As most of you know, I've been into computers for quite some time. I got my first computer about 25 years ago. The idea behind that at the time was to lessen my
accounting and billing load for the studio. A friend set me up with an old 286 MHz with a VGA screen that lit up with orange text on a black background just like a pumpkin on Halloween night. It was strictly a DOS command line interface, type and hope as compared to plug and play. I also had added a matrix dot printer that was so loud it prevented me from holding a conversation on the phone while printing. The damned thing could have punched a hole in the wall if the carriage had been positioned with that purpose in mind. I soon graduated to Windows 3.0 after a while, my first graphic desktop. Of course the icons were as big as golf balls but it got the job done and viruses were virtually inexistent in those days....having no internet helped. A few years later on I purchased my first Mac from my downstairs landlord who set me up me a fast internet connection, in effect bypassing the agony and wait of a dial-up connection. What a difference...! What was a tool now had become also my favorite plaything. Emails, the Internet and Adobe Photoshop occupied most of my time on the box. Why am I rehashing all of this...? Mainly because computing has come a long way.
Still, some basic practices remain the same or have worsened with time. I was a big fan of Apple computers and loathed PCs for years until I found out that the real culprit was Microsoft and their flawed operating system. Enter the third player...Linux. For those who have no clue, Linux is a free operating system for PC computers developed by Linus Torvalds using the same unix base that Apple uses for their operating system, Mac OS X. The only difference is it's free ...like in I don't have to fork out one dinero. And all the applications are free as well. Over 15000 0f them. It will run on older machines giving them a new lease on life. Very good if you believe in recycling to save our dying planet. What's the catch you ask..? Why aren't more people using it..? Well the truth is that Linux got a bad rap to begin with and has suffered from it from the longest time. People will still tell you it's for nerds but in fact, Linux has made such strides in user friendliness that Microsoft is a little worried these days about the competition. Actually, I suspect most of the bad press Linux got came from MS. I stumbled upon Linux about eight years ago and luckily, while on a forum asking questions, I was fortunate enough to meet my good friend Jimmy from Maine who became my main reference for Linux. So here's what I can tell you from years of experience trying out and using Linux on a day to day basis....
Is Linux perfect? No.no operating system is. But usually most problems sit between the keyboard and the chair.I have found that most peripherals like scanners, cameras, MP3 players and printers are detected from the get go without any type of intervention or installation. The same goes for networks. Plus, software installation and removal is a breeze.
Is it hard to learn to use? No. I installed it for my wife's 78 year old uncle and he uses it regularly. Basically, you have the same applications or clones you would use on a Windows system from browsing the web, playing music and writing.
What's the main advantage of using Linux? Linux is community driven by very
passionate people who are constantly making improvements, most of which are under the hood, so that it is maintained properly and up to date. You can also taylor it to your needs in look, feel, and software. And, as I've mentioned before, it's free and will run several months 24/7 before a reboot is necessary.
Is Linux for everyone? No. If you're comfortable with Windows's viruses, error messages, Word crashes, price gouging for software and general annoyances, then by all means ..stay with Windows. You deserve each other.
Can I try it? Of course. One of the major advantages of Linux is that with many distros (Linux distributions or operating systems) you have the option to try it '' live''. Meaning that it will run from the CD or DVD after reboot, without affecting your regular operating system. Thus your system will return to it's previous operating system after ejecting and rebooting without any side effects..
How many Linux distributions are there? A hell of a lot. This has been a brewing controversy in the Linux community for a while. With just about a hundred different Linux operating systems out there, it's hard for the newbie (newcomer) to find is or her way around. Rule of thumb: If you want plug&play, stick with the majors. Any Debian based distro like Ubuntu or my favorite, Linux Mint, will do the the job, and then some.
Who uses Linux? You'd be surprised, A lot of government agencies from Brazil to France have implanted it for their workstations. And, there is an ever growing army of users out there, who once they've adopted it, would rather fight than switch back.
At home right now we have three computers, two very old and one fairly new, running Linux and my old Mac is on OS X. I have yet to find a suitable Linux that will run on my aging Apple computer, but I'm still avidly looking. Computers were about freedom but some companies decided to lock you into a stranglehold. Now at least, you have a choice.....
Footnote: Pic #1 is of my wife's laptop running Linux Mint , the Gnome desktop. Pic # 2 shows my IBM with Linux Mint , running the Fluxbox desktop. I prefer a more minimal and uncluttered zen looking desktop.
This week a ruling came from the Superior Court of Quebec against the RRQ ( a gvt agency) which failed to consider Linux and Open Source software as a serious contender in a recent tender for the renewal of their software needs. You can read it here in French...
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Economie/2010/06/03/007-proces-logiciel-libre.shtml
No comments:
Post a Comment