I recently download Knoppix for a crashed Windows XP computer and found that the computer ran alot quicker under Linux than under Windows.

After reading most comments, i found that some linux's supporters just dont let window's supporters to give their opinions. For me, windows cannot be threw away as there are people who really need it till the time when linux is ready to provide these people with what they call user friendlyness. Its not that linux is not user friendly. Indeed, it is very user friendly (at least in its own ways eg. Ubuntu). But these people just want it easier. Before that happen lets live together and exchange info and opinions in matured ways, not insulting each other. Which side I am? I'm a LINUX supporter and wanna see more desktop users believe in what i believe...(but i wanna preach them based on intellectual arguments not emotion).

You forgot to say the really important reason to switch to Linux:
Windows is for the idiots, Linux is for intelligent people.

If you give reasons to switch, the implication is that each one shows an area where that option is superior.

1. It Doesn't Crash.

Other users have pointed out it DOES crash; if not the kernel, then something attached to it.

Moreover, since Windows 2000 in 1999, Windows rarely crashes either. When it does, like Linux, it's inevitably someone else's beta driver that's failed.

2. Viruses Are Few

I've got news for your guys: It's almost impossible to get a virus in Windows. I couldn't do it if I tried; Hotmail and Gmail filter out suspicious spam, and lord knows viruses don't come from CNN.com.

The traditional virus isn't lucrative. Everyone's moved to adware, which isn't at all difficult to prevent. (Install Firefox.)

3. Hardware Independent

This is so irrelevant it doesn't even merit addressing.

4. Freedom of Choice (In Applications)

Another bullocks argument. There are more Windows programs, and they're more powerful. It's not even a question. Where's Photoshop? Where's Office? Where's all the shit people actually need for work? Four crap word processors do not equal one good one.

5. Standards

The virtue of being a monopoly is that your standard is everyone else's.

6. Applications.

Same as above. This author has a phenomenally skewed view of what 'equivalent' means. Equivalent is not, 'oh it looks about the same and you paint on a picture'. It's COMPLETE compatibility and a match feature for feature. Those who think Gimp comes anywhere near Photoshop haven't used either.

Windows inevitably has more and better choices. For servers, the story may be different, but we're talking about home users.

7. Interoperability

"Linux includes Samba, software that allows Linux to act as a client on a Microsoft Windows-based network."

Wow. That's brilliant. You know everyone else has to make their systems act as a client on Windows networks? Windows.

8. Community

"This means you can select a Linux vendor that appears to best address your needs and feel confident that you could switch vendors at a later time without losing your investment--both in terms of costs and learning. "

If the author actually believes anything in this section, I have a bridge to sell him.

9. Processors

Yep, Linux can be used with thin clients. What does this have to do with home users switching from Windows? Not a damn thing.

More recently, with Vista hardware accelerating the UI, I'd say Linux has some catching up to do.

10. Configurability

Damn right it's configurable. Too configurable. The whole OS is written for geeks, geeks who want options. Here's a newsflash: People DON'T WANT OPTIONS!

Linux is more configurable than Windows. Windows is more configurable than OS-X. Does the author suppose it's a coincidence that that list is in ascending order of usability? If it's done properly, it doesn't need to have buttons and options all over the place.

Hi, im a windows xp user... i like windows xp and my opinions are as follows:
1. I hear all linux ppl complaining about microsoft security... well if your good at windows xp, you would know how to secure it enough to keep script kiddies away? firewalls etc etc... i mean how many real hackers are out there to get YOU? out of million people... are you the target? NOT ME! NEVER BEEN!! its safe enough for me. Lets not talk about security for now ok.... for businesses its a different story.

2. secondly, you can use firefox in windows, how you gonna get a virus? i mean have you heard of kerio personal firewall? itll stop trojans sending or receiving information from and to your computer. Viruses??? worms? spybot search and destroy??? .......... come on dont diss microsoft!! all these viruses and all can be prevented if you took proper measures and not be lazy!! you dont like me by now do you? coz im a normal xp user and you agree with me? do i make sence?

3. well lets see, multimedia? well "legally" linux distros dont have support 100%, for DVD playback. although with tweaks and tricks you can do it... atleast in suse they say we cant watch commercial dvds... well most dvds... but you can tweak that... have you got time? lets add 2 hours here to do that ok?

4. did you say windows xp costs alot? did you say $300.00 ? :ssss so you would rather spend hours and hours to search for something for FREE just because microsoft wants a couple of hundred dollars for their hard work?.... dont be cheap skate mate... your time is more important... are you even paying for your copy of xp? haha! dont be a joker... xp is worth the price mate... you buy it and its yours!! yes think about it, once in a life time payment :PPPPPPPPPP

5. did you say we have to keep updating for security? blah... i still use service pack 1 can you beleive it? do you not update your linux ever? i see many security issues being raised for linux too..... dont be lame man..... dont mention updates to me...

.............. now why i want to change after all my beleifs above......
now i have an option to purchase a nice operating system, SUSE for so cheap!! i like it its so cheap... i can just throw it away when i dont like it anymore....

.............. i want to be unique and simple...... microsoft has too many stuff inside.... i like plain simple stuff.

............... i bought a suse downloadable dvd version on ebay... yeah i couldnt be asked to download it so i bought it... to see if its good...

i got 4 discs.. 1 suse, 1 suse 64bit , 1 suse live dvd, 1 ubuntu dvd.

..................
i inserted ubuntu live and after about 4 reboots...... i got a desktop!! wow... i see firefox there already.... lets check is internet working???
woahhhh im shocked... wait a minute!! i didnt even install anything and ermmm im online? wow lets check out the menus...

i find an irc client inside too!! xchat or something?? just leave this one alone now... www.yahoo.com wow its really working.... eject cd please!! ubuntu is good....... but i have suse too :(((

off i go.... my dvd rom drive has always been faulty... i couldnt get suse nor ubuntu to power up again.... are the dvds i bought from ebay faulty or what?? lucky i got another laptop... switched it on with suse... live cd... always went into desktop... also looks same as ubuntu to be honest?? menus, desktop etc etc looks same...

SO FAR im happy with ubuntu and suse.... now theres many more out there........ i feel sad in a way... i would have liked to be unique... so im now reading upon pc-bsd... since freebsd is unix* not that i would know what unix and linux difference is... but atleast there isnt so many FREEBSD like os out there........ but suse looks so proffesional... im tempted to go on their website and purchase it and just start using it and make it mine!!!

NOW NOW... xp... well........ why linux and not xp? for a start, i just like the name linux... it sounds kewl!! secondly... im impressed of the fact that linux loaded my ethernet and d-link router without asking me anything? and then running from cd drive? just nice!!

now if xp came up with a live cd would be good :P and if we didnt have to install our routers etc etc after installing windows... like linux just does it all at once??? i mean thats the feeling i got from the live cd... way to go...

now me i just browser websites.. view some mpeg clips... my next move is to try pc-bsd and try run mysql/php on it.

oh by the way... tonight im going to format my pc and put suse 10 on. first i gotta save all ma passwords :P
NOW DONT DISS ME! IM GOING. i may not come back here.

I tried (+/- in the following order):
Xandros 2.0 and 3.0 - Mandrake 9 and 10 - Suse 9 - Ubuntu - Kubuntu - and returned to Xandros Desktop 3.0, in my opinion the best for new users switching ll the other distro's failed to work out of the box with one or more applications - mp3, music- dvd movie playing - my Canon scanner)
With Xandros everything (except the WIFIcard of the ACER ASPIRE 180 Laptop) works out of the box.

I am a fairly new user. I have a few months practice with Suse 9.2, and 9.3, and Fedora Core 4.

First, I would like to say that I like the stability, the free aspect of Linux, and the relative immunity from viruses and other nasties.
The problems I have found are that it is difficult to get some new software and some types of hardware running with it. Specifically, the hardest thing I had to do was get a scanner configured. Initially I used Suse 9.2, and after a couple of very frustrating weeks, I finally got my Epson Perfection 1670 scanner to work. Then I decided to upgrade to Suse 9.3. Now I cannot get the scanner to work at all with that version, even though I used the same settings as those that worked with Suse 9.2.

I generally find it difficult to install new software I download as RPMs. The configuration is not easy.

My experience with Fedora has been even more difficult as far as configurations. I attempted to configure the scanner to work with Fedora, but gave up after a few days.

In short, I have found Linux to be very attractive as far as stability and reliability is concerned, and I would very much like to use it as my main system. I wish there were a book that provides help for Windows users wishing to migrate to Linux. Maybe it could describe common tasks that Windows power users would do, and provide the equivalent methods to do the same tasks in Linux. Even if it were limited to some of the more popular distros like Fedora and Suse - that would be a great help.

I think Linux will be ready for the desktop of the average home user, when it is easy to do the common tasks in it. Most of those are already very close. I think the hardware support for certain devices needs improvement, as well as some software tasks such as installing new software, updating existing software, and configuring software.

-Alex.

I've been a hobbyist since 1980 and tried many different OS' and machines. (CBM, Atari, IBM...) As fascinated as I've been with computers, the thing that really drew me in and still takes up a lot of my time was/is games. Really slick looking graphics and cutting edge games keep me using windows despite it's many flaws. I'm attending college courses at night for a CMIS degree, and I have had to use UNIX for several of my more recent classes. Since I can't always be online to the university mainframe, I installed an extra drive on my desktop computer and run both Win XP Pro and SUSE Linux Pro 9.3 as dual systems. Here are a few thoughts on both:

Windows comes in many different varieties now and XP is about to be rendered obsolete as well. I had to buy XP Pro because the ORACLE software I needed for a class wouldn't run on XP Home. After paying hundreds of dollars for the operating system I could only install it once, on one machine. I've had to reformat hard drives on an older computer and then buy ANOTHER copy of XP when I've got the disks laying in front of me. (I know that can be hacked, but I don't feel like taking the chance on pirate crack, especially since XP needs to update online almost daily.) When I bring home work, I need advanced features from Windows office because that's what we use where I work and I have to be confident of absolute compatibility.

SUSE Linux is growing on me as I use gain experience with it. Most of my classes have been programming and database oriented, so I appreciate the GCC and MySQL being built in. Installing the system was relatively easy although I assumed that it installed everything automatically ala Windows. It was very aggravating to attempt some programming, install packages manually, or even use some standard Linux commands only to find out that it wouldn't work because a library or additional code had to be installed from the disks. Once I understood YAST and discovered by trial and error how to use it to install packages things got much better. Linux is great for programming and sys admin work, but it is difficult to configure. I'm using Mozilla and Konqueror for web browsers but after repeated attempts still can't get the plug-ins to work correctly (real player, Kaffein, java, etc); that's a painless procedure in windows IE that takes seconds! Unix is dominant on the server market, and requisite knowledge for someone wanting to work in the computer industry - but it doesn't work well for the average desktop. Sorry this went much longer than I had intended, so I'll try to summarize the pros and cons.
- Windows is expensive and predesigned for obsolesence
- Windows is the defacto standard (especially working for the government)
- Windows is totally automated and easy to use
- The latest and greatest software only comes for Windows
(WINE is good for older stuff, but...)

-Unix is required knowledge for CS degrees
-If you want to run a server, well...
-If you want to shift between programming languages quickly and customize commands then UNIX beats Windows hands down

I will continue to use both systems although I see the Linux OS as a challenge.

I have been using SimplyMephis 3.3.2 test 3 for quite some time. The other day, for no apparent reason, I lost sound. No matter what I did I could not get alsa to work. Then, a few days later, I was trying out OpenOffice 2.0 base. While I was setting up a new database my computer froze. I tried everything I knew to get a new, usable console, but it was stuck solid. After a hard reboot I was stuck with a box that would not boot to a gui. After mucking around for a bit I was able to get it to boot to a gui but not with nVidia drivers. I still can't get the gui with that driver so I can play my gl games. I am not giving up on Linux, but PLEASE don't say it doesn't crash! I was not doing anything "cutting edge," I was simply using my machine to do simple tasks. I'm sure whatever went wrong was my fault and not the os's fault, but even so, what happened to my system is not indicitave of a bullet proof operation system.

I noticed that the "10 reasons to switch to Linux" didn't include "it's easy to use", "it's easy to install new software", "it's as easy to use as Windows", etc.

Despite all of the happy talk, wishful thinking and dreaming that goes on and on about Linux (by the Linux community), the fact remains that it's not a threat to Windows on the average home desktop pc. If it was, you wouldn't be writing magazine articles to try and get people to switch to Linux.

The peculiar structure of Linux itself prevents it from being easy to use. Linux is it's own worst enemy, and no amount of hard-selling is going to change that.

Linux on the desktop is slowly getting easier to use, but only to the degree that it mimics what the average desktop user already uses...Windows. The Linux community asking the average home desktop pc user to "re-learn" how to use an operating system so that they can use Linux (and they obviously don't need it or want it), is like some Johnny-come-lately car manufacturer telling a car buyer that they are going to have to re-learn how to drive a car so that they can use their car. It's absurd.

Average home desktop users don't have time for that crap...because they have "LIVES", and those lives don't (can't) include spending hours wrestling with Linux, reading man pages, reading info pages, reading FAQ's, reading all the previous posts in all the forums to be sure that their question isn't already answered somewhere, reading a HOWTO that tells them how to ask a question after they have done all of that other reading, failed dependencies, rtfm, and on and on and on.

"Ease Of Use" is KING to the average home desktop pc user and it always will be. They cherish it above security, they cherish it above stability, they cherish it above "free as in freedom" and "free as in free beer". Convenience is the natural result of ease of use. There are a hundred jillion convenience stores in America and around the world because convenience stores are easy to use...at only twice the price:),
and they couldn't care less about the Microsoft monopoly or the Open Source VS. Closed Source crap. They want ease of use and convenience. PERIOD. If it was any different we wouldn't be having this conversation.

You think Linux is better than Windows? Well take a good look around at who's using what on the average home desktop pc. Is Linux better than Windows? Guess what...THAT DOESN'T MATTER!!!!!!!

Remember the TNT movie "The Pirates Of Silicon Valley"? Near the end after Gates had beaten Jobs, Job's last act of defiance was to mutter, "our stuff is better". Gates finally lost his composure and shot back, "you still don't get it...THAT DOESN'T MATTER!!!!!!".

To get onto the average home desktop pc, the Linux "Community" is going to have to COMPETE with the Microsoft "Business Empire" for the business of the average home desktop user. There is simply no other way to get there. It'll be David against Goliath, and David didn't bring down Goliath by writing irrelevent magazine articles, pointing people to endless oceans of documentation, telling them to rtfm, and blaming his inadequacies on the user. And neither will the Linux Community. That's just the way it is. The Linux Community will either give the average home desktop pc user what it is that they really want, or they will remain nothing more than an obscure, fanatical, computer subculture in the eyes and mind of the average home desktop pc user...if they think about you at all.

By using multiple partitions, when I got tired of Fedora Core 3, and wanted to switch to Debian, the switch was relatively painless...all my files were preserved and though I had to recreate users, the user files were still there. I also optimized partitions for security.
There are problems, though, like the fact that there were connection problems with the Debian net install, and I still haven't even gotten a GUI to work on Debian. However, I really dislike running windows, even though my windows boot has so much ported linux software, even a multiple desktop client. I didn't bother signing up for computer priveleges at my high school because I'm so used to the speediness, efficiency, and useful features (multiple desktops) of the linux system that I don't want to use windows unless neccesary (like at the moment...I still have to get a GUI for Debian)
Linux has gotten me more interested in computer hardware and software, and I started learning programming and hunting down old computers. I'm even going back two of my own computers ago to a 486, and see what I can do it.

Linux is used in our house and has been used for years. Well, not by all at first. I had so many complaints by my wife and kids about the trouble they would get into using windows. But no one wanted to try Linux. It was learning a new operating system and they wanted to use windows but they didn't want to maintain it they wanted me to. Winows would get viruses, pop-ups would go out of control, crashes... ect. I have to fix windows for a living I didn't want spend all of my life fixing windows. I set up a cuple of computers running LInux and left XP to a wireless laptop. It didn't take long for everyone to start using LInux. I made sure I had all the goodies everyone uses right on the desktop. Next thing ya know kids and wife are chating with gaim, surfing with Opera, using Kmail, and school work with Open office. After a year.. the only time the XP laptop is used is when the desktops aren't free to use and it's a last resort. Our Family loves Linux, in the end the migration was painless! :)

Oh, yes, it does crash! Mandrake 10.1 and Knoppix 3.7 do, anyway.
I'm still investigating Linux to see if it might be something I'd like to use and I have to say that while it has many things going for it it also has numerous deficiencies, like it's inability to play nicely with ATI. (I buy only ATI video cards.) And Mandrake developed an extreme dislike or fear of the internet to the point where it refused to even connect to it, later developing a fear of booting up, taking either 20 minutes or multiple attempts before coming up. I'll be scrapping the Mandrake altogether and testing Debian, next.
I can never get Wine to work with anything; maybe I'll have more luck with Cedega.
Command line is hard to get used to after so long without DOS, and the commands are so dissimiliar.
Jury's still out but I've seen enough to pique my interest. I'll keep testing and learning and, just maybe, I'll figure out what the hell I'm doing and make the migration away from Macrosuck.

Message written on Macrosuck's Windoze 1900, complete with Millenium Bug and the Blue Screen of Death theme pack.

I know the thrust of this magazine is to get people learning linux so they use it regularly and that builds a market for it which promotes development and advertising dollars for you. But we must remain realistic. Alot of what you have stated are not full truths. For instance, linux does crash and it is not hardware independent. In fact, there's alot wrong with having drivers that aren't fully implemented and saying something doesn't crash when clearly I see OSes crash, systems go into a spindive, etc. No, I haven't seen the equivalent of the BSOD but I know that others have.

I am not here to demean linux. I use it every day all day for everything I do (well, with the exception of a few things), and I love it, but I'm not going to see a product that is still difficult to use and maintain sold as a wonder of the ages with no crashes and independence from hardware manufacturers.

Linux is Great... as long as your hardware is compatible.
How do you tell if your hardware is compatible easily?
Well you .... um did you say easily ... like not having to know the ID nums and types of all your hardware. Well I could be wrong but I have not found any "easy" way to know if hardware is compatible.
Even the so called "live CD" test won't always tell you if another version of Linux is compatible. I have Knoppix and it recognises my Cruzer USB memory stick. But my version of Fedora totally freezes up whenever I insert the stick into the usb port. Even when an old version of W**ws dosn't recogonise a piece of hardware it rarely causes the entire system to totally freeze up, and XP certainly doesn't.
So the moral MS may be evil but its market dominance means just about all hardware will work with its operating system. Something Linux can't claim.