Why Linux over Windows?

I made this thread because I'm wondering all those that switched from Windows, why you chose to switch to Linux from Windows and for those that have always used Linux, why you never switched to using Windows and if you'd tried Windows, why you never stayed with Windows.
What is it about Linux that has kept you from wanting to switch to Windows?

I've always used Centos for our servers but I just installed Fedora Core 7 last week as a desktop and still getting used to the change from Windows.
I used Windows XP for ages but a few days before I installed Linux, as a desktop, I tried Vista RC2.
It was crap wrapped up in pretty wrapping! No exaggeration unfortunately...
It seemed okay, starting out - a bluescreen here and there, then it updated and one of the updates caused a memory leak in the kernel and it went downhill from there. I spent a week trying to get my things moved over so I could install Linux. It was that bad.

It really upset me thinking about how many people were paying to beta-test for Vista.
People were paying $400+ for a Vista release that really wasn't ready to be released, so basically people were paying to be beta-testers.

I spent 8 or 9 hours writing up a 3 page article and saw that Windows was updating. I went on with adding the finishing touches to the article and and error screen popped up with Kaspersky. I just closed Kasperksy out and another error popped up, then another. Next thing I know the entire system froze up and I couldn't save my work!
While you're using Ultraedit-32, if your system crashes it will normally save a backup of anything unsaved. With that crash, it didn't
The system bluescreened and from then on, every time I rebooted, i'd get a bluescreen. When I'd leave Windows up overnight, I'd wake up to it being bluescreened.

My husband has to repair his .pst every time Vista bluescreens on him, but he chooses to keep up the fight with Vista.
I didn't. I installed Linux.

I wanted a reliable system. A system that when I woke up, would still be going, unfrozen and not blue! I can trust Linux. I can't trust Windows.
Even when I reinstall Linux (though I never had to, but when I chose to) all my settings were saved! I was up and going within minutes! I never had to reconfigure everything. I kept /home on a seperate drive so if I reinstall, I can reformat everything else that could use a reformatting and leave the drive I have /home on, alone.
It's wonderful.
I like the fact that most everything you could want is open-source.
With Linux I'm never left with not having anything to do.
I enjoy all the different things you can do wih your system, from looks to system configuration.
I like being the one in charge of my system, not having it tell me what I can abd can't do!
If I need a Windows-based app, I can still use it. If I need to read an ntfs drive, I can still read it.

The only thing I don't like about Linux is that some of the hardware that me and my husband spent a LOT of money on, doesn't work with Linux. There aren't any drivers for it... yet.
http://www.creative.com/products/pro...&product=14064
Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Elite Pro - I'm still waiting on them to get to creating those drivers. If you've ever had a hard time telling a difference with soundcard sound, try that, you won't have that problem any more o.0 Music has never sounded so good!
But right now it's sounding like silence because they DON'T HAVE THE DRIVERS FOR LINUX YET!

Heartbreaking.

Now for my Logitech G-15 keyboard, there is "G-15 Tools" but I haven't been able to get it going yet :/ After 2 days of messing with it, I only have the clock being displayed (and in military time...). I had my husband get me this keyboard for my birthday because I loved being able to have tons of configurable "extra" keys. But I'm having trouble getting the G-15 Tools to work, so I may as well have a standard keyboard

I love Linux over Windows, because the options and possibilities are endless, not to mention how stable everything is compared to Windows, but getting things to work for your system, if it's available, can be a nightmare at times - especially when Google doesn't turn up anything about your problem.
So I've decided to turn to Linux forums, but I'm impatient when it comes to getting something to work. I want it to work right then, not wait for hours or days or longer. And then you still might or might not be able to get it working.

I really don't want to go back to Windows. Even if I went back to Windows, there's the tedious task of reinstalling and configuring everything. Then what?
To me Windows is boring. Linux is neverending. There's always something you can do, always something yopu can learn, always something you can configure or create, etc.
I know that I'll be fine once I get done with installing what I need installed, but I'm still getting used to having Linux as a desktop and because I'm having issues with some things, the urge to go back is great right now, but I DON'T WANT TO and it will pass once I get used to everything.

Plus, me and my husband have always used the same OS and always found something to do together and talk about with it, but now he's sticking with Vista and I refuse to go back to it. I miss that. I had hoped he would get as sick with Vista as I did and see how great Linux was and join me. Oh well
I'm not going back.

amb.

congrats yall!
have you tried updating to the latest ALSA beta drivers?(Advanced Linux Sound Architecture)
I don't even remember why I switched...

It says its compatible with my hardware, but barely running is not what I consider compatible. Oddly enough it will not even install on my newer machines lol. I started mainly with slackware, it was a nightmare to get everything setup (the first time) but after that i can now get a running and configured install in a couple of hours now. Finally have linux doing everything i was doing with windows and as opposed to vista it actually runs . Wasn't really intending to stay with linux until i actually got my system to run like i wanted and now i think it will most likely remain a permanent solution to my computing needs. I don't need to go out and buy software just to make it secure, and no blue screens even after weeks of constant running. Last of all I decide what goes into it and what comes out of the operating system.

Edit:
My wife still mainly uses windows.

Actually Linux comes with more drivers than Windows does. That's why so many pieces of hardware come with a Windows driver disk. Quite often that same hardware will work right off in Linux because a driver is already present.

The drivers that aren't in Linux are missing because the hardware manufacturer refuses to support Linux.

I make a point of only buying hardware that I know is Linux compatible.

As for why Linux, it's free (as in speech), stable, reliable, and far more easily customized to be what I need it to be. I also don't need a bunch of additional bloatware to protect it from malware.

I've stayed away from Vista... my Win-duhs machines run XP-SP2 and probably always will.

I have several machines running Linux (and Macintosh OS/X) because there is so much cruft in Windows distributions these days: stuff I don't want, can't control, and can't get rid of. My rule is "IMMD!" ("It's my machine, dammit!")

But probably the main reason why I don't use Windows systems too much anymore is that I can see the handwriting on the wall. Not just for Windows, but for the "laptop" and "desktop" computer. I know that Windows runs on one type of hardware, while Linux runs on more than thirty. And the software, with a trivial amount of looking-around, is just-as-good or (usually...) much better.

We are galloping into a world where the only computer that matters to you is the one that you wear, and that computer is going to be running Linux.

I made the switch 3 years ago. It was kinda hard, at first, because I like to understand things and I'm not the techie type at all.
But I like reading a lot, and linux, when you begin, is basically about that. I begin to like what I discovered and seeing I could use old machines was a real wonder.
I love old hardware, I must be a bit insane, but like old cars and bikes, old hardware gives one a sense of confidence. At least it does to me, I said I must be a bit out of my mind ;-)
And as I am neither a power user nor a gamer, what more could I ask of an OS which could basically do all I expected from a computer ?
Next, I like the freedom, not that I understand much about all the distinctions people make about it as far as linux is considered, but just the simple pleasure of changing a bit of that here and a bit of that there.
And keeping things simple is a plus, too. You can make your linux as simple or as complicated as you wish, and I chose the former. Windows is always about buying new hardware, rebooting, checking adware, spyware... I do more work on linux

Why Linux over Windows?
Hm....

Well originally I wanted to use Linux to rescue some data off a fairly old hard drive, the hard drive was too far gone, but I was hooked.

I found it so easy to use, and so much better than Windows.
Then I got my own computer, and I didn't want to pay the stupid extreme prices for Windows.

So I remembered my Linux CDs, buried upstairs, unused. I dug them out and had it installed in a mere half an hour. (Including a few numpty moments.)

Because I wanted to.

I had no problems at all with Windows (XP). I tried Linux hoping it would be a great challenge, but it really wasn't. I still use Linux because I like how easily customizable everything is, It seems very straightforward to me.

Originally Posted by sundialsvcs I've stayed away from Vista... my Win-duhs machines run XP-SP2 and probably always will. I have several machines running Linux (and Macintosh OS/X) because there is so much cruft in Windows distributions these days: stuff I don't want, can't control, and can't get rid of. My rule is "IMMD!" ("It's my machine, dammit!") But probably the main reason why I don't use Windows systems too much anymore is that I can see the handwriting on the wall. Not just for Windows, but for the "laptop" and "desktop" computer. I know that Windows runs on one type of hardware, while Linux runs on more than thirty. And the software, with a trivial amount of looking-around, is just-as-good or (usually...) much better. We are galloping into a world where the only computer that matters to you is the one that you wear, and that computer is going to be running Linux.

I have to agree with just about everything here - I'm not going to run Vista, several machines of mine either triple-boot Slack/Sabayon/XP or strictly Linux, and that handwriting? I can see it from here, reflected in my computer monitors.

I'm not sure about the computer that you wear, mainly because I haven't devoted much thought to it.

I haven't used Windows since I was about 6 (almost 13 years, now).

I have had the odd tryst away from Linux because I want to play a game, but then get pissed off when the Windows partitioning tool on the install CD can't recognize a drive because the first partition isn't FAT or NTFS in any way, shape or form.

I do recall getting Windows XP SP2 installed once, but when it ate up most of the partition I alotted for it (I run off a 10GB boot drive), I had no room left to play the games (not even Starcraft).

My dad has been a Bell sysadmin for years now, and my first UNIX box was a Solaris 4 (SPARC 5) machine running CDE. I thought it was just darn cool beans, so I kept up with it.

Everytime I am forced to use a Windows box (at school, or work) I can't help but feel a little weird.

What I love about Linux is that there is practically no limit for anything:
* There is an interpreter and/or compiler for almost every programming language out there.
* Don't like the way a certain application performs its tasks? There's always an alternate application for the same purpose.
* You're not limited to one window manager or desktop environment.
* Almost anything is possible (configuratively).

>> "We are galloping into a world where the only computer that matters to you is the one that you wear, and that computer is going to be running Linux."

and there arent any needs to let people know linux is running on them ... and that should be the way it is ...


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I think people are under the impression that Linux is a dirty word and they have preconcieved notions of incompatability and the difficutlty of the learning curve. But I fully agree that people what people know can't hurt them when it comes to the operating system.

What's this, a retoric question? You asked why people switch from winBlows to Linux and then gave in your description abiut Vista the most relevant reasons why somebody would make the switch

Originally Posted by amberp It was crap wrapped up in pretty wrapping!

That's why!

what i meant was if people are knowing too much they wont enjoy what they already have in their hands ...


//i wont actually call that a success ...


.

No programming environment, no applications, no nothing, it's not even supplied with a proper text editor (surely the most fundamental of user applications). Single desktop, single interface, fixed key bindings, unstable, blah, blah, etc., etc. I could go on, but I can't be bothered, even talking about Windows is a waste of time.

Linux vs Windows? That's like comparing an ocean liner with a pair of concrete shoes. I know which I'd rather be at sea in.

Choice? What choice?