Are other operating systems ever going to catch up with Linux?

MacLindroid

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As an old Windows user, I have always been using OpenOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird and other portable applications on a flash drive.

With Windows moving towards an online-only solution in future, on a monthly or annual subscriptions base, I find that hanging on to Windows lost its appeal. Mac users buy MS Office, so what's the point with Mac? Both Windows and Mac have become expensive platforms for running FOSS applications.

Regardless of the million and a quarter other logical reasons to be using Linux only, it comes bundled with what everyone needs and then some, add to that the extensive applications repositories.

By design, not by market share, it is practically immune to malware as well. It asks little and delivers much, as it can run on older hardware with aplomb.

One really needs to ask whether the other OS's are still relevant for the right reasons, or are they like Hotel California where you can check out but never leave? Dear old John Dvorak wrote a piece recently, asking if Linux came too late. After having read all his arguments, I can say that we need to realise that there is a naked king, with tailors sewing with imaginary thread, to try and piece together a worn robe called Proprietary.

Like Dvorak, one can ask the question: did they overstay their welcome? Does it still make sense to buy expensive proprietary software and systems that seemingly fail after every next update?

Linux rose to maturity, from an ugly duckling to a graceful swan, the leader of the flock. Linux ballets on the world's supercomputers, it runs on millions of servers, it powers millions of networked or stand-alone desktop units. Linux is a liberation of the mind, unshackling the user experience from bondage to freedom.

From my perspective, Linux did not come to the party too late. Perhaps it is just above the mental reach of the majority out there, as the only logical, sensible operating system today is Linux. I also want it on my tablet and my phone, as my TV, VCR, PVR, microwave and even the car's "black box" runs it in various formats.

Refresh your cyber mind with a breathe of cool Mint!
 
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Linux is great. Still doesn't do gaming as well as Windows though. Valve is trying to change that, but it still isn't the same.
 
You mean I'm soon going to have to pay a subscription for my windows os?

/downloads Ubuntu

Yes, Microsoft is heading towards a US$19-95 monthly subscription and most or all MS apps will become cloud-only. It could cause problems for people in faraway places.

/linux
=
/home
 
Yes, Microsoft is heading towards a US$19-95 monthly subscription and most or all MS apps will become cloud-only. It could cause problems for people in faraway places.

/linux
=
/home
I really doubt that. The recent Apple iCloud hack just proves how vulnerable data is in the cloud.
 
Yes, Microsoft is heading towards a US$19-95 monthly subscription and most or all MS apps will become cloud-only. It could cause problems for people in faraway places.

/linux
=
/home
Source for this, especially the pricing?
 
I really doubt that. The recent Apple iCloud hack just proves how vulnerable data is in the cloud.

When everybody moves into the cloud, I go the opposite direction. History has proven popularity or majority rule to be less advantageous in many instances. I cannot see anything wrong with hosting my own data instead of keeping it somewhere in therehood with earthquakes, hurricanes, wars, hackers, trawlers dragging along undersea cables and fallible satellites in between. Cloud makes little sense despite in being the hype.

MS Office is going to become a cloud-only app, that is not even news any longer. The many hacks just prove how vulnerable the cloud is, but that does not stop developers to stampede into that direction. There is a cloud frenzy globally, but emanating mainly from the USA. Those people don't understand Africa, Australia and other regions where infrastructure can never be set up with any hope of profitability. That is perhaps where the Outernet may aid many. Even so, I still have a love affair with CAT6 and USB cables.
 
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When everybody moves into the cloud, I go the opposite direction. History has proven popularity or majority rule to be less advantageous in many instances. I cannot see anything wrong with hosting my own data instead of keeping it somewhere in therehood with earthquakes, hurricanes, wars, hackers, trawlers dragging along undersea cables and fallible satellites in between. Cloud makes little sense despite in being the hype.

I think quite a few hard drive producing companies, like WD Elements, are producing private servers for home. As in for the express purpose of storing information.
 
If MS ever becomes cloud only I see hard times for us here in SA with our overall 'reliable and word class' broadband.
 
Malicious code can affect any OS. And since Windows is the most popular OS (feel free to do your own research), it's the platform of choice for most corporations. Linux is the one who is trying to play catchup with Windows IMO (please feel free again to do your own research as well). :D
 
Android is very much Linux inside.

Android was derived from the Linux kernel but it is something on its own and really cannot be called Linux. It also does not offfer the excellent security Linux has. After all, Android comes from Google, known to be a security risk. Give me a proper Linux OS for mobile devices and I am a happy man.
 
When everybody moves into the cloud, I go the opposite direction. History has proven popularity or majority rule to be less advantageous in many instances. I cannot see anything wrong with hosting my own data instead of keeping it somewhere in therehood with earthquakes, hurricanes, wars, hackers, trawlers dragging along undersea cables and fallible satellites in between. Cloud makes little sense despite in being the hype.

MS Office is going to become a cloud-only app, that is not even news any longer. The many hacks just prove how vulnerable the cloud is, but that does not stop developers to stampede into that direction. There is a cloud frenzy globally, but emanating mainly from the USA. Those people don't understand Africa, Australia and other regions where infrastructure can never be set up with any hope of profitability. That is perhaps where the Outernet may aid many. Even so, I still have a love affair with CAT6 and USB cables.

I think you misunderstand the cloud then. Clouds are very useful. You should of course always have an offline backup of your data. For this a local encrypted service is fine, however that, the value of hosting your data in a cloud should also not be ignored.

You can replicated encrypted data across multiple continents and even host that data in nuclear bunkers. Your data has much more chance of surviving a catastrophe in the cloud than it will in your home.
 
I think you misunderstand the cloud then. Clouds are very useful. You should of course always have an offline backup of your data. For this a local encrypted service is fine, however that, the value of hosting your data in a cloud should also not be ignored.

You can replicated encrypted data across multiple continents and even host that data in nuclear bunkers. Your data has much more chance of surviving a catastrophe in the cloud than it will in your home.

Ghoti, I fully understand the cloud and I also know about nuclear bunkers...........but is all data stored there? There are server farms about 1km from where I live and these are already under threat of possible industrial action, earthquakes and even a long-predicted tsunami. Not all cloud serverss providers are international conglomerates with sufficient redundand capacity to guarantee ubiquity. Under ideal conditions, it will be brilliant. But practical reality is always far from the ideal.

Tramsferring data is cheap or even free to some, others may feel the pinch while most simply cannot afford it or have no access to it. Much is being argued to and fro about where Microsoft is going, the short answer is that nobody knows. In contrast,, with Linux we know exaactly where we are heading towards and at what cost.

http://www.techrepublic.com/article...between-windows-365-and-windows-as-a-service/

http://www.myce.com/news/more-infor...d-based-os-platform-72429/?PageSpeed=noscript

There is much (conflicting) information out there, just Google it.
 
Ghoti, I fully understand the cloud and I also know about nuclear bunkers...........but is all data stored there? There are server farms about 1km from where I live and these are already under threat of possible industrial action, earthquakes and even a long-predicted tsunami. Not all cloud serverss providers are international conglomerates with sufficient redundand capacity to guarantee ubiquity. Under ideal conditions, it will be brilliant. But practical reality is always far from the ideal.

Tramsferring data is cheap or even free to some, others may feel the pinch while most simply cannot afford it or have no access to it. Much is being argued to and fro about where Microsoft is going, the short answer is that nobody knows. In contrast,, with Linux we know exaactly where we are heading towards and at what cost.

http://www.techrepublic.com/article...between-windows-365-and-windows-as-a-service/

http://www.myce.com/news/more-infor...d-based-os-platform-72429/?PageSpeed=noscript

There is much (conflicting) information out there, just Google it.

Cloud data is normally replicated across multiple datacenters often on different continents. Your data is not. Your house could burn down and you could lose all your data tomorrow. A nuclear weapon could hit one of my datacenters and my data would still be safe on another continent as well as my local backup.
 
Forcing consumers into the cloud, will break a lot of Hardware manufacturers business model. Like storage manufacturers, if everybody saves there data online, then only the Hosting company will buy HDD, ergo less income from consumers.
It doesn't make sense, but the Software developers guys probably will be better off with their software better protected against piracy.
Hope theirs some middle ground that could be reached here. I still be jumping between Windows and Linux as the need arise.
 
Who says Mac users buy MS Office?

Their OS is free now and so are their "Office" apps.

Yes at a higher hardware cost, but you also get what you pay for.
 
Cloud data is normally replicated across multiple datacenters often on different continents. Your data is not. Your house could burn down and you could lose all your data tomorrow. A nuclear weapon could hit one of my datacenters and my data would still be safe on another continent as well as my local backup.

Do you put as much trust in the cloud as faith in the cloud? I think it would take a long time for me before I would trust the cloud. Just look at the Jenifer Lawrence leaked pics debacle, cloud 0, local storage 1. How much info was farmed from cloud storage by wikileaks? I'm sorry, I just can get myself to trust the Cloud.
You say your info is in another continent. How many people have access to it, how many people have claim to it, how many people own your digital copy? I don't think it's just you. On my PC, only me have access.
 
Forcing consumers into the cloud, will break a lot of Hardware manufacturers business model. Like storage manufacturers, if everybody saves there data online, then only the Hosting company will buy HDD, ergo less income from consumers.
It doesn't make sense, but the Software developers guys probably will be better off with their software better protected against piracy.
Hope theirs some middle ground that could be reached here. I still be jumping between Windows and Linux as the need arise.

That jump caused a slight bit of tension with me, so I decided to dicth Windows altogether. I really did like my last Windows, which was the original 8.
 
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