Thread: Could Windows suck any more than it does?

Originally Posted by Epy

Going to agree with you there, I have the same notion and that turned me away from Linux many times. I have switched back and forth probably 6-7 times as my main home OS. Always Windows at work of course. Been a learning experience to be sure now that I'm settled.

Actual computer administration issues where causing this back and forth? I can't seem to understand how Linux administration gets in the way of any other task I may wish to do in my computer. It definitely it isn't something that gets in the way of... anything really, much less my productivity.

Within 5 minutes of installing postgresql I was creating a database, 1 minute after installing a new HP printer I was printing ER diagrams, seconds after installing SlickEdit I was configuring it to code in C and Python... I mean, what?

Originally Posted by Epy

Computer administration referring to the operating system keeping you from getting things done in some way, and having to try to fix it.

Why would you insist going back to Linux then? Not 1 but 6 or 7 times. I'm just not following your reasoning.
If you have the same notion as MutantJohn that you don't like to sys admin your computer and Linux imposes that on you and keeps you from having things done, why leaving Windows?

That's where I was trying to get to. Sorry if I was forcing the discussion to get us there.
It's been my perception too that Windows does not differ from any of the administrative difficulties found in Linux. It just faces different problems. But once it does, solutions are likewise annoying, makes us loose time and oftentimes we can't even understand what the hell was wrong with the computer to start with, something that never happens on Linux. Windows 10 in particular has been rich in all sorts of problems, system crashes, non working hardware or software, the tremendous difficulty in guaranteeing the OS not to phone home, and the drama that forced updates and with no release notes. It's not idly that users have been forced to reinstall Windows 10 more than once or just decided to downgrade to 7.

The thing is that, the complexity of modern operating systems forces system administration on us whether we want it or not. Windows does not represent some ideal environment where frustration doesn't happen. The thought is laughable because it is the exact opposite. I'm particularly found of doing administrative tasks on my computer, I'm always tweaking and experimenting and learning about it. But I can understand those who may not like it. But to think that Linux somehow takes away precious time from us, when other systems won't... sorry. Just no.

What I have done to offset the challenges in maintaining my Linux desktop is to write small notes documenting every difficulty I encounter. It's not a bulletproof solution since modern distros change at a noticeable pace, but it helps me reinstate things to the way I like it on a fresh installation. Once that's settled, it's mostly smooth sailing. Since the notes are written by/for me, I grasp them quickly compared to reading documentation, others' blog posts etc.

Originally Posted by Guest

What I have done to offset the challenges in maintaining my Linux desktop is to write small notes documenting every difficulty I encounter. It's not a bulletproof solution since modern distros change at a noticeable pace, but it helps me reinstate things to the way I like it on a fresh installation. Once that's settled, it's mostly smooth sailing. Since the notes are written by/for me, I grasp them quickly compared to reading documentation, others' blog posts etc.

I do the same thing, though it is more for technical tasks related to server management and code environment setup.

Originally Posted by Guest

Since the notes are written by/for me, I grasp them quickly compared to reading documentation, others' blog posts etc.

Originally Posted by laserlight

I do the same thing, though it is more for technical tasks related to server management and code environment setup.

Speaking of which, I cannot advise enough Pelican (or any other simple-to-use) static website generator as a note taking/reading solution. It's perfect for note taking due to the simple and standard markup syntax these tools require for webpage generation. And with just a little bit of work one can turn any web blog template into a powerful note reading user interface.

It beats by any metric any current note taking application on the Linux ecosystem... and trust me I tried them all, until one day I was joking on IRC about even blogs being better for note taking than any application on Linux and someone answered that's exactly what they used on their company intranet.