I've been using some version of Windows since it was called MS-DOS. ;-) I have an MCSE certification for Windows NT 4.0, but also worked as a unix sysadmin (Solaris 2.6) for several years. And, to be honest, I can't really say I'm a die-hard fan of either technology. I also don't feel a need to defend my choices of technologies because it is not something I take personally. I say that because I've noticed some people really get bent out of shape if you don't like their OS. Nothing personal folks - just business. I base my choices on what is best for me in each situation. In this case I happen to agree, in part, with Mr. Gralla. I have a Linux, a Windows XP Pro, and a Solaris(Ultrasparc processor) desktop and the XP box gets more use by far. I do a lot of software development and I just find Visual Studio .NET beats the pants off the open source IDEs I've tried. Now, don't get all excited - that's just my opinion, but I have tried others (the ones that worked) for more than 5 minutes. The UI is another aspect of Linux on the desktop that needs a lot of work. If I'm a new user, for instance, I don't want to have to manually edit configuration files. Even if I (the hypathetical new user) wanted to I wouldn't know how. Eric S. Raymond wrote a good article about this issue. But as far as finding shareware/freeware - Linux has plenty. One glance at Sourceforge.net will confirm that there are loads of good apps for Linux - especially for the adventurous. But, for the uninitiated, this may not be the most viable option as many need configuring, which once again often leaves the new user in the dark. Something I really like about Unix/Linux is the inherent ability to script everything. I like having a command prompt that has a full-fledged scripting language built in. But this is a feature that would, most likely, be unused by the casual desktop user. The appeal of Windows to me is that (for the most part) it just works...out of the box. The user interface is intuitive and easy to use with very few "dead ends."(Eric Raymopnd) The power user may sacrifice a lot of configurability with Windows, but lets face it - us admins, power users, programmers, and what have you are in the minority. If Linux is ever going to become a successful desktop OS, it's going to have to appeal to everyone - not just us geeks. ;-)
