What keeps most people from moveing over to Ubuntu?

[askyourpc.com]

What keeps most people from moveing over to Ubuntu?

[cmat]

The availability of popular applications and people sticking to what they are used to.

[howefield]

the impossibility of buying a system without an operating system.....

For most people, there is no choice to make.

[jrothwell97]

The perception that it's complicated (which, truth be told, is correct to at least some extent.)

[aysiu]

In this order:

1. Never heard of it

2. Things they have heard about "Linux" are scary

3. Don't want to install an operating system themselves

4. Don't necessarily have compatible hardware if they did install Ubuntu themselves

5. Don't see a lot of options for Ubuntu preinstalled

6. Not sure if they even want to buy the few options of it preinstalled since either "no one" or "only geeks and programmers" they know are the ones who use Ubuntu

7. Tied to some Windows-only programs or formats

8. May actually like Windows better

Did I get all of them?

[karellen]

all of the above :)

[4Orbs]

I cannot speak for "most people" but I can relate what my reluctant reasons were.
1. Fear of breaking the internet connection. My house has only one computer and if I lose the www connection there would be no way to google for a fix.
2. Changing the BIOS to boot from cd. I had never heard of BIOS before reading about Ubuntu. So I looked at the BIOS and realized that it was an invitation to disaster.
3. Dual booting. This seemed to be the best option for installing Ubuntu, but I had never done anything regarding the hard drive beyond defragmenting.
4. I was not unhappy with Win XP, just wanted to try something new and easy without resorting to joining a community for help.
5. Command line. Just as frightening as changing a BIOS setting.
6. Because Ubuntu costs no money, it couldn't be as good as Windows. Wrong, of course.

Despite my inner voice telling me "don't do this", I installed Ubuntu then joined the forums to ask the typical noob questions and after a few weeks began distro hopping. Thank goodness I refused to listen to my second mind.

[Xiong Chiamiov]

Did I get all of them?

9. Don't have a reason to switch.

This was me for a long time, until I started doing more programming. Sure, I couldn't go back now even if I wasn't coding at all, but I see no good reason to change any of my family members over, as they're doing just fine on Windows (XP, tyvm).

[aysiu]

9. Don't have a reason to switch.

This was me for a long time, until I started doing more programming. Sure, I couldn't go back now even if I wasn't coding at all, but I see no good reason to change any of my family members over, as they're doing just fine on Windows (XP, tyvm).
I count that as reason #8 (May actually like Windows better).

I guess it's a bit imprecisely phrase (it's difficult to like something better than its alternative if you haven't tried both), but it's the same basic idea.

[DefiniteFail]

All my friends look at my computer and go, What the **** is this crap? They use it, get mad, and I just tell them to restart my computer and pick XP or Vista.

And the second most popular, its ugly. In my opinion it is, sorry, just cause blue and green are the most popular colors, doesn't mean people hate them or are bored of them.

[wolfen69]

I cannot speak for "most people" but I can relate what my reluctant reasons were.
1. Fear of breaking the internet connection. My house has only one computer and if I lose the www connection there would be no way to google for a fix.
2. Changing the BIOS to boot from cd. I had never heard of BIOS before reading about Ubuntu. So I looked at the BIOS and realized that it was an invitation to disaster.
3. Dual booting. This seemed to be the best option for installing Ubuntu, but I had never done anything regarding the hard drive beyond defragmenting.
4. I was not unhappy with Win XP, just wanted to try something new and easy without resorting to joining a community for help.
5. Command line. Just as frightening as changing a BIOS setting.
6. Because Ubuntu costs no money, it couldn't be as good as Windows. Wrong, of course.

Despite my inner voice telling me "don't do this", I installed Ubuntu then joined the forums to ask the typical noob questions and after a few weeks began distro hopping. Thank goodness I refused to listen to my second mind.

made my day. funny stuff.

[4Orbs]

I suspect there are many Windows users who simply don't realize that it is possible to install a free OS without erasing their current Win installation. I also suspect that a well designed, two week internet media blitz of banner ads and flash popups on Yahoo, Google and MySpace could easily double the number of new Linux users.

[L815]

Software, and power management.
The only real application I can't use in Ubuntu is Visual Studio. A lot of my college work revolves around it and Monodevelop isn't really a replacement for what we do.

[ESE150]

In no particular order, I would say the reasons are:
-People are alright with their current OS
-Compatibility (especially for games)
-The name "Ubuntu" sounds too bizarre to them, and I agree (sorry)
-The default theme looks ugly, and I agree on this too... Again, sorry, but it doesn't matter that red is my favorite color; a theme that colors nearly everything you can see on the screen on different shades of red is NOT what I would call an attractive one, let alone a marketable one.
-They assume that Windows is the best OS out there just because everyone uses it
-They don't want to be different from the majority by not using Windows
-Ubuntu isn't nearly as user-friendly as Windows
-They're afraid of screwing up and messing their computer when attempting to install Ubuntu
-Have never heard someone praising it or recommending it
-Or simply never heard of it

[Bluebell392]

Most likely lack of enthusiasm.

[LaRoza]

-Ubuntu isn't nearly as user-friendly as Windows


What? Give a new user a Windows install disk (XP or Vista, doesn't matter) and an Ubuntu disk.

Now, give them 10 random computer systems.

Ubuntu will be on at least 8 of them, and most likely all of them.

Why?


XP works on lower spec machines (which Ubuntu also works on, but may be slower than a fresh install of XP, but Ubuntu will have useful software, unless XP), but has no drivers except the most basic, and even then it fails (SATA often)
Vista works on only high spec machines. It is also very slow to install
XP and Vista cost a lot of money.
XP and Vista do not have live disks.
XP and Vista require a lot of work from the user, with activation and all, and will not be able to be used on all those computers, even if they do work in theory on them.
XP and Vista also require many reboots, even after installing, because there are the mandatory driver installs.
If XP and Vista are installed and ready to go, you have a great selection of software from solitaire to notepad, and you won't have codecs for the most basic formats.
Ubuntu is free, comes with drivers for much more hardware, including webcams and various chipsets (not to mention USB devices and printers work out of the box without waiting...).
Ubuntu has a live disk.
Ubuntu is free to use and distribute.
Ubuntu comes with useful software and a handy way to install software. Even without an internet connect, there is much on the disk that is not installed and can be installed with Synaptic. The menus of Ubuntu are easy to navigate and not all one big menu with ads in them.
Yes, Ubuntu has a theme many don't like, fortunately, that is extremely easy to change, and the desktop effects of Ubuntu are much better than Vista's and require less power and resources.
Ubuntu comes with useful software with support for many formats. It doesn't come with support for DVD playback, but neither do XP and Vista.

[ESE150]

What? Give a new user a Windows install disk (XP or Vista, doesn't matter) and an Ubuntu disk.

Now, give them 10 random computer systems.

Ubuntu will be on at least 8 of them, and most likely all of them.
So? It might be easier to install, but it isn't easy to use.
The average user will have much more difficulty using Ubuntu than Windows, since many times you are required to use the terminal to write commands in order to install stuff or customize your OS, whereas in Windows, you use wizards or set options. What are you supposed to do if you don't know the commands? Moreover, using commands when you have a GUI is totally unpractical. It might give you more freedom, but you SHOULDN'T be forced to use them. Neither should you be forced to learn about how your OS works. Most people don't care about that, they just want a computer that will do what you tell it to do. Why must you be forced to have a certain level of knowledge about how your OS works in order to configure so that it does what you want, rather than be given the choice to customize it by simply setting options?

Also, a newbie might have difficulty opening files from the file browser, since they get confused by the choices Ubuntu gives of Run, Display and Run in terminal. Windows doesn't force you to choose a option; clicking a file will simply open it with the program it is associated with. If you want to do something else with the file, like using a program to edit it, then simply right-click it and use "Open with". Granted, newbies might not know about this option. But they rarely need it.

Ubuntu comes with useful software and a handy way to install software. Even without an internet connect, there is much on the disk that is not installed and can be installed with Synaptic. The menus of Ubuntu are easy to navigate and not all one big menu with ads in them.
Easy, you say? From checking Ubuntu forums, I realized that many people had problems installing drivers (especially graphics drivers). And then many have problems even after installing them.