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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/"

5 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. Bayesian radio by Baloo+Ursidae · · Score: 5, Funny

    So if Hams are linux users, does that means spams are Windows users?

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  2. 40% ? by tealover · · Score: 5, Funny

    Quick, what's 40% of 100 ?

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    -- You see, there would be these conclusions that you could jump to
  3. 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

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  4. 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.

  5. Hams & Linux: Not quite yet. by Teeja · · Score: 5, Informative
    As a ham, I have experimented with Mandrake & Red Hat, but I don't believe the average Amateur Radio Operator will be making the switch to any form of Linux soon. Why? Because hams love radio and are primarily interested in computing as a tool to extend their abilities within radio experimentation.

    Yes, more hams are getting into Linux, mainly because experimentation is in their blood... but the question is "what are hams passionate about?"-- answer: ham radio, not necessarily computing, although integration of the two is occuring at a faster pace now.

    As a ham, I want my tools to work and work well. I want to spend my time on my hobby (radio) and not that much time figuring out how to use or configure my tools (OS's).

    IMHO, linux will begin to rule when it:

    1. Has a more intuitive GUI/Menu with descriptive application names that tell me what the app does.
    2. Has an application installation procedure that my wife can figure out.
    3. When lunatic-fringe linux geeks stop bashing "windoze" simply because it's easy to use.

    What am I running right now? XP
    Why?
    It gives me what I need with the least amount of effort on my part. Call me an "appliance operator" or whatever, but I'm spending more time on what I enjoy: ham radio.