source software freely if it is licensed under the GNU Public License, like Linux is. Linux users are NOT all nerds or computer scientists. I'm a network engineer, granted, but when I was younger I also had a foot-tall green mohican, piercings, and wore enough metal in my leather jacket to make it weigh nearly as much as I did. Now I'm a pretty regular guy with a wife & kid, making a living doing what I love. In fact, the only real "weirdo" Linux fan I know personally is a certifiable genius, so I believe he is allowed to be a bit eccentric. All the other Linux users I know are more or less Joe/Jane Normal. Linux does NOT have a higher total cost of ownership than Windows, period. The OS is free, support is widely available, and the platform needs far, far less administrative oversight once it's running. Anybody who tells you otherwise is working for Microsoft. Linux IS ready for mainstream use, IF somebody sets it up for mainstream users. Most people can't successfully install any operating system, including Windows, so I don't think that's a huge point. But if my (autistic) younger sister can run Linux as her OS, you can too. If that means you need somebody with more experience to set it up for you so be it, but don't hide behind the old "not ready for mainstream" argument -- it's getting tired.
Im sure I remember Walmart saying they were going to distribute Linux with thier PCs to cut down on cost. Aren' t they the biggest retailer in the world? They obviously saw it as a worthy investment at the time..... I suppose it always boils down to money. Why should Walmart promote Linux for free? They probably make as much profit on the windows computers so will just sell to the biggest demand. Its good how dell agreed not to install windows and drop the cost a little the other week.
Linux is only more expensive if it's being administered by someone who doesn't know what they're doing. But, that goes for anything. Linux is definitely not crippled. SuSe's install has to be the most intuitive install I've seen (going with 9.x/10.x). CentOS (and presumably Red Hat/FC) isn't that much harder. Oh, and there's a much more robust partitioning system in place as well as more options that haven't been seen since Windows 98.
