Thread: Windows Vs Linux

I was just wondering ,knowing very little, why everone has such a downer on microsoft. I heard about linux at college and was wondering why everyone seems to hate windows and office so much. I have windows XP and so far have almost no complaints it does what it says on the box. I don't want to get the back up of anyone but i was just interested to find out why all my lecturers hate them. When asked they don't say much possibly because my college is a microsoft approved training centre Cheers Davie

Anything sucessful will always have an armada of detractors - goes with the teritory.

There are many advantages and disadvantages of M$ Windows. It takes up a lot of hdd space for one and it can be unstable (I really haven't had problems, but I've heard stories). But, Windows is widely used and you as a user and/or programmer are forced into it. Linux, on the other hand has good mem management and takes up a fraction of hdd space. You have to set your priorities, though.

Garfield

Ive nothing against M$ as a company they are so sccessful because of producing accessable easy to use and effective (admit it) software and because of excellent business management. However their prices are a little steep. But Microsoft made the major steps of bringing computers into the home.

Linux is free, open source and very very powerful, but the lacks simplicity of use that windows does.

>> Linux is free, open source and very very powerful, but the lacks simplicity of use that windows does. <<

This shouldn't be a big problem, especially in a community of programmers. I mean, it is a disadvantage, but nothing to stop someone from using it as a main. You'll just have to learn a little more. No harm in that...

Garfield

I think it all boils down to this. M$ are a huge company. Like any other company, you have to stand on a few toes on your way to the top. ANd M$ have (allegedly) done a lot of toe treading. Its not su much that people hate M$, its more their Business Practaces that we hate.

Lucky there not a UK based company..... the Gov would have split them up years ago. Just look at our post office, our trains, our film inductry, our phone system...... our........ etc etc !

The reason why I hate MS:

Office:

the .doc file format is bull****!
power point presentations cannot be exportet to a standalone format
access don't allow me to go deeper! I nearly can only use the Assistents!

Office needs too much CPU power and RAM. HDD space is acceptable.

Windows:

can't see the blue screen anymore! OK, win2k and win xp aren't that bad anymore, but win98 or win nt 4.0 are not really stabil.

The winapi forces you to do so many workarounds...

Visual Studio:

OK, that are cool Tools! OK, MFC is to old and the VC++ is not really near to the C/C++ Standard, but all in all it's good!

General:

There are so many security holes!!
it is EXPENSIVE!!!

In 1990(hmmm...), when Win 2.0 first cam out. All the buyers are practically forced to buy Windows for a MSDOS because if you don't buy the Windows, you can't buy a DOS. So this is why M$ is so successful... They make buyers buy Windows.

Now we are practically "forced" to use Windows.. Photoshop only support Windows and MAC, Winzip only supports Windows, all of my games only supports Windows, my Encyclopedia only support Windows (yeah, M$ product, come with PC), Even the manufacturer only supports Windows!!

Windows is so successful only because 98% of all the program makers supports Windows!

Companies have to make money. Microsoft feels the need to make a lot, at the expense of quality. I doubt linux will ever seriously take over the desktop market (although IBM and AOL seem to want to do just that with Red Hat).

Microsoft software is too expensive, and I don't like the way that Windows comes out with a new OS or a second edition of an OS when you've just paid some 200 buck or something for one of their latest OS.

I don't really think it is a versus for me. I like both. I learn windows stuff because it is popular and will be a good source of income for me. I learn linux because it makes me have to think and is good for many applications.

The companies are versus eachother. I am not a warrior for either.

In the immortal words of Geddy Lee

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice!!"

>>>but i have to agree with iain in saying that Linux or any brand of unix lacks the simplicity of any M$ product..


I don't necessarily agree. There is a lerning curve to windows when you first start, and the GUI in linux is getting to be much stronger and user friendly. (much to the dismay of true linux users) I mean, what do you really need to do... the RPM does your installations for you, many games come as binaries now that self extract and install.

When I learned windows, I had to pick up dos commands that were foreign to me if I wanted to do some things.

Then again... people buy books like Windows for Dummies. I don't know... I didn't think that linux was hard after I figured out 'startx'. And several unix courses later... well... I feel like I know what I am doing anyway.