Windows vs. Ubuntu — Dell's Verdict

Barence writes "Remember how Dell put up a website declaring Ubuntu was safer than Windows, only to later change its mind? Well, the company has gotten right back into the Windows vs. Ubuntu debate with a highly sophisticated website arguing the pros and cons of each OS. People should choose Windows, argues Dell, if: they are already using Windows, are familiar with Windows, or are new to computers. People should choose Ubuntu if they're interested in open-source programming. Brilliant."

Comments

On the positive side

[jones_supa]

At least Ubuntu gets mentioned and it's not only the classic "Dell recommends Microsoft Windows operating system".

Re:Repositories for the win

[Dorkmaster Flek]

That's exactly what Ubuntu is moving towards. They're integrating the entire Synaptic Package Manager and Update Manager GUIs into the "Ubuntu Software Center", where you can search for, install and upgrade apps in one place. It's actually not a bad idea, though I still prefer the extra information that Synaptic provides on progress.

Re:Configurability or Games?

[alexhs]

Also note how it's Windows XP they're displaying.

You are familiar with WINDOWS and do not want to learn new programs for email, word processing etc

Does that mean that Dell is willing to sell them Windows XP so they don't have to learn Windows 7 ?

BTW, people using OpenOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird etc don't have to learn new programs.

Re:It's about being truthful

[Lumpy]

but it's not truthful... A new pc user should use ubuntu as it's EASIER than all version of windows.

Install software is as easy as a single click. A proper Laptop or PC requires Zero configuration. Windows pc's come all pre-configured, so to be fair the ubuntu pc should be 100% configured as well.

  They can't get infected with 99.97% of all viruses and trojans out there which affect even seasoned professional PC users with multiple PHD's in PC use. Newbie Pc users click on everything and many trojans are designed to fool them. Those trojans are completely neutered under ubuntu.

Plus there is a ton of free software that is a single click away in the application store. Something that Windows lacks. They can find almost everything they need there.

BUT, it all lies on the back of having the ubuntu pc preconfigured like all windows boxes get.

Doing a half assed default ubuntu install is only designed to screw the newbie. Unfortunately dell will give them a half assed install.

Re:It's about being truthful

[jedidiah]

> especially those who like things just to work

This pretty much rules out Windows completely.

Once you get beyond the myth of Windows "just working", it's time to consider Linux or Macintosh.

Windows is good for supporting something that is Windows only. This includes a lot of software and a small bit of hardware.

If you are a new user with no legacy expectations, Windows is the worst possible option.

Re:TFA should be tagged informative

[StuartHankins]

Agreed. I have a license for MS Office XP and there are only a few things I use it for:

• Some of the meeting requests from newer versions of Exchange don't send an ICS file (so they can't be accepted in Thunderbird / Lightning). I use Exchange webmail for these.
• Sometimes I need to open a file which uses macros / crosstabs and links.
• Calc has poor trendline capabilities for charting.

That's about it. OO Write has been far superior to Word on long technical documentation (doesn't crash, isn't slow, TOC entries are simple, styles are sane). OO Calc is quicker and easier at inserting large amounts of data from text / delimited files. OO Calc and Write can open MS Office 2007 files but MS Office XP and 2003 can't. We have the MS Office "converter" installed on everyone's machine for those 2007 / 2010 documents, and it gives poor results and is the source of a lot of headaches for my department to support.

And then there's the usability issue (at least for me) -- I've been using office apps since GEOS, so Quattro Pro, AmiPro, Lotus 1-2-3, etc menus are familiar to me. I dislike personalized menus and especially dislike the ribbon. I dislike the slow load times of Office in general and the frequent patches / crashes.

Re:Thank you

[shutdown -p now]

I can't install the language patch (click on it in Opera, garbage on my screen. right click and save as, now I have it saved but how to install it??)

Um, double-click it? I assume it's a .deb file that you've downloaded, anyway, because if it's something else, then it is not what you need.

Though why not install it through the package manager in the first place? Applications -> Ubuntu Software Center, then use the built-in search to find what you want.

Here is a more detailed treatment of Ubuntu software installation options, though most likely the Software Center will cover all your practical needs.

I can't use bittorrent

If you're using the most recent Ubuntu, you should have a BitTorrent client installed out of the box. It's called "Transmission", look it up in Applications -> Networking.

an't install wine because I don't know how to install a package handler because of the above problem

Again, you do it through the package manager.

Re:It's about being truthful

[Svartalf]

Heh... I question the mods that marked you "insightful"...

One thing about Linux hasn't changed at all in the 14 years I've been using it: users still need to have in-depth knowledge to do basic stuff, like install new applications.

I have in hand a .deb or an installer executable file for a given application. How does one install it?

Open up a file browser (i.e. Explorer window...) and double-click on the package in question. In most instances (including many of the games being ported right now...), at this point the GUI package installer will launch or the installer in the bundle will do the same thing. If it's self-contained (meaning no external dependencies) it'll only need the administrator password to install said app. If it's got dependencies, it'll typically explain those up-front or tell you about what it needs pre-installed, much like the story on MacOS or Windows.

What "in-depth" knowlege, I ask you?

Ditto for pretty much all the other "basic" things you do with computers.

And the same applies for pretty much any mainline and many niche Linux distributions.

You said you've been using it for 14 years? Funny...I would have thought you'd have known this was the case then.