whats the big deal about linux

[Supertramp1138]

Ok I'm not trying to troll anyone or anything like that so hear me out...OK I've been using ubuntu for about a week or so and i like it and all but what makes it so much better than vista besides the fact that linux is free.

[Aflack]

Ok I'm not trying to troll anyone or anything like that so hear me out...OK I've been using ubuntu for about a week or so and i like it and all but what makes it so much better than vista besides the fact that linux is free.

Compiz
Speed
Open Source
Hobby
Community
....free.
Unique
Microsoft sucks... some people like to use different things than all MS.

[Tipped OuT]

Well any operating system is better then Vista. I mean come on. :)

But what makes it great? I don't know, every user has is own little thing.

Mine is it's free, as in freedom, and there's a friendly large community behind it. Something you will not find with Windows or Mac.

[Aflack]

Also did i mention incredibly customizable and its all free to customize unlike windows?

EDIT: haha tippiedout i see you a lot.. i ran into one of your vids on youtube one time also :P

[amauk]

The best software developers in the world coming together to create the best software in the world

and this isn't just Linux,
but the whole GNU / Linux eco-system

To get a broader understanding of why some people are so passionate about free software, you may want to read up on the history of operating systems

http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=6557569&postcount=8

[jollysnowman]

Well for me, I can do my computer science homework much easier in Linux (and Mac OS) than Windows. It's also much easier to customize than Windows and especially Mac OS.

That said, for normal use, there isn't really any difference between Windows, Linux, or Mac OS.

[chucky chuckaluck]

it's a different way of doing things. it has more variety than windows or osx (as far as i can tell. i've only messed with osx in the apple store). so, i guess having more to say about how your system works is the best advantage. i'm constantly redecorating my desktop, to a great extent, more so than i was ever able to with windows. for me, that's big plus.

[MasterNetra]

More secure
More Reliable
Don't need Anti-virus, Anti-Spyware, etc.
Free = More money that stays in your pocket

Granted Mac shares the first three as well.

[Skripka]

Linux can be anything you want it to be. And all it costs is a bit of time and effort.

Want a server OS? There's a linux for that.

Want a very light OS that is as fast as possible? There's a Linux for that too.

Want a multimedia powerhouse? You can find or make a Linux for that also.

Have a whole set of gripes about how OSX or Windows is arranged in terms of GUI? You can customize the GUI in Linux to be just about however you want it.

[lindsay7]

I have fun on Ubuntu, just playing with it. Windows is always like work. Plus there is nothing like this forum for learning on the windows side. I keep windows on some of my systems just in case I need it, i.e. Quicken and Turbotax.

[Aflack]

Linux can be anything you want it to be. And all it costs is a bit of time and effort.

Want a server OS? There's a linux for that.

Want a very light OS that is as fast as possible? There's a Linux for that too.

Want a multimedia powerhouse? You can find or make a Linux for that also.

Have a whole set of gripes about how OSX or Windows is arranged in terms of GUI? You can customize the GUI in Linux to be just about however you want it.

Love that idea!

Want a server? Theres a distro for that.
Need a reliable business machine? Theres distros for that.
Want to make your machine your own? Theres WM's for that.
Want a multimedia powerhouse? Theres a distro for that.
Want a faster more reliable home computer? Theres linux for that.

:P

[amingv]

Here's an experiment you can make: Learn to use and use Linux (any distro you like) continuously for a year.
After you do, boot up a computer with windows and try to use it. You will then know what the big deal is.
The experience will be most astonishing if you happen to run 64-bit OSs.

Linux is also more transparent, flexible, responsive and comfortable than windows ever was to me. (Though I guess that boils down to personal experience.)

[kevdog]

I always like in posts like this, how the OP asks some ridiculous question and how then he actually receives very intelligent answers, but then never re-posts or makes any additional comments. Seems like a big waste of time IMO for people to even respond to such nonsense!

[V for Vincent]

I always like in posts like this, how the OP asks some ridiculous question and how then he actually receives very intelligent answers, but then never re-posts or makes any additional comments. Seems like a big waste of time IMO for people to even respond to such nonsense!

Dude. Maybe he just has better things to do and only checks the forums on a daily basis.

Anyway, I think the "just use it" argument is the best you're going to get. You've tried it for a week. After a week, I was still inclined to boot into windows. Now I only have it just in case. I've developed an entire workflow which is much better than that which I had before I switched.

[Supertramp1138]

ok well thanks everyone for contributing i'm defiantly going to keep with it :D

[Hetor]

I use it because it's more configurable than other OSes and I have too much free time...

[V for Vincent]

Sure thing. Do yourself a favour and check out some "great apps" lists, like this one:

http://ubuntulinuxhelp.com/top-100-of-the-best-useful-opensource-applications/

There's bound to be a few you'll grow to love.

[Supertramp1138]

Sure thing. Do yourself a favour and check out some "great apps"


cool thanks

[Sand & Mercury]

I love it for its customisability, community, method and the vast library of free software.

That said, I am currently not using it and I am fine with Windows for the moment. In about a fortnight hopefully I'll be on OS X as well.

[Nerd King]

I love it because it lets me get on with my work, and do so efficiently. It's also loads of fun and slightly addictive (fiddling with it etc).

[RabbitWho]

I plug the printer in.. i press print.. the printer prints

With Vista.. I plug the printer in, i go through the install wizard, i restart, i press print, it prints. I un-plug the printer, the next day, plug it in again, computer refuses to recognize that it's the same printer and I have to go through the whole process again, then when i go to print there are two printers listed and i have to choose the instillation from today. In a months time there are 20 different instillations of the same printer and I have to try and find the one i just installed (they're not in order)

I don't know if the problem is Vista or the Printer, maybe someone else had this problem with Ubuntu and that's why it works so well and so easy now, because they fixed it and that fix was incorporated into the next release. I don't know, all I know is that Ubuntu just works.

Any problems I've had have just been teething problems - me not being used to it. Any problems I've had with Vista have been inherent. It also has a tendency to crash, run slower, and there are a lot of simple little things like checking core temperature or converting an mp3 to an ogg that are either impossible or require the download of some other software. here i just write a few words into the command line and bang.. and I'm a complete beginner.. you don't need half a brain to copy and paste simple commands.

Also it's a lovely relief not having to worry about viruses.


And of course there's the sense of being part of something important.

[nothingspecial]

whats the big deal about linux

I don`t know. What`s the big deal about windows? or iphones?

Actually, what`s the big deal about probiotic yogurt?

Do they really have any health benefits or is it just marketing nonsense. I mean, "friendly bacteria"????

Come on.

[RabbitWho]

I don`t know. What`s the big deal about windows? or iphones?

Actually, what`s the big deal about probiotic yogurt?

Do they really have any health benefits or is it just marketing nonsense. I mean, "friendly bacteria"????

Come on.

Friendly bacteria exists, but the names they give the bacteria are made up. You'd get the same benefit from drinking stale milk as drinking pro biotic jogurt.. obviously the jogurt is nicer.

[Hallvor]

Ok I'm not trying to troll anyone or anything like that so hear me out...OK I've been using ubuntu for about a week or so and i like it and all but what makes it so much better than vista besides the fact that linux is free.

-It is more efficient and runs better on lower spec. hardware.
-It is more flexible and you can tailor it to be just what you want/need.
-It does *not* run 99,99% of all malware.
-It has secure software repositories with open source applications.
-The OS itself is open source and transparent.
-You own your desktop. You may think that you own your Vista desktop, but it actually belongs to Microsoft. You have only purchased the right to use it, not ownership.

[nothingspecial]

Friendly bacteria exists, but the names they give the bacteria are made up. You'd get the same benefit from drinking stale milk as drinking pro biotic jogurt.. obviously the jogurt is nicer.

jogurt, I like the term. I think we may have a brand to sell to the health-conscious masses.

Yogurt for joggers.

Gah, if only I had a herd of cattle #-o

[nothingspecial]

Ok, I just googled jogurt.

It`s the word for yogurt in languages other than my own.

Do I feel stupid .... yes.

However, jogurt, yogurt, schmogurt. Is it actually good for you?

Forget this linux/windows/mac stuff. That`s what Gordon Strachan and I want to know. Y/Jogurt is the priority.

Roughly halfway down is the source of my silliness (http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2004/t-strachan-quotes-p1.php)

[pookiebear]

Well for me, I can do my computer science homework much easier in Linux (and Mac OS) than Windows. It's also much easier to customize than Windows and especially Mac OS.

That said, for normal use, there isn't really any difference between Windows, Linux, or Mac OS.


if not really any difference then choose the free one!

[noelvh]

Choice is one of my reasions. I can choose to install what every I want, it is my OS, and my computer. I don't have to fix it as it just works. It will update all software not just the OS.

And the big reasion, Who wants to spend $150. for an OS, then have to buy software for it??????

M$ brain washed me many years ago but I was able to get out from under there control with Linux.

Noel

[koshatnik]

Ok I'm not trying to troll anyone or anything like that so hear me out...OK I've been using ubuntu for about a week or so and i like it and all but what makes it so much better than vista besides the fact that linux is free.

Every OS has its pluses and minuses. I will never use a windows based OS again because it drove me up the wall. Bugs, crashes, drivers (have had more problems with drivers in XP than any other OS I've ever used), security issues (I'm a secure user, but the amount of viruses and exploits for windows is just scary).

Linux +'s - tonnes of free apps, most very very good. Good community. Stable OS, hardly ever hard locks, customisable, scalable. FREE!!!!
Linux -'s - Lack of top quality apps in key areas (photography, music and sound production, graphic design)... thats about it...

It's about finding that happy medium.

I use linux for everything at home (office stuff, web, email, minor photo work) and OS X for my paid work (because of the apps, not becuase of the platform).

Windows is now obselete as far as I'm concerned.

[sudoer541]

I like ubuntu because its almost like mac os x. I love the expose, compiz and tabs on nautilus. I like security and stability.

[Irihapeti]

Someone who gets Windows as a student or home user is supposed to pay a fee if they start using it for work. The same applies to many programs - free for non-commercial use.

If you are starting a business, or just finding that you're making money from some hobby activity, this means you could be up for license fees that you can't really afford.

I enjoy knowing that I can use Linux and its applications for anything I like (legal, of course), with no concern about what class of user I might be.

[ikari2_2000]

Hello all,
I'm currently at this crossroad, same feeling as the OP. This quarter I'm taking a Unix Admin class(IT138 UNIX for Network Administration, Slackware). I've purchased "Linux in a Nutshell", "Learning the bash Shell", and "Linux for Programmers and Users", slowly crunching away. I do not plan to use it a desktop replacement, though ubuntu 11.10, Fedora 15, and PC Linux are really nice. I’ve ran most of these in VirtualBox. Ultimately, I want to run it at home as a server of some sort.

I'm trying really hard to embrace Linux, so far I have not reached that "Ah ha!" moment. At home, on an actual machine(spare laptop), I'm running CentOS 6.0. I would like to set it up as a file server and down the road I would like to learn how to configure it as an email server(exchange like) and web server to host my web site.

This may not be the right place for me to post. I stumbled across this site when I searched Google for “whats the big deal about linux”. This was number one on the list. Just hoping you all help me with your experience and insight.


Thanks,
ikari

[overdrank]

Hi and welcome, please feel free to start a new thread. Back to sleep thread. :)
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/5451/necromancing.jpg