why should i replace my current OS.....???

[Copper Bezel]

1clue nailed it.

You even pay for it, if you do not want to use it. You think that is fair competition?

I was responding to your post, which was about money, not the principle. Linux isn't going to save a user money, for exactly the reason you just stated, unless the user somehow ended up with a borked Windows install that can't be restored (which is, incidentally, how I first got into Ubuntu.)

[You buntu]

I think having Ubuntu on my PC is bloody awesome!

[BertN45]

1clue nailed it.
I was responding to your post, which was about money, not the principle. Linux isn't going to save a user money, for exactly the reason you just stated.

In the current situation you are right unfortunately.

But I have a little hope about the price argument, since 3 years ago I bought a Dell Laptop that came with Vista. After I did run it for some time, I started using the Beta of Windows 7 (liked it) and decided that that Vista was definitely out. Even now (SP2) if you boot it, it needs 600mb of memory and the initial page file size is 800mb. Then at the end of the Beta, I had to make a decision to pay another $200 for the improved version (Ultimate) of the same botched OS or switch to Ubuntu. I knew Ubuntu, because I had a dual boot with Vista for fun. I decided to save the money and I switched completely to a well designed OS like Linux (250mb after boot and zero swap size and it boots four times as fast as well).

So at the end I have decided based on:

1. Money, maybe because I'm Dutch
2. Core Quality
3. Paying an ridiculous price to a monopolist for something that should have been offered as a service pack out of shame over Vista.

Note that I was perfectly happy with the NT range of OSes, they were good. I still use XP as the OS for my file server. I am not against all MS products, I only don't like the MS behavior and the way they compete or more precisely avoid to compete.

[1clue]

It's entirely about your perceptions and your need.

If you "get to" have extreme control over which software your system uses, down to which logging implementation or whatever, then some Linux distro may be right up your alley.

If on the other hand you "have to" mess with a whole bunch of stuff that no self-respecting IT guy should have to mess with, then you might want to stick with Windows.

I fall into the former category. I waffle between Ubuntu and Gentoo. Gentoo because I have absolute control over how every piece of software on the system got there, down to which compile options were used. Ubuntu because on some machines you simply need it to work and be solid underneath, with minor headaches for maintenance.

Personally I can't stand the one-size-fits-none of Windows, and I have Really Not Liked Micro$oft's business plan since I actually looked at it in the 80's.

On the other hand, I have friends who fall solidly in the "have to" camp and could not possibly use anything but Windows. I have other friends who are dyed-in-the-wool Mac guys. Each sees a significant value for their platform that the others just can't satisfy. And for them, they are right.

Regarding cost, if you consider your time to be worth money, especially if you intend to make a living with your system, then Linux does not save you money. A Windows system comes already installed and mostly configured, most of the time you can just take it out of the box, plug it in and it works.

A Linux system nearly always has to be installed. Even if it came with Linux on it already (I've bought one of these) I decided I didn't like what they did and had to reinstall anyway. I think most hardcore Linux guys will reinstall not once but maybe 3 or 4 times before being happy with any new system. It's the nature of the people who prefer Linux I think. It's certainly my nature. So the sheer number of hours spent installing and tweaking and fiddling will more than pay the price of an operating system even if you "pay yourself" minimum wage to get it working on your own home system.

[BertN45]

I have been busy, installing beta 2 on my machines and on 2 machines of 2 new Xubuntu users.

The out of the box experience is getting better with every release. Often, like with the two new machines, you install it and it works.
Tuning and doing special things is just for fun, but in most cases not really needed. On one of the five machines I had a driver problem (my Dell), but switching from the Broadcom driver to the Open Source version solved the problem. The same type of problems I remember from my windows days.