Windows

Windows Vs. Linux On The Desktop

Posted by on Apr 27, 2009 | 7 Comments

Gnomie Robert Tishkevich writes:

Hi, Chris!

I never heard of you until I watched an April 17th video where you discussed Linux on the Desktop and I agreed with all of your points as to why Linux cannot compete. As much as I would love to see Linux overtake Windows on the desktop, it ain’t gonna happen.

I have several other points I would like to discuss with you.

  1. Why would a Windows user switch to Linux when he/she has everything they want or need in Windows?

    Up until recently I would have said never. However, the recession has amplified the lower cost of installing and running Linux vs. Windows, so this opened up a window of opportunity [no pun intended]. Unfortunately the world of Linux doesn’t understand what it needs to do in order to take advantage of this golden opportunity.

  2. What is Linux to the average person?In my opinion, 99% or more of Americans have no idea what Linux is. If they don’t even know what it is, how can you create a desire or motivation to switch operating systems? Other than computer geeks, I never met one person who heard of Linux, let alone is considering switching from Windows to an operating system that is a complete mystery to them.
  3. Even if Americans eventually find out what Linux is and might consider switching because it’s free, as soon as they see a thoroughly confusing array of different Linux versions, it would be over before it starts. Are you kidding? Linux needs one unified desktop version in order to even have a chance.
  4. I’m a former OS/2 user, and among many other reasons, I think the primary reason that OS/2 never made it was IBM’s failure to provide native OS/2 applications. At the time, WordPerfect Office was the most important application in the country, but there was no native version for OS/2. In light of that, why would anyone switch if they couldn’t run WP Office? And guess what — they didn’t switch.Today, people run Quicken, Alpha Five, Access, Turbo Tax, and a wide array of other Windows applications. If they switch to Linux and find out there are no native versions of their favorite software, the game’s over before it starts.

    And don’t say anything about running Windows in a Virtual Machine; that’s so far above the average person’s understanding that it cannot be considered — at least at this point in time.

  5. As we all know, installing new applications is a breeze in Windows. It’s something anyone can do. I’m a computer geek who’s used Windows for years, but never touched Linux until about 3-4 weeks ago. I recently installed Linux on my home machine to give it a try.When I ran into the complexity of installing an application in Linux, I was mystified. I had to ask myself who created this dizzying array of installation options? It’s insane and is yet another major reason why Linux on the desktop will not happen. As you mentioned, Linux needs one unified installation option so that anyone can simply click on a file and install an application.

    On the other hand, I love the “Update Manager” — it’s fantastic! There must be a way to apply this ingenious, easy to use approach to other aspects of Linux on the Desktop.

Thanks for listening!

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  • saneblane

    Your article is interesting, but not very accurate. Maybe if you wrote this article 4 years ago i might have agreed with you. But one thing that bothers me about this review, is that you talk about linux making it hard to install programs. Now a statement like that might be true for a specific distro, but their are lots of great distro that let’s u install from their repository.

    and i am going to give you 5 reasons why people would switch to linux.

    1. it’s free, as in absolutely free, you don’t have to pay a penny if u don’t want to.

    2.it has multiple desktop environments, kde is fine but gnome is good too

    3.it has a lot less viruses than windows. how about 93 percent less. malware,spyware all those windows neighbours, when ur in linux ur house is on the other side of the country.

    4.openoffice,firefox,amarok. these are the best programs at what they do. all natively in linux. sure word perfect was nice. but open office lead a revolution in Europe, when some countries decide to adapt open standards for text documents.

    5.and last but not least, linux is made by the community for the community. not a bunch of fat cats forcing you to update your os, to get updates. on linux updates are fast and freee

  • Bill

    I wrote about this recently and got the usual indignant remarks from the Linux Faithful. None of their points made sense to anyone but another LinGeek.

    The writer has it nailed. Until Linux stops being a cult with pretensions toward Saving Mankind and becomes an out-of-the-box no-brainer, it will never have more than a minute percentage of the desktop market.

    I know people who have switched back to Windows from Leopard because they didn’t want to bother getting used to it. (Only two, that’s true…but they exist,) If people feel that way about the Holy Grail of computing — to hear Apple fans tell it — then Linux hasn’t the chance of a snowball in the Outback.

    And don’t point to those dumbed-down versions they have in the netbooks. That’s like saying Symbian is the next great desktop OS.

    Either Linux stops admiring itself in the mirror and produces a viable product, or not. Personally, I don’t care. But after all these years of promises, nothing great has happened. Yes, Ubuntu and its clones are a nice exercise, but folks are staying away in droves. Either it competes, or it doesn’t. Lamborghini builds a fine automobile, but Toyota is still the world’s largest.

  • Jim

    My take on linux is, its free, I know nothing about it really and do quite well in windows. I have been using linux for about 6 months now and my take on it is ITS FREE! What I have seen on it it 80% of all home users could use it. Most people do no more then check mail, search the internet and play solitaire it does that and 100X more very easily. You don’t have to know it to use it, 75% of most windows users don’t know how to use it either. I am thinking about switching our business machines to it, consist of spreadsheets and internet, and at a cost savings for my company of about 30 computers on windows when I upgrade. It is definately worth a look to the average home user and the business end.

  • yoon choo

    I ran into a lady co-worker one day and I asked her if she had a computer. She said she did. i asked her which window version was she using. Her answer was Ubuntu. I asked her why Ubuntu. She said she didn’t know, just that her husband used it. I was in shock. I always thought I was the only one who was on Linux. I think Linux should do what MS does make an in road to have Linux preinstalled onto the machine. Most everyday user doesn’t even need a word processor, in my opinion. They only need a browser and an easy to use multimedia software to get by. That’s it. Ubuntu by far is the most capable candidate to satisfy most everyday users.

  • PhilMB

    My desktop XP got blue-screened by an AV app at initial boot-up, and nothing I or the techs could do would recover it. While awaiting some details over a weeks time, I did grab a copy of Ubuntu Live CD, and it came right up, connected to the internet, and let me search through the Win partition and data. For that I was grateful, but also agree that any Linux flavor will never get accepted by the common folk until it becomes less of a tech play-toy and develops a solid consumer focus. IBM Mainframes went through a similar swamp in the 50′s-60′s – and it took their customer base showing them that they needed to provide compatibility forward and backward to retain legacy apps. MS is going through that now; I see no such push in the Linux world.

  • Martin

    Why bother to convince windows users to work with Linux.
    Be happy that you are.
    Be grateful for the fact that you have lots of versions to choose from. Download it, install it, tweak it.
    As long as there is the Linux community there will be improvement in the distro’s.
    Is it necessary to have more Linux users or to have Linux on all desktop’s.
    I like linux with all its quirks, problems, challenges, possibilities, stability, speed etc. because ….it’s a hobby.
    If its was like Windows it would be to much like works.

  • Buffet

    An interesting and informative read. Me? I wouldn’t know Linux from a can of paint. I’ve always believed it was for smart people. I’m a simple man, with little inclination, and definitely NO time to explore this alternative. In all liklihood, it probably is a superior O.S. for those possessed of superior mental faculties. Hopefully ignorance IS bliss (kidding). I can’t miss what I’ve never had.