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I have recently started to use linux, ubuntu to be specific, and I'm already starting to receive grief from my mac-fanboy and windows-fanboy friends. Aside from the increased speed of the OS, and small size, what are some things I can do to prove the advantages of linux to them? Any suggestions or tips will be greatly appreciated.
Click here to see the post LQ members have rated as the most helpful post in this thread.
...what are some things I can do to prove the advantages of linux to them? ...
Nothing.
Quote:
I have recently started to use linux...
how do you want to prove the advantages of Linux if you don't know them yet by yourself?
Quote:
...Aside from the increased speed of the OS, and small size...
that's all relative.
In fact, Linux has not been created, to substitute other Operatingsystems. Some people use it, most people don't. If you use Linux, this is on first sight a good decision, but will you stay with it when the first problems come up?
Just use Linux, the time will come when you don't have to ask your question.
Markus
Last edited by markush; 01-03-2011 at 03:23 AM.
Reason: typo
It is as simple as that: If they are fanboys, as you stated, there is nothing you can do to convince them. Fanboyism has nothing to do with rationality, so no facts will help. Just use it, and when it comes up to you to rescue data from a broken Windows-System with a Linux live-CD, or you set up fancy desktop effects they may want to have a look at Linux. Biggest mistake you can make (I made that experience) is to always insist on the superiority of Linux. Just let them use what they want to use. They will see that some tasks can be more effectively with Linux, some are more or less the same, and some you can achieve better with other systems.
Hello, welcome to LQ,Nothing.how do you want to prove the advantages of Linux if you don't know them yet by yourself?that's all relative.
In fact, Linux has not been created, to substitute other Operatingsystems. Some people use it, most people not. If you use Linux, this is on first sight a good decision, but will you stay with it when the first problems come up?
Just use Linux, the time will come when you don't have to ask your question.
Markus
Thanks Markus. I have been using linux for about three months now and have already faced a few problems. One of which with my mousepad not working, but after writing a few common sense lines on a text editor I was able to fix it. Obviously I've seen advantages like this and began learning how to use the system, but that's not something that's directly applicable in a frequent situation without screaming the unfortunate faux-pas of "computer geek" that some parts of society have seemed to create. Thank you again for being so helpful on this post, and using your time to post something that not only didn't provide any help or necessary answer to the question, but also followed the guidelines for those one or two people that can't help but be overwhelming stereotypical on a linux post.
Just use Linux, the time will come when you don't have to ask your question.
Hi,
Will not happen in my opinion. Technology travels at such speeds that no human can keep up. If you pretend to reach a point where you don't have to ask a question, you're presuming to know everything, and you'll just be lying to yourself.
It is as simple as that: If they are fanboys, as you stated, there is nothing you can do to convince them. Fanboyism has nothing to do with rationality, so no facts will help. Just use it, and when it comes up to you to rescue data from a broken Windows-System with a Linux live-CD, or you set up fancy desktop effects they may want to have a look at Linux. Biggest mistake you can make (I made that experience) is to always insist on the superiority of Linux. Just let them use what they want to use. They will see that some tasks can be more effectively with Linux, some are more or less the same, and some you can achieve better with other systems.
Hi,
Even the hardest fanboys can be converted and convinced, as I have experienced personally. If we all just use Linux and don't share or try to promote it, it'll never get the publicity it needs. I personally try to promote Linux in any way I can and feel very satisfied about it. One of the strong points of Linux in my opinion is the sharing and helping out that users do, for example here on LQ among others. If we just tell everyone to just let it be, where are we going to?
Even the hardest fanboys can be converted and convinced, as I have experienced personally. If we all just use Linux and don't share or try to promote it, it'll never get the publicity it needs. I personally try to promote Linux in any way I can and feel very satisfied about it. One of the strong points of Linux in my opinion is the sharing and helping out that users do, for example here on LQ among others. If we just tell everyone to just let it be, where are we going to?
Kind regards,
Eric
You have a point here, but it is in my experience better to let the people use what they want. They will see how I work with my system when they are at my place, and when I fire up a rescue Linux on there places to help them (always have a flash-drive with a customized Debian with me, maybe I really should add some fancy desktop effects ), and then ask their questions.
I already have converted at least two of my friends, with just showing one of them that Firefox and VLC work the same on Linux and Windows, and you don't need antivirus software, and showing two the other that his really old laptop will just run fine with a small Linux system.
But if you try to persuade someone in a somewhat missionary way they will block it. They may try Linux, but after a short time most of them will complain that it don't is like Windows, that they can't use this or that software that they have seen on that webpage or got from a friend, and so on. Sooner or later they want there Windows back.
Long story short: I don't say that it is wrong to lead anyone to Linux, but you have to look how you do it, or it will not work. Just what I have experienced, people don't like it, when you say "mine is better than yours". And of course some people just don't want to change (Q:"Will my games run on it?" A:"Maybe, but you may have to fiddle with the configuration." "Then I don't want it.").
So I gave that up and have done it since then with just show them Linux, if they are interested.
...I personally try to promote Linux in any way I can and feel very satisfied about it...
Yes, so do I. But don't overlook that you're a very experienced user and if anyone of the people you assured to use Linux has a problem with his machine, you can help and repair the system.
Otherwise, if someone who is not that experienced with Linux convinces people to use it and something goes wrong, he cannot help to solve the problem and achieves probably the opposite, namely to convince people not to use Linux.
Yes, so do I. But don't overlook that you're a very experienced user and if anyone of the people you assured to use Linux has a problem with his machine, you can help and repair the system.
Otherwise, if someone who is not that experienced with Linux convinces people to use it and something goes wrong, he cannot help to solve the problem and achieves probably the opposite, namely to convince people not to use Linux.
Markus
Hello,
You've got a very good point there. It's good to be able to help others when you're experienced. On the other hand if you make it clear how a new user can find help, that's half of the work done already, since they'll learn by mistake and solution. The last person I 'converted' to Linux asked me if he could call me when in trouble. I told him that he could call me whenever Google and/or LinuxQuestions couldn't provide an answer. I'm yet to receive his first call In the spirit of Linux, I always try to tell new users to help themselves by looking since by doing so they'll learn a lot more and remember it better.
If anybody asks me why I prefer Linux, I say I find it more interesting and involving than the alternatives. And leave it at that. I don't need to justify my choice to anyone, and neither do you. Arguing with fanboys is a waste of breath.
As other people mentioned above, I think it would be reasonable to know the system first before claiming its superiority over other OSs. Most of my friends use Windows and for some time I used to try to convince them of linux superiority. I couldn't get over the fact that they being intelligent human beings use Windows. It was stupid and really counterproductive. Seeing how futile it was, I stopped doing it. Now, when asked about linux by one of my friends, I just stress it's "different" than windows, not better or worse. That seems to have stopped my friends from passing their "ignorant"() comments on linux, LOL. What they have problems understanding now is the fact that I used to use windows, then out of my free will I dumped it to use linux and see no reason whatsoever to come back to windows - and nobody pays me a penny to do it.
Sigh, I've found that whether its someone asking a broad question like this, or some stupid kid asking "how do I hack? explain it to me now in a few short sentences so I can just open the terminal, type in a line, and wreck the world" nearly everyone on a forum answers with a chiding "learn how to use linux". Thank god I am not the latter of that, which is why I find it unreasonable that one person couldn't have said something like "Oh, yeah just download compiz and that's something quick and impressive." I'm not asking how to run the complex inner-workings of linux, or how to complete any task given to me on it, I'm just curious as to some of the things like this that show simple advantages and "cool" tricks in linux. Even whoever mentioned desktop effects didn't take the two seconds to mention any solutions.
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), and then ask their questions.
In the spirit of Linux, I always try to tell new users to help themselves by looking since by doing so they'll learn a lot more and remember it better.
