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View Full Version : Are Linux Users technically superior to Windows only users??



marimo
March 14th, 2008, 04:14 PM
I remember at college there were 2 camps - Linux and Windows. The Linux camp was the more vocal and sarcastic, priding itself as the more technically superior. Oddly, they used to prove this on every opportunity that presented itself. Including scoring higher marks in practical subjects. The funny thing was, they Linux group would even claim that they can beat the Windows group even on MS issues!! Because I do not want to generalise based on a single incident, the question is,

Is it true that Linux users are technically superior, not just on Linux issues, but general ICT issues, compared to Windows only users????

Sef
March 14th, 2008, 04:17 PM
Is it true that Linux users are technically superior, not just on Linux issues, but general ICT issues, compared to Windows only users????

At that school that would be true then, but that may not be true in the now or in the future.

fatality_uk
March 14th, 2008, 04:19 PM
Is a Ferrari mechanic technically superior to a Ford mechanic? I think you will find the answer is that individuals have a skill set and that they make best use of those skills. I know some very knowledheable Windows users who could run rings around most Linux/Windows users.

billgoldberg
March 14th, 2008, 04:23 PM
Linux users tend to be more computer "savvy" than the average windows users, but there are a huge number of power users on windows to.

herbster
March 14th, 2008, 07:29 PM
Yes, we are. Microsoft is evil, its users are sheep and OSS rocks my socks.

rickyjones
March 14th, 2008, 07:35 PM
Neither camp is superior to the other.

If you believe that one is better than the other then you are showing an elitist attitude that hinders relations between the two camps.

I sincerely believe that everyone has their own set of computer skills. Perhaps they lie in Linux/Open source software. Good for you, use them! Many have skills in Windows. Use them! Some might even have skills in both Linux and Windows. Maybe even AIX Unix! If so, use them! But stop putting down other people for where their skills lie.

-Richard

koenn
March 14th, 2008, 07:47 PM
Is it true that Linux users are technically superior, not just on Linux issues, but general ICT issues, compared to Windows only users????

Maybe that was once the case, and even then, using Linux wouldn't automatically make you "more knowledgeable abot ICT', but the other way around - being interested in ICT would lead you to start using Linux (although using Linux, especially 10 years or so ago, would help you learn stuff as well).

Nowadays, and looking at these forums, I don't think Linux users are "by definition" technically superior, not just on Linux issues, but general ICT issues. There's plenty of proof here that people use linux without even the faintest knowledge of basic networking, or what an operating system actually is or what it does, or that there is a big difference between a modem and a router, and so on.

drbob07
March 14th, 2008, 07:47 PM
The majority of Linux users are tech savvy, because you normally have to know quite a bit to get Linux up and running, unless you have a machine that'll work perfectly with it (ala Dell)

However, power users on Windows are quite a small percentage compared to how many people have Windows.

There are some very smart Windows users, but in general, most Windows users don't know a whole lot about their computers. So it's just one big (albeit somewhat true) stereotype.

Badmonkey005
March 14th, 2008, 07:56 PM
I believe that Linux requires a LOT more learning to become proficient at it. Due to the fact that most general users are intimidated by that, I feel like the ones who are brave enough to use linux are the ones who have the ability to learn more and retain more about computers.

Percentage wise (since there are obviously a hell of a lot of more Windows users) I believe that Linux users are generally more talented then Windows users. But keep in mind, your grandmother buys a computer this year and what's she going to be using? Windows. So the percentage really does come into play here.

A school situation is too enclosed to provide a proper example.

I would use linux, but I like my Video games and my web editors and all of that. I of course could use linux too but I usually don't have a lot of time on my hands to sit there and deal with two operating systems.

jespdj
March 14th, 2008, 08:01 PM
Is it true that Linux users are technically superior, not just on Linux issues, but general ICT issues, compared to Windows only users????
Generalizations like this are (almost) never true.

rudihawk
March 14th, 2008, 08:02 PM
Of course we are ;)

koenn
March 14th, 2008, 08:20 PM
Generalizations like this are (almost) never true.
:)

aysiu
March 14th, 2008, 08:21 PM
The majority of Linux users are tech savvy, because you normally have to know quite a bit to get Linux up and running, unless you have a machine that'll work perfectly with it (ala Dell) It's kind of like how people who are born in the US don't have to know anything about how the country works, but people who immigrate to the US are tested on their knowledge of the country's laws and history. If you currently use Linux, you usually had to do something to get there--it didn't just happen.

ODF
March 14th, 2008, 08:28 PM
It's kind of like how people who are born in the US don't have to know anything about how the country works, but people who immigrate to the US are tested on their knowledge of the country's laws and history. If you currently use Linux, you usually had to do something to get there--it didn't just happen.

Interesting =) Actually people have to figure what is linux and have the guts to try it. But beside that, since most power user are young and playing games are bond to windows.

Someone using windows isn't dumb because he's not a linux user. Stop acting like windows people are stupid and linux users are so brain gifted.

aysiu
March 14th, 2008, 08:29 PM
Someone using windows isn't dumb because he's not a linux user. Stop acting like windows people are stupid and linux users are so brain gifted. I'm not acting that way.

ODF
March 14th, 2008, 08:33 PM
I'm not acting that way.

Sorry, my bad ... I was talking in a general way =)

Since I'm a french speaking person, sometimes I can be unclear.

I was just refering to you about the interresting because I liked how you explained it.

Mithrilhall
March 14th, 2008, 08:38 PM
since most power user are young and playing games are bond to windows


I would have to disagree with that comment. I work for a small ISP and the people I talk to on a regular basis are college students. Most of them don't have a clue about computers; whether its a Mac user or a Windows users.

Actually, most of the Mac users I talk to think they're superior to Windows users but they usually have no idea how to do anything except the basics.

Most of the people that I've talked to that run Linux actually know some knowledge of their OS, networking, etc.

popch
March 14th, 2008, 08:46 PM
The scenario outlined in the OP could be easily explained by the speculation that computer-savy people might be more likely to be Linux-savy as well.

Also, problem solving skills serve you equally well in solving problems in Windows, Mac or Linux.

herbster
March 14th, 2008, 10:41 PM
It's kind of like how people who are born in the US don't have to know anything about how the country works, but people who immigrate to the US are tested on their knowledge of the country's laws and history. If you currently use Linux, you usually had to do something to get there--it didn't just happen.

Bingo bango.