Tech Support > Operating Systems > Why Linux?
Why Linux?
Posted by Invader Vim on November 4th, 2003


I was a Linux user before from 1997-2000, but then I went back to
Windows, Windows XP. I'm not a geek nor a programmer, I'm mainly just
the average joe who plays games, Surfs the net and customizes my
desktop, and doodles with photoshop and Flash.

I went back to the Linux OS world now just to see if it would be
attractive to other people like me but it seems like...

Games:
I mainly play RTS, a few FPS, and some RPGS/MMORPG. Most OSS games
are fun but I really miss those new cutting-edge games released on E3.
I looked for Linux ports for all of them but it seems that its just
2:10 that have ports. I tried emulating them with WineX but it still
is pretty slow and unplayable.

Surfing:
I don't see how Surfing in Linux is Sexier than on Windows since both
Moz and IE are available. Oh but Konqueror is Sexy. :-)

Desktop:
I admit that Enlightenment is Very sexy and KDE and Gnome are too but
I could customize my XP desktop as good as those too.

Graphics:
This is what I really miss the most. Which made me decide why I
shouldn't really switch back. GIMP is good but its still not as close
to Photoshop. and I couldn't find something like Flash in Linux.

The things that I really missed in Linux are:

Permissions:
Yeah, I missed this but not till XP since they have something almost
as similar.

No Viruses:
Very big issue. still no answer to this.

Stability:
Linux is VERY VERY stable. but XP is so too but not as stable as
Linux.

Please if there's any reason why normal people should use Linux not
just for its price or for its Networking purposes or even
programming/geek purposes please reply with decent answers.

Posted by Eugene Nine on November 4th, 2003


Invader Vim wrote:

and install OpenOffice for Windows, but I've been using Koffice more now.
2. Decent News/mail. Outlook is nice but not as nice as kmail/kdepim and
OE is not anything like knode.
3. Simple drawing programs that don't cost $200 like Visio.
4. No activation like in XP sending who knows what data home, non
integrated IM so its not a whole waiting to be hacked.
5. All the stupid spyware crap fails to install. I've mistyped an address
in IE under XP before and had some porn site install a porn search toolbar
without prompting me.
6. Efficient system resources, my 1GHz laptop with 512M ram only hits the
swap when I run vmware so I didn't have to buy the fastest laptop on the
market and was able to get small and light so I could actually use it on my
lap.
7. Ability to make it do what I want. I'm toying with hotplug scripts to
automatically back up a couple of my most important files to a usb flash
drive. If I want a feature in an app I join the mailing list and ask the
authors to add it or dust off the C++ books from college and add it myself.


Posted by Lee Wei Shun on November 4th, 2003


Invader Vim wrote:

This is possibly a troll post, but I'll bite.

Sorry? Didn't XP come out later than 2000? Did you try Win2K first? For you
to have switched so early would mean you had access to MSDN or an early-
build pre-release "bootleg" copy.

Since you aren't complaining about having to activate XP, you must have the
"special" <wink,wink> edition.

There seems to be this "formula" for comparing what "you" like with others,
but, oh well.

So what made you switch in '97, the promise of better games for the linux
platform?

It's not sexier, but *SAFER* and you are able able to control your
experience a lot better, *even* when visiting more "sexy" sites, and not
fear that a malicious URL won't wreak havoc on your machine.

Really? Do show us your XP desktop, with configured with the multiple
desktops too.

Tell us, what did you pay for XP and other licences?

Really? Why are all your fellow XP users complaining about the lack of ACLs
under Linux then? Perhaps you could enlighten them.

My condolences, what did you shell out again for the AV software?

I am doing tests on 2003 now which seem to indicate that the performance
drops as you leave the machine on over a longer period. You shutdown the PC
everyday?

Well, if you *are* posting from where the nntp headers say - i.e. the
Philippines, it doesn't make sense to use Linux at all, since in that part
of the world, XP is "free", Office is "free", the AV software is "free" and
the games are "free".

HTH,
WS

--
Change to leews to mail.
Linux user #61399
The beginning of the
end

Posted by Linønut on November 4th, 2003


On 2003-11-04, Invader Vim <red_bread2000@yahoo.com> wrote:
.... you are still out of touch, based on what you listed. You need
to do your research, Mr. Google Troll.


Posted by Ken C on November 4th, 2003


On Mon, 03 Nov 2003 19:12:42 -0800, Invader Vim wrote:

It is funny that you ask for reasons, but then require that you exclude
some of the best. I'll give you another reason, if I have a friend who
wants to use Linux I can just copy or loan any disks and not worry about
licenses. I also get to use it without being reminded to register with
anyone. Top this off with Mr Gate's ideas on future licensing, such as
considering (or threatening) to require annual licensing (I hope he
dropped that one, but that is the one that made me look elsewhere).

A friend of mine is a net administrator, and he says the biggest problems
they have are with Microsoft licensing.

So just the fact that the software is mine (instead of being a 'rental' from
Microsoft) is a big hit for Linux.

Besides, to me games are the most useless and boring part of computers.



Posted by Invader Vim on November 4th, 2003


Lee Wei Shun <see.sig@pacific.net.sg> wrote in message news:<bo7f6n$99q$1@mawar.singnet.com.sg>...
custom shells. I haven't seen anything with tabs(Fluxbox, ION, etc...)
for Windows yet
switch to GNU/Linux, I posted this because I really miss it. This week
i'm going to try to be a windows free user instead of a microserf(did
I spell it right?).

Thanks

Posted by ray on November 4th, 2003


Invader Vim wrote:
Insane 'activation' policies.

I don't do games much.

Choice.

Choice.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I do not have any form of MS on my current computer - that saved me
about $100 at purchase plus more for things like an office suite. I also
enjoy the choices in desktop management, browsers, etc. And I will NOT
abide by MS's insane 'activation' policies for XP.


Posted by Brian Penix on November 5th, 2003


ray wrote:


Another thing it saves you is HUGE amounts of aggravation on new systems
that have "added value" software bundled in that only waste space, never
get used, and are usually crippleware "buy me" crap. It is this bundled
garbage that only serves to drive up the price of the overall system. It
also is almost impossible to get rid of in Windows. I just spent hours on a
new machine getting rid of these unnecessary apps.

Another bitch I got along these lines is why a distributor of systems no
longer gives the individual program disks. What they are doing now is only
giving an image of the hard drive pre-shipping. This makes it more
difficult to only install the software I want. Talk about lock in. A good
example of a companies that do this are Dell and HP. Hell, HP goes the
extra step of having you make your own restore CDs (the ridiculous number
of 8 of them because of the "value added" crap).

B.
--
Registered Linux user number 243680.
http://www.mandrakeuser.org/
Where the fun begins!
How to ask questions in Linux newsgroups:
http://tuxedo.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html