Monday, August 20, 2007

50 Reasons (but not all valid)

This is my response to a blog titled '50 Reason to Dump Windows' which can be found here:
http://www.linuxhaxor.net/2007/08/13/50-reasons-to-dump-windows/

Below is the list with my comments, (I'm a Linux advocate, but I'll try to be fair):

Windows is Expensive.
-Definitely a true statement.

Windows crashes more often than Linux ever will. (Windows BSOD) (Linux Kernel Panic).
-Maybe, I haven't seen significant proof of the this, but I do think that Linux is easier to recover from a crash than Windows.

Windows Task manager is not half as cool as Linux Htop.
-Htop is pretty cool.

Windows Notepad is not 1/1000th as cool as linux vi.
-Note: they do develop vi for Windows.

Microsoft office for windows is not free. Openoffice, which was originally developed for *nix platform is free on all platforms that it supports.
-ok.

Windows Terminal vs Linux Terminal. No comments, see for yourself what you can do.
-Very true!

Windows is not friendly towards Linux installations on a separate partition.
-True, but how is this relevant. Windows user could care less. This is a reason 'Not to use Windows?'

The release of Windows Vista comes more than five years after the introduction of its predecessor, Windows XP, making it the longest time span between two releases of Microsoft Windows.
-ummmmm?

Internet Explorer is prone to vulnerabilities more than any other mainstream web browser.
-Note: They do make other browsers that run on Windows. This may be a reason not to use IE.

Microsoft Windows still looks the same. (95 98 2000 2003 XP Vista Longhorn).
-No more different then different version of KDE or GNOME or other.

Windows in owned by profit hungry corporation with little hope of innovation.
-Profit Hungry.. yes. Is that necessarily bad... no. The way they conduct business...yeah, pretty bad. Microsoft not innovative...true. I believe the open source model does provide a greater opportunity for more innovation, but I think Apple has been fairly innovative, not following the OS model.

Linux is for people by people.
-Yes.

It is legal to share linux, not so with windows.
-Yes

Linux is not tied down by one look, like windows, you can choose several looks; ie, KDE, GNOME, fluxbox. To name a few.
-There are other desktops and Window Managers for Windows but not very common or reliable.

Linux hardware requirement is so minimum you can run most current popular linux distro on a ten year old hardware, try that with windows vista.
-Yes, but not with current versions of KDE or GNOME. Less user friendly WM's like Fluxbox, Windows Maker, etc.... sure.

Viruses are few and far between.
-As far as I know, ZERO 'in the wild' viruses.

Linux faces open standard unlike windows, and so a system update won’t make any programs or systems obsolete.
-What are you talking about?

Linux can be configured by the user.
-What!? Very limited as it should be.

Linux can be customized by the user.
-What!? Very limited as it should be.

Linux can be built from scratch by the user, (if you are programmer and know how to).
-You don't even need to be a programmer. Linux from Stratch and others.

Linux doesn’t hog system in default installation like windows do.
-ummmmm?

Linux gives you the freedom to choose application/hardware unlike windows.
-What!? You can't chose what application or hardware to use in Windows? That's new to me.

Most top linux distros are updated every six months.
-Some.

High quality support are available for free online, in the form of HOWTOs, forum, e-books, wikis.
-Yeah, they have the samething for Windows, but the community is definitely more informed.

Support of linux won’t be discontinued, like windows 98 in not supported by Microsoft anymore.
-Older versions of Linux are not supported.

*nix has been around for more than 35 years, and is well tested and as secure as possible.
-This could get ugly because I know how some feel about this. LINUX IS NOT UNIX! I some might disagree and that's your right.

No licensing fees for linux.
-Yep!

Linux is more secure.
-YES! Definitely.

You won’t have to upgrade your computer hardware in order to switch to the newer version of linux.
-True.

Linux is capable of operating on a wide variety of platforms (i.e., processor and system types), rather than just being limited to Intel-compatible processors and computers.
-True. :)

Government security agencies use Linux over windows; SElinux is an example of dedication towards Linux.
-ok

Linux doesn’t have Backdoors like windows do.
-Anything can be hacked, Unless it's unplugged, bury 20 feet in the ground and covered in cement.. then maybe.

Development and popularity on linux platform encourages competition and perhaps whatever innovation that window has.
-ok

Linux doesn’t need to defragment HD.
-Windows XP and Vista, don't really require this.

Ext3 and other linux file system is better than ntfs.
-I agree.

Google runs on Linux, there is a reason for that. Think.
-Think. Google may not be the ideal model.

Apache on linux hosts more websites than IIS on windows.
- Yeah, unfortunately IIS is still gaining in market share. Apache can run on Windows also. Is this 50 reasons to use Apache?

Apache is more secure than IIS.
-Yes. Apache can run on Windows also. Is this 50 reasons to use Apache?

Firefox is far more advanced/secure than Microsoft IE. Even though you can run Firefox in windows it doesn’t provide the secure platform that linux provides and are open to attacks/exploits that firefox on linux aren’t.
-ummmmmm?

Linux has superior network and system management.
-Sure

Linux is also supported by IBM, HP, Novell.
-Ok. Novell also support Microsoft.

Linux is reliable.
-Yep.

Linux doesn’t discourage running virtual machine like windows.
-?????? VMware?

Linux is the de-facto OS for security forensics.
-I don't know anything about that.

There is a reason why Apple switched to *nix; OSX is the defining example of what you can do with *nix. It has reached such a point that Microsoft is copying ideas from apple/OSX, again.
-One more time. LINUX IS NOT UNIX! geez! I'm ok. Though that was a good move on Apple's part.

There is no “service packs”. There are updates.
-ok.

If you think Linux doesn’t provide eye candy like windows does, think again. Two words, Beryl and Compiz!!!
-Linux eye candy is way better, man.

There is nothing you can do in windows that you can’t do in linux, not the other way around.
-I agree. It may not be easier, but true.

If you are stuck with the looks of windows you can switch to linux and still use the same looks. ie, Linspire.
-yeah, but why? I've seen a way to make Windows look like Ubuntu.

Last but not least. Linux is FREE.
-True, as in Freedom right?

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