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Is Linux really better than Windows as a desktop OS?

m16 elitestm16 elitest
edited June 2007 in Everything Else
Seriously though, is Linux really better than Windows on the desktop? Honestly, I only see what Windows can do and the applications that Windows has to be an advantage of Windows over Linux. I honestly can't think of anything for home use that you can do on Linux, but not on Windows. Leave any comments, maybe I'm wrong.

Comments

  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    Linux does just about everything it can do better but is more limited in what it can do. If you just need to do normal stuff using normal hardware I would suggest Linux but for those big proprietary apps and the small slightly fishy ones such as the one I use to put video on my DS your going to need Windows.
    If all software and hardware was available on both platforms then Linux would win outright.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    It all depends on what you want your computer to do.

    Porche makes some damn fast cars but you can't race them in NASCAR. You also can't drive a NASCAR car on a public road (they also can't turn right worth a damn).

    The biggest question (for most people) when choosing an OS to use is, "Will my application work on this OS?"
  • m16 elitestm16 elitest
    Another quick question, would anyone here pay for any Linux distro? I mean over $50.
  • NeitoNeito
    edited June 2007
    Another quick question, would anyone here pay for any Linux distro? I mean over $50.
    Depends on my bandwidth considerations, but probably not over $50 even if i was using 14.4.
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • m16 elitestm16 elitest
    Oh I didn't mean it like that, I was testing to see if the only reason why people prefer it is because it is free. I should have said "would you pay over $50 for a Linux distro if Linux wasn't free," sorry for the mistake. I must add that this proper grammar and punctuation rule on the forum is sure to improve my grammar and punctuation, grammars ftw.
  • AprecheApreche
    Oh I didn't mean it like that, I was testing to see if the only reason why people prefer it is because it is free. I should have said "would you pay over $50 for a Linux distro if Linux wasn't free," sorry for the mistake. I must add that this proper grammar and punctuation rule on the forum is sure to improve my grammar and punctuation, grammars ftw.
    It depends on what exactly I'm paying for under what circumstances. There are just too many variables.
  • AndrewAndrew
    edited June 2007
    I must add that this proper grammar and punctuation rule on the forum is sure to improve my grammar and punctuation, grammars ftw.
    That is why it is there. Also, it improves readability.
    It depends on what exactly I'm paying for under what circumstances. There are just too many variables.
    I believe he means "Would you pay for it like you would a Windows OS?"
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • m16 elitestm16 elitest
    Yeah like if there were two bags of chips, one was free and the other was a dollar and the one for a dollar was ten times better, but no one buys it because they would take the one for free. I just want to know if the only reason why people like Linux is because it's free and not because it is a superior OS.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    When you buy a Windows "license" you are not buying the software. You are buying the ability to use the software and receive updates/fixes.

    Would I pay for a Linux license? It depends.

    Would this particular Distro "just work" with all of my hardware?
    Would it "just work" out of the box with no legal grey area in regards to DVD playback?
  • m16 elitestm16 elitest
    edited June 2007
    First one I can't really guarantee, just like with Windows Vista and the second one yes you are paying for legal codecs along with say 90 days of support.
    Post edited by m16 elitest on
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    I'm not sure. Because Linux came out as "free" from the onset I think it would be hard to get anyone to pay for Linux. They will pay for support though.

    If there was a Windows version sans-support that was free, would you buy the paid version?
  • AprecheApreche
    Yeah like if there were two bags of chips, one was free and the other was a dollar and the one for a dollar was ten times better, but no one buys it because they would take the one for free. I just want to know if the only reason why people like Linux is because it's free and not because it is a superior OS.
    Your vast oversimplification of this question shows your basic misunderstanding about what Linux is and how it is free. Simply asking "Would you pay for Linux?" is a basically a non-question. What do you mean exactly by pay, and what do you mean by Linux? Let me clarify.

    Am I paying for a copy of the Linux kernel, because that is all that Linux really is, or am I paying for an entire distribution? Maybe I'm just getting part of a distribution? What parts are open source and free, and which parts are proprietary? Are the same open source applications available, or only the applications that come with the distribution? Are the applications continuously being developed in an open source fashion, or are they being developed in a proprietary version? Am I getting updates for the system? Am I getting technical support? Am I getting the same user community support? Am I getting any guarantees about the functionality of the software? Is the software still modifiable and configurable? I could go on and on.

    Without answering all these questions and more, you just aren't comparing apples to apples. Linux, and other open source software, is so fundamentally different from proprietary software like Windows that you can't ask a question like this. You have to be far more specific, or else it is impossible to answer.
  • raquorraquor
    edited June 2007
    You have to be far more specific, or else it is impossible to answer.
    I disagree...you are making the question impossible to answer. I take it to mean if Linux were similar to Windows in all service based and availability aspects would it still be as good? Do you consider it a better and more functional OS? Leave out all the other crap...it's a very simple question. It's a hypothetical question, pretend that Linux and Windows are on equal footing, that applications work out of the box on both types of OS.

    I think I'd relate it to the often posed question of whether the U.S. is a good place to live? American's like to bitch about the country and the government and so forth but when we are confronted with the reality that exists outside of our country we usually consider ourselves damn lucky to live here.
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • m16 elitestm16 elitest
    edited June 2007
    This actually is hard to ask now that I think about it, but I'll try. If every distro was released like S.L.E.D. and R.H.E.L. do you think as many people would use Linux based distros and if the distros didn't even include support do you think as many people would think as highly of that distro.
    Post edited by m16 elitest on
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    Back on track,
    The biggest question (for most people) when choosing an OS to use is, "Will my application work on this OS?"
    To expand on that, the best way to work out which is right for you is to install both then find out how you do what you want to do. Linux does the majority of tasks windows does, often better as there's no viruses and bloat ware to worry about; Its just the complex third party speciality apps that tend to be the problem.

    Now I have kubuntu just how I want it and unlike windows I wont need to reinstall it after a period of time I think the amount of time I spent learning to get everything how I want it will pay itself off before the end of the year.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    The big thing is that many people buy a computer because of one application. How many graphic designers (the goods ones) use Windows? They don't, they use a Mac. How many gamers buy Macs? They don't, they buy PCs or console systems.
  • mitsuvratmitsuvrat
    edited June 2007
    How many graphic designers (the goods ones) use Windows? They don't, they use a Mac.
    How so, HMTK Steve? Are you implying that a graphic designer can't be "good" and use Windows or Linux?
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    edited June 2007
    How many graphic designers (the goods ones) use Windows? They don't, they use a Mac.
    How so, HMTK Steve? Are you implying that a graphic designer can't be "good" and use Windows or Linux?
    No, I am implying that the good ones prefer to work on Macs when they are able. You can be good and work on a Windows PC but why would you?
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • AprecheApreche
    edited June 2007
    No, I am implying that the good ones prefer to work on Macs when they are able. You can be good and work on a Windows PC but why would you?
    Because Photoshop is the same no matter which OS you use?
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    edited June 2007
    No, I am implying that the good ones prefer to work on Macs when they are able. You can be good and work on a Windows PC but why would you?
    Because Photoshop is the same no matter which OS you use?
    But you just know the other Mac designers look down on them for using Windows. They probably even put that fake sugar in their coffee when they make coffee runs.
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • MrRobotoMrRoboto
    edited June 2007
    The big thing is that many people buy a computer because of one application. How many graphic designers (the goods ones) use Windows? They don't, they use a Mac. How many gamers buy Macs? They don't, they buy PCs or console systems.
    I'm sorry, and probably it wasn't your intention... but thats got to be the most ignorant comment I've read today.

    Mac for design is really over rated, it's like saying that a good artist is the one with the glasses, pony tail and paint splattered overalls... Mac has the "its a tailored instrument with design put into mind while creating it" instead of, "yeah... its a box..." yes, mac is widely used in design, but in the end technology has come so far, that right now, there is no real difference, just that you can't customize the innards of a mac as much as a PC, and upgrading is more expensive. Well... that and the whole, there are not many or perhaps no viruses for mac.

    Macs freeze, and crash... they have goofy uses for the alt and control keys... plus the whole "Hi I'm a mac... and I'm a PC" makes me hate macs even more

    Remember kids, the tool doesn't make the artist, it's the other way around.
    Post edited by MrRoboto on
  • ZeehatZeehat
    edited June 2007
    'm sorry, and probably it wasn't your intention... but thats got to be the most ignorant comment I've read today.
    Hey, the truth hurts.

    /Sarcasm
    Post edited by Zeehat on
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    I have not used a Mac since 1994. To me, Macs have not changed since then.
  • AprecheApreche
    I have not used a Mac since 1994. To me, Macs have not changed since then.
    They've changed tremendously. You should at least go to an Apple store and poke one for a few minutes.
  • CramitCramit
    I bought a Mac because it is now the everything machine. It is the only computer capable of running all three major OSs. It also runs many of the small hobby OSs very well too. I found that in general I like how the Mac does things on a day to day bases and to be fairly reliable. I still love booting Ubuntu with E17 in parallels and just playing around, but it is nice to know that if I break anything i still have a usable computer.
  • Josh BytesJosh Bytes
    I don't think I would have ever bothered trying Linux out if it wasn't free. Even so just because something is free doesn't mean it must be inferior.
  • ErwinErwin
    I will say that I enjoyed Ubuntu for the last three months that I had it, I really learned a lot. However, recently my monitor died on me and I went and bought a nice 22 inches widescreen lcd monitor from a office depot sale. So I went and put it and it tried a lot to try to work at it maximun resolution but alas, I was not able to put it at 1680 by 1050. So I decided to create a partition for Windows again.
    Do not get me wrong, I really enjoyed Linux the time that it was my only OS :P
  • m16 elitestm16 elitest
    Well, I have been using a livecd for a few weeks because my hard drive died and didn't have any money to buy a new one, until now. I go to find my XP install CD and it was cracked during the move to my new place, so I download "legally" a new XP iso an burn it, but when I installed it my network card needed a driver. I am assuming this was on the custom XP disk that came with my PC, so without that driver instead of going through the headache of finding one on another PC I just said "screw it, I'll install Ubuntu on this machine till I get my new desktop in a month or so." So I am currently a full time Linux convert until I get my second PC which I'll run XP on. I wanna add one last thing, Compiz Fusion shows great potential.
  • YoshoKatanaYoshoKatana
    I'm a windows user, but I'd like to switch. I've played with a few distros, mainly Fedora Core and Ubuntu, and I would switch in a heartbeat. The only problem is support. I have a new sound card (X-Fi) which isn't yet supported by Creative's linux driver. Even after searching for months, I can't find an open source driver that works. Thus, I need to use Windows at least until my hardware is supported.

    As for the original question: If they both worked out of the box, and I had to pay somebody to use either, I would buy linux. I would only buy it, though, if it was a modern distro like Ubuntu. The repository system is really good, and I'm missing it more and more on Windows. That, and the plethora of free software is amazing. (Assuming this non-free linux would remain the same in this sense)
  • NeitoNeito
    The repository system is really good, and I'm missing it more and more on Windows. That, and the plethora of free software is amazing. (Assuming this non-free linux would remain the same in this sense)
    Looks like someone needs win-get
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