Hi,

I know this has been covered extensively in the past but looking at reasoning for Linux usage over Microsoft's Windows is still a must for user conscious of the needs for openness when using their computers. Let alone the security issues when using closed source operating systems.

Food for thought!
Hope this helps.

Some of those 11 points are incorrect or bullshit (or just irrelevant).
The usual scam of X reason to prove A is better than B.
I wouldn't suggest that page.

Hi,

Each to his/her own opinion. I find the page relevant so I thought sharing it would benefit the community.

1) You have full control over all aspects of your system.

On Windows 10, I don't even get to choose when updates are applied, let alone which updates.

That's my list.

Have to agree with Pan though, that's not really a convincing list:
"Pre-installed Text editors" is hardly a significant reason to choose one OS over another... besides, he didn't even mention emacs

1 members found this post helpful.

I'm confused as to how it's relevant or beneficial. :/

The article is filled with nonsense and is really poorly written.


If I wanted to use generic arguments to convince someone to use Linux (rather than considering their personal needs), I might use an article like this: https://itsfoss.com/why-use-linux/

To be clear, I do not consider that a good article - it was just at the top of the search results - but it's still a huge improvement over the Linoxide one.

I wouldn't call it nonsense. Most of the reasons make sense, though I agree the bit about editors is a bit daft. You could equally reverse that one and say that Linux needs text editors because so much of the configuration is in text files. When would a Windows user ever need to edit plain text?

I'm also amused that Linux being gratis trumps it's being libre. Not everyone here would agree with that. The proliferation of distros is also reckoned by many people to be a minus, not a plus.

Looking around my office right now, I see a Linux® host, a Windows® host, and a Macintosh®. Several of these support various virtual machines, each using VirtualBox® to do so. Each one of these machines is present because each one has a specific purpose: each one is the "horse" that is best suited to pull a particular "cart." I therefore fail to see why any of them are "better." After all, I care about neither the horse nor the cart – but rather, "what payload is in each cart."

Can I expand your list a little:

- You can't remove certain programs. That's not for any technical reason, it's just because Microsoft doesn't want you to. Eg: Edge, Cortana, Xbox Game Bar, Your Phone (WTF even is that?). Why does "Xbox Game Bar" have to stay on the so-called "Pro" version? The one which is meant to be used in offices?

- Apps which were removed are reinstalled at seemingly random times. Sometimes after an update, sometimes "just because." Either way, it's tiresome removing the same crap over and over again. It's a constant and uphill battle.

- After every update, they keep shoving Edge in your face. It continually reinstates itself as the default PDF reader.

- If you don't have an AD server, provisioning new machines takes hours, even if the new machines have SSDs. A large chunk of that time is removing pre-loaded garbage, and waiting for the aforementioned Windows Update to finish. The rest of it is spent staring at a blinking LED wondering WTF it's doing because it doesn't tell you anything.

- It is becoming increasingly difficult to set up local users. They want everyone to have a Microsoft account. Well I don't want one, and my staff shouldn't need one to log into their work machine.

2 members found this post helpful.

This. I have Windows on my personal desktop. Linux on my server and another desktop in my home. Use the proper tool for the job. Neither is better than the other. Better at specific things maybe, but not generally or overall.

Yes, I find all those very relatable:

1 members found this post helpful.

these are all personal preferences and annoyances.

[I guess] more important to ask: if my [special] hardware and/or devices are supported at all? Is the software [I want to use] supported at all? Can I maintain / keep it working? How much should I pay for this setup?

Unexpectedly having to wait 19-20 minutes while those little white dots spin around in a circle on boot or shutdown, or the system being sluggish to the point of unusability when windows-update, defender, 'compatibility telemetry' tasks all decide to pop into life on startup is way beyond an "annoyance".

Seriously, there's something very wrong with the approach Windows takes to doing system updates.


Anyway, thankfully I no longer have to deal with any of this.

Hi,


@GazL
I totally agree! I recently needed to boot into my Laptops dormant MS Windows the other day and I had to wait a good 25 minutes for the update before I could do anything. When clients need assistance and I need to wait on MS updates with rebooting it costs time & money. Sad!! I know a vm can be loaded but my needs sometimes exceed that. I really do not wish to get a new Laptop at the moment to support new MS Windows but that will be driven by client needs. I drive my equipment to it's limits, be it a computer or vehicle. It saddened me to purchase a new F150 to replace a perfectly working vehicle but my wife stated I needed to update because I was driving a 17 year old one with a little rust. Still ran and good mileage. Love the F150 Lariat but will keep it as long as gas will be available.

If I need to update my Slackware64 Gnu/Linux using my tools then a update manually can be done in less than 10 minutes. Mostly due to my typing speed and manual entries. I really do not like auto updates of any kind since I need to know what is going on when doing my work(s). Gui tools are nice for persons who cannot perform antiquate admin but not for me.

Each to his/her own methods or needs.

1 members found this post helpful.

I can relate to that. Just had to get rid of my 25 year old Mazda MX5 that I'd had from new. Super low mileage, wonderful to drive, but the British climate being what it is the body panels and the underside was starting to go. I could have kept having it welded and panels replaced, but it was also too old to be compatible with the new 10% ethanol mix fuel that is now standard in the UK, so all things being considered its time had come. I loved that little car, was such a sad day.

Speaking of which, have you seen the slackscan/slackup scripts that I just posted on github? They're linked on my LQ blog. I get the feeling from what you say they'd be right up your street.

Many of those reasons could be logically spun as negatives as well. Lists like that are good for newcomers who might want reasons to switch, but for more seasoned users, it seems like a fanboi type of thing; because in reality, we need to use the tool that best does the job.

We all have different reasons for using Linux. I use Linux because I'm very comfortable in it's ecosystem, and I appreciate the more direct access to it's various parts (security, configuration, hardware abstraction (HAL), etc.), among quite a few other reasons. It also gives me a playground in which to learn.

Some people will want/need Windows or Mac, because they have their own specific reasons (e.g. software compatibility, the "safety" of the closed iTunes world) that only those ecosystems can provide.