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America's Hams Embrace Linux

Posted by timothy on from the not-a-huge-surprise dept.

Anonymous Coward writes "The current survey question over on the eham site shows that around 40% of Amateur Radio operators that responded to the survey are using Linux/Unix as an operating system in some form or other. Part of the ham radio charter is to 'experiment and innovate'...seems the tradition is alive and well in ham radio. Some of the comments are interesting as well ...What's Amateur/Ham Radio? See www.eham.net/newham/"

2 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. Great idea! by Jennifer+E.+Elaan · · Score: 5, Insightful
    What a wonderful idea! Let's poll a bunch of people who are, in large part, ELECTRONICS HOBBYESTS, and ask them what OS they prefer!

    HAM radio types are often some of the most technically knowledgable in the world. I'll bet that even the ones that still use Windows know enough Linux to survive. They may even have legit reasons for using Windows (like certain Windows-based EDA software still beats anything on Linux...)

    I have another great idea. Let's poll KERNEL HACKERS and ask what OS they run :P

    --

    Hardware, software, and blinking lights!

  2. Let's be honest by $eRvmanIO · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As a ham and a linux/windows/blah blah blah user, there are many reasons why hams gravitate to linux:

    1. Elitism - Yes, Linux users and Hams DO have something in common.
    2. Technical aspects - speaks for itself
    3. Cheapness - Combine used computer parts from Hamfests and free OS and you got the spirit of Ham Radio operators.