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Weblog:   Why Linux?
Subject:   because Linux is just right
Date:   2004-02-13 00:10:08
From:   emk
Choosing Linux is not just about politics. Though I believe politics should play a role. I have been using Linux almost exclusively for 4 years now. I have no computer training and I don't work in a computer related field.


I came to Linux because of interminable problems with my Win98 computer, so I began dual booting Redhat 5 given to me by a techie friend. Learning Linux led to my experimenting with Apache,Perl,PHP,MySQL and webpage and website creation and maintenance. Things I would certainly not have tried had I stayed with Windows. Now I maintain a couple of websites, running on Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP. Linux led me to this incredibly enjoyable pastime.


So why do I insist on using Linux exclusively?

-because I won't spend a couple hundred on an OS if I don't have to.

-because I need a web browser that blocks pop ups,pop unders and ads (go Galeon/Mozilla).

- because I gotta have tabbed browsing.

-because I'm addicted to Bluefish

- because I love having 12 workspaces active, with Galeon in one Evolution in another, the Gimp elsewhere, OpenOffice.org in another, Frozen bubble in another, Xmms running elswhere etc.

-because I need to replicate my websites on my laptop, where I run Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP and Perl and I can edit my sites off line when I want

- because nobody at work has noticed that I use OpenOffice.org instead of MSOffice, that I use Evolution instead of MS Outlook and have been for a couple years now. Sure I've pointed it out, but it fits right in.


In short Windows does not meet what I need for my desktop and Laptop. So why pay for it when my needs can be met free?


BUt the politics are important too. If you can break out of the Windows mono culture you should. It will help everybody, even those who stay with Windows.


What you should'nt do is stay with Windows simply because you think it would be politics to try Linux!

Full Threads Oldest First

Showing messages 1 through 7 of 7.

  • because Linux is just right
    2004-02-20 20:59:21  musnat [Reply | View]

    Why should politics play a role in a technical issue.

    If you are really using Linux, you know Linux has its own problems, many of them are as annoying as the ones in win98.

    - Apache runs on Windows
    - Perl runs on Windows
    - PHP runs on Windows
    - MySQL runs on Windows

    "-because I won't spend a couple hundred on an OS if I don't have to."
    Windows price is not a couple hundrend! It is not even a hundrend if you buy the upgrade which will be the case for you. First you need to learn the numbers.

    Mozilla works on windows.

    Mozilla works on Windows.

    Even bluefish will work on windows, through cygwin, though I would say you would have a point there if you just said you are addicted to KDE.

    "- because I love having 12 workspaces active, with Galeon in one Evolution in another, the Gimp elsewhere, OpenOffice.org in another, Frozen bubble in another, Xmms running elswhere etc."
    Ok, this is the only good point you have here, not a strong one, but the only one.

    "-because I need to replicate my websites on my laptop, where I run Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP and Perl and I can edit my sites off line when I want"
    As I said you can all do these on windows without any problem, very naturally.

    "- because nobody at work has noticed that I use OpenOffice.org instead of MSOffice, that I use Evolution instead of MS Outlook and have been for a couple years now. Sure I've pointed it out, but it fits right in."
    Cool, you replaced one app with another that does the same thing or actually less but still sort of the same. Also Openoffice works on windows too. Also Evolution has a commercial part which you have to buy it, the retail price is a couple of hundrend.

    "In short Windows does not meet what I need for my desktop and Laptop."
    In short you demonstrated us why it is totally pointless to replace windows with linux, unless you want to play politics.

    "So why pay for it when my needs can be met free?"
    You said you are using evolution which is not free. You also omit all the problems you have to solve when you use linux. Also you don't even pay for windows. Try buying a laptop with linux that costs less than a laptop with windows. Windows is not an issue on the price and quality of the laptop at all. Dell offers the cheapest laptops out there, and the price doesn't change. Almost all linux laptops cost more. I once searched for it and I clearly saw that even on desktop windows has no effect on the cost.

    Why should people migrate to Linux mono culture and why should people play politics with their computer decisions.

    "It will help everybody, even those who stay with Windows."
    No, it will hurt people. It will cost time, money and resources. People will get frustrated just to be able to do things that they were already able to do on windows. Also Linux security is not as good as windows, linux machines are getting hacked all the time. This will increase by increasing Linux mono culture.


    "What you should'nt do is stay with Windows simply because you think it would be politics to try Linux!"
    Well your own article just proves that it is really politics after all. You don't mention the problems associated with Linux and Linux mono culture. You just omit them. So we should stay with windows until Linux become as good as windows. Of course, people will use Linux as a hobby os and will improve them as they did so far. Since GPL prevents big companies to pour millions of dollars into research for a better desktop Linux, since they can't profit from giving away the code, Linux's success depends on people like you. You have to become a developer and start developing some real code, not php type of stuff, some serious stuff, like APIs, new x-window, new window managers, user interfaces, hand-written recognition, voice recognition, new window widgets, maybe new programming languages like C#, etc... After these come here and tell us to switch to Linux because you made Linux really as good as Windows and that you gave away all your effort for free. Then we will consider your proposition and will treat you seriously and your rant for windows will be also taken seriously.
  • because Linux is just right
    2004-02-20 20:58:50  musnat [Reply | View]

    Why should politics play a role in a technical issue.

    If you are really using Linux, you know Linux has its own problems, many of them are as annoying as the ones in win98.

    - Apache runs on Windows
    - Perl runs on Windows
    - PHP runs on Windows
    - MySQL runs on Windows

    "-because I won't spend a couple hundred on an OS if I don't have to."
    Windows price is not a couple hundrend! It is not even a hundrend if you buy the upgrade which will be the case for you. First you need to learn the numbers.

    Mozilla works on windows.

    Mozilla works on Windows.

    Even bluefish will work on windows, through cygwin, though I would say you would have a point there if you just said you are addicted to KDE.

    "- because I love having 12 workspaces active, with Galeon in one Evolution in another, the Gimp elsewhere, OpenOffice.org in another, Frozen bubble in another, Xmms running elswhere etc."
    Ok, this is the only good point you have here, not a strong one, but the only one.

    "-because I need to replicate my websites on my laptop, where I run Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP and Perl and I can edit my sites off line when I want"
    As I said you can all do these on windows without any problem, very naturally.

    "- because nobody at work has noticed that I use OpenOffice.org instead of MSOffice, that I use Evolution instead of MS Outlook and have been for a couple years now. Sure I've pointed it out, but it fits right in."
    Cool, you replaced one app with another that does the same thing or actually less but still sort of the same. Also Openoffice works on windows too. Also Evolution has a commercial part which you have to buy it, the retail price is a couple of hundrend.

    "In short Windows does not meet what I need for my desktop and Laptop."
    In short you demonstrated us why it is totally pointless to replace windows with linux, unless you want to play politics.

    "So why pay for it when my needs can be met free?"
    You said you are using evolution which is not free. You also omit all the problems you have to solve when you use linux. Also you don't even pay for windows. Try buying a laptop with linux that costs less than a laptop with windows. Windows is not an issue on the price and quality of the laptop at all. Dell offers the cheapest laptops out there, and the price doesn't change. Almost all linux laptops cost more. I once searched for it and I clearly saw that even on desktop windows has no effect on the cost.

    Why should people migrate to Linux mono culture and why should people play politics with their computer decisions.

    "It will help everybody, even those who stay with Windows."
    No, it will hurt people. It will cost time, money and resources. People will get frustrated just to be able to do things that they were already able to do on windows. Also Linux security is not as good as windows, linux machines are getting hacked all the time. This will increase by increasing Linux mono culture.


    "What you should'nt do is stay with Windows simply because you think it would be politics to try Linux!"
    Well your own article just proves that it is really politics after all. You don't mention the problems associated with Linux and Linux mono culture. You just omit them. So we should stay with windows until Linux become as good as windows. Of course, people will use Linux as a hobby os and will improve them as they did so far. Since GPL prevents big companies to pour millions of dollars into research for a better desktop Linux, since they can't profit from giving away the code, Linux's success depends on people like you. You have to become a developer and start developing some real code, not php type of stuff, some serious stuff, like APIs, new x-window, new window managers, user interfaces, hand-written recognition, voice recognition, new window widgets, maybe new programming languages like C#, etc... After these come here and tell us to switch to Linux because you made Linux really as good as Windows and that you gave away all your effort for free. Then we will consider your proposition and will treat you seriously and your rant for windows will be also taken seriously.
  • because Linux is just right
    2004-02-13 14:05:28  pistnbroke [Reply | View]


    I am pistnbroke
    I am a new PC user with little previous experience.I tried linux out of curiosity-and boy did it teach me some stuff.I use XP,on a second hand PC, and of course being new,had to format a few times because of errors i made in learning.The last time I formatted i had to do the phone thing to M$, well needless to say,we had it out, I lost,and that caused me to have a great disrespect for M$ .I am trying to learn the Linux, so i can scrap XP.I have tried 2 now. Debian was my first(Oh Boy!),Slax 2nd. i am kinda getting addicted to this linux over my XP.This M$ seems like it's 'real and it's nice' but it's not 'real nice'.I have shelled out $149.-XP home(upgrade).$499-XP Pro(canada price) and i still am not happy. Why can't I do what i want with this OS?? - i do own it, and paid a great deal for it.So then- I figured it all out-I only rent the stupid thing.But on the otherhand I paid $5 for Debian, and my Slax(live) was free.I am thinking of grabbing the whole set of distro's(around $40 US), to find the one that suits me.That's pretty cheap if ya ask me. So far I run both XP and Slax, so i can learn more about this OS. and when i do get it down, M$ will never again be my main OS...Now you see why I am ..pistnbroke!! Thank you Linux, I will learn!In fact..I already have.

  • Jonathan Gennick photo because Linux is just right
    2004-02-13 05:57:48  Jonathan Gennick | O'Reilly AuthorO'Reilly Blogger [Reply | View]

    - because I love having 12 workspaces active


    My eight-year-old also likes that feature. Even he appreciates its utility. He can have something going, and when I sit down to "borrow" the keyboard for a few seconds, I can leave "his" workspace alone. That ability has come in handy a couple of times now.

    • because Linux is just right
      2004-02-13 07:51:32  emk [Reply | View]

      Yes. I find its a great way to have several things going on at the same time and stay organized. I typically have OpenOffice.org,Galeon,Bluefish, gFTP, Evolution and Xmms or realplayer running at the same time. So grouping related programs in individual workspaces is great for me.
  • because Linux is just right
    2004-02-13 01:05:38  ghenry [Reply | View]

    Have you tried www.nvu.com yet?
    • because Linux is just right
      2004-02-13 07:41:46  emk [Reply | View]

      No I have not. But I prefer writing my html myself. I do mostly straightforward php stuff so I can work of scripts from hotscripts.com or a book like "PHP Cookbook" I've actually never used a wysiwyg editor and my early experience with Linux has made me very comfortable with the command line and typing out stuff myself.

      but I know a couple people I'll recommend Nvu to.

Showing messages 1 through 7 of 7.