[clug-talk] Linux Blows...and Sucks

[Shawn]

I saw an article with this subject line some time ago.  I'm not sure if 
Juan's post is a reposting of that article or his own opinion....

Juan Alberto Cirez wrote:
> As a desktop (or even a netbook), on the other hand, GNU/Linux simply 
> BLOWS...and SUCKS. It is incompatible with most (new) hardware (i.e, 
> out-of-the-box, plug & play). For anyone without a good working 
> knowledge of computer science, GNU/Linux present a myriad of problems; 
> least of which is the lack of support for the applications and 
> peripherals the average user is accustomed to using. To them, let's face 
> it, GNU/Linux is just plain different.

First, try a different distro.  Red Hat, Ubuntu, Suse, etc. all seem to 
have good hardware support out of the box in the past couple years.  For 
newer hardware even.  Basing an opinion that "linux sucks" on a single 
distribution (as seems to be implied in this paragraph) seems rather 
wrong to me, and somewhat narrow minded.  Instead that opinion should be 
"Distro X sucks and blows in my experience"

Second.  If I buy a brand new computer with the latest hardware, even 
Windows does not run with this until I find and download the needed 
drivers.  So this is no different than any other OS.  When the new 
version of Windows comes out, there is always a year or so where Windows 
drivers for existing hardware are updated and there always seems to be a 
few devices missing from that conversion.  Again, no different than any 
other OS.

Application support is what it is.  If you can't find a FOSS version of 
an application you need to use (AutoCad, Visio, etc.) then you didn't do 
your homework before installing Linux and probably should be using 
Windows.  On the other hand, the mythical "average user" usually only 
needs basic word processing, and Internet type applications.  In this 
case ANY OS is suitable.  (which begs the question why install one that 
costs so much, and is notorious for viruses, bad security, and a 
constant expense of cash to keep up to date with the OS and apps - when 
you can get the functionality you need for no cost AND with better security)

> Richard Shim, an analyst with IDC, a market research company stated: 
> "...Many users found that the universe of applications compatible with 
> Windows was much larger than those with [GNU/Linux].”. This statement 
> (again, for the average user not familiar with apt-get; Slackware's 
> swaret and the rest) is surprisingly true. If the idea behind the 
> GNU/Linux Desktop was to capture the average user; then it has failed. 
> Miserably. Take the Netbook Market for example: GNU/Linux’s market share 
> on these devices has dramatically declined. In 2008, about 24.5 percent 
> of netbooks shipped with an GNU/Linux operating system, estimates IDC. 
> This year, it’s expected to plunge to 4.5 percent, and in 2010 only 3 
> percent of all netbooks will run a GNU/Linux-based OS.

I seem to recall that IDC is sometimes a Microsoft "shill".  (THough I 
might be remembering the wrong publisher in this case).  Regardless, 
using the example of the netbooks to make a case that Linux sucks is 
ironic.  The popularity of the netbooks exploded with the first 
generation - which all ran Linux.  Then MS woke up and got in the game 
and applied their various techniques they routinely apply to the desktop
/laptop market.  At that point the netbooks began running Windows more 
often than Linux - which has NOTHING to do with customer choice.  You 
can't "choose" if you don't have any other option.  (try finding a Linux 
netbook in Future Shop, BestBuy, etc. these days).

Quoting statistics of sales is also a very limited view.  "80% of all 
statistics are made up" so the saying goes.  The percentages shown are 
usually very selective in what is included.  For instance Linux market 
share is often quoted in terms of sales.  In reality, most people who 
run Linux don't buy it - they just download/install it.  So by default 
the sales of Linux will ALWAYS be less than the sales of Windows/MacOS 
because you cannot just "download/install" these apps.  So the 
statistics for market share are alway biased to the "traditional" OS's.


So, having rebutted the arguments presented (kinda/sorta), let me say this.

- Linux is NOT Windows
- If you don't like Linux don't use it.
- Who said Linux has to compete with anybody?
- Everyone is entitled to an opinion.  (though I prefer the well thought 
out opinions based on fact and experience, rather than hand-me-down 
opinions gleaned by reading an article)

While people moan and complain that Linux doesn't meet their needs 
(without ever trying it, in a lot of cases), I'll continue to get my 
work done on Linux with less hassle and expense.

My thoughts.

Shawn