The true cost of linux.

[thisllub]

Since I put Linux on my kids computer I have only had issues with my stupid Windows only GDI printer, codecs and Frostwire.
With XP it got to the point where I was fixing something a couple of times a week. An XP computer operated by teenagers will almost certainly need reinstalling twice a year.

[argie]

Uh, credibility has just left the building!!

I don't know about you, but the last Windows I actually used (I have the preinstalled XP still lying on this computer but don't use it) was Windows 98, and atleast there, this fellow could be right. Every time I ran that set: Scandisk, Defrag, Update and run antivirus, I'd do it overnight, it just took way too long. Defrag would get shorter if run more frequent, and updates were a problem only when they where there, but scandisk and virus scan, they can take hours.

In XP, so far, those tasks don't seem to be so bad. But I cannot tell, habit forces me to do the overnight thing and I don't use the Operating System much, so I can't say.

[mightyzug]

total kool-aid talk

vista has consumed far more time w/ incompatabilities and just plain broken **** on the laptop that it came preinstalled on than the time it took to install and properly configure everything under ubuntu on the same laptop

[ATrentino]

I have switched to Ubuntu three weeks ago as my XP machine died and I realized that Vista is rubbish. Yes, I still have to spend time to see how things work, but I don't see that as a waste but as an investment. I have learned more about computers in 3 weeks of Linux than an average year of Windows. And I see this as a positive aspect of having switched, not as a drag

[dysolve]

My work bought 10 new IBM desktops and laptops running windows vista.. these machines cost over $2000AU each.. The first desktop I setup to work with our domain and all related in-house systemsand hardware took all day (8 hours) I had the last install down to just over 2 hours.. I now spend around 1 hour a day keeping the vista machine running correctly. We have also about 10 XP machines I need about 1 hour a week keeping these running. Now what was the real cost to my work for the install of windows vista?? My work see's vista as the way forward in regards to operating systems so they do not see the time spent on the systems as a waste of time or money.
This maybe a little off topic but , I race cars in my spare time I had an old carby rear wheel drive car that I knew a lot about and found easy to drive but I was spending a lot of time fitting stupid things because of its age. so I upgraded to a newer EFI front wheel drive car.. now I have spent a lot of time learning to get the new car running properly and had to learn how to drive it also but now after a few months it like I have always had the car and I am spending less time working on it....

If I have learnt one thing in life change takes time.. and before making a change way up everything..... If time is money then why change at all?

[Yfrwlf]

Thankfully there's a Linux distro called Ubuntu for those who don't want to tweak around with their computer's functionality and settings much, but you can if you want. Linux needs to appeal to both types of users to be truly successful, even though the fact is most users fall into the first category, for those who want something that just works and gets out of the way so they can do the things they need to get done and access the applications they need to access.

[ntowakbh]

I don't believe this is true. I had next to no problems (one being my faulty video card, the next being little things like configuring my five button mouse, and not displaying my mounted partitions on my desktop.) My little problems were all quick fixes, once I found how to fix it. As far as installation, seven steps through the live CD, then go off and play a video game for a half hour, come back, remove CD, restart the computer. Easy as that, with minimal time lost.