What can Windows do that Linux can't?

[Praill]

the planet with 97% of all the other 'non gamers' who I'd rather spend time making software for. as a programmer I'd rather build a nice puzzle game that 3 million people enjoy than a shoot em up that 3 thousand could enjoy. please read aysiu's link, we ain't making this up your just wrong about gamers and games in general.

How about WoW? 9 million subscribers and counting. Its loosely supported with wine so it might not be pertinent. But I think the gaming community is much bigger than you credit.

[jcconnor]

Here's my list in no particular order:

1) Viruses - well, not techincally true, I know, but significantly less
2) Pre-installed non-fully functioning bloatware on new machines (as opposed to the fully functioning bloatware)
3) Spyware - see #1, I know, I know
4) Really well designed and functioning video editing - Sony Vegas, etc. Heck, I would even settle for a package like Pinnacle Studio. And I'm talking fully functioning - fully functioning and more than a wipe and fade transitions, integrated title cards and scrolling titles, somewhat familiar interface
5) Pseudo-clean installation program - ./configure, make, make install (or checkinstall) is not it.

I'll stop there.

[Wiebelhaus]

I think gaming is the most important for a lot of people. Also a lot of professionals miss Photoshop.

/agree.

[b0ng0]

Use my midi keyboard with Reason and use Sonicstage to put music on my walkman. These are the main reasons I still use Windows, otherwise I just use ubuntu for day to day stuff.

[beercz]

To answer the OP's question:

AutoCAD;
Create Flash animations;
Voice/web cam chat over Instant Messaging applications & Skype;
Use specialist written commercial software only available in Windows (e.g. engineering software that civil/structural engineering staff use at work - we use it a lot)
Business Accounting software;

And I would bet there are loads of other examples too. These are ones I have come across in my experience.

[deanlinkous]

Who cares....If I wanted to do windows *things* I would use windows. As it is, I only care to do Linux things and the number of things linux can do that windows cannot is a better discussion IMO.

Windows can suck a lot harder than linux - that is one.

[tikal26]

to me is no that windows can do more is jut that it can run more porgrams (Rhino, Modo, AutoCAD, Photoshop) but for the average users I would say that linux is better

[beercz]

Who cares....

I do, I have to support those infernal machines that run Windows only applications!!!

If I was able, I would have all the machines running ubuntu.

[Fittersman]

Who cares....If I wanted to do windows *things* I would use windows. As it is, I only care to do Linux things and the number of things linux can do that windows cannot is a better discussion IMO.

Windows can suck a lot harder than linux - that is one.

well, the reason for this is when i tell someone they should just use ubuntu (because they are complaining about viruses or something) they always ask "well, if i switch what wont i be able to do?", so im trying to get any answers that i dont already know, and so far ive gotten quite a few

[aysiu]

How about WoW? 9 million subscribers and counting. Its loosely supported with wine so it might not be pertinent. But I think the gaming community is much bigger than you credit.

Read the link I posted earlier.