Windows Vista vs Linux

Bernie said:
I can't play online poker in Linux so its windows for me :D

I think there are 2 issues here, desktop usage and server usage. From my point of view and experience, Linux wins hands down in the server category. On the desktop front, I personally perfer windows, and this is also probably a case of "well its what I have allways used" and just used to it.

I have used a couple of Linux distros on my desktop for quite some time like Mandrivia, U/Kubuntu, fedora and actually agree, the different desktops available nowdays is superb. But, like others have said, the lack of a one click install (as good as windows) just makes it that much harder to use, not much harder but just enough for me to keep booting into my windows desktop.

My 2c.
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This has come up before in this thread, but I didn't say anything then.

I use k|ubuntu at home. If I want a new app - I open synaptic, search for something that does what I want, press apply install - and its done.

I don't need to go to some third-party website, download something before I get to my "one-click install", for me the whole process is seamless and works.

But what you said about the poker is valid - I like Linux, it provides everything that I need, for free, and is fun. YMMV.
 
Indeed, That's probably the thing I love about Debian (and it's various forked distros) is the apt package management system, it just works (TM).

It's especially nice for remote upgrades, a few simple commands or a click or two and you can upgrade every component of the O/S.

chiskop said:
This has come up before in this thread, but I didn't say anything then.

I use k|ubuntu at home. If I want a new app - I open synaptic, search for something that does what I want, press apply install - and its done.

I don't need to go to some third-party website, download something before I get to my "one-click install", for me the whole process is seamless and works.

But what you said about the poker is valid - I like Linux, it provides everything that I need, for free, and is fun. YMMV.
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HAHAHAA, no, not yet.

nVidia's drivers are far superior than ATI's at this point. This isn't really a Linux-fault, this has to do with IP/Patents within ATI/nVidia's drivers (so they claim, anyway)

If the drivers were made open source, then it would most likely kill all the problems of conflicting X.org versions, kernel headers unsupported etc;

I ran Linux on my notebook for about a year off and on, and I ended up switching back to XP because of issues with my ATI card, their drivers stink.

This is a problem, Linux is badly supported by hardware vendors because only, say, maybe 5% of their users run Linux, but one of the reasons why Linux is not so meainstream yet is because of hardware support!

And we so badly need more competition in the O/S market, Microsoft have way too much power, not only in software but in standards and political issues.

If you give all the guns to the police, who protects you from the police?

supersunbird said:
Can I install the graphics card driver with a double click yet?
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supersunbird said:
Can I install the graphics card driver with a double click yet?
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No, but we're getting there. Of course, if the card manufacturers would provide linux drivers for their products in the first place, that would be a start.

FWIW, my graphics cards have been autodetected and installed the last couple of times I've installed new OSs, so I've not really had to bother with doing this myself.
 
Getting 3D working in Linux has improved alot over the past 3 years, but it's still annoying. I use Linux 90% of the time at home for the following reasons:

1. The lastest distros still give great performance on my P4 2.8GHz (I won't be upgrading anytime soon).
2. I can customise my user interface to suit my tastes (try doing that with XP).
3. Linux is a true multitasking OS. I can burn a dvd, encode a DivX movie, play a cardgame and listen to mp3s at the same time (I have 1.5 GB RAM). I've tried doing that in XP and my system was unusable.

I still use XP for games, MS Access and other little jobs, but for serious computing, Its Suse 10.2 all the way.
 
Every month or so I come over all "open-source" and trash my windows systems for Linux. And every month that I've done that I come over all "Windows-y" after about a month and so on :)

I think there's still some need for more user friendliness with most Linux distros (although Ubuntu is making decent roads into this). Basically I want an OS where I can give it to my mum and say: "Go Play".
 
AntiThesis said:
I think there's still some need for more user friendliness with most Linux distros (although Ubuntu is making decent roads into this).
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Agreed. I like using Linux, but it took me about 3 months of blood, sweat and tears to reach a stage where I could do what I wanted to do more easily on Linux than on Windows. Not everyone would be willing to go through the same kind of pain when they already have all they need on Windows.
 
Microsoft never coheresed anybody to start using windows. There was a time that there was no windows, then a time when there was windows. People decided that they wanted windows. Microsoft did not start out as a multi-billion dollar company, it started as a two man show.

Do not demonize the company unnecessarily. People made Microsoft what it is today, nothing more...

And lets not talk about security exploits until Linux has the same user base as windows. Linux in its form could never support this user base because in a linux environment nobody takes the fall for a bad program, driver etc... Its' open source so you get what you get and that's that. Since MS charges you for an operating system they are obliged to deliver.

Purely from a hardware point of view. NVIDIA & ATI couldn't exist in a linux led world. We'd still be using GeForce4 graphics cards if it were not for Microsoft and DirectX. Microsoft pushed the envelope so that, the hardware vendors had to match them. That directly translates and pours over into the Xbox, PS3 etc...

Fact is hardware wouldn't be where it is today if it were not for windows. The computing world would be allot different.

Microsoft's failures are not LInux's success.
 
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ShockG said:
Microsoft protects their intellectual property more than anybody else because they have a lot more to lose than anyone else...

Linux's biggest problem for me was the inconsistency of the various distributions, the inability to download a program and double click and exe to run as well. I am no coder and I have no need or desire to be one, If I have to download source code to compile my own version of a media player for my Linux build/distro then its going to be a problem.

You can't sell what people don't want. And people want a Windows UI, be it it's because they\we are used to it is besides the point, right now that's what is wanted.

I'm a windows advocate and always have been, I am though aware of the hundreds upon thousands of thing that plague many of Microsoft's past and present operating systems. People are not defending these problems, but are rather saying, despite all of them. It's still easier to use Windows than Linux and for that flexibility they will put up with these problems until something better comes along in this respect. Of which there hasn't been for more than 10 years now.
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If you use Ubuntu or a Debian based distribution all you do is, tick a program from a sorted list, click install and that is it. There is need to find an exe, download it from a mirror, then the next, find the exe, click it, answer 10 questions and then buy it or find a crack.

Ubuntu installations is much faster and easier.

When I install Linux on a machine I have one file to install all the software I want, after it has run I have the perfect system. Windows requires a person so sit for a whole day to install all the programs before it becomes usable.
 
halicon said:
fact of the matter is big companies will use microsoft products because:

Business
a) linux support is expensive
b) linux has no global support structure or partner program
c) ms office is the business standard and no business will train thousands of staff on open office just because the app is free
d) There are more appz for windoze
e) Other standard professional appz use Windoze

Private Usage
a) More games for windoze
b) More applications for windoze
c) When a punter buys a pc windoze comes with it
e) Er.. Windoze appeals to people more then some dodgy 'free' OS
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Support for private users is free and very easy to get. Businesses save money on license costs and downtime. Please visit freshmeat.net or browse a software repository, Linux has many more programs available. One of the reasons I get frustrated when using Windows is that I don't have the hundreds of utilities to do what I want. Most of my friends already own a copy of Windows so they don't want a preinstalled OS. 2 of my neighbors run Linux also, they dual boot for games. Interestingly though, the one guy can play Quake4 only in Linux at 40 frames, while in Windows his PC refuses. There are two sides to an argument and there is a reason why Linux is gaining market share, rather than rolling over dead.
 
ShockG said:
1. It's not Vista's fault that your varsity doesn't support the OS. That's the Varsity, not Microsoft.

2. Microsoft doesn't make laser printers and scanners, its not their fault that the manufacturer hasn't released drivers. You should e-mail the manufacturers and ask when you can expect a driver

3. XP Pro much like 2000 and NT4.0 can utilize multiple Cores or at least CPUs. Everybody else's XP recognizes two CPUs and they can see the load on two CPUs. I frequently as I'm sure many others do to, assign cpu affinity for a numbers of apps in XP Pro and Vista too.

Two of the problems you've described have nothing to do with Windows, the other one is isolated to your particular machine as every other core2 or X2 user out there can utilize both their CPUs.
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Microsoft users often complain about Linux drivers or plug and play ability. So why cant he use his printer or access the LAN? He should install Linux, chances are he will have a much better experience.
 
Ekhaatvensters said:
I suppose this is what Mark Shuttleworth tried to accomplish with Ubuntu. I have a few copies lying around in my room, I think I might try dual booting them with Vista just to check it out.

Installs look easy enough for the "bundled" software which is already in a list for you to choose from. But purely 3rd part applications which you have to download might be harder. I'd like to see for myself.

Any comments on just how usable Ubuntu is?
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You don't download 3rd party applications or drivers like with Windows. You run synaptic and tick software you want, click install and make coffee. When you come back it will be installed and ready to use. Linux is not Windows, try keep that in mind, no going to nvidia.com and downloading drivers, no need to waste hours at hp.com. It just works. I've used Linux for 8 years, I'm currently a student at varsity, I watch movies over the LAN, listen to mp3s, type assignments, play games. Never needed Windows so far.
 
supersunbird said:
Can I install the graphics card driver with a double click yet?
Click to expand...

Count the number of clicks it takes in Windows, including finding the correct driver, license agreements and such. Every time the driver upgrades you have to repeat the same process. Using Ubuntu it is 3 clicks, Applications, terminal, apt-get blah blah, enter. You can use synaptic if you prefer just the mouse, I prefer my faster easier method. Once the driver is installed you continue using the PC till it breaks, it will update and configure every day and distribution upgrade every 6 months. A distribution upgrade is the jump from XP to Vista.
 
edc said:
Using Ubuntu it is 3 clicks, Applications, terminal, apt-get blah blah, enter. You can use synaptic if you prefer just the mouse, I prefer my faster easier method.
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Yup! And then you are left with a display that is 90 pixels off the left of your screen at some crappy 60Hz refresh and selling your soul to the devil won't make it come right.
 
rwenzori said:
Yup! And then you are left with a display that is 90 pixels off the left of your screen at some crappy 60Hz refresh and selling your soul to the devil won't make it come right.
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This is linux - you first have to unlearn the windows way of doing things.

:D
 
Bleh this is pointless.
To linux users, Linux will always be superior, which I suppose is fine if their happy with it. The rest of us will continue to use Vista, then Vienna etc... :D
 
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